OBJECTIVE To investigate the current status of cleaning and disinfection of digestive endoscopes in vari-ous grades of hospitals of Hubei Province so as to improve the quality of cleaning and disinfection of the digestive endoscopes.METHODS A survey was conducted by the hospital infection management department of Tongji Hos-pital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from Mar.25,2024 to Mar.29,2024.A questionnaire was formulated by brainstorming and literature review.The electronic question-naire was distributed through the"Wenjuanxing"platform.The questionnaire survey aimed to investigate the per-sonnel,training,equipment and facilities,cleaning and disinfection operations,monitoring and recording of the digestive endoscopy centers of the medical institutions in the province.RESULTS Totally 185 medical institutions were finally included,113 of which were tertiary hospitals,and 72 were secondary and lower-grade hospitals.The tertiary hospitals were superior to the secondary and lower-grade hospitals in the quantity of endoscopes,daily di-agnosis and treatment volume of patients,participation in external training(including continuous training,further education,hospital-level training),provision of some facilities and equipment(ultrasonic cleaners,full pipeline perfusion devices,cleaning brushes,high-pressure water guns,transport containers),some cleaning and disinfec-tion operations(changing the cleaning enzyme solution one time for one endoscope,disinfecting the cleaning brush one time after one-time use),implementation of surveillance of cleaning quality and preservation of surveil-lance records(P＜0.05).However,the tertiary hospital were inferior to the secondary and lower-grade hospitals in standardized use of transferring containers(65.49％)and drying time of air guns(57.52％)(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS The quality of cleaning and disinfection of the digestive endoscopes remains large room to be im-proved in the medical institutions of Hubei Province.It is necessary for the medical institutions to strengthen the supervision and training of personnel based on the their actual condition,complete the provision of facilities and e-quipment,standardize the cleaning and disinfection operations,and complete the surveillance and recordings.

Objective:To explore the factors associated with the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) following spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:This was a retrospective study of 89 SCI survivors with NP receiving high-frequency rTMS. Those with a ≥30% reduction in their Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) scores after 2 weeks of treatment were termed Responders ( n=36), with the others classified as non-responders ( n=53). Demographic data (gender, education level, age), SCI characteristics (injury etiology, injury severity, neurological injury level, injury duration), NP characteristics (pain type, pain intensity, analgesic use), functional assessment (Modified Ashworth Scale score, Spinal Cord Independence Measure score, Modified Barthel Index score, American Spinal Injury Association motor/sensory score) were collected. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used for variable selection, followed by binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with treatment efficacy. Results:Among the 89 patients, 36 (40.4%) were Responders to high-frequency rTMS. Binary logistic regression revealed that those with a cervical spinal cord injury and/or spasticity and women were more likely to respond to high-frequency rTMS.Conclusions:Female gender, cervical spinal cord injury, and spasticity are independent factors predicting rTMS efficacy in treating SCI, with spasticity demonstrating the strongest association.

Objective To investigate the current status of job competency of full-time personnel who engaged in gastrointestinal endoscope cleaning and disinfection in medical institutions in Hubei Province,analyze the influencing factors,and provide reference for conducting the training for full-time personnel in gastrointestinal endoscope clea-ning and disinfection.Methods Through expert consultation and revision,as well as forming of questionnaire,an online survey was conducted.The questionnaire was filled out by full-time personnel who engaged in endoscope cleaning and disinfection in the endoscopy centers/rooms in medical institutions.Results A total of 195 full-time personnel engaged in cleaning and disinfecting gastrointestinal endoscopes in 185 medical institutions participated in the survey,with a self-assessment score of(4.48±0.41)point for job competency.Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the self-assessment scores of job competency based on different le-vels of training,training frequency,income satisfaction,and daily diagnosis and treatment volume(all P＜0.05).Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that full-time personnel with working years＞10 years,satisfying with their income,participating in provincial/national level training,receiving training at least once per year,and having an average daily diagnosis and treatment volume＞50 cases had higher self-assessment score of job competency(all P＜0.05).Conclusion In order to enhance the job competency of personnel who engage in gastrointestinal endo-scope cleaning and disinfection,it is recommended to encourage the participation in provincial/national training,and the hospital-wide training should emphasize the application and disposal of cleaning,disinfection,and storage de-vices of gastrointestinal endoscope,as well as disinfection knowledge,and encourage personnel to conduct relevant research.

