1.Dilemmas and challenges in the clinical diagnosis of Wilson disease
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):509-514
Wilson disease (WD) is characterized by marked heterogeneity in clinical phenotype, and it often overlaps with liver diseases (such as cholestatic liver diseases and active hepatitis) and neuropsychiatric diseases, which may easily lead to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. This article focuses on the confusing scenarios in clinical practice, reviews the pathophysiological basis of ATPase copper transporting beta (ATP7B) gene dysfunction, and systematically elaborates on the key interpretation points and limitations of ceruloplasmin, total serum copper/non-ceruloplasmin-bound copper, 24-hour urinary copper excretion, D-penicillamine challenge test, hepatic copper quantification, and histopathological assessment across different clinical scenarios. This article also summarizes the potential application of emerging dynamic copper indicators, such as relative exchangeable copper, in diagnosis, family screening, and treatment monitoring. In addition, it discusses the role of ATP7B genetic testing in “gray-zone” cases, difficulties in interpreting variants of uncertain significance, and the features of mutation spectrum in Chinese population, as well as the potential decline in diagnostic performance of the Leipzig scoring system in the context of complex liver diseases. Overall, the diagnosis of WD should not rely on a single indicator, and it is recommended to adopt a multidimensional hierarchical decision-making pathway that integrates phenotype, biochemical tests, dynamic copper indices, tissue/genetic evidence, and scoring systems. Furthermore, key thresholds and workflows should be optimized using real-world data from China, so as to enhance the efficiency of early identification and familial management, thereby improving the long-term prognosis of patients.
2.Clinical features of muscle changes and related risk factors in patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder
Ruijia LI ; Yuxiang GONG ; Yu ZHANG ; Shasha LI ; Yongfeng YANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):639-646
ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of muscle changes (including sarcopenia and myosteatosis) and related influencing factors in patients with porto-sinusoidal vascular disorder (PSVD), and to provide a theoretical basis for the early identification, prevention, and intervention of muscle changes in PSVD patients. MethodsA total of 132 PSVD patients who were diagnosed in Nanjing Second Hospital from July 2017 to July 2024 were enrolled as case group, and the hospital staff who underwent physical examination in 2025 were enrolled as healthy control group. Propensity score matching was performed based on age and sex at a ratio of 1∶1. According to muscle status assessed by abdominal CT, the subjects were divided into non-muscle change group, mild muscle change group (myosteatosis alone), and severe muscle change group (sarcopenia alone or sarcopenia comorbid with myosteatosis), with the type and severity of muscle change as the exposure factors. General information, laboratory tests, L3-level CT images, and liver biopsy data were collected for the patients in the case group, and general information and CT images were collected for the individuals in the healthy control group. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by measuring skeletal muscle index at the L3 level (<44.77 cm2/m2 for men and <32.50 cm2/m2 for women), and myosteatosis was defined by mean muscle attenuation combined with BMI (BMI <24.9 kg/m2 with attenuation <41 HU or BMI ≥25 kg/m2 with attenuation <33 HU). Demographic, laboratory, and clinical parameters were compared between the case group and the healthy control group. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors associated with sarcopenia in PSVD. ResultsAmong the 132 patients with PSVD, there were 83 patients with portal hypertension (PH) and 49 patients without PH, and there were significant differences between these two groups in age, albumin, albumin/globulin ratio, leukocyte count, neutrophil count, red blood cell count, platelet count, direct bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, hemoglobin, blood calcium, cholinesterase, total bile acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, decompensation, gastroesophageal or ectopic varices, bleeding and ascites (all P<0.05). The analyses after matching showed that compared with the healthy control group, the case group had significantly higher prevalence rates of abnormal muscle structure (43.18% vs 18.94%, P<0.001), mild muscle changes (22.73% vs 7.58%, P<0.001), and severe muscle changes (20.45% vs 11.36%, P<0.001). Further comparison showed that there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with muscle changes between the PSVD patients with PH and those without PH (42.17% vs 44.90%, P=0.760). The binary Logistic regression analysis with the presence or absence of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age (odds ratio [OR]=1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02 — 1.09, P<0.05), subcutaneous fat index (OR=1.03, 95%CI: 1.01 — 1.06, P<0.05), hemoglobin (OR=0.97, 95%CI: 0.95 — 0.99, P<0.05), and thrombin time (OR=1.26, 95%CI: 1.06 — 1.49, P<0.05) were independent influencing factors for muscle changes in PSVD patients. The multivariate ordinal Logistic regression analysis with the severity of muscle changes as the dependent variable showed that age (OR=1.04, 95%CI: 1.01 — 1.07, P<0.05) and thrombin time (OR=1.17, 95%CI: 1.01 — 1.36, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for the grading of muscle changes. ConclusionMuscle changes are common in PSVD patients, and these changes may be caused by PSVD itself rather than PH. Age, fat distribution, thrombin time, and hemoglobin are important influencing factors for muscle changes.
