Objective To comparatively evaluate the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS)versus conventional microbial culture in spinal infections.Methods A cross-section design was conducted on 82 consecutive patients with suspected spinal infections treated between February 2022 and January 2024 at Jiangbei Branch of First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University(Third Military Medical University).Microbiological culture,histopathological examination,and mNGS results from infected specimens were analyzed.Clinical diagnosis,primarily based on clinical manifestations,laboratory tests and radiologic features combined with medical history,was defined as the gold standard,and then the diagnostic performance,including sensitivity and specificity,were compared between mNGS and microbial culture.Results Among the 82 patients,definitive microbiological evidence was identified in 70 cases,and mNGS demonstrated a significantly higher detection rate than microbial culture(64 vs 36 cases,78.05％vs 43.9％,P<0.05).mNGS also obtained obviously higher sensitivity,accuracy,and negative predictive value(NPV),and notably lower positive predictive value(PPV)when compared to conventional microbial culture(all P<0.05).When stratified by infection type,mNGS obtained significantly higher sensitivity and accuracy compared to microbial culture in tuberculous spinal infections(P<0.05).For non-tuberculous spinal infections,mNGS also showed superior sensitivity to microbial culture(P<0.05).Conclusion In patients with spinal infections,mNGS demonstrates a significantly higher pathogen detection rate than conventional microbial culture.This technique can provide early and broad-spectrum pathogenic microbiological evidence for spinal infection.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of smoking on the sedative potency of remimazolam combined with alfentanil in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.Methods:This was a prospecctive single-center study. American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ male patients, aged 30-75 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, undergoing elective painless gastroscopy at Baoding First Central Hospital from October to December 2023, were divided into non-smoking group, mild smoking group (smoking index≤200), moderate smoking group (200 1 after 3 min of remimazolam injection or development of bucking, swallowing, body movement and other responses that affected operations during insertion of the endoscope. Results:A total of 85 patients were finally included, with 21 in non-smoking group, 21 in mild smoking group, 20 in moderate smoking group and 23 in heavy smoking group. The ED 50 of remimazolam was significantly higher in smoking groups than in non-smoking group ( P<0.05). The ED 50 of remimazolam gradually increased in mild, moderate and heavy smoking groups ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Smoking can decrease the sedative potency of remimazolam when combined with alfentanil in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.

Objective:To develop a network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule based on the principles and methods of China healthcare security diagnosis related groups(CHS-DRG), for references for optimizing clinical pathway management.Methods:From August to November 2024, this study constructed a network-structured clinical pathway management framework, followed the grouping principles of CHS-DRG, and developed a network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule through literature analysis and expert discussions. 54 clinical specialists from the sample hospital were organized and grouped according to the rule for the normal magnification cases(139 218 cases) of DRG medical insurance settlement in the hospital in 2023. Using a stratified random sampling method, 205 physicians from 54 clinical specialties in the hospital were selected to quantitatively evaluate the rationality, homogeneity, and clarity of the grouping results. The Likert 5-level scoring method was wsed to assign scores.Results:The network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule and nomenclature was established. A total of 341 main pathways and 35 sub-pathways covering 169 adjacent diagnosis related groups were formed. The quantitative assessment scores for rationality, homogeneity, and clarity were 4.90, 4.87 and 4.87 points, respectively.Conclusions:The network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule based on CHS-DRG had good, feasibility and standardization, and could meet the practical needs of clinical applications.

Objective To explore the effect of endoscopic surgery via trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach for unilateral thyroid cancer.Methods A total of 116 patients with unilateral thyroid cancer admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to March 2023 were selected,and all of them underwent unilateral thyroidectomy+isthmus resection+central lymph node dissection under endoscopy.The patients were divided into the observation group and the control group according to random number table method,with 58 cases in each group.Patients in the observation group received the trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach,and patients in the control group received subclavian approach.The surgical-related indicators,stress indicators[adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH),norepinephrine(NE),cortisol(Cor)]before and after surgery,parathyroid hormone(PTH),blood calcium level,postoperative incision aesthetics satisfaction,and occurrence of complications were compared between the two groups.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the operation time,intraoperative blood loss,or postoperative drainage volume of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).The dissection number of lymph nodes in the central region of patients in the observation group was greater than that in the control group(P<0.05).In the two groups,the levels of NE,Cor,and ACTH 1 day and 3 days after surgery were higher than those before surgery(P<0.05),and the levels of NE,Cor and ACTH 1 day after surgery were higher than those 3 days after surgery(P<0.05);the levels of NE,Cor and ACTH 1 day and 3 days after surgery of patients in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).In the two groups,the levels of PTH and serum calcium 1 day and 3 days after surgery were lower than those before surgery(P<0.05),and the levels of PTH and serum calcium 3 days after surgery were lower than those 1 day after surgery(P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in the levels of PTH or serum calcium 1 day and 3 days after surgery between the two groups(P>0.05).The satisfaction of postoperative incision aesthetics in the observation group(100%)was higher than that in the control group(72.41%),with statistically significant difference(P<0.05).No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Endoscopic surgery via trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach is safe and feasible for unilateral thyroid cancer,which has a mild stress response and inconspicuous incisions,with high satisfaction of incision aesthetics for patients.

