Objective To compare the clinical characteristics of pneumococcal meningitis in different age groups, and to provide a basis for early diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid and/or serum samples were collected from 1742 suspected cases of meningitis in Baoji, Shaanxi Province from August 2013 to July 2019. Streptococcus pneumoniae was detected by isolation culture and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Retrospective analysis of clinical manifestations, biochemical indicators and other information of laboratory confirmed cases was conducted by χ² test or Fisher's exact test. Results A total of 1742 samples of encephalitis or meningitis cases were detected, and 41 cases were confirmed as laboratory-confirmed Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Among them, there were 12 cases (29.27%) in the infant group, 14 cases (34.15%) in the child group, and 15 cases (36.59%) in the adult group. The proportion of the adults with headache was significantly higher than that of the infants (χ²=11.408，P＜0.017). The proportion of the adults with consciousness disorder, elevated white blood cells and elevated neutrophils were significantly higher than those in the infant and the child groups（Fisher's exact test, P＜0.017；χ² =6.428，P＜0.017；χ² =10.898，P＜0.017；χ² =6.421，P＜0.017；χ² =9.758，P＜0.017；χ² =7.744，P＜0.017). The proportion of the infants with cerebrospinal fluid turbidity was significantly higher than that of the children (Fisher's exact test，P＜0.017). The proportion of the infants with decreased white blood cells and reduced glucose in cerebrospinal fluid was significantly higher than that of the children group and the adult group（Fisher's exact test, P＜0.001；Fisher's exact test, P＜0.001；Fisher's exact test, P＜0.017; Fisher's exact test, P＜0.017). Conclusion Most adult patients with pneumococcal meningitis have headache and consciousness disorders, with significantly increased proportion of white blood cells and neutrophils. Infant patients tend to have cloudy appearance of cerebrospinal fluid, leukopenia in blood, and decreased glucose in cerebrospinal fluid.

ObjectiveTo investigate the impacts of three types of acupuncture timing factors， including intervention initiation time， needle retention duration， and treatment intervals， on the treatment efficacy of ischemic stroke （IS） and provide evidence-based support for optimizing acupuncture timing strategies. MethodsA systematic search was conducted in both Chinese and English databases， including CNKI， Wanfang Data， VIP， CBM， PubMed， Web of Science， Cochrane Library， and Embase. The randomized controlled trials involving multiple acupuncture intervention time groups were included to reduce inter-study heterogeneity. A network meta-analysis model was constructed to compare the effects of different intervention initiation time， needle retention duration， and treatment intervals on primary IS outcomes， including total clinical response rate， neurological and limb function scores， quality of life score， and hemorheological parameters. Adverse events were also assessed. ResultsA total of 32 studies were included. The results showed that early acupuncture intervention （1-3 days and 4-7 days after onset） outperformed late intervention （>14 days） in terms of response rate， neurological function improvement， and quality of life （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Extending needle retention time to 40-60 min was associated with improved response rates and hemorheological parameters （P<0.01）. No significant differences were observed among different treatment intervals. The evidence of key outcomes showed high overall certainty， with low heterogeneity and inconsistency. Sensitivity analyses and publication bias assessments indicated the stability of the main results and a low risk of publication bias. No significant adverse reaction was reported. ConclusionDifferent timing factors significantly influence the efficacy of acupuncture treatment for IS. Early intervention and appropriately extended needle retention time result in better clinical outcomes， while treatment interval has no significant effect on efficacy. The inclusion of studies with multiple acupuncture timing groups helps control methodological heterogeneity and enhances the robustness of the analysis， providing evidence-based guidance for optimizing acupuncture timing strategies in IS management.

[Objective]To evaluate the knowledge,attitude and practice(KAP)of medication use and safety among the patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)in a 3A-grade hospital of Guangzhou city,and to provide scientific basis for AIDS prevention and treatment.[Methods]A questionnaire survey was conducted among AIDS patients aged 18 years and above in our hospital to investigate their KAP regarding medication use and safety.[Results]A total of 549 questionnaires were collected,of which 503 were valid,with an effective recovery rate of 91.6%.The average scores of KAP were(14.58±8.49),(25.21±6.92)and(47.58±3.33),respectively,with the scoring rates of 36.46%,63.02%,and 95.16%,respectively.There were statistically significant differences(P＜0.05)in knowledge scores among people with different ages,education levels and occupations.Multiple linear regression showed that education level and medical insurance status had most significant impact on knowledge scores(P<0.05).Significant differences were found in attitude scores among people with different education levels(P<0.05),as well as in practice scores among people with different occupations(P<0.05).Multiple linear regression revealed that age,occupation,knowledge score and attitude score had a significant impact on practice scores(P<0.05).Patients expected to receive pharmaceutical care services from the pharmacists via face-to-face communication,network platform and telephone consultation on medication knowledge such as adverse drug reactions and response measures,drug-drug interactions,missed medication and response measures,medication adherence measures,etc.[Conclusions]AIDS patients in this hospital have a good awareness of medication safety,but their knowledge of medication use needs improvement.Some bad habits may affect their compliance,resulting in safety hazards.Therefore,there is an urgent demand for pharmaceutical care services related to rational drug use.

