1.Mechanism of action of remifentanil in alleviating lung ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by modulating HIF-1α/NLRP3 pathway to inhibit cell pyroptosis
Lifang ZHAO ; Jiangong YANG ; Mingyong LI ; Kun SHAO ; Changli SHEN ; Jiajie LI ; Hong ZHU ; Liangchao QU
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(3):395-401
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of remifentanil (RMZL) in alleviating lung ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) in rats by inhibiting pyroptosis through modulating hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) pathway. MethodsRats were stochastically assigned into Control group, LIRI group, RMZL low-dose group, RMZL medium-dose group, RMZL high-dose group, and RMZL high-dose+HIF-1α activator dimethyloxallyl glycine (DMOG) group, with 18 rats in each group. Rats in Control group only had their left pulmonary hilum free and did not undergo ischemia-reperfusion treatment. Except for the Control group, LIRI models were constructed in all other groups. Rats in LIRI group were intraperitoneally injected with an equal amount of physiological saline 15 minutes before constructing LIRI model; rats in Control group were intraperitoneally injected with an equal amount of physiological saline 15 minutes before freeing left pulmonary hilum; rats in other groups were intraperitoneally injected with corresponding dose of drug 15 minutes before constructing LIRI model. The wet/dry weight ratio of lungs was calculated. HE staining was used to study lung tissue pathology. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the relative fluorescence intensity of gasdermin D (GSDMD) and NLRP3 double positive cells in lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect interleukin-1β and IL-18 in lung tissue. Western blot was used to detect HIF-1α, NLRP3, cysteine-aspartic protease-1 (Cleaved caspase-1), and gasdermin D-N (GSDMD-N) proteins in lung tissue. ResultsCompared to the Control group, the LIRI group showed disordered alveolar structure, thickened alveolar septa, and abundant inflammatory cell infiltration in rats. The lung wet/dry weight ratio, relative fluorescence intensity of GSDMD and NLRP3 double positive cells in lung tissue, IL-1β, IL-18 levels, and HIF-1α, NLRP3, Cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD-N proteins increased (P0.05). For the LIRI group, rats in the RMZL low, medium, and high-dose groups displayed attenuated alveolar septal thickening and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. The lung wet/dry weight ratio, relative fluorescence intensity of GSDMD and NLRP3 double positive cells in lung tissue, IL-1β, IL-18 levels, and HIF-1α, NLRP3, Cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD-N proteins declined, and the RMZL high-dose group showed the most prominent trend (P0.05). Compared with the RMZL high-dose group, rats in the RMZL high-dose+DMOG group exhibited thickened alveolar septa and more inflammatory cell infiltration, along with increased lung wet/dry weight ratio, relative fluorescence intensity of GSDMD and NLRP3 double positive cells in lung tissue, levels of IL-1β and IL-18, and protein expression of HIF-1α, NLRP3, Cleaved caspase-1, and GSDMD-N (P0.05). ConclusionRMZL may inhibit pyroptosis in LIRI rats by suppressing HIF-1α/NLRP3 pathway.
2.Spicy food consumption and risk of vascular disease: Evidence from a large-scale Chinese prospective cohort of 0.5 million people.
Dongfang YOU ; Dianjianyi SUN ; Ziyu ZHAO ; Mingyu SONG ; Lulu PAN ; Yaqian WU ; Yingdan TANG ; Mengyi LU ; Fang SHAO ; Sipeng SHEN ; Jianling BAI ; Honggang YI ; Ruyang ZHANG ; Yongyue WEI ; Hongxia MA ; Hongyang XU ; Canqing YU ; Jun LV ; Pei PEI ; Ling YANG ; Yiping CHEN ; Zhengming CHEN ; Hongbing SHEN ; Feng CHEN ; Yang ZHAO ; Liming LI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(14):1696-1704
BACKGROUND:
Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association.
METHODS:
This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results.
RESULTS:
During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037).
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans
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Male
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Female
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Prospective Studies
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Middle Aged
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Aged
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Vascular Diseases/etiology*
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Risk Factors
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China/epidemiology*
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Adult
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Proportional Hazards Models
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Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology*
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East Asian People
3.Potential regulatory role of macrophages in discogenic pain.
