BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease (VHD) has become increasingly common with the aging in China. This study aimed to evaluate regional differences in the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with VHD across different regions in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the China-VHD Study. From April 2018 to June 2018, 12,347 patients who presented with moderate or severe native VHD with a median of 2 years of follow-up from 46 centers at certified tertiary hospitals across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in Chinese mainland were included in this study. According to the locations of the research centers, patients were divided into five regional groups: eastern, southern, western, northern, and central China. The clinical features of VHD patients were compared among the five geographical regions. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence rate. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients (mean age, 61.96 years; 6877 [55.70%] male), multiple VHD was the most frequent type (4042, 32.74%), which was mainly found in eastern China, followed by isolated mitral regurgitation (3044, 24.65%), which was mainly found in northern China. The etiology of VHD varied significantly across different regions of China. The overall rate of valve interventions was 32.67% (4008/12,268), with the highest rate in southern China at 48.46% (205/423). In terms of procedure, the proportion of transcatheter valve intervention was relatively low compared to that of surgical treatment. Patients with VHD in western China had the highest incidence of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Valve intervention significantly improved the outcome of patients with VHD in all five regions (all P  <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with VHD in China are characterized by significant geographic disparities in clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Targeted efforts are needed to improve the management and prognosis of patients with VHD in China according to differences in geographical characteristics. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03484806.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Diseases/therapy* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To establish a Nomogram model for assessing the risk of intestinal colonization by Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)to determine the specific probability of colonization and adopt individualized prevention strategies for the purpose of reducing the occurrence of colonization and secondary infection of neonatal CRKP.Methods A total of 187 neonates hospitalized between January 2021 and October 2022 and diagnosed with CRKP colonization by rectal swab/fecal culture as well drug sensitivity identification 48 h after admission were assigned to the CRKP group.Another 187 neonates without non-CRKP colonization during the same period were set as the non-CRKP group.All the data of the two groups were used for a retrospective analysis.The caret package in R 4.2.1 was used to randomly divide the 374 cases into the model group and validation group at a ratio of 3∶1.Then the glmnet package in R 4.2.1 was used to conduct a LASSO regression analysis over the data from the model group to determine the predictive factors for modeling and the rms software package was used to build a Nomogram model.The pROC and rms packages in R 4.2.1 were used to examine the data,analyzing the consistency indexes(Cindex),receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC),and area under the curves(AUC)and performing the internal and external validation of the efficacy of the Nomogram model via the calibration curves.Results LASSO regression analysis determined eight predictors from the 35 factors probably affecting neonatal CRKP colonization:gender,cesarean section,breastfeeding,nasogastric tube,enema,carbapenems,probiotics,and hospital stay.The Nomogram model constructed using these eight predictors as variables could predict CRKP colonization to a moderate extent,with the area under the ROC curve of 0.835 and 0.800 in the model and validation group,respectively.The Hos-mer-Lemeshow test showed that the predicted probability was highly consistent with the actual probability(the modeling group:P = 0.678>0.05;the validation group:P = 0.208>0.05),presenting a higher degree of fitting.Conclusion The Nomogram model containing such variables as gender,cesarean section,breastfeeding,nasogastric tube,enema,carbapenems,probiotics,and hospital stay is more effective in predicting the risk of neonatal CRKP colonization.Therefore,preventive measures should be individualized based on the colonization probability predicted by the Nomogram model in order to keep neonates from CRKP colonization and reduce the incidence of secondary CRKP infections among them.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of implant surface culture in identification of pathogens for fracture device-related infection.Methods:A prospective study was conducted to include the eligible patients who were diagnosed with infection after fracture fixation and needed surgical removal of the implants according to treatment principles at Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital from November 2020 to January 2023. With informed consent, after rinsing with aseptic normal saline twice, their implants were gently covered with a thin layer of tryptone soy agar medium. Thereafter, the implants were incubated at 37 ℃ with 5% CO 2. Changes on the surface and in the surroundings of the implants were observed every day for consecutive 2 weeks to avoid drying up by supplementing the medium when necessary. Once pathogen colonies formed, samples were collected at 3 independent sites using sterile swabs for laboratory identification. Comparisons were made between the samples from implant surface culture and the intraoperative multisite samples from conventional culture. Results:Included were a total of 75 patients [56 males and 19 females with an age of (46.2±15.4) years]. The most common infection site was the tibia (37 cases), and the most common type of implants was plate and screw (59 cases). The positive rate of implant surface culture was significantly higher than that of conventional culture (86.7% vs. 52.0%, P<0.001). 80.5% (29/36) of the negative patients detected by the conventional culture obtained positive results by the implant surface culture; three of the positive patients detected by the conventional culture obtained negative results by the implant surface culture. The culture results were positive by both culture methods in 36 patients, and consistent by both culture methods in 35 patients, yielding a consistent rate of 97.2% (35/36). The time for implant surface culture was significantly shorter than that for conventional culture [1 (1, 2) d versus 3 (3, 4) d] ( P<0.001). Of the 65 positive patients by the implant surface culture, 59 were detected with monomicrobial infection, with Staphylococcus aureus on the top (29 cases). Conclusion:As the implant surface culture, a novel method, may be superior to the conventional culture in a significantly higher positive rate and a shorter culture time, it may be used as an effective adjunct to the conventional culture in identification of pathogens for fracture device-related infection.

