Effective symptom management can alleviate the physical and psychological distress experienced by patients with cancer, improve quality of life, and contribute to treatment adherence and improve clinical outcomes. However, most existing guidelines are developed for healthcare professionals, and patients and the public have limited access to standardized and comprehensible guidance on symptom management. To address this gap and to facilitate effective communication and shared decision-making, this study proposes the development of a patient version of the cancer symptom management guideline. The development process will adhere to the methodological framework recommended by the Guidelines International Network and the World Health Organization. The GRADE approach will be employed to assess the certainty of evidence and to formulate recommendations. In addition, the process will be informed by the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Ⅱ (AGREE Ⅱ) instrument and the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare-Public or Patient Versions of Guidelines (RIGHT-PVG). This protocol outlines the establishment of the guideline working group, the identification and prioritization of key questions, evidence retrieval and appraisal, and the formulation of recommendations, with the aim of ensuring methodological rigor and transparency in the development of the patient guideline and providing methodological reference for similar guideline initiatives.

Objectives:To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of His-Purkinje conduction system pacing(HPCSP,including His bundle pacing[HBP]and left bundle branch area pacing[LBBAP])combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure.Methods:The PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Data,VIP,and Yiigle were searched for studies on HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure since the established until July 31,2024.Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.1.Results:A total of 13 studies were included with 1 071 patients,the success rate of HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation was 93.1%.The meta-analysis results revealed that,in terms of effectiveness outcomes,compared with baseline,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(mean difference[MD]=-3.11,95%CI:-4.16 to-2.06,P<0.000 01)was significantly reduced,New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function classification(MD=-1.36,95%CI:-1.48 to-1.24,P<0.000 01)was significantly decreased,and left ventricular ejection fraction(MD=9.86,95%CI:7.02 to 12.69,P<0.000 01)was significantly increased during follow-up.The pacing QRS duration was prolonged from baseline after atrioventricular node ablation(MD=7.83,95%CI:2.79 to 12.87,P=0.002);In terms of safety outcomes,HPCSP pacing thresholds remained stable(MD=0.07,95%CI:-0.01 to 0.15,P=0.11)and impedance was decreased(MD=-78.84,95%CI:-120.21 to-37.47,P=0.000 2)during operation and follow-up.The complication rate was 7.9%,the heart failure rehospitalization rate was 4.5%and the mortality rate was 5.8%.Compared with biventricular pacing(BVP),HPCSP was correlated with shorter pacing QRS duration(MD=-39.08,95%CI:-62.35 to-15.80,P=0.001)and higher left ventricular ejection fraction(MD=4.38,95%CI:0.37 to 8.40,P=0.03),there was no significant difference in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(MD=-9.11,95%CI:-19.93 to 1.72,P=0.100).During follow-up,LBBAP exhibited a lower pacing threshold than HBP(MD=0.61,95%CI:0.23 to 1.00,P=0.002);Endpoint event rates were similar between HBP and LBBP(RR=1.47,95%CI:0.83 to 2.60,P=0.190).Conclusions:Results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure is effective and safe.HPCSP is associated with better ventricular electro-mechanical synchronization and cardiac function compared with BVP,and LBBAP pacing parameters are superior to HBP.

Objective To investigate the association between nutritional status and serum hepcidin and pentraxin 3(PTX3)levels in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Methods A total of 76 patients with MHD who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the hemodialysis center at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University.Nutritional status was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment(SGA),which categorizes patients into three grades:SGA-A,SGA-B,and SGA-C.Serum levels of PTX3 and hepcidin were mea-sured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software.One-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was applied to compare differences across the three SGA groups.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify influencing factors,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic value.Among the participants,45 patients were classified as malnourished based on SGA-B and SGA-C scores,while those with SGA-A constituted the well-nourished control group.Results Among the 76 MHD patients,59.2%were malnourished.We then compared clinical characteristics across the three groups.The results showed that the malnourished group was older and exhibited significantly higher levels of hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin(P<0.05),while serum albumin,creatinine,and phosphorus levels were significantly lower(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between SGA grades and hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin levels(all P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis with"malnutrition"as the dependent variable indicated that elevated hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin levels,along with age and male gender,were associated with increased risk of malnutrition in MHD patients,whereas higher serum phosphorus and creatinine levels were protec-tive factors.Further multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that serum PTX3 level was an independent risk factor for malnutrition(P=0.032),while higher creatinine level was an independent protective factor(P=0.047).ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of serum PTX3 and creatinine levels had a high diagnostic value for identifying malnutrition in MHD patients,yielding an AUC of 0.789(P<0.001),a Youden index of 0.448,sensitivity of 77.8%,and specificity of 71.0%.Conclusions Elevated levels of PTX3 and hepcidin,along with reduced serum creatinine levels,are associated with an increased risk of malnutrition in patients undergoing MHD.Notably,elevated serum PTX3 and decreased serum creatinine independently predict malnutrition in this population and demonstrate high predictive value.