Fei SUN ; Yu SUN ; En-Xu LIU ; Lei YANG ; Zhao-Yong LI ; Shao-Feng YANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(5):979-988
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of low back pain. Immune cells play an extremely important role in regulating the progression of IDD by interacting with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Healthy NP tissue is a vascular-free and immune-privileged tissue that does not normally interact with macrophages. However, the establishment of neovascularization channels in damaged intervertebral discs has led to extensive cross-talk between NP and macrophages, with different results depending on microenvironmental stimuli. Based on this, this review reviewed the correlation between IDD and low back pain, summarized the source and function of macrophages, and discussed the possible regulatory mechanism between macrophages and discogenic pain. Finally, potential therapies targeting macrophages to delay IDD in recent years were also discussed, aiming to emphasize the important role of immunology in IDD and provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of IDD.
Humans
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Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/complications*
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Macrophages/immunology*
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Low Back Pain/immunology*
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Nucleus Pulposus
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Animals
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Extracellular Matrix
4.Exploring in vivo existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats.
Meng-Ge FENG ; Lin-Han XIANG ; Jing ZHANG ; Wen-Hui ZHAO ; Yang LI ; Li-Li LI ; Guang-Xue LIU ; Shao-Qing CAI ; Feng XU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2539-2562
The study aims to elucidate the existence forms(original constituents and metabolites) of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in rats and reveal its metabolic pathways. After Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma was administered orally once a day for seven consecutive days to rats, all urine and feces samples were collected for seven days, while the blood samples were obtained 6 h after the last administration. Using the ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique, this study identified 6, 73, and 156 existence forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma in the rat plasma, urine, and feces samples, respectively. Among them, 101 compounds were identified as new existence forms, and 13 original constituents were identified by comparing with reference compounds. The metabolic reactions of constituents from Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma were mainly deglycosylation, dehydration, hydroxylation, hydrogenation, dehydrogenation, acetylation, and amino acid conjugation. Furthermore, the possible in vivo metabolic pathways of protopanaxatriol(PPT) in rats were proposed. Through comprehensive analysis of the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) data, isomeric compounds were discriminated, and the planar chemical structures of 32 metabolites were clearly identified. According to the literature, 48 original constituents possess antitumor and cardiovascular protective bioactivities. Additionally, 32 metabolites were predicted to have similar bioactivities by SuperPred. This research lays the foundation for further exploring the in vivo effective forms of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma.
Animals
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Rats
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacokinetics*
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Rhizome/metabolism*
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Male
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
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Panax notoginseng/chemistry*
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Tandem Mass Spectrometry
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Feces/chemistry*
5.Forty years of construction and innovative development of scientific regulation system of traditional Chinese medicine in China.
Jun-Ning ZHAO ; Zhi-Shu TANG ; Hua HUA ; Rong SHAO ; Jiang-Yong YU ; Chang-Ming YANG ; Shuang-Fei CAI ; Quan-Mei SUN ; Dong-Ying LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3489-3505
Since the promulgation of the first Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China 40 years ago in 1984, China has undergone four main stages in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulation: the initial establishment of TCM regulation rules(1984-1997), the formation of a modern TCM regulatory system(1998-2014), the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs(2015-2018), and the construction of a scientific regulation system for TCM(2019-2024). Over the past five years, a series of milestone achievements of TCM regulation in China have been achieved in the six aspects, including its strategic objectives and the establishment of a science-based regulatory system, the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the optimization and improvement of the TCM standard system and its formation mechanism, comprehensive enhancement of regulatory capabilities for TCM safety, international harmonization of TCM regulation and its role in promoting innovation. Looking ahead, centered on advancing TCMRS to establish a sound regulatory framework tailored to the unique characteristics of TCM, TCM regulation will evolve into new reform patterns, advancing and extending across eight critical fronts, including the legal framework and policy architecture, the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the quality standard and management system of TCM, the comprehensive quality & safety regulation and traceability system, the research and transformation system for TCMRS, AI-driven innovations in TCM regulation, the coordination between high-quality industrial development and high-level regulation, and the leadership in international cooperation and regulatory harmonization. In this way, a unique path for the development of modern TCM regulation with Chinese characteristics will be pioneered.
