Currently, the global malaria epidemic is still severe. China was certified malaria-free by WHO in 2021; however, there is a risk of cross-border importation and secondary transmission of malaria via aircrafts and through land bordering countries in China because of the complex environments in border areas between China and neighboring malaria-endemic countries, notably the explosive growth in the malaria epidemic in Myanmar in China-Myanmar border areas. This article summarizes typical cases of secondary transmission caused by imported malaria across the world, and proposes responses to cross-border importation and secondary transmission of malaria in non-border and border areas of China, in order to effectively reduce the risk of malaria importation and secondary transmission and consolidate the hard earned malaria elimination achievements.

OBJECTIVE: To construct and validate a prognostic prediction model for children with sepsis using the Phoenix sepsis score (PSS). METHODS: A retrospective case series study was conducted to collect clinical data of children with sepsis admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2022 to April 2024. The data included general information, the worst values of laboratory indicators within the first 24 hours of PICU admission, PSS score, pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), and the survival status of the children within 30 days of admission. The statistically significant indicators in univariate Logistic regression analysis were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis to screen the risk factors affecting the prognosis of children with sepsis and construct a nomogram model. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive performance of the model. The Bootstrap method was used to perform 1 000 repeated sampling internal verification and draw the calibration curve of the model. RESULTS: A total of 199 children with sepsis were included, of which 32 died and 167 survived 30 days after admission. In the univariate Logistic regression analysis, shock, white blood cell count (WBC), international normalized ratio (INR), lactic acid (Lac), PSS score, and PCIS score were identified as statistically significant predictors. These variables were then included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis, which demonstrated that shock [odds ratio (OR) = 4.258, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.049-17.288], WBC (OR = 1.124, 95%CI was 1.052-1.210), and PSS score (OR = 1.977, 95%CI was 1.298-3.012) were independent risk factors for mortality in pediatric patients with sepsis (all P < 0.05). A nomogram model was constructed based on these three risk factors, with the model equation as follows: -4.809+1.449×shock+0.682×PSS score+0.117×WBC. The calibration curve results showed that the model's predictions were highly consistent with the actual observations. The ROC curve showed that when the Youden index of the prediction model was 0.792, the sensitivity and specificity were 90.6% and 88.6%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.957 (95%CI was 0.930-0.984), which was higher than the AUC of shock, WBC, and PSS score alone (0.808, 0.667, 0.908, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Shock, WBC, and PSS score have demonstrated certain predictive value for mortality in children with sepsis. The nomogram model based on the above indicators has important clinical significance for evaluating the prognosis and guiding treatment of children with sepsis.
Humans ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Logistic Models ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Nomograms ; Child ; ROC Curve ; Risk Factors ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Infant

There are still multiple challenges in China during the malaria post-elimination phase, including a large number of imported malaria cases with widespread distribution, low awareness of timely healthcare seeking, insufficient malaria diagnosis and treatment capacity of medical institutions and insufficient malaria surveillance and response capability of disease control and prevention institutions. As the core technical institutions for preventing the re-establishment of malaria transmission, both medical institutions and disease control and prevention institutions are required to enhance the collaboration between clinical and public health services, improve the malaria diagnosis and quality management system, intensify case identification and epidemiological investigations, and improve the management mechanism of antimalarial drug reserves. In addition, doctors are encouraged to become the main force in the health education and promotion of malaria prevention to improve the public health literacy. These approaches are recommended to improve the overall capability of timely identification, standardized treatment and effective response of imported malaria cases, so as to continuously consolidate the malaria elimination achievements in China.