Objective:To evaluate devascularized bone surface culture for identification of microorganisms for osteomyelitis.Methods:A prospective study was conducted to include the eligible patients who were diagnosed with osteomyelitis and treated at Division of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital from December 2021 to January 2023. Their infected bone tissues were collected for both bone sample culture (BSC) and general sample culture (GSC). For BSC, the devascularized bone fragments, harvested intraoperatively, were put flat on sterile culture plates with solidified agar, their surface was gently covered with cooled and molten tryptone soy agar, and then the plates with bone samples were incubated at 37 ℃ with 5% CO 2. Meanwhile, 5 suspected samples of infected bone tissue were randomly harvested by 5 independent instruments for laboratory GSC. The culture time, bacterial species, and bacterial positive rate were compared between the 2 culture methods. Results:Included were a total of 73 patients [59 males and 14 females with an age of 49.0(31.0, 58.5) years]. The culture time for BSC [1 (1, 1) d] was significantly shorter than that for GSC [3 (2, 3) d], and the total positive rate of BSC [78.1% (57/73)] was significantly higher than that of GSC [61.6% (45/73)] ( P<0.05). The bacterial species cultured by GSC were consistent with those cultured by BSC. Conclusion:In identification of microorganisms for osteomyelitis, since BSC may be quicker and lead to a higher positive rate of bacterial culture than GSC, it can be used as an optional choice besides GCS.

Abstract On April 25, 2021, a case with hookworm infections was identified during the surveillance of soil-borne nematodiasis by Tiantai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province. The patients was admitted to a county people's hospital due to dizziness and limb weakness on July 24, 2020. Laboratory tests showed 2.5×1012/L red blood cell counts, 45 g/L hemoglobin, 3.4% eosinophil percentage, 4.7 μmol/L serum iron and <1 μg/L ferritin, and severe iron-deficiency anemia was initially diagnosed. Following treatment with blood transfusion and ion supplement, subsequent three routine blood tests indicated elevated eosinophil percentages. On April 25, 2021, hookworm eggs were detected in stool samples using Kate-Katz technique, and Necator americanus was identified with the test-tube filter-paper culture method. Severe iron-deficiency anemia caused by hookworm infections was diagnosed based on field epidemiological surveys and laboratory tests. The health education pertaining to parasitic disease control knowledge among residents and the diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases in medical institutions are recommended to be improved in rural areas to avoid misdiagnosis and missing diagnosis.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of soil-borne nematode infections among rural residents in Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights into improving the control strategy. Methods: According to the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Programme on Soil-borne Nematodiasis and Clonorchiasis, 5 administrative villages were randomly selected in Tiantai County according to geographical locations on April, 2021, and all permanent residents at ages of 3 years and older were sampled from each village using a cluster sampling method. Subjects' gender, age, occupation, education level and deworming were collected. Subjects' stool samples were collected, and soil-borne nematode eggs were detected using the modified Kato-Katz technique, and larval culture was performed using a filter-paper culture method among hookworm egg positives for identification of hookworm species. In addition, the intensity of infection was evaluated using hookworm eggs per gram stool sample. Results: A total of 1 013 residents participated in the survey, including 495 men (48.86%) and 518 women (51.14%), and there were 502 participants at ages of 51 to 70 years (49.56%), 874 farmers (86.28%) and 436 subjects with an education level of primary school (43.04%). However, no subjects received deworming. The prevalence of hookworm infections was 3.85% among the study subjects, and only Necator americanus was identified. There were 31 cases with mild infections (79.49%), 5 cases with moderate infections (12.82%) and 3 cases with severe infections (7.69%), and all infections occurred in farmers. The prevalence of hookworm infections was 3.84% among men and 3.86% among women. No hookworm infection was detected among residents at ages of <41 years, and the prevalence of hookworm infections appeared a tendency towards a rise with age among residents at ages of 51 years and older (χ2trend=24.091, P<0.001), while the prevalence of hookworm infections appeared a tendency towards a decline with educational levels among residents (χ2trend=19.534, P<0.001). The greatest prevalence of hookworm infections was found in Qianyang Village (10.95%). Conclusions Hookworm disease is the predominant type of soil-borne nematodiasis in Tiantai County, and the middle-aged and elderly farmers with a low education level are high-risk populations for soil-borne nematodiasis control.