Objective To investigate the electroencephalography(EEG)signal characteristics in patients with neuropathic pain(NP)associated with spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods A total of 90 patients with SCI from January,2018 to November,2023 were selected from the EEG database of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,Xijing Hospital,and divided into NP group(n=46)and non-NP group(n=44)according to their symptoms.The resting-state EEG power and reactivity to eye-opening were compared between two groups.Results Compared with non-NP group,EEG power increased in frontal lobe in α and β1 bands,central lobe in δ,θ,α1 and β1 bands,parietal lobe in α and β1 bands,temporal lobe in α and β1 bands,left occipital lobe in α2 band,and occipital lobe in α1 and β1 bands(|Z|>1.998,P<0.05)in NP group during eye-opening;during eye-closing,EEG power increased in prefrontal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,right frontal lobe in θ band,frontal lobe in α and β1 bands,left frontal lobe in β2 band,central lobe in δ,α1 and β1 bands,parietal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,left pari-etal lobe in α2 and β2 bands,right temporal lobe in θ band,temporal lobe in α and β bands,occipital lobe in α1 and β1 bands,and left occipital lobe in β2 band(|Z|>1.970,P<0.05);while the reactivity to eye-opening de-creased in right prefrontal lobe in β1 band,frontal lobe in θ,α and β bands,right central lobe in β1 band,parietal lobe in α1 and β1 bands,right parietal lobe in β2 band,right temporal lobe in δ and θ band,temporal lobe in α1 and β bands,left occipital lobe in α1 band,and occipital lobe in β1(|Z|>1.967,P<0.05).Conclusion Resting-state EEG power characteristically elevates in NP patients after SCI,and the reactivity to eye-open-ing reduces.

Objective:To explore the factors associated with the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) following spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:This was a retrospective study of 89 SCI survivors with NP receiving high-frequency rTMS. Those with a ≥30% reduction in their Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) scores after 2 weeks of treatment were termed Responders ( n=36), with the others classified as non-responders ( n=53). Demographic data (gender, education level, age), SCI characteristics (injury etiology, injury severity, neurological injury level, injury duration), NP characteristics (pain type, pain intensity, analgesic use), functional assessment (Modified Ashworth Scale score, Spinal Cord Independence Measure score, Modified Barthel Index score, American Spinal Injury Association motor/sensory score) were collected. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used for variable selection, followed by binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with treatment efficacy. Results:Among the 89 patients, 36 (40.4%) were Responders to high-frequency rTMS. Binary logistic regression revealed that those with a cervical spinal cord injury and/or spasticity and women were more likely to respond to high-frequency rTMS.Conclusions:Female gender, cervical spinal cord injury, and spasticity are independent factors predicting rTMS efficacy in treating SCI, with spasticity demonstrating the strongest association.

Objective To explore the facilitators and barriers of palliative care volunteering,and to provide references for further advancement of palliative care volunteering.Methods Purposeful sampling was used to select 12 volunteers from a palliative care ward in Hangzhou,Zhejiang Province,between April and September 2024.Semi-structured interviews were conducted,and directed content analysis was applied to organize and analyze the data,followed by theme analysis.Results Facilitators and barriers for volunteers' participation in palliative care volunteering were extracted.The 5 sub-themes of facilitators include motivating factors and perceived benefits,support and collaboration among volunteers,professional training and healthcare recognition,increased social awareness and public acceptance,and government support and institutional safeguards.The 5 sub-themes of barriers include limitations in individual capacity,challenges in collaboration with patients,families and healthcare workers,inadequate management and service mechanisms,uneven development of palliative care and insufficient public attention to psychological problems,and inadequate relevant laws and incentives.Conclusion There are more factors affecting the development of palliative care volunteering,and healthcare professionals should adopt targeted strategies to promote the active participation of volunteers in order to promote the sustainable development of palliative care volunteering.

