Functional dyspepsia(FD)is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder among the elderly, characterized by an unclear pathogenesis and significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment.The emergence of FD in older adults is closely linked to factors such as gastrointestinal motility disorders, visceral hypersensitivity, dysregulation of the gut-brain axis, and psychological influences.Recent years have witnessed substantial advancements in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying FD, with emerging evidence indicating that low-grade duodenal inflammation and dysbiosis of gut microbiota may play pivotal roles in its onset and progression.This review aims to synthesize the latest domestic and international research regarding the epidemiological characteristics of FD in the elderly, its pathogenesis in the context of aging, and contemporary approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Thermal ablation (TA) is a widely applied minimally invasive treatment for benign thyroid nodules and low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Compared to conventional surgery, TA offers advantages such as minimal trauma, rapid recovery, and no scarring. However, this procedure may lead to various complications, including intraoperative pain, nerve injury, hemorrhage, tracheal injury, skin burns, vasovagal reactions, nodule rupture, and thyroid dysfunction. Although TA demonstrates excellent safety and efficacy, further standardization of procedural protocols is necessary to minimize the incidence of complications.

Objective:To evaluate the predictive role of ultrasound, genetic testing, and clinical features in the malignancy risk of Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules, and to explore strategies for optimizing treatment decisions.Methods:This retrospective study included 227 Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules from patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Thyroid Surgery Department of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between Jan. 2020 and Dec. 2023. All patients underwent ultrasound evaluation and fine-needle aspiration. For nodules diagnosed as ultrasound, genetic testing, and clinical features were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression to assess their association with malignancy.Results:Among the 227 nodules, 214 were malignant, resulting in a malignancy rate of 94.2%. The malignancy rate of thyroid nodules was 94.2%. In univariate analysis, age ( P=0.016), BRAF V600E gene mutation ( P<0.001), nodule size ( P=0.002), and TIRADS ( P<0.001) were significantly associated with malignancy in Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules. Multivariate analysis confirmed that age ( OR=0.939, P=0.049) and BRAF V600E gene mutation ( OR=24.641, P<0.001) were significantly associated with thyroid nodule nature and served as independent predictive factors for malignancy. Conclusions:Genetic testing is an important method for predicting the malignancy of Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules, and ultrasound also has high clinical value in assessing the malignancy risk of nodules. While some clinical features are highly correlated with nodule characteristics, they may not be practical in clinical application. For nodules classified as TIRADS 3 through ultrasound evaluation and negative for BRAF mutations, continued observation may be considered, whereas TIRADS 5 nodules or nodules with BRAF mutations should be prioritized for surgical treatment.

Thermal ablation (TA) is a widely applied minimally invasive treatment for benign thyroid nodules and low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma. Compared to conventional surgery, TA offers advantages such as minimal trauma, rapid recovery, and no scarring. However, this procedure may lead to various complications, including intraoperative pain, nerve injury, hemorrhage, tracheal injury, skin burns, vasovagal reactions, nodule rupture, and thyroid dysfunction. Although TA demonstrates excellent safety and efficacy, further standardization of procedural protocols is necessary to minimize the incidence of complications.

Objective:To evaluate the predictive role of ultrasound, genetic testing, and clinical features in the malignancy risk of Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules, and to explore strategies for optimizing treatment decisions.Methods:This retrospective study included 227 Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules from patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Thyroid Surgery Department of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between Jan. 2020 and Dec. 2023. All patients underwent ultrasound evaluation and fine-needle aspiration. For nodules diagnosed as ultrasound, genetic testing, and clinical features were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression to assess their association with malignancy.Results:Among the 227 nodules, 214 were malignant, resulting in a malignancy rate of 94.2%. The malignancy rate of thyroid nodules was 94.2%. In univariate analysis, age ( P=0.016), BRAF V600E gene mutation ( P<0.001), nodule size ( P=0.002), and TIRADS ( P<0.001) were significantly associated with malignancy in Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules. Multivariate analysis confirmed that age ( OR=0.939, P=0.049) and BRAF V600E gene mutation ( OR=24.641, P<0.001) were significantly associated with thyroid nodule nature and served as independent predictive factors for malignancy. Conclusions:Genetic testing is an important method for predicting the malignancy of Bethesda Ⅲ thyroid nodules, and ultrasound also has high clinical value in assessing the malignancy risk of nodules. While some clinical features are highly correlated with nodule characteristics, they may not be practical in clinical application. For nodules classified as TIRADS 3 through ultrasound evaluation and negative for BRAF mutations, continued observation may be considered, whereas TIRADS 5 nodules or nodules with BRAF mutations should be prioritized for surgical treatment.

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.

