Objective To explore the impact of factors such as economic level,regional differences,and healthcare policies on the medical costs and the clinical treatment behaviors for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)using big data technology.Methods A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed,including descriptive statistical analysis,central tendency analysis,comparative analysis,and structural analysis to explore regional differences in the treatment of BPH and the underlying causes.Results The mean medical cost per case in the provincial capital city(19 502 yuan)was significantly higher than that in the prefecture-level city(16 526 yuan),with a difference of 2 976 yuan(+18%).Moreover,the cost distribution was more dispersed in the provincial capital([8 370 yuan-26 344 yuan]vs.[9 687 yuan-21 974 yuan]in the prefecture-level city).However,the provincial capital demonstrated better hospitalization efficiency,with a significantly shorter mean length of stay(9.24 days vs 10.21 days,-10.5%).All these differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).Payment methods influenced surgical choices.In the provincial capital,43.99%of patients underwent transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP),with no cases of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate(HOLEP).In contrast,the prefecture-level city reported 22.71%of patients receiving plasmakinetic resection of the prostate(PKRP)and 19.19%undergoing HoLEP.Significant differences were observed in antibiotic utilization patterns.The most commonly used antibiotic in the provincial capital was piperacillin-tazobactam(19.96%),while cefotaxime dominated in the prefecture-level city(21.11%).Notably,ertapenem was frequently used in the provincial capital but rarely in the prefecture-level city,potentially due to cost considerations(P<0.05).Regional preferences were evident in antispasmodic medication;phloroglucinol injection was used in 80%of cases in the prefecture-level city,while anisodamine hydrobromide injection predominated in the provincial capital(P<0.05).For BPH-specific medications,although tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release capsules were the primary choice in both regions,the prefecture-level city showed significantly higher usage(80.11%vs 49.17%).Finasteride tablets were more commonly prescribed in the provincial capital(39.03%vs.14.14%,P<0.05).Conclusion Economic levels,healthcare policies,and different hospitals significantly influence clinical decision-making and medical expenses.Hospitals should enhance refined management,while healthcare policy reforms need to advance from multiple perspectives and levels to improve the efficiency and equity of healthcare services.

Objective To explore the impact of factors such as economic level,regional differences,and healthcare policies on the medical costs and the clinical treatment behaviors for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)using big data technology.Methods A combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed,including descriptive statistical analysis,central tendency analysis,comparative analysis,and structural analysis to explore regional differences in the treatment of BPH and the underlying causes.Results The mean medical cost per case in the provincial capital city(19 502 yuan)was significantly higher than that in the prefecture-level city(16 526 yuan),with a difference of 2 976 yuan(+18%).Moreover,the cost distribution was more dispersed in the provincial capital([8 370 yuan-26 344 yuan]vs.[9 687 yuan-21 974 yuan]in the prefecture-level city).However,the provincial capital demonstrated better hospitalization efficiency,with a significantly shorter mean length of stay(9.24 days vs 10.21 days,-10.5%).All these differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).Payment methods influenced surgical choices.In the provincial capital,43.99%of patients underwent transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP),with no cases of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate(HOLEP).In contrast,the prefecture-level city reported 22.71%of patients receiving plasmakinetic resection of the prostate(PKRP)and 19.19%undergoing HoLEP.Significant differences were observed in antibiotic utilization patterns.The most commonly used antibiotic in the provincial capital was piperacillin-tazobactam(19.96%),while cefotaxime dominated in the prefecture-level city(21.11%).Notably,ertapenem was frequently used in the provincial capital but rarely in the prefecture-level city,potentially due to cost considerations(P<0.05).Regional preferences were evident in antispasmodic medication;phloroglucinol injection was used in 80%of cases in the prefecture-level city,while anisodamine hydrobromide injection predominated in the provincial capital(P<0.05).For BPH-specific medications,although tamsulosin hydrochloride sustained-release capsules were the primary choice in both regions,the prefecture-level city showed significantly higher usage(80.11%vs 49.17%).Finasteride tablets were more commonly prescribed in the provincial capital(39.03%vs.14.14%,P<0.05).Conclusion Economic levels,healthcare policies,and different hospitals significantly influence clinical decision-making and medical expenses.Hospitals should enhance refined management,while healthcare policy reforms need to advance from multiple perspectives and levels to improve the efficiency and equity of healthcare services.