Objective:To analyze the application effects of case-based learning (CBL) + Seminar teaching method based on Toulmin model in the education and teaching of clinical medicine innovation class.Methods:A total of 60 students from the clinical medicine innovation class at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from September 2021 to September 2023 were selected as research objects. These students were divided into control group ( n=30) and research group ( n=30) according to different teaching programs. The traditional teaching method was adopted in the control group, and the CBL + Seminar teaching method based on Toulmin model was adopted in the research group. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical knowledge, clinical skill, and clinical case analysis scores; changes in clinical thinking ability after teaching; and satisfaction with the teaching process. SPSS 22.0 was used for t-test and chi-square test. Results:The research group significantly outperformed the control group in clinical knowledge [(89.59±3.46) points vs. (83.23±3.02) points], clinical skill [(88.87±3.23) points vs. (83.62±3.13) points], and clinical case analysis [(89.73±3.51) points vs. (82.62±3.19) points] ( t=7.58, 6.39, 8.21, P<0.001). The clinical thinking ability after teaching was significantly higher in the research group compared to the control group [(258.49±13.36) points vs. (242.56±13.02) points] ( t=4.67, P<0.001). The overall satisfaction rate of teaching was significantly higher in the research group compared to the control group (100.00% vs. 80.00%, χ2=4.63, P=0.031). Conclusions:The CBL + Seminar teaching method based on Toulmin model can effectively improve student learning performance and clinical thinking ability, demonstrating a promising application value in the education and teaching of clinical medicine innovation class.

Objective:To relate the changes in electroencephalography (EEG) signals after a spinal cord injury (SCI) with functional independence.Methods:The EEG data describing ninety SCI patients in both open and closed eye states were compared with those collected from 45 healthy counterparts. The SCI patients′ EEG data were correlated with their spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) scores at corresponding time points. The SCI patients were divided into a cervical SCI group (SCI-C group) and a non-cervical SCI group (SCI-NC group), with 45 cases in each group. The difference in EEG data between them and its correlation with the SCIM scores were also compared and analyzed.Results:In the eyes-open state, the EEG power in the frontal, central, temporal, and right occipital regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, on average. There were significant differences in the δ and θ low-frequency bands. The α1 band power in the frontal and right parietal regions was significantly higher in the SCI group, on average. With the eyes closed the δ band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, left central, and temporal regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, while the α1 band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, and parietal regions was significantly higher. The reactivity to eye opening of the α1 band in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, and temporal regions was less in the SCI patients compared to healthy subjects. Among the SCI patients, higher EEG power in the β2 band of the right frontal lobe and the α2 and β bands of the right temporal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-open measurements. And the higher EEG power in the α2 band of the prefrontal and frontal lobes, the β2 band of the frontal lobe, the α2 band of the right central region, the α2 and β bands of the temporal lobe, and the α2 and β2 bands of the occipital lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-closed state. The subgroup analysis showed that the δ band power in the left temporal lobe and the α2 band power in the parietal lobe were lower among the SCI-C compared with the SCI-NC patients in the eyes-open state. With the eyes closed, the δ band power in the left frontal, left parietal, and left temporal lobes and the α2 band power in the frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes was significantly lower in the SCI-C group compared to the SCI-NC group, on average. The reactivity to eye opening of the δ band in the temporal lobe, the α2 band in the left prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes, and the β2 band in the right parietal and left occipital lobes was less in the SCI-C group than in the SCI-NC group ( P≤0.05). Among the SCI-C patients, higher EEG power in the β1 and β2 bands of the right temporal lobe with the eyes open was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. With the eyes closed, higher EEG power in the α2 and β1 bands of the right prefrontal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Among the SCI-NC patients, higher EEG power in the δ band of the prefrontal lobe, the β1 and β2 bands of the left prefrontal lobe, and the δ bands of the frontal, central, right parietal, and right temporal lobes during the eyes open measurements was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Conclusions:The EEG power of cervical and non-cervical SCI patients shows characteristic changes which correlate with their functional independence.

