ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

Objective To explore the efficacy differences between 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging with zero echo time(3T MRI ZTE)and high resolution computed tomography(HRCT)in the detection of pulmonary nodules and the classification diagnosis of the lung imaging reporting and data system(Lung-RADS)in sub-health populations.Methods Clinical and imaging data of 93 patients with pulmonary nodules(126 nodules in total)admitted to some hospital from July to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The 126 nodules were categorized into a benign nodule group(n=51)and a malignant nodule group(n=75)using pathological findings as the gold standard.All the patients underwent examinations by 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT to compare the detection rates of the two measures for pulmonary nodules;the missed and misdiagnosis rates of 3T MRI ZTE,HRCT and Lung-RADS grading were contrasted with the postoperative pathological diagnosis results as the gold standard;comparison analyses of 3T MRI ZTE signs and HRCT signs were performed between the two groups and the patients with different Lung-RADS grades;3T MRI ZTE,HRCT and Lung-RADS grading were compared with the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve in terms of diagnosis efficacy for pulmonary nodules,and the consistency analysis was carried out.Results No discernible statistical variation was observed in the detection rates of pulmonary nodules between 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT(P>0.05).Lung-RADS grading had the highest rates of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis,and 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT had similar detection rates.The malignant nodule group was different from the benign nodule group in the 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT signs in terms of lesion size,spiculation sign,lobulation sign,calcifica-tion,pleural indentation sign,cavity sign,boundary and bronchial cut-off sign,with the differences being statistically signi-ficant(all P<0.05).For the patients of Lung-RADS grade 3,the 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT signs had significant differences in terms of lesion size,spiculation sign,lobulation sign,calcification,pleural indentation sign,cavity sign and bronchial cut-off sign(all P<0.05).For the patients of Lung-RADS grade 4A,the 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT signs had significant differen-ces in terms of lesion size,calcification,boundary and bronchial cut-off sign(all P<0.05).For the patients of Lung-RADS grade 4B,the 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT signs had significant differences in terms of lesion size and calcification(all P<0.05).For the patients of Lung-RADS grade 4X,there were no significant differences found between the 3T MRI ZTE and HRCT signs(all P>0.05).HRCT had the highest sensitivity,specificity,accuracy,AUC value,predictive values and Kappa value for benign and malignant nodules,3T MRI ZTE had the values slightly lower than those of HRCT,and Lung-RADS grading had the lowest values when compared with HRCT and 3T MRI ZTE.Conclusion HRCT and 3T MRI ZTE are complementary for the evaluation of pulmonary nodules,and the differences in imaging signs between them show graded dependence.3T MRI ZTE and HRCT have no significant differences in the detection rate of pulmonary nodules,while HRCT gains advanta-ges in differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules,and references are provided for the screening and clinical early diagnosis of pulmonary nodules.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(9):52-59]