Objective:To assess the effect of joint exposure to multiple air pollutants on sleep structure in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), identify key air pollutants, and analyze potential influencing factors.Methods:In this panel study, 92 stable COPD patients were recruited. From March 2021 to September 2023 in Beijing, all participants completed 254 nights of sleep monitoring. The total sleep duration, light sleep duration, deep sleep duration and rapid eye movement sleep duration and their respective proportions in total sleep duration were recorded. The exposure levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM 10), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), ozone (O 3), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were estimated based on the infiltration factor method and time-activity logs of participants. To assess the lag effect of air pollutants, moving average concentrations of air pollutants from 0-1 day to 0-3 months were calculated. The linear mixed-effect model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model were used to assess the single and joint effects of air pollutants on sleep structure parameters in COPD patients, respectively. Results:All six types of air pollutants were associated with changes in sleep structure, manifesting as an increase in total sleep duration and light sleep proportion and a reduction in deep sleep proportion. The effects of O 3 were strongest at lag 0-6 days, while other air pollutants were at lag 0-3 months. Joint exposure to multiple air pollutants exerted significant joint effects on sleep structure, and NO 2 was identified as the dominant pollutant. NO 2 had a posterior inclusion probability (PIP) greater than 0.5 for light sleep proportion (PIP=0.691) and deep sleep proportion (PIP=0.957). With an interquartile range (IQR) increase of 8.6 μg/m 3 in NO 2 at lag 0-3 months, the light sleep proportion increased by 10.5% (95% CI: 2.2%-19.4%), and the deep sleep proportion decreased by 19.5% (95% CI:-30.6%- -6.8%). Conclusion:Joint exposure to air pollutants is associated with changes in sleep structure in stable COPD patients, and NO 2 may be a key pollutant.

Cerebral blood flow directly affects the metabolism of substances and neural activity in the brain, and is closely associated with the occurrence and development of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Multiple studies have revealed that various imaging biomarkers in patients with CSVD, such as lacunar infarction, enlarged perivascular spaces, cerebral microbleeds, cerebral atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities, are closely associated with cerebral autoregulation (CA) function. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of CA in patients with CSVD is of great significance for delaying the further development of CSVD, improving cerebral ischemia and cognitive impairment. This article reviews the correlation and mechanism between CA and CSVD.

Objective:To investigate the role of a modified positioning device in improving image quality and diagnostic efficacy for thyroid cancer in contrast-enhanced neck CT imaging.Methods:This prospective cross-sectional study included 137 patients with pathologically confirmed thyroid lesions who underwent contrast-enhanced neck CT at Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January to April 2024. Patients scanned in January and February (modified positioning group, n=62) underwent scanning using the modified positioning device, whereas those scanned in March and April (traditional positioning group, n=75) underwent scanning with conventional positioning. The estimated volume CT dose index (CTDI vol) in the thyroid region was recorded. Subjective image quality for thyroid and neck regions was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Diagnostic assessments for thyroid cancer, capsule invasion, and lymph node metastasis were independently conducted by one junior radiologist and one senior radiologist using a 5-point scoring system, with scores≥3 considered positive diagnoses. The differences of CTDI vol and image quality scores between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results:The estimated CTDI vol values for the thyroid region were significantly lower in the modified positioning group compared to the traditional positioning group [11.20 (8.37, 13.56) vs. 12.46 (10.10, 19.43) mGy, Z=1.99, P=0.026]. Subjective image quality scores for thyroid and neck regions were significantly higher in the modified positioning group than in the traditional positioning group (all P<0.001). For thyroid cancer diagnosis by the senior radiologist, the modified positioning group had a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) of 0.842 (95% CI 0.728-0.956) compared to the traditional positioning group (AUC=0.666,95% CI 0.554-0.777, Z=2.17, P=0.031). No significant differences were observed in diagnostic performance between the junior and senior radiologists for thyroid cancer, capsule invasion, and lymph node metastasis in other subgroup comparisons (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The modified positioning device using in contrast-enhanced neck CT imaging can improve image quality and diagnostic efficacy for thyroid cancer while reducing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland.

Objective:To assess the effect of joint exposure to multiple air pollutants on sleep structure in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), identify key air pollutants, and analyze potential influencing factors.Methods:In this panel study, 92 stable COPD patients were recruited. From March 2021 to September 2023 in Beijing, all participants completed 254 nights of sleep monitoring. The total sleep duration, light sleep duration, deep sleep duration and rapid eye movement sleep duration and their respective proportions in total sleep duration were recorded. The exposure levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM 10), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2), ozone (O 3), sulfur dioxide (SO 2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were estimated based on the infiltration factor method and time-activity logs of participants. To assess the lag effect of air pollutants, moving average concentrations of air pollutants from 0-1 day to 0-3 months were calculated. The linear mixed-effect model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model were used to assess the single and joint effects of air pollutants on sleep structure parameters in COPD patients, respectively. Results:All six types of air pollutants were associated with changes in sleep structure, manifesting as an increase in total sleep duration and light sleep proportion and a reduction in deep sleep proportion. The effects of O 3 were strongest at lag 0-6 days, while other air pollutants were at lag 0-3 months. Joint exposure to multiple air pollutants exerted significant joint effects on sleep structure, and NO 2 was identified as the dominant pollutant. NO 2 had a posterior inclusion probability (PIP) greater than 0.5 for light sleep proportion (PIP=0.691) and deep sleep proportion (PIP=0.957). With an interquartile range (IQR) increase of 8.6 μg/m 3 in NO 2 at lag 0-3 months, the light sleep proportion increased by 10.5% (95% CI: 2.2%-19.4%), and the deep sleep proportion decreased by 19.5% (95% CI:-30.6%- -6.8%). Conclusion:Joint exposure to air pollutants is associated with changes in sleep structure in stable COPD patients, and NO 2 may be a key pollutant.