As the most effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke, intravenous thrombolysis can not only improve the outcome of patients, but also affect post-stroke depression (PSD) through direct or indirect mechanisms. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore the effect of intravenous thrombolysis on PSD. This article reviews the characteristics of PSD, the possible impact and mechanisms of intravenous thrombolysis on PSD, and the prevention and treatment of PSD.

Objective:To investigate the effect of psychological support during perithrombotic period on post-stroke depression (PSD) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:Patients with AIS received intravenous thrombolysis in the Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021 were enrolled prospectively. The intervention group received one-to-one individual psychological support therapy in the perithrombolytic period on the basis of receiving standard intravenous thrombolytic therapy. At 30 d after onset, Hamilton Depression Scale was used to assess whether PSD occurred. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent influencing factor of PSD. Results:A total of 126 patients with AIS were enrolled, and 86 of them were male (68.25%). Their age was 63.65±10.46 years; 65 were in the intervention group and 61 were in the control group. The incidence of PSD in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group (20.00% vs. 36.07%; χ2=4.049, P=0.044). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that psychological intervention (odds ratio [ OR] 0.333, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 0.132-0.838; P=0.020] was an independent protective factor for PSD, while ischemic heart disease ( OR 4.510, 95% CI 1.181-17.217; P=0.028), alcohol consumption ( OR 3.421, 95% CI 1.317-8.888; P=0.012), anticoagulation therapy ( OR 3.145, 95% CI 1.155-8.567; P=0.025) and modified Rankin Scale score before thrombolysis ( OR 1.627, 95% CI 1.142-2.317; P=0.007) were the independent risk factors for PSD. Conclusion:Perithrombolytic psychological support may reduce the incidence of PSD.

Incidence of acute closed Achilles tendon rupture is high in clinic. Accurate diagnosis of this injury depends on a combination of physical signs and imaging examinations. Although conservative and surgical interventions are common for acute closed Achilles tendon rupture, its optimal treatment remains controversial. This literature review focuses on the research progress concerning this injury so as to analyze its risk factors, diagnostic methods, treatments, early functional rehabilitation, postoperative complications and prognosis evaluation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of intramedullary nailing combined with bone cement in repair of segmental bone defects after tumor resection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the 5 patients with malignant bone tumor who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedics, Qiannan People's Hospital from April 2018 to September 2019 for remaining segmental bone defects following limb salvage surgery. They were 4 males and one female, aged from 11 to 55 years (average, 35.4 years). Their defects ranged from 6 to 21 cm (average, 12.3 cm) after tumor resection. By the Karnofsky performance score (KPS) for long-term quality of life, all of them scored less than 50 points. Of them, 3 were treated by interlocking intramedullary nails and bone cement filling, and 2 by elastic intramedullary nails and bone cement filling. In the 2 cases with defects of 21 cm and 13 cm, the fixation was assisted by a plate and an external fixator. Defect length after resection, operation time and intraoperative bleeding were recorded; the efficacy was evaluated by the Enneking functional evaluation of reconstructive procedures after surgical treatment of tumors of the musculoskeletal system, visual analogue scale (VAS), and KPS.Results:All the 5 patients had uneventful surgery, with operation time ranging from 112 to 225 min (average, 154.2 min), intraoperative bleeding from 300 to 500 mL (average, 382 mL), and defect length after resection from 6 to 21 cm. The 5 patients were followed up for 6 to 28 months. Of them, 2 died of disease progression 6 and 7 months after surgery, respectively. According to the Enneking's evaluation, one patient scored 28 points, 2 patients 23 points and 2 patients 21 points, giving a high degree of satisfaction. Their VAS scores 6 months after surgery ranged from 1 to 6, averaging 3.6; their postoperative KPS scores ranged from 60 to 80, averaging 72.Conclusion:In repair of segmental bone defects after tumor resection, intramedullary nailing combined with bone cement filling can relieve pain of patients and lead to satisfactory short-term curative efficacy.