Objective:To develop a Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) Scale for Dietary Management During Hemodialysis and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on the KAP theoretical framework, an initial version of the scale was developed through a literature review and expert consultations. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit hemodialysis patients from four hospitals in Suzhou in March 2024. Questionnaire item analysis and reliability and validity tests were conducted.Results:A total of 460 questionnaires were distributed and 438 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 95.22%. The final scale included three dimensions (knowledge, attitude, and practice) with 34 items. Content validity at the scale level was 0.910, and the item level ranged from 0.800 to 1.000. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three common factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 74.520%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit. The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.971, and the Cronbach's αcoefficients for the three dimensions were 0.963, 0.933, and 0.934, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.839.Conclusions:The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Scale for Dietary Management During Hemodialysis demonstrates good reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing the KAP level of dietary management in hemodialysis patients.

Objective To investigate the association between nutritional status and serum hepcidin and pentraxin 3(PTX3)levels in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Methods A total of 76 patients with MHD who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from the hemodialysis center at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University.Nutritional status was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment(SGA),which categorizes patients into three grades:SGA-A,SGA-B,and SGA-C.Serum levels of PTX3 and hepcidin were mea-sured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS software.One-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was applied to compare differences across the three SGA groups.Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify influencing factors,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic value.Among the participants,45 patients were classified as malnourished based on SGA-B and SGA-C scores,while those with SGA-A constituted the well-nourished control group.Results Among the 76 MHD patients,59.2%were malnourished.We then compared clinical characteristics across the three groups.The results showed that the malnourished group was older and exhibited significantly higher levels of hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin(P<0.05),while serum albumin,creatinine,and phosphorus levels were significantly lower(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between SGA grades and hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin levels(all P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis with"malnutrition"as the dependent variable indicated that elevated hs-CRP,PTX3,and hepcidin levels,along with age and male gender,were associated with increased risk of malnutrition in MHD patients,whereas higher serum phosphorus and creatinine levels were protec-tive factors.Further multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that serum PTX3 level was an independent risk factor for malnutrition(P=0.032),while higher creatinine level was an independent protective factor(P=0.047).ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of serum PTX3 and creatinine levels had a high diagnostic value for identifying malnutrition in MHD patients,yielding an AUC of 0.789(P<0.001),a Youden index of 0.448,sensitivity of 77.8%,and specificity of 71.0%.Conclusions Elevated levels of PTX3 and hepcidin,along with reduced serum creatinine levels,are associated with an increased risk of malnutrition in patients undergoing MHD.Notably,elevated serum PTX3 and decreased serum creatinine independently predict malnutrition in this population and demonstrate high predictive value.

Objectives:To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of His-Purkinje conduction system pacing(HPCSP,including His bundle pacing[HBP]and left bundle branch area pacing[LBBAP])combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure.Methods:The PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,Embase,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang Data,VIP,and Yiigle were searched for studies on HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure since the established until July 31,2024.Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 15.1.Results:A total of 13 studies were included with 1 071 patients,the success rate of HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation was 93.1%.The meta-analysis results revealed that,in terms of effectiveness outcomes,compared with baseline,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(mean difference[MD]=-3.11,95%CI:-4.16 to-2.06,P<0.000 01)was significantly reduced,New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function classification(MD=-1.36,95%CI:-1.48 to-1.24,P<0.000 01)was significantly decreased,and left ventricular ejection fraction(MD=9.86,95%CI:7.02 to 12.69,P<0.000 01)was significantly increased during follow-up.The pacing QRS duration was prolonged from baseline after atrioventricular node ablation(MD=7.83,95%CI:2.79 to 12.87,P=0.002);In terms of safety outcomes,HPCSP pacing thresholds remained stable(MD=0.07,95%CI:-0.01 to 0.15,P=0.11)and impedance was decreased(MD=-78.84,95%CI:-120.21 to-37.47,P=0.000 2)during operation and follow-up.The complication rate was 7.9%,the heart failure rehospitalization rate was 4.5%and the mortality rate was 5.8%.Compared with biventricular pacing(BVP),HPCSP was correlated with shorter pacing QRS duration(MD=-39.08,95%CI:-62.35 to-15.80,P=0.001)and higher left ventricular ejection fraction(MD=4.38,95%CI:0.37 to 8.40,P=0.03),there was no significant difference in left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(MD=-9.11,95%CI:-19.93 to 1.72,P=0.100).During follow-up,LBBAP exhibited a lower pacing threshold than HBP(MD=0.61,95%CI:0.23 to 1.00,P=0.002);Endpoint event rates were similar between HBP and LBBP(RR=1.47,95%CI:0.83 to 2.60,P=0.190).Conclusions:Results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that HPCSP combined with atrioventricular node ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation combined with heart failure is effective and safe.HPCSP is associated with better ventricular electro-mechanical synchronization and cardiac function compared with BVP,and LBBAP pacing parameters are superior to HBP.