Objectives:Using data from the heart transplant patient dataset of our center,we aimed to develop a preoperative risk scoring model specifically suitable for the Chinese population undergoing heart transplantation.This model was established to predict the likelihood of graft failure within the first year post-surgery and classify recipients according to their risk level.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted at a single center on 1 210 consecutive heart transplant recipients between June 2004 and December 2022.Risk factor screening was performed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.Variable selection was carried out through a stepwise backward procedure based on the Akaike Information Criterion(AIC).The regression coefficients obtained from the final model were employed as weighting factors in the multifactor analysis.The study utilized the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)area under curve(AUC)as a metric to evaluate the performance of the model.Patients were stratified into low,medium,and high-risk groups based on the distribution of the calculated scores.Survival analysis was conducted on the various risk groups using the Kaplan-Meier method,with statistical comparisons performed using the log-rank test.A significance level of P<0.05 was deemed statistically significant.Results:A risk scoring model,denoted as the heart transplant(HTx)score,was developed,comprising 11 variables and yielding a total score of 20.6 points.In comparison to the low-risk group,the OR for 1-year graft failure in the medium-risk group was 2.0(95%CI:1.1-3.6,P=0.02),while the high-risk group had an OR of 9.8(95%CI:5.4-17.7,P<0.01).The risk scoring model exhibited strong discriminative ability with an AUC of 0.712(95%CI:0.646-0.778)and an internally validated bias-corrected AUC of 0.713.The results of the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test indicated that the predictive model demonstrated a strong calibration ability(Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2=2.92,P=0.71).Within the cohort,the AUC values for the IMPACT score,UNOS score,RSS score,Mayo score,BO score,and TRS score models were 0.645,0.651,0.632,0.589,0.610,and 0.604,respectively.These findings suggest that the HTx scoring model exhibited superior predictive performance compared to the aforementioned models in forecasting outcomes within our cohort.The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed statistically significant differences in long-term survival rates between the three risk groups,a noticeable decrease in long-term survival rates were observed with increasing levels of HTx risk stratification(P<0.05).Conclusions:Present results indicate a significant association between the developed HTx risk scores and graft failure within the initial year post-surgery,present model effectively categorizes the heart transplant recipients into low,medium,and high-risk groups and is valuable for risk stratification.

Functional dyspepsia(FD)is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder among the elderly, characterized by an unclear pathogenesis and significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment.The emergence of FD in older adults is closely linked to factors such as gastrointestinal motility disorders, visceral hypersensitivity, dysregulation of the gut-brain axis, and psychological influences.Recent years have witnessed substantial advancements in the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying FD, with emerging evidence indicating that low-grade duodenal inflammation and dysbiosis of gut microbiota may play pivotal roles in its onset and progression.This review aims to synthesize the latest domestic and international research regarding the epidemiological characteristics of FD in the elderly, its pathogenesis in the context of aging, and contemporary approaches to diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and trend of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) in China from 2015 to 2022, and to provide evidence for the adjustment of prevention and control strategies and measures for AHC.Methods:The case data of AHC reported by national notifiable disease information system from 2015 to 2022 were collected, and descriptive analysis method were used to analyze the population distribution characteristics, temporal epidemiological trends and spatial clusters of AHC in China.Results:From 2015 to 2022, the incidence of AHC in China ranged from 1.85/100 000 to 2.97/100 000, with a fluctuating downward trend. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was -4.91 (95% CI: -7.74 to -2.00, P<0.05), with an annual percent change (APC) of 2.73 (95% CI: -2.34 to 8.06, P=0.189) for 2015—2019 and an APC of -14.23 (95% CI: -21.78 to -5.94, P<0.05). The age-specific incidence rate was highest in children aged 0-4 years (fluctuating between 4.69 and 5.67/100 000 from 2015 to 2019; It decreased significantly during 2020—2022, fluctuating between 1.93 and 2.72 per 100 000).The proportion of cases in children at 0-4 years of age showed a fluctuating downward trend from 8.68% in 2015 to 3.76% in 2020, with an increase in 2021—2022 to 5.74%. After 2020, the proportion of the population aged 60 years and above has increased, reaching 33.59% in 2022. Cases were mainly farmers, with a fluctuating upward trend of around 50% per year, with the highest percentage of 60.96% in 2020. The peak seasonal incidence of AHC was obvious from May to September from 2015 to 2019, but it was not obvious in 2020—2022. The cases were mainly distributed in Guangxi, Hainan and other provinces in the southwestern part of China. The high incidence counties were concentrated in Leye County of Guangxi, Maojian District of Hubei, Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County of Guangxi, Funing County of Yunnan, and Pulan County of Tibet every year. Conclusions:The overall epidemic rate of AHC in China showed a fluctuating downward trend from 2015 to 2022, with a pronounced decline observed between 2020 and 2022, potentially linked to non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased attention needs to be given to farmers and people above 60 years of age to reduce the risk of morbidity. Moreover, prevention and control efforts should be strengthened in high-risk areas of southwestern China, and comprehensive measures should be implemented in counties with high incidence, including enhanced health education campaigns and improved allocation of sanitary facilities, to reduce the risk of AHC infection. This study is the first to highlight the potential impact of public health policies on AHC epidemiology, thereby offering a scientific foundation for population- and region-specific precision prevention strategies, particularly guiding the refinement of control measures in high-burden areas.