BACKGROUND: Without timely and effective rehabilitation, hearing loss may profoundly affect human life quality. China has a large population of hearing-impaired individuals, which imposes a heavy health burden on society. Moreover, this population is projected to increase rapidly owing to China's aging society. METHODS: We used data from a population-representative epidemiological investigation of hearing loss and ear diseases in four Chinese provinces. We estimated the national prevalence using multiple linear regression of the age-group proportions and prevalence in 31 provinces with clustering analysis. We used years lived with disability (YLDs) to analyze the disease burden and forecasted the prevalence of hearing loss by 2060 in China. RESULTS: An estimated 115 million people had moderate-to-complete hearing loss in 2015 across the 31 provinces of China (8.4% of 1.37 billion people). Of these, 85.7% were older than age 50 years (99 million people) and 2.4% were younger than 20 years old (2.8 million people). Of all YLDs attributable to hearing loss, 68.9% were attributable to moderate-to-complete cases. By 2060, a projected 242 million people in China will have moderate-to-complete hearing loss, a 110.0% increase from 2015. CONCLUSIONS The hearing loss prevalence in China is high. Population aging and socioeconomic factors substantially affect the prevalence and severity of hearing loss and the disease burden. The prevalence and severity of hearing loss are unevenly distributed across different provinces. Future public health policies should take these trends and regional variations into account.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Hearing Loss/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost of Illness

Objective:To investigate the role of a modified positioning device in improving image quality and diagnostic efficacy for thyroid cancer in contrast-enhanced neck CT imaging.Methods:This prospective cross-sectional study included 137 patients with pathologically confirmed thyroid lesions who underwent contrast-enhanced neck CT at Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January to April 2024. Patients scanned in January and February (modified positioning group, n=62) underwent scanning using the modified positioning device, whereas those scanned in March and April (traditional positioning group, n=75) underwent scanning with conventional positioning. The estimated volume CT dose index (CTDI vol) in the thyroid region was recorded. Subjective image quality for thyroid and neck regions was evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale. Diagnostic assessments for thyroid cancer, capsule invasion, and lymph node metastasis were independently conducted by one junior radiologist and one senior radiologist using a 5-point scoring system, with scores≥3 considered positive diagnoses. The differences of CTDI vol and image quality scores between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results:The estimated CTDI vol values for the thyroid region were significantly lower in the modified positioning group compared to the traditional positioning group [11.20 (8.37, 13.56) vs. 12.46 (10.10, 19.43) mGy, Z=1.99, P=0.026]. Subjective image quality scores for thyroid and neck regions were significantly higher in the modified positioning group than in the traditional positioning group (all P<0.001). For thyroid cancer diagnosis by the senior radiologist, the modified positioning group had a significantly higher area under the curve (AUC) of 0.842 (95% CI 0.728-0.956) compared to the traditional positioning group (AUC=0.666,95% CI 0.554-0.777, Z=2.17, P=0.031). No significant differences were observed in diagnostic performance between the junior and senior radiologists for thyroid cancer, capsule invasion, and lymph node metastasis in other subgroup comparisons (all P>0.05). Conclusion:The modified positioning device using in contrast-enhanced neck CT imaging can improve image quality and diagnostic efficacy for thyroid cancer while reducing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland.

Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a rare but serious complication after cerebral revascularization, which may lead to catastrophic consequences. The mechanism of CHS is not fully understood, and it may be related to cerebral autoregulation dysfunction and the increase of blood pressure after operation. Timely detection and treatment of cerebral hyperperfusion can avoid CHS. This article reviews the pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, prevention and treatment of CHS.

Objective To investigate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of multi-station drug dispensing robots.Methods The study selected 4 pharmacists with comparable experience and skills,and 3 commonly used medications from our hospital's pharmacy intravenous admixture service.A crossover design was employed to compare the manual and robotic dispensing efficiency.Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted for the economic evaluation,comparing the costs,benefits,and net profits of both dispensing modes,and sensitivity analysis was performed on the evaluation results.Results The dispensing efficiency,cost and net profits of the robotic dispensing were significantly higher than manual dispensing(P＜0.001).Sensitivity analysis results revealed that even after adjusting labor and material costs,the net profit of robotic dispensing was still significantly higher than that of manual dispensing(P＜0.001),indicating strong robustness.Conclusion Compared to manual dispensing,multi-station drug dispensing robots exhibit significant advantages in dispensing efficiency and cost-effectiveness,showing broad clinical application prospects.