Objective:To establish a predictive model for post-induction hypotension (PIH) in the patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection using machine learning algorithms based on muscle CT parameters.Methods:This was a single-center, retrospective study. Electronic medical records from 318 patients who underwent colorectal cancer resection from September 1, 2018 to September 30, 2021 at our hospital were collected. Predictive variables included age, gender, body mass index, hemoglobin, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification, TNM staging, age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index, prognostic nutritional index, L 3 level skeletal muscle index, and muscle quality assessed by Hounsfield unit average calculation. The outcome variable was PIH. The training and testing sets were divided based on the timeline (patients before September 1, 2020 were included in the training set, and those after that date were included in the testing set). The filtering method was used to screen the feature variables. Eight models, including logistic regression, Bayesian models, K-nearest neighbors, support vector machines, neural networks, decision trees, extreme gradient boosting trees, and random forests, were established in the training set using over-sampling technique, repeated cross-validation and hyperparameter optimization. After selecting the best model, a sorting chart of the feature variables, a univariate partial dependency profile, and a breakdown profile were drawn. In the testing set, the confusion matrix and parameters were calculated, and the receiver operating characteristic curve, precision recall curve, calibration curve, and decision curve were drawn to evaluate the performance of the predictive model. Results:The screened feature variables were Hounsfield unit average calculation value, age, L 3 level skeletal muscle index, prognostic nutritional index, hemoglobin and body mass index. The random forest was the optimal model, with an accuracy of 0.985 9, a MCC of 0.970 8, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 1.0, and the area under the precision recall curve was 1.0. The Brier score of the calibration curve was 0.076 6; the decision curve showed the highest clinical net benefit of 0.6. Conclusions:In this study, machine learning algorithm is used to identify the important characteristic variables and establish a high-performance PIH prediction model based on muscle CT parameters.