3.Expression of WNT10A in papillary thyroid carcinoma and its effect on cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.
Li YUAN ; Ping ZHOU ; Yongfeng ZHAO ; Jiale LI ; Yan ZHANG ; Wengang LIU
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(3):402-415
OBJECTIVES:
Lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is closely associated with tumor recurrence and patient survival. However, current technologies have limited sensitivity in detecting occult cervical lymph node metastases. Identifying accurate molecular markers for predicting PTC metastasis holds significant clinical value. This study aims to analyze WNT10A expression in PTC and its clinical significance, and to explore the role of WNT10A gene knockdown in PTC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.
METHODS:
The expression of WNT10A in thyroid carcinoma was analyzed using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and University of Alabama at Birminghara Cancer data analysis Portal (UALCAN) databases. Real-time RT-PCR was used to measure WNT10A mRNA levels in tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 32 PTC patients. Immunohistochemistry was conducted on 158 PTC specimens to assess WNT10A protein expression and its correlation with clinicopathological features. In vitro experiments were performed using K1 and TPC-1 cell lines. Cell proliferation was assessed using the Celigo system and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays; apoptosis was measured via flow cytometry; invasion and metastasis were evaluated using scratch and Transwell assays. A xenograft model was established in nude mice to observe tumor growth, and tumor weight and volume were compared between cell lines. Differentially expressed genes regulated by WNT10A were identified via mRNA sequencing, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to validate the effects of WNT10A on key downstream mRNA and protein in the Tec kinase signaling pathway.
RESULTS:
WNT10A mRNA expression was significantly higher in thyroid cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues according to GEPIA and UALCAN (both P<0.01). The real-time RT-PCR result showed that WNT10A mRNA expression in PTC tissues was high than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.01). Immunohistochemistry revealed significantly higher WNT10A protein expression in PTC tissues compared to adjacent tissues (P<0.01), and its expression correlated with multifocality, extrathyroidal invasion, and lymph node metastasis. WNT10A knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation, altered cell cycle distribution, and increased apoptosis in K1 and TPC-1 cells (all P<0.01). WNT10A silencing also reduced migration and invasion abilities in both cell lines. In vivo, WNT10A knockdown in TPC-1 cells suppressed tumor formation in nude mice. GO analysis and IPA suggested that the Tec kinase signaling pathway was a key downstream target of WNT10A. RT-PCR and Western blotting confirmed that WNT10A knockdown downregulated the expression of key genes (STAT3, MAPK8, TNFRSF21, and AKT2) in this pathway.
CONCLUSIONS
WNT10A is highly expressed in PTC and is associated with tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Its tumor-promoting effects may be mediated through suppression of the Tec kinase signaling pathway.