Objective　To analyze the characteristics of the malaria epidemic and the indicators for "1-3-7" from 2021 to 2023 in China, understand the effectiveness and challenges in preventing re-establishment malaria in China, propose response strategies, and provide references for consolidating the achievements of malaria elimination. Methods　The individual malaria case data and focus data from 2021 to 2023 in the "Information System for Infectious Disease Surveillance" and the "Information System for Parasitic Diseases Prevention and Control" were collected, and epidemiological characteristics and indicators for “1-3-7” were analyzed. Results　From 2021 to 2023, a total of 4 132 malaria cases were reported in 31 provinces and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with mainly falciparum malaria (59.2%, 2 445/4 132). The national malaria epidemic reached a historical low of 799 cases in 2021, before rebounding significantly to 2 488 cases in 2023. The top five provinces for malaria cases were Yunnan, Guangdong, Henan, Sichuan, and Shandong, accounting for 49.4% of the total (2 043/4 132) cases. Except for two long incubation cases infected with P. malariae and one non-mosquito-transmitted case, the remaining cases were imported from abroad, mainly from African countries (81.7%, 3 374/4 129), with P. vivax malaria mainly coming from Myanmar (63.7%, 638/1 001). Malaria cases mainly occur in middle-aged men and migrant overseas workers. 142 severe cases and 21 deaths of malaria were reported. 81.8% (3 378/4 132) of malaria cases sought medical attention within 3 days of symptom onset, and the initial diagnosis institutions were mainly county-level, municipal, and provincial hospitals(77.2%), with an accuracy malaria diagnosis rate of above 80.0%. The completion rates of the malaria indicators for "1-3-7" were all above 90.0%. Conclusions　Since the malaria elimination in China, there has been no re-establishment of malaria, and the surveillance response capability has been maintained at a high level. However, the epidemic of imported malaria continued to rise, severely endangering public health in China, especially in areas such as the China-Myanmar border where the risk of re-establishment was high. Currently, it is necessary to further enhance the awareness of the key populations about timely medical consultation for malaria, as well as healthcare workers' vigilance, diagnostic capabilities, and awareness of timely referrals. Efforts should be maintained to investigate and manage epidemics, strengthen prevention and control in key areas such as the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan, and continuously consolidate elimination achievements.

Abstract: Objective　Through analyzing the epidemiological characteristics of imported Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) cases in China from 2017 to 2022, to understand the trend of imported P. falciparum epidemic before and after malaria elimination, and to provide data support for further prevention and control of imported P. falciparum. Methods　Epidemiological questionnaires of P. falciparum cases in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao) and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps were collected from the parasitic disease control information management system from 2017 to 2022, and the epidemic situation, overseas foci, and distribution of three were statistically analyzed. Results　From 2017 to 2022, a total of 7 026 cases of P. falciparum were reported nationwide, accounting for 64.2% (7 026/10 943) of the total number of cases, all of which were imported cases. The infected cases were distributed across 60 countries in 4 continents, mainly in African countries. P. falciparum was reported every month from 2017 to 2022, with uneven distribution throughout the year and a peak occurring at the beginning. The top five provinces with the highest number of P. falciparum malaria cases were Guangdong Province (13.1%, 922/7 026), Jiangsu Province (9.1%, 636/7 026), Shandong Province (8.1%, 569/7 026), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (7.6%, 537/7 026), and Zhejiang Province (7.6%, 534/7 026). The majority of cases were Chinese nationals (94.9%, 6 668/7 026), with a male-to-female ratio of 17.2∶1. Among the reported cases of P. falciparum, 239 were critically ill and 48 died. Conclusions　In the stage of preventing imported malaria retransmission, although all the reported malaria cases in China were imported cases, P. falciparum accounted for the high proportion. Considering the complexity and rapid progression of P. falciparum, which can lead to critical illness or even death, timely detection, accurate diagnosis and standardized treatment of malaria cases should be done to reduce critical illness or death.

In 2017, China achieved the target of zero indigenous malaria case for the first time, and has been certified as malaria free by World Health Organization in 2021. To further summarize the historical achievements and technical experiences of the elimination program, a project on the Roadmap Analysis and Verification for Malaria Elimination in China was carried out. Results of the project were compiled and published as the Atlas of Malaria Transmission in China (The Atlas). The Atlas using modern digital information technologies, has been supported by various data from 24 malaria endemic provinces of China since 1950, to assess the changes in malaria epidemic patterns from 1950 to 2019 at national and provincial levels. The Atlas is designed as two volumes, including a total of 1850 thematic maps and more than 130 charts, consisting of introductory maps, thematic maps of malaria epidemic and control at national and provincial levels. It objectively and directly shows the epidemic history, evolution process, and great achievements of the national malaria control and elimination program in China. The Atlas has important reference value for summing up historical experience in the national malaria elimination program of China, and malaria control and elimination in other endemic countries in the world.
Humans ; Malaria/prevention & control* ; China/epidemiology*