Objective:To investigate the current status of pertussis laboratory diagnosis and confirmed pertussis cases reporting in Shaanxi Province, and evaluate the quality of case reports.Methods:The information of confirmed pertussis cases reported in Shaanxi Province from January to July 2022 was collected through the China Disease Control and Prevention Information System. The laboratory diagnostic methods and pertussis vaccine immunization history of confirmed cases were investigated, and the descriptive epidemiological method was used for statistical description.Results:Of the 164 confirmed cases of pertussis reported from January to July 2022, two were not tested in the laboratory and 162 were tested in the laboratory. The proportions of different detection methods were 1.85% (3/162) of isolation and culture, 31.48% (51/162) of serum antibody IgG, 14.20% (23/162) of serum antibody IgM, 49.38% (80/162) of serum antibody PCR and 3.09% (5/162) of serum antibody IgM+ PCR. Among the 79 serological positive cases, 12 cases (15.19%)had no history of pertussis immunization, and 15 cases (18.99%), 11 cases (13.92%) and 41 cases (51.90%) had the time interval from vaccination to detection of <1 year, 1-3 years and >3 years, respectively. Based on the analysis of laboratory testing methods and vaccination history, 38 cases were misdiagnosed/misreported among 164 cases, with a misdiagnosis or misreported rate of 23.17%. There were 17, 12 and 9 cases of misdiagnosis/misreport in 0-2 years old group, 3-6 years old group and≥7 years old group, and the misdiagnosis or misreported rates were 27.42%(17/62), 26.67%(12/45) and 15.79%(9/57), respectively.Conclusions:The selection of pertussis laboratory testing methods in some medical institutions in Shaanxi Province is incorrect, which leads to a certain proportion of misdiagnosis or misreport, and it is necessary to further strengthen the training and standardization.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic ligation and injection sclerotherapy for internal hemorrhoids.Methods:From April 2020 to October 2023, 106 patients with grade Ⅰ to Ⅲ internal hemorrhoids who underwent endoscopic ligation or injection sclerotherapy in the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University (Jiangsu Province People's Hospital) were consecutively enrolled in the retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into the ligation group ( n=70) and the injection sclerotherapy group ( n=36) according to the endoscopic treatment methods. The effective rate, hospital stay, postoperative pain, the incidence of complications, patient satisfaction and the recurrence rate of the two groups were assessed. Results:The effective rate was 95.7% (67/70) and 100.0% (36/36) respectively in the ligation group and the injection sclerotherapy group without significant difference ( P=0.549). The hospital stay was 6.0 (4.0, 7.3) days and 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) days respectively in the ligation group and the injection sclerotherapy group with significant difference ( Z=4.305, P<0.001). The incidence of 24-hour postoperative pain was 58.6% (41/70) and 11.1% (4/36) in the two groups respectively and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=20.020, P<0.001). There were no serious postoperative adverse events such as anal stenosis or thrombotic external hemorrhoids in the two groups. Only the incidence of anal distension was significantly different between the ligation group and the injection sclerotherapy group [38.6% (27/70) VS 5.6% (2/36), χ2=11.431, P<0.001]. The patient satisfaction rate of the two groups showed no significant difference [87.1% (61/70) VS 86.1% (31/36), P=1.000]. There was 1 patient and 15 patients lost to follow-up respectively in the ligation group and the injection sclerotherapy group, and the recurrence rate of the two groups showed no significant difference [14.5% (10/69) VS 33.3% (7/21), P=0.064]. Subgroup analysis of grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ internal hemorrhoids: there were 43 patients and 29 patients in the ligation group and the injection sclerotherapy group, respectively. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the effective rate, incidence of postoperative hemorrhage, incidence of uroschesis, or patient satisfaction rate ( P>0.05). The incidences of postoperative pain [65.1% (28/43) VS 10.3% (3/29), χ 2=19.016, P<0.001] and anal distension [41.9% (18/43) VS 3.4% (1/29), χ 2=11.252, P<0.001] of the ligation group were significantly higher than those of the injection sclerotherapy group. Forty-three patients in the ligation group and 17 patients in the injection sclerotherapy group completed follow-up, and the recurrence rate was 11.6% (5/43) and 23.5% (4/17), respectively, without significant difference ( P=0.256). Subgroup analysis of grade Ⅲ internal hemorrhoids: there were 27 patients in the ligation group and 7 patients in the injection sclerotherapy group, and 26 and 4 patients completed follow-up, with a recurrence rate of 19.2% (5/26) and 75.0% (3/4), respectively. Conclusion:Endoscopic ligation and injection sclerotherapy are both safe and effective for grade Ⅰ-Ⅲ internal hemorrhoids. Injection sclerotherapy demonstrates shorter hospital stays and lower incidences of postoperative pain and anal distension. For grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ internal hemorrhoids, injection sclerotherapy is recommended due to its efficacy and fewer complications. Conversely, for grade Ⅲ internal hemorrhoids, ligation is suggested to reduce recurrence rates.

This study used the Appraisal of Guidelines Research & Evaluation-Health Systems （AGREE-HS） to demonstratively compare 34 global coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） health systems guidance documents （HSGs） and 6 World Health Organization （WHO） standard HSGs. The comparison involved topic， participants， methods， recommendations， and implementability， with the aim of exploring the characteristics of emergency HSGs. The results showed that the emergency HSGs had an overall average score of 49%， with topic having the highest score， recommendations having the second highest score， and participants having the lowest score. The standard HSGs had an overall average score of 79%， with high scores in all items. The emergency HSGs had lower scores in participants， methods， recommendations， and implementability than the standard HSGs （P<0.001）， while the COVID-19 emergency HSGs developed by the WHO had higher score in topic than the standard HSGs （P<0.05）. Compared with those released by countries， the COVID-19 emergency HSG developed by the WHO showed superiority in all items and overall scores （P=0.000 2）. This indicates that emergency HSGs， represented by the COVID-19 emergency HSG， place equal emphasis on topic and recommendations as standard HSGs but have low requirements in terms of expert participation， evidence support， and comprehensive consideration in the time- and resource-limited context. They have the characteristics of prominent topics， clear purposes， orientation to demand， keeping up with the latest evidence， flexible adjustment， and timeliness， emphasizing immediate implementation effects， weakening long-term effects， and focusing on comprehensive benefits. Additionally， developers， types， and report completeness are important influencing factors.