Humans
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Cell Proliferation
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Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/pathology*
;
Thyroid Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Animals
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Wnt Proteins/metabolism*
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Neoplasm Invasiveness
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Mice
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Female
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Male
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Mice, Nude
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Apoptosis
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Lymphatic Metastasis
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Middle Aged
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Cell Movement
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Adult
4.Tranexamic acid-fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether conjugation/PVA foam for venous sclerotherapy via vascular damage and inhibiting plasmin system.
Jizhuang MA ; Keda ZHANG ; Wenhan LI ; Yu DING ; Yongfeng CHEN ; Xiaoyu HUANG ; Tong YU ; Di SONG ; Haoran NIU ; Huichao XIE ; Tianzhi YANG ; Xiaoyun ZHAO ; Xinggang YANG ; Pingtian DING
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3291-3304
Venous system diseases mainly include varicose veins and venous malformations of lower limbs and the genital system. Most of them are chronic diseases that cause serious clinical symptoms to patients and affect their health and quality of life. Sclerotherapy has become the first-line therapy for venous system diseases. However, there are problems such as incomplete fibrosis and vascular recanalization after sclerotherapy, and improper operation will cause serious adverse consequences. Therefore, exploring a safe and effective sclerotherapy strategy is essential for developing clinically successful sclerotherapy. To solve the above problems, we proposed a new sclerotherapy strategy with a dual mechanism of "vascular damage and plasmin (PLA) system inhibition." We intended to construct a novel cationic surfactant (AEOx-TA) by reacting tranexamic acid (TA), a parent structure, with fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEOx) by ester bonds. AEOx-TA could damage vascular endothelium and initiate a coagulation cascade effect to induce thrombus. Furthermore, AEOx-TA could be degraded by esterase and release the parent drug, TA, which could inhibit the PLA system to inhibit the degradation of thrombus and extracellular matrix and promote the process of vascular fibrosis. In addition, such surfactant-based sclerosants have foam-forming properties, and they can be blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to prepare a highly stable foam formulation (AEOx-TA/P), which can achieve a precise drug delivery and prolonged drug retention time, thereby improving drug efficacy and reducing the risk of ectopic embolism. Overall, the novel cationic surfactant AEOx-TA provides a new avenue to resolve the bottleneck: surfactant sclerosants' efficiency is relatively low in the current sclerotherapy.
5.Ferrum@albumin assembled nanoclusters inhibit NF-κB signaling pathway for NIR enhanced acute lung injury immunotherapy.
Xiaoxuan GUAN ; Binbin ZOU ; Weiqian JIN ; Yan LIU ; Yongfeng LAN ; Jing QIAN ; Juan LUO ; Yanjun LEI ; Xuzhi LIANG ; Shiyu ZHANG ; Yuting XIAO ; Yan LONG ; Chen QIAN ; Chaoyu HUANG ; Weili TIAN ; Jiahao HUANG ; Yongrong LAI ; Ming GAO ; Lin LIAO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(11):5891-5907
Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe3O4 loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.
6.Graph Neural Networks and Multimodal DTI Features for Schizophrenia Classification: Insights from Brain Network Analysis and Gene Expression.