Objective To compare the dosimetric disparities among static intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT),volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT),and tomotherapy(TOMO)techniques in cervical cancer radiotherapy for providing data support for clinical decision-making scheme of radiotherapy.Methods The clinical data of 19 cervical cancer patients,treated at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University from February to May in 2024,were analyzed.Three plans were devised for each case using IMRT,VMAT,and TOMO techniques,followed by dosimetric evaluation in terms of various metrics such as dose volume parameters of the target areas as well as organs-at-risk(OAR),conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI),and delivery time.Results All 3 plans met the clinical prescription requirements for the target areas.Compared with static IMRT and VMAT,TOMO had significantly lower Dmean and Dmaxof PCTV and PGTVnd.For OAR,TOMO demonstrated significant advantages over IMRT and VMAT in the Dmean of the bladder,the Dmean,Dmax,V30,V40of the rectum,the Dmean,Dmax,V20,V30of left and right femoral heads,and the Dmean,V20,V50of the pelvis(P<0.05).In addition,the TOMO group showed significantly higher CI for both PCTV and PGTVnd as compared with IMRT and VMAT groups,and lower PGTVnd HI than IMRT group(all P<0.05).Although there was trivial difference among 3 groups in term of PCTV HI,TOMO group performed slightly better than the other two groups.Notably,VMAT technique had the shortest treatment time.Conclusion In various treatment modalities for cervical cancer,TOMO is superior to IMRT and VMAT in terms of target dose coverage,OAR dose distribution,CI,and HI.However,VMAT has the highest efficiency.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of smoking on the sedative potency of remimazolam combined with alfentanil in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.Methods:This was a prospecctive single-center study. American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ male patients, aged 30-75 yr, with a body mass index of 18-28 kg/m 2, undergoing elective painless gastroscopy at Baoding First Central Hospital from October to December 2023, were divided into non-smoking group, mild smoking group (smoking index≤200), moderate smoking group (200 1 after 3 min of remimazolam injection or development of bucking, swallowing, body movement and other responses that affected operations during insertion of the endoscope. Results:A total of 85 patients were finally included, with 21 in non-smoking group, 21 in mild smoking group, 20 in moderate smoking group and 23 in heavy smoking group. The ED 50 of remimazolam was significantly higher in smoking groups than in non-smoking group ( P<0.05). The ED 50 of remimazolam gradually increased in mild, moderate and heavy smoking groups ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Smoking can decrease the sedative potency of remimazolam when combined with alfentanil in patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.

Objective To explore the effect of endoscopic surgery via trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach for unilateral thyroid cancer.Methods A total of 116 patients with unilateral thyroid cancer admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to March 2023 were selected,and all of them underwent unilateral thyroidectomy+isthmus resection+central lymph node dissection under endoscopy.The patients were divided into the observation group and the control group according to random number table method,with 58 cases in each group.Patients in the observation group received the trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach,and patients in the control group received subclavian approach.The surgical-related indicators,stress indicators[adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH),norepinephrine(NE),cortisol(Cor)]before and after surgery,parathyroid hormone(PTH),blood calcium level,postoperative incision aesthetics satisfaction,and occurrence of complications were compared between the two groups.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the operation time,intraoperative blood loss,or postoperative drainage volume of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).The dissection number of lymph nodes in the central region of patients in the observation group was greater than that in the control group(P<0.05).In the two groups,the levels of NE,Cor,and ACTH 1 day and 3 days after surgery were higher than those before surgery(P<0.05),and the levels of NE,Cor and ACTH 1 day after surgery were higher than those 3 days after surgery(P<0.05);the levels of NE,Cor and ACTH 1 day and 3 days after surgery of patients in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).In the two groups,the levels of PTH and serum calcium 1 day and 3 days after surgery were lower than those before surgery(P<0.05),and the levels of PTH and serum calcium 3 days after surgery were lower than those 1 day after surgery(P<0.05),while there were no significant differences in the levels of PTH or serum calcium 1 day and 3 days after surgery between the two groups(P>0.05).The satisfaction of postoperative incision aesthetics in the observation group(100%)was higher than that in the control group(72.41%),with statistically significant difference(P<0.05).No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of complications between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion Endoscopic surgery via trans-axilloareolar sternocleidomastoid intermuscular approach is safe and feasible for unilateral thyroid cancer,which has a mild stress response and inconspicuous incisions,with high satisfaction of incision aesthetics for patients.