The scientific rigor and efficacy of methodologies employed in drafting emergency health systems guidance documents （HSGs） are paramount in guaranteeing the quality， reliability， and applicability of HSGs. According to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation- Health Systems （AGREE-HS）， we demonstratively assessed both global coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） emergency HSGs and World Health Organization （WHO） standard HSGs to uncover the core attributes of methods employed in the development of emergency HSGs. Our evaluation findings revealed that across the five assessment items of AGREE-HS， methods in the 34 emergency HSGs evaluated ranked third， trailing behind topic and recommendations. Notably， criterion 2 （the best available and most contextually relevant evidence is considered） received the highest score， whereas criterion 5 （evidence of cost and cost-effectiveness of the potential options is described） scored the lowest. Compared with the WHO standard HSGs， the COVID-19 emergency HSGs exhibited low scores in methods （P<0.05）， which was reflected in nine criteria （P<0.05）， especially in criteria 1 （systematic and transparent methods are used to identify and review the evidence） and 9 （systematic and transparent methods are used to agree upon the final recommendations）. Among the COVID-19 emergency HSGs， that developed by the WHO achieved higher scores in eight out of all nine criteria， excluding criterion 8 （P<0.05）. The clinically relevant emergency HSGs had higher scores in the criteria 3 （the evidence base is current） and 8 （the rationale behind the recommendations is clear） than other types of emergency HSGs. Collectively， the methodology for developing emergency HSGs， represented by the COVID-19 emergency HSG， underscores evidence orientation and integrates expert consensus. It is characterized by adaptable evidence synthesis strategies， streamlined evidence review protocols， and contextual relevance， all of which are influenced by external， internal， and implementation-specific factors.

The formulation method of emergency health systems guidance （HSG） is crucial， directly impacting the efficiency and effectiveness of responses in emergencies. A scientifically sound， systematic， and easily executable guidance document can assist health institutions at all levels in quickly coordinating resources， standardizing emergency response processes， and safeguarding public health. This study employed the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation for Health Systems （AGREE-HS） to analyze the characteristics of participants in developing emergency HSGs represented by the COVID-19 emergency HSG. The results showed that in the 34 HSGs included in this study， the item participants received the lowest score. Within this item， criterion 1 （diversity of development group） scored the highest （3.13±1.55）， while criterion 5 （prevention of funding agency influence） scored the lowest （1.21±0.47）. There were differences （P<0.05） in measures taken to mitigate funding agency influence between the six standard HSGs developed by the World Health Organization （WHO） and the four emergency HSGs. Additionally， differences （P<0.05） existed in the development group members， background， conflicts of interest， and preventive measures between the six WHO standard HSGs and the 34 emergency HSGs， as well as between the HSGs developed by the WHO and those developed by countries. The participants in developing emergency HSGs were influenced by various factors， including limited time for guideline development， modes of participation， scarce evidence， and uncertainties in expected outcomes. There is a need to downplay extensive requirements concerning the composition of group members， institutional diversity， and conflicts of interest， emphasizing the roles of key participants like government officials and professionals who can provide rapid， practical guidance in emergency situations.

Guidance implementation acts as a bridge between theory and practice，enabling the rapid expansion of their impact and application. This study demonstratively evaluated emergency health systems guidance documents （HSG），represented by the COVID-19 emergency HSG，based on the item implementability of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation-Health Systems （AGREE-HS），aiming to explore the characteristics of implementability in emergency HSG. The evaluation results indicated that the COVID-19 emergency HSG had a low mean score in implementability，which ranked just above the item participants. Criterion 2 （costs and resource considerations for implementing the recommendations） received the highest mean score of 4.29，while criterion 9 （systematic evaluation of implementation） received the lowest mean score of 1.34. The emergency HSG formulated by the World Health Organization（WHO） and those formulated by various countries showed no difference （P=0.114） in criterion 1 （barriers and facilitators to implementation） but had differences （P<0.05） regarding the average item scores and the scores of the remaining criteria. The WHO standard HSG had high overall scores and had differences （P<0.05） in both the mean item scores and the scores of the nine criteria when compared with the emergency HSG. The global/national HSG showed differences in scores of criterion 1 （barriers and facilitators to implementation） compared with the both clinically relevant HSG and material support HSG （P<0.05）. Emergency HSG prioritized considerations of implementation costs，resources，and flexibility in terms of implementability，while de-emphasizing aspects such as stakeholder opinions，dissemination strategies，and evaluation of HSG. This may be attributed to the context in which emergency HSG are formulated，given the inherent flexibility and variability of emergency health events. The developers should comprehensively consider the needs and characteristics related to the implementability of emergency HSG during the formulation process.