Objective:To develop a training content framework for hospice volunteers based on the competency model.Methods:This was a qualitative study. A draft of the training content framwork for hospice volunteers was first formed according to results of literature review and qualitative interviews based on the competency model. From December 2023 to March 2024, two rounds of Delphi consultation with 16 experts were conducted to develop the final version of the system, and the weights of each indicator were determined with analytic hierarchy process.Results:Among the 14 consulting experts who completed two rounds of consultation, including 10 females, all held intermediate or above professional titles, and their working years ranged from 10 to 34 years, covering fields of hospice care, nursing management, clinical nursing and nursing education. In two rounds of consultation the expert positive coefficient was 14/16 and 14/14, the expert authority coefficient was 0.882 and 0.893, and the Kendall coordination coefficient of all indicators was 0.109 and 0.161 ( P<0.01), the coefficient of variation was 0-0.31 and 0-0.19, respectively. The final version of the system consisted of 3 first-level indicators, 7 second-level indicators, 20 third-level indicators, and 55 specific training contents. The three first-level indicators were knowledge, skill, role and value, and the weight coefficients were 0.335, 0.313 and 0.352, respectively. Each judgment matrix was consistent. Conclusions:A training content system for hospice care volunteers has been developed in this study, which may be used for medical institutions and organizations to train hospice care volunteers.

Objective:To relate the changes in electroencephalography (EEG) signals after a spinal cord injury (SCI) with functional independence.Methods:The EEG data describing ninety SCI patients in both open and closed eye states were compared with those collected from 45 healthy counterparts. The SCI patients′ EEG data were correlated with their spinal cord independence measure (SCIM) scores at corresponding time points. The SCI patients were divided into a cervical SCI group (SCI-C group) and a non-cervical SCI group (SCI-NC group), with 45 cases in each group. The difference in EEG data between them and its correlation with the SCIM scores were also compared and analyzed.Results:In the eyes-open state, the EEG power in the frontal, central, temporal, and right occipital regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, on average. There were significant differences in the δ and θ low-frequency bands. The α1 band power in the frontal and right parietal regions was significantly higher in the SCI group, on average. With the eyes closed the δ band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, left central, and temporal regions of the SCI group was lower than among the control group, while the α1 band power in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, and parietal regions was significantly higher. The reactivity to eye opening of the α1 band in the right prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, and temporal regions was less in the SCI patients compared to healthy subjects. Among the SCI patients, higher EEG power in the β2 band of the right frontal lobe and the α2 and β bands of the right temporal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-open measurements. And the higher EEG power in the α2 band of the prefrontal and frontal lobes, the β2 band of the frontal lobe, the α2 band of the right central region, the α2 and β bands of the temporal lobe, and the α2 and β2 bands of the occipital lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores during the eyes-closed state. The subgroup analysis showed that the δ band power in the left temporal lobe and the α2 band power in the parietal lobe were lower among the SCI-C compared with the SCI-NC patients in the eyes-open state. With the eyes closed, the δ band power in the left frontal, left parietal, and left temporal lobes and the α2 band power in the frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes was significantly lower in the SCI-C group compared to the SCI-NC group, on average. The reactivity to eye opening of the δ band in the temporal lobe, the α2 band in the left prefrontal, frontal, central, parietal, temporal, and right occipital lobes, and the β2 band in the right parietal and left occipital lobes was less in the SCI-C group than in the SCI-NC group ( P≤0.05). Among the SCI-C patients, higher EEG power in the β1 and β2 bands of the right temporal lobe with the eyes open was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. With the eyes closed, higher EEG power in the α2 and β1 bands of the right prefrontal lobe was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Among the SCI-NC patients, higher EEG power in the δ band of the prefrontal lobe, the β1 and β2 bands of the left prefrontal lobe, and the δ bands of the frontal, central, right parietal, and right temporal lobes during the eyes open measurements was significantly positively correlated with higher SCIM scores. Conclusions:The EEG power of cervical and non-cervical SCI patients shows characteristic changes which correlate with their functional independence.