Objective:To develop a Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) Scale for Dietary Management During Hemodialysis and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on the KAP theoretical framework, an initial version of the scale was developed through a literature review and expert consultations. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit hemodialysis patients from four hospitals in Suzhou in March 2024. Questionnaire item analysis and reliability and validity tests were conducted.Results:A total of 460 questionnaires were distributed and 438 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 95.22%. The final scale included three dimensions (knowledge, attitude, and practice) with 34 items. Content validity at the scale level was 0.910, and the item level ranged from 0.800 to 1.000. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three common factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 74.520%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit. The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.971, and the Cronbach's αcoefficients for the three dimensions were 0.963, 0.933, and 0.934, respectively. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.839.Conclusions:The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Scale for Dietary Management During Hemodialysis demonstrates good reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing the KAP level of dietary management in hemodialysis patients.

Objective:To investigate the treatment strategy and prognostic factors of nasopharyngeal necrosis after the first radical radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods:Clinical data of 1020 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital from January 2013 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Nasopharyngeal necrosis was confirmed by nasopharyngeal MRI, electronic nasopharyngoscopy and biopsy. Patients with nasopharyngeal necrosis were treated with electronic nasopharyngoscope irrigation debridement, combined with systemic anti-infection and nutritional support therapy. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival, and Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between clinical factors and patients' survival.Results:Nasopharyngeal necrosis occurred in 20 cases of 1020 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after the first radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy, with an incidence rate of 1.96%. Odd smell and headache were common in nasopharyngeal necrosis patients. All patients had locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma at initial treatment, including 2 (10%) cases of T 3 stage and 18 (90%) cases of T 4 stage. Nasopharyngeal necrosis occurred in the primary nasopharyngeal lesions. According to the stages of nasopharyngeal necrosis, there were 6 (30%) cases of stage I, 14 (70%) cases of stage II and no stage III. The occurrence time of nasopharyngeal necrosis was from 2 to 24 months after radiotherapy, and the median time was 5 months. All 16 cases of nasopharyngeal necrosis were cured clinically after debridement and irrigation under nasopharyngoscope, systemic anti-infection and symptomatic support treatment. Among them, 9 cases had no necrotic cavity and complete healing and 7 cases had residual necrotic cavity. Four patients died of massive nasopharyngeal hemorrhage or due to the inability to nasopharyngeal irrigation. The 5-year survival rates were 37.5% and 85.7% in patients with and without internal carotid artery involvement ( P=0.008), and 25.0% and 77.8% in patients with and without diabetes mellitus ( P=0.016). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that necrotic lesions involving internal carotid artery ( HR=5.80, 95% CI=1.14-29.38, P=0.034) and diabetes mellitus ( HR=10.24, 95% CI=1.19-88.04, P=0.034) were the influencing factors of overall survival. Conclusions:Nasopharyngoscope irrigation debridement combined with anti-inflammation and nutritional support treatment are effective interventions for nasopharyngeal necrosis after the first radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The necrosis involving the internal carotid artery and diabetes mellitus are important factors affecting the survival of patients. Vascular invasion caused by vascular rupture is the main cause of death.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of individualized primary clinical target volume (CTV) delineation in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods:Clinical data of 87 consecutive patients newly diagnosed with lateralized NPC in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital between October 2016 and February 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Lateralized NPC is defined as tumor invasion not exceeding the contralateral wall. According to the tumor spread, the primary CTV was optimized as follows: CTV2 only covered the medial part of the contralateral pterygopalatine fossa, whereas the contralateral foramen oval was not included; on the level of parapharyngeal space, the contralateral side of CTV only covered the posterior lateral lymph nodes, whereas the contralateral internal jugular vein was not regularly covered. Failure patterns and 5-year survival [local control rate (LCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)] were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method. Paired t-test and rank-sum test were used to analyze the dose variation in the optimized region and adverse reactions. Results:The median follow-up time was 59.5 months. The 5-year LCR, PFS, and OS were 98.9%, 86.5% and 92.1%, respectively. There was no local recurrence in the optimized area of CTV. Dosimetric comparison results showed that the doses of parotid gland, temporal lobe, cochlea and middle ear on the contralateral side were reduced by 13.45%, 9.14%, 38.83%, and 29.36%, respectively. Four cases (4.6%) developed grade 3 hearing loss, all on the ipsilateral side. The optimized scheme significantly alleviated the hearing loss on the contralateral side compared to that on the ipsilateral side ( P<0.001). Other grade 3 late adverse reactions included cranial nerve injury, subcutaneous fibrosis in the neck and visual impairment, with 1 case each. Conclusion:Individualized primary CTV for lateralized NPC is feasible and safe, with obvious dosimetric advantages and reduced adverse reaction rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective:To understand the cognition and training status of basic life support among medical staff in Linfen, Shanxi Province, and to provide reference for the development of targeted training strategies and programs.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted among medical staff in 12 county hospitals in Linfen, Shanxi Province by convenience sampling method. The survey included the general characteristics of departments and medical staff, previous basic life support training assessment and cognitive status.Results:A total of 839 medical staff were included, 756 (90.1%) completed the survey, 183 (24.2%) were doctors and 573 (75.8%) were nurses. Most personnel lacked awareness of environmental safety, emergency response system start-up, adequate compression, airway management, and electrical defibrillation.Conclusions:The cognitive status of basic life support of medical staff in Linfen county is not optimistic. It is necessary to construct an applicable precision training course and retraining assessment system to improve the cognitive level and practical operation ability.