Objective:To investigate the application value of single-port laparoscopic left lateral donor liver acquisition in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (PLDLT).Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of the donor and recipient who were admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University for PLDLT in January 2020 were collected. The donor was a male, aged 28 years with body mass as 62 kg, height as 174 cm and body mass index (BMI) as 20.5 kg/m 2. The recipient was the daughter of the donor, aged 1 year with body mass as 9 kg, height as 75 cm and BMI as 16.0 kg/m 2. The donor underwent single-port laparoscopic left lateral donor liver acquisition. The recipient underwent living donor liver trans-plantation by the same operation team. Observation indicators: (1) intraoperative conditions; (2) postoperative conditions; (3) follow-up. Results:(1) Intraoperative conditions. The donor under-went single-port laparoscopic left lateral donor liver acquisition successfully, with the single-port access system being placed through a transumbilical incision. The operation time, the warm ischemia time of the donor liver and volume of intraoperative blood loss were 240 minutes, 3 minutes and 40 mL, respectively, of the donor. The weight of the donor liver was 233.6 g, and the corrected graft-to-recipient body weight ratio was 2.60%. The recipient underwent living donor liver transplantation successfully. (2) Postoperative conditions. The donor began to take liquid diet at postoperative day 1, and results of laboratory examination showed that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamyltransferase (GGT) and total bilirubin (TBil) of the donor was 239 U/L, 116 U/L, 53 U/L and 22.57 μmol/L. The donor began to take diet with high quality proteins at postoperative day 2, and to get for out-of-bed activities moderately. The donor′s peritoneal drainage fluid was light red at postoperative day 3, and no fluid accumulation was found in the operation area after abdominal B-ultrasound examination, so the peritoneal drainage tube was removed. The donor was discharged at postoperative day 4. The liver function of the recipient recovered to normal level 2 weeks after the operation. (3) Follow-up. The donor was followed up by outpatient examination 2 weeks after discharged, and results of laboratory examination showed that the ALT, AST, GGT and TBil was 44 U/L, 25 U/L, 53 U/L and 9.22 μmol/L, respectively. Neither the donor nor the recipient had complication ≥Ⅱ grade of the Clavien-Dino classification, such as biliary fistula and vascular complication during the 6 months after operation.Conclusion:Single-port laparoscopic left lateral donor liver acquisition can be used into the PLDLT.

With the gradual resumption of international travel, cross-border population movement has become frequent again, risk assessment of imported malaria has important public health significance to maintain malaria elimination status in China. Currently, risk index system construction method, risk index method, mathematical model method, and infectivity-receptivity- vulnerability method are mainly used in imported malaria risk assessment in China. This paper summarizes the common evaluation methods in the risk assessment of imported malaria research in China to provide references for the further research.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on postoperative gastrointestinal function in the patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery.Methods:Fifty patients of both sexes, aged 50-75 yr, with body mass index of 18.5-28.0 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰor Ⅱ, undergoing elective lumbar spinal surgery under general anesthesia, were divided into 2 groups ( n=25 each) by a random number table method: control group (group C) and TEAS group. In group C, stimulating electrodes were placed at the non-acupoint parts of the limbs, but no electrical stimulation was applied. In group TEAS, bilateral Neiguan (PC6), Hegu (L14), Zusanli (ST36), Shangjuxu (ST37) and Xiajuxu (ST39) acupoints were stimulated using disperse-dense waves with a frequency of 2/100 Hz. The intensity of stimulation was the maximum current that patients could tolerate. Simulation lasting 30 min was performed once a day before induction of anesthesia and within 1-7 days after operation. The time to first flatus, time to first defecation, time for recovery of first bowel sounds and occurrence of abdominal distension were recorded. The occurrence and score of postoperative nausea and vomiting were recorded at 24, 48 and 72 h after operation. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected before operation and at 1 and 3 days after operation for determination of the concentrations of serum substance P and cholecystokinin before surgery and at 1 and 3 days after surgery using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:Compared with group C, the time to first flatus, time to first defecation and time for recovery of first bowel sounds were significantly shortened, and the incidence of abdominal distension was decreased in group TEAS ( P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the incidence and score of postoperative nausea and vomiting and serum concentrations of substance P and cholecystokinin before surgery and at 1 and 3 days after surgery between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:TEAS can improve postoperative gastrointestinal function in the patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery.

Malaria remains a global health challenge, although an increasing number of countries will enter pre-elimination and elimination stages. The prompt and precise diagnosis of symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers of Plasmodium parasites is the key aspect of malaria elimination. Since the launch of the China Malaria Elimination Action Plan in 2010, China has formulated clear goals for malaria diagnosis and has established a network of malaria diagnostic laboratories within medical and health institutions at all levels. Various external quality assessments were implemented, and a national malaria diagnosis reference laboratory network was established to strengthen the quality assurance in malaria diagnosis. Notably, no indigenous malaria cases have been reported since 2017, but the risk of re-establishment of malaria transmission cannot be ignored. This review summarizes the lessons about malaria diagnosis in the elimination phase, primarily including the establishments of laboratory networks and quality control in China, to better improve malaria diagnosis and maintain a malaria-free status. A reference is also provided for countries experiencing malaria elimination.
China/epidemiology* ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Global Health ; Humans ; Laboratories ; Malaria/prevention & control*