Objective:Bidirectional causal associations of 41 cytokines with atopic dermatitis(AD)were explored based on a Mendelian randomization(MR)approach.Methods:Pooled data from genome wide association study(GWAS)of 41 cytokines and AD were utilized for instrumental variable(IV)screening,and single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)affecting the results of MR analyses was excluded by the MR-PRESSO outlier test as well as by the MR Steiger filtering method.Two-sample bidirectional MR analyses were performed using inverse variance weighting(IVW),MR-Egger regression,and weighted median methods(WM).MR-Egger intercept term test and Cochran's Q test were performed to test the pleiotropy and heterogeneity of IV,and MR results were visu-alized by scatterplots,funnel plots,and leave-one-out plots.Results:Forward MR analysis showed that MIG(IVW:OR=0.89;95%CI:0.81～0.97;P=0.006)reduced the risk of AD development.In contrast,IL-5(IVW:OR=1.17;95%CI:1.01～1.36;P=0.042)and IL-18(MR Egger:OR=1.17;95%CI:1.03～1.33;P=0.030)increased the risk of AD development.Inverse MR analysis showed a potential causal association between AD and increased MIG(IVW:Beta=0.10;95%CI:0.02～0.17;P=0.014).None of the sensitivity analyses indicated pleiotropy and heterogeneity of the included IV.Conclusion:MIG may be an important marker in the progression of AD with a potential bidirectional causal association with risk of morbidity.IL-5 and IL-18 have a potential positive causal association for AD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the therapeutic mechanisms of electroacupuncture at"Tianshu"(ST25)and"Sanyinjiao"(SP6)acupoints combined with metformin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)using serum non-targeted metabolomics.METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,metformin group,electroacupunc-ture group,and acupuncture-medicine combination(electroacupuncture combined with metformin)group.A type 2 diabetes model was established by high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.The metformin group was treated with 250 mg·kg-1 metformin by gavage,the electroacupuncture group was treated with bilateral Tianshu and Sanyinjiao,the acupuncture-medicine combination group was treated with metformin by gavage combined with electroacupuncture,and the blank group and model group were treated with normal saline by gavage.All rats were treated 6 times a week for 7 weeks.After the intervention,the blood glucose level in the tail vein of the rats was measured using a blood glucose meter in the fasting state.The blood glucose levels of the rats were measured at 30,60,120,and 240 min after intraperitoneal injection of 50%glucose solution(4 mL·kg-1)to evaluate glu-cose tolerance.The serum insulin level of the rats was detected by ELISA and the insulin resistance index was calculated.The blood biochemical parameters were measured by an automatic blood biochemical analyzer.HE staining was used to evaluate the pathological conditions of the liver and pancreatic tissues of the rats.Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS)technology was used for mass spectrometry detection to identify differential metabolites,and MetaboAnalyst 5.0 was used for pathway enrichment analysis.RESULTS Compared with the blank group,the fasting blood glucose,area under the glucose tolerance curve,and insulin resistance index of the model group rats were significantly increased(P<0.001),blood TP and GLB were significantly de-creased(P<0.01),AST,ALT,and ALP were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001),and obvious inflammatory cell infiltration and pathological damage were observed in the liver and pancreas tissues;compared with the model group,the fasting blood glucose,area under the glucose tolerance curve,and insulin resistance index of the acupuncture-medicine combination group were sig-nificantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001),blood ALP was significantly decreased(P<0.01),TP and GLB were significant-ly increased(P<0.05),and the pathological damage of the liver and pancreas was significantly improved.Serum metabolomics showed that the metabolic profiles of the groups were well distinguished.Compared with the blank group,the differential metabolites in the model group were enriched in histidine metabolism,thiamine metabolism,taurine and hypotaurine metabolism,ascorbic acid and alde-hyde ester metabolism,valine,leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis pathways;compared with the model group,237 metabolites such as 3-aminoadipic acid,3-oxocyclobutanecarboxylic acid and phosphorylcholine in the acupuncture-medicine combination group were sig-nificantly reduced,and the pathways were enriched in histidine metabolism,linoleic acid metabolism,thiamine metabolism,taurine and hypotaurine metabolism,valine,leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis pathways.CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture combined with metformin can effectively improve the glucose and lipid metabolism of T2DM rats,and its potential mechanism may be related to the regulation of amino acid metabolism.

Objective:To develop the Puerperal Delivery Trauma Perception Scale and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Based on the theory of unpleasant symptoms and combining literature review, semi-structured interview, and group discussion, an item pool was created. The initial version of the scale was formed through Delphi expert consultation and pre-investigation. A convenience sampling method was used to select 304 puerperal women from seven Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Wuhan for reliability and validity testing of the scale in January and February 2024.Results:The Puerperal Delivery Trauma Perception Scale includes seven dimensions and 34 items. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.929, the split-half reliability was 0.874, and the test-retest reliability was 0.932. Exploratory factor analysis extracted seven common factors, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 71.221%.Conclusions:The Puerperal Delivery Trauma Perception Scale has good reliability and validity and can be used to assess the trauma perception of puerperal women in China.

With the rapid increase of MRI systems in hospitals in China,national multi-sectoral strategies have been put forward to clarify requirements for improving image quality of MRI systems and preventing application risks in clinic.Quality control of MRI systems becomes an important task for regulators as well as hospital radiology departments.The tools used for quality control include imaging performance phantom and specialized function phantom,which can realize detection or calibration for parameters such as high contrast resolution,image uniformity and relaxation time.This article mainly reviews the research progress of the operation principles,common types and clinical applications for these two types of phantoms mentioned above.

Purpose To explore the feasibility and practical value of using National Institute of Metrology(NIM)calorimetry method to measure whole-body specific absorption rate(SAR)values of in-service MRI equipment.Materials and Methods A NIM calorimetry device for measuring whole-body SAR values was developed,SAR values of different MRI devices were measured by NIM calorimetry,and compared with National Electrical Manufacturers Association(NEMA)calorimetry and pulse-energy method to verify the measurement accuracy and applicability of the NIM calorimetry method.Results The NIM calorimetry device developed in this study had reliable performance,and the experimental results indicated the difference in measurement results between NIM calorimetry(1.63 W/kg)and NEMA calorimetry(1.80 W/kg)was within 10%.The difference between the SAR measurement results of multiple MRI devices based on NIM calorimetry(0.46,0.93,0.61 W/kg)and the pulse energy method(0.42,0.89,0.56 W/kg)was within 10%.Conclusion The NIM calorimetry method in this study can accurately measure whole-body SAR values and has applicability.