Jingjing GAO ; Heping TANG ; Zhengning WANG ; Yanling LI ; Na LUO ; Ming SONG ; Sangma XIE ; Weiyang SHI ; Hao YAN ; Lin LU ; Jun YAN ; Peng LI ; Yuqing SONG ; Jun CHEN ; Yunchun CHEN ; Huaning WANG ; Wenming LIU ; Zhigang LI ; Hua GUO ; Ping WAN ; Luxian LV ; Yongfeng YANG ; Huiling WANG ; Hongxing ZHANG ; Huawang WU ; Yuping NING ; Dai ZHANG ; Tianzi JIANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(6):933-950
Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans
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Schizophrenia/pathology*
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Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods*
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Male
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Female
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Adult
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Brain/metabolism*
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Young Adult
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Middle Aged
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White Matter/pathology*
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Gene Expression
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Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging*
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Graph Neural Networks
7.Establish and application of intelligent management system for ICD coding of diseases and procedures
Yun LI ; Yongfeng LIU ; Ke YANG ; Wenzhong HOU ; Qi ZHANG
Modern Hospital 2025;25(3):438-441
Objective To establish an intelligent ICD coding management system to solve the current difficulties in hos-pital ICD coding management,reduce the error rate of information uploading,and improve the accuracy of coding.Methods An ICD coding management system was constructed,with the national clinical version of ICD coding as the main index system.The mapping relationship between the main index coding and the medical insurance version of ICD coding,as well as the hospital ver-sion of ICD coding,was established to achieve real-time maintenance and adjustment.In accordance with the requirements of na-tional public hospital performance evaluation and hospital level assessment,we will establish the ICD coding"label"function and knowledge base for evaluation indicators,embed them into electronic medical record system(EMR),and implement intelligent prompting functions for clinicians to facilitate systematic statistical analysis of data.Results After the establishment of the sys-tem,the error rate of mapping and uploading information such as disease diagnosis and procedures coding decreased significantly(1.2‰ vs 0.3‰,P<0.05).The accuracy of the main discharge diagnosis and procedures coding has significantly improved(82%vs 91%,P<0.05;78%vs 88%,P<0.05).The satisfaction of clinicians and coders increased significantly(65%vs 82%,P<0.05;79%vs 88%,P<0.05).Conclusion This system can reduce the error rate of mapping and uploading infor-mation,improve the accuracy and completeness of coding,enhance the management level of ICD coding,and promote the high-quality development of medical care.
8.Risk Identification Model of Coronary Artery Stenosis Constructed Based on Random Forest
Yongfeng LV ; Yujing WANG ; Leyi ZHANG ; Yixin LI ; Na YUAN ; Jing TIAN
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(1):138-146
[Objective]To establish a risk recognition model for coronary artery stenosis by using a machine learning method and to identify the key causative factors.[Methods]Patients aged≥18 years,diagnosed with coronary heart disease through coronary angiography from January 2013 to May 2020 in two prominent hospitals in Shanxi Province,were continuously enrolled.Logistic regression,back propagation neural network(BPNN),and random forest(RF)algorithms were used to construct models for detecting the causative factors of coronary artery stenosis.Sensitivity(TPR),specificity(TNR),accuracy(ACC),positive predictive value(PV+),negative predictive value(PV-),area under subject operating characteristic curve(AUC),and calibration curve were used to compare the discrimination and calibration performance of the models.The best model was then employed to predict the main risk variables associated with coronary stenosis.[Results]The RF model exhibited superior comprehensive performance compared to logistic regression and BPNN models.The TPR values for logistic regression,BPNN,and RF models were 75.76%,74.30%,and 93.70%,while ACC values were 74.05%,72.30%,and 79.49%,respectively.The AUC values were:logistic regression 0.739 9;BPNN 0.723 1;RF 0.752 2.Manifestations such as chest pains,abnormal ST segments on ECG,ventricular premature beats with hypertension,atrial fibrillation,regional wall motion abnormalities(RWMA)by color echocardiography,aortic regurgitation(AR),pulmonary insufficiency(PI),family history of cardiovascular diseases,and body mass index(BMI)were identified as top ten important variables affecting coronary stenosis according to the RF model.[Conclusions]Random forest model shows the best comprehensive performance in identification and accurate assessment of coronary artery stenosis.The prediction of risk factors affecting coronary artery stenosis can provide a scientific basis for clinical intervention and help to formulate further diagnosis and treatment strategies so as to delay the disease progression.