Objective To compare the dosimetric disparities among static intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT),volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT),and tomotherapy(TOMO)techniques in cervical cancer radiotherapy for providing data support for clinical decision-making scheme of radiotherapy.Methods The clinical data of 19 cervical cancer patients,treated at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital and Institute of Guangzhou Medical University from February to May in 2024,were analyzed.Three plans were devised for each case using IMRT,VMAT,and TOMO techniques,followed by dosimetric evaluation in terms of various metrics such as dose volume parameters of the target areas as well as organs-at-risk(OAR),conformity index(CI),homogeneity index(HI),and delivery time.Results All 3 plans met the clinical prescription requirements for the target areas.Compared with static IMRT and VMAT,TOMO had significantly lower Dmean and Dmaxof PCTV and PGTVnd.For OAR,TOMO demonstrated significant advantages over IMRT and VMAT in the Dmean of the bladder,the Dmean,Dmax,V30,V40of the rectum,the Dmean,Dmax,V20,V30of left and right femoral heads,and the Dmean,V20,V50of the pelvis(P<0.05).In addition,the TOMO group showed significantly higher CI for both PCTV and PGTVnd as compared with IMRT and VMAT groups,and lower PGTVnd HI than IMRT group(all P<0.05).Although there was trivial difference among 3 groups in term of PCTV HI,TOMO group performed slightly better than the other two groups.Notably,VMAT technique had the shortest treatment time.Conclusion In various treatment modalities for cervical cancer,TOMO is superior to IMRT and VMAT in terms of target dose coverage,OAR dose distribution,CI,and HI.However,VMAT has the highest efficiency.

Objective:To develop a network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule based on the principles and methods of China healthcare security diagnosis related groups(CHS-DRG), for references for optimizing clinical pathway management.Methods:From August to November 2024, this study constructed a network-structured clinical pathway management framework, followed the grouping principles of CHS-DRG, and developed a network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule through literature analysis and expert discussions. 54 clinical specialists from the sample hospital were organized and grouped according to the rule for the normal magnification cases(139 218 cases) of DRG medical insurance settlement in the hospital in 2023. Using a stratified random sampling method, 205 physicians from 54 clinical specialties in the hospital were selected to quantitatively evaluate the rationality, homogeneity, and clarity of the grouping results. The Likert 5-level scoring method was wsed to assign scores.Results:The network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule and nomenclature was established. A total of 341 main pathways and 35 sub-pathways covering 169 adjacent diagnosis related groups were formed. The quantitative assessment scores for rationality, homogeneity, and clarity were 4.90, 4.87 and 4.87 points, respectively.Conclusions:The network-structured clinical pathway grouping rule based on CHS-DRG had good, feasibility and standardization, and could meet the practical needs of clinical applications.

Objective·To explore the predictive value of diuretic renal scintigraphy parameters such as 20-minute residual rate(R20)for pyeloplasty in children with congenital unilateral ureteropelvic junction obstruction(UPJO).Methods·The clinical data and diuretic renal scintigraphy results of 110 children with congenital unilateral UPJO who were first treated at the Department of Nuclear Medicine,Xinhua Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from August 2018 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The imaging results and the progress of hydronephrosis were followed up after the first diuretic renal scintigraphy.According to the outcome event of pyeloplasty due to the progression of hydronephrosis,the children were divided into operation group and non-operation group.Age,gender,side of hydronephrosis,and baseline diuretic renal scintigraphy parameters including blood perfusion rate(BPR),differential renal function(DRF),time to peak(Tmax),time to half(T1/2)and R20 were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of various parameters on the progression of hydronephrosis.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of diuretic renal scintigraphy parameters for surgical intervention.Wilcoxon test was used to compare the examination parameters of two diuretic renal dynamic imaging.Results·During the follow-up,60 children underwent pyeloplasty after progression,and the other 50 children did not progress.The differences in DRF,Tmax,T1/2 and R20 between the two groups of children at baseline were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that only R20 was an independent predictor of pyeloplasty(OR=4.730,95%CI 1.009-1.178,P=0.030).R20 predicted pyeloplasty with a sensitivity of 88.3%,specificity of 56%,the area under the ROC curve of 0.758(95%CI 0.667-0.850,P=0.000),and the cut-off value of 90.08%.During the follow-up,38 children underwent the second diuretic renal scintigraphy,and the DRF was lower than before.The difference between the two DRFs was statistically significant(Z=-2.589,P=0.010),especially in children with R20≥90.08%(Z=-2.166,P=0.030).R20 in the non-operation group decreased significantly compared with the baseline(Z=-2.062,P=0.039).However,R20 in the operation group was higher than baseline,but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion·R20 plays an important role in the prediction of pyeloplasty in children with congenital unilateral UPJO.For children with R20≥90.08%,pyeloplasty should be performed as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration of renal function.