9.Study on the Mechanism of Action of Auricular Electroacupuncture on Depression-Like Behaviors in Acute Stress Disorder Mice
Xuanyu ZHANG ; Jing HAN ; Li LIN ; Yusu SHI ; Linyu SHI ; Yongfeng LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(5):1267-1276
Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture auricular acupuncture points on depression-like behaviors and ventral dorsal tegmental area(VTA)TH,DRD1 and DRD2 induced in well acute stress disorder(ASD)mice.Methods Experiment 1:18 male C57 mice were divided into 9 control and 9 model mice.Behavioural paradigms such as forced swimming test(FST)and tail suspension test(TST)were used to detect depression-like behaviors in the mice starting on day 5 and day 36;double-labelled staining for immediate early gene protein(C-Fos)and tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)was detected in the VTA of the mice by immunofluorescence.Experiment 2:45 male C57 mice were divided into 15 mice each in the control groups,model groups and electroacupuncture groups.30 days after completion of the electroacupuncture intervention,the mice were tested for depressive behaviors using behavioural paradigms such as FST and TST;dopamine receptor D1(DRD1)and dopamine receptor D2(DRD2)was detected in the VTA of mice in each group using fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot techniques;the number of TH neurons in the brain area of the VTA of mice was observed by immunofluorescence.Results Experiment 1:Compared with the control group,the immobile duration of the model group increased in the TST(P<0.001)and FST(P<0.001)on day 5 and day 6,and the immobile duration of the model group increased in the TST(P<0.01)and FST(P<0.01)on day 36 and day 37;compared with the control group,the number of C-Fos and TH fluorescence double-labelled neurons in the model group increased(P<0.05).Experiment 2:At day after completion of the electroacupuncture intervention,the immobile duration of TST(P<0.01)and FST(P<0.01)were decreased in the electroacupuncture group compared with the model group;compared with the control group,DRD1 mRNA(P<0.001)and protein expression(P<0.01)were increased in the VTA of the electroacupuncture group,and DRD2 mRNA(P<0.001)and protein expression(P<0.05)were decreased,TH protein expression(P<0.05)increased,and the number of TH neurons increased(P<0.01).Conclusion Early intervention with auricular electroacupuncture points has an ameliorative effect on depression-like behaviors induced by acute stress disorder in mice,which may be achieved by modulating the activity level of dopaminergic neurons and the expression level of DRD1 and DRD2 in the VTA.
10.Meta-analysis of Buzzy? device in alleviating puncture-related pain and anxiety of children
Xiaoyan LI ; Faguang JIN ; Xiaofang WANG ; Mingjing DU ; Wenhua ZHANG ; Yongfeng ZHANG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(3):88-96
Objective:To assess the effectiveness of Buzzy? device in alleviating pain and anxiety in children during puncture-related operation,and to provide more comprehensive intervention option for puncture-related management of children.Methods:Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)about the application of Buzzy? device in puncture-related pain and anxiety of children were searched from China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang,VIP,PubMed,Embase and Web of Science(WOS)databases.The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to July 2023.In the interventions measures,the control groups used different methods that included standard care group,ShotBlocker device group and distraction card group.The obtained 528 relevant literatures were implemented literature selection and data extraction by two independent reviewers according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria.RevMan5.4 and Stata17.0 software were adopted to conduct Meta-analysis for the pain and anxiety of main outcome indicators,and the success rate of the first puncture,parents'satisfaction and adverse events of secondary outcome indicators in the literatures.Results:A total of 20 eligible studies that could meet the conditions were included,involving 2 876 children,including 1 110 children in the Buzzy? device group and 1 766 children in the control group.The Buzzy? device group was better than the standard care group and the distraction card group in alleviating puncture-related operation pain in children,and the differences of that among them were statistical significance(Z=7.18,2.13,P<0.05),and was better than the standard care group in anxiety,and the difference was statistical significance(Z=5.00,P<0.05).The Buzzy? device group and the distraction card group were better than standard care group and Shotblocker device group in satisfaction,and the difference was significant(x2=63.236,P<0.05).The interventions in the Buzzy? device group and other groups did not have effect on the success rate of the first puncture and incidence of adverse event.Conclusion:The Buzzy? device can alleviate pain and anxiety of children during puncture operation,and improve children's satisfaction for puncture operation.It does not affect the success rate of puncture,and there is not adverse events in its operation.

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