Humans
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China
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards*
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History, 20th Century
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History, 21st Century
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/trends*
6.Research progress on prevention and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with traditional Chinese medicine based on gut microbiota.
Rui REN ; Xing YANG ; Ping-Ping REN ; Qian BI ; Bing-Zhao DU ; Qing-Yan ZHANG ; Xue-Han WANG ; Zhong-Qi JIANG ; Jin-Xiao LIANG ; Ming-Yi SHAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(15):4190-4200
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, is characterized by high mortality and recurrence rates. Common treatments include hepatectomy, liver transplantation, ablation therapy, interventional therapy, radiotherapy, systemic therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). While exhibiting specific advantages, these approaches are associated with varying degrees of adverse effects. To alleviate patients' suffering and burdens, it is crucial to explore additional treatments and elucidate the pathogenesis of HCC, laying a foundation for the development of new TCM-based drugs. With emerging research on gut microbiota, it has been revealed that microbiota plays a vital role in the development of HCC by influencing intestinal barrier function, microbial metabolites, and immune regulation. TCM, with its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics, has been increasingly recognized as a vital therapeutic treatment for HCC, particularly in patients at intermediate or advanced stages, by prolonging survival and improving quality of life. Recent global studies demonstrate that TCM exerts anti-HCC effects by modulating gut microbiota, restoring intestinal barrier function, regulating microbial composition and its metabolites, suppressing inflammation, and enhancing immune responses, thereby inhibiting the malignant phenotype of HCC. This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which gut microbiota contributes to the development and progression of HCC and highlight the regulatory effects of TCM, addressing the current gap in systematic understanding of the "TCM-gut microbiota-HCC" axis. The findings provide theoretical support for integrating TCM with western medicine in HCC treatment and promote the transition from basic research to precision clinical therapy through microbiota-targeted drug development and TCM-based interventions.
Humans
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Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects*
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/microbiology*
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Liver Neoplasms/microbiology*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Animals
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
7.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy*
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Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Practice Guidelines as Topic
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
8.Explanation and interpretation of blood transfusion provisions for children with hematological diseases in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Rong HUANG ; Rong GUI ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Ming-Hua YANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(1):18-25
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Blood transfusion is one of the most commonly used supportive treatments for children with hematological diseases. This guideline provides guidance and recommendations for blood transfusions in children with aplastic anemia, thalassemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, acute leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. This article presents the evidence and interpretation of the blood transfusion provisions for children with hematological diseases in the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion", aiming to assist in the understanding and implementing the blood transfusion section of this guideline.
Humans
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Child
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Hematologic Diseases/therapy*
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
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Practice Guidelines as Topic
9.Explanation and interpretation of the compilation of blood transfusion provisions for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Rong HUANG ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Rong GUI ; Ming-Hua YANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(2):139-143
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Blood transfusion for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is highly complex and challenging. This guideline provides recommendations on transfusion thresholds and the selection of blood components for these children. This article presents the evidence and interpretation of the transfusion provisions for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with the aim of enhancing the understanding and implementation of the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Humans
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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
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Child
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Blood Transfusion/standards*
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Practice Guidelines as Topic
10.Explanation and interpretation of blood transfusion provisions for critically ill and severely bleeding pediatric patients in the national health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion".
Rong HUANG ; Qing-Nan HE ; Ming-Yan HEI ; Ming-Hua YANG ; Xiao-Fan ZHU ; Jun LU ; Xiao-Jun XU ; Tian-Ming YUAN ; Rong ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Jin-Ping LIU ; Jing WANG ; Zhi-Li SHAO ; Ming-Yi ZHAO ; Yong-Jian GUO ; Xin-Yin WU ; Jia-Rui CHEN ; Qi-Rong CHEN ; Jia GUO ; Rong GUI
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(4):395-403
To guide clinical blood transfusion practices for pediatric patients, the National Health Commission has issued the health standard "Guideline for pediatric transfusion" (WS/T 795-2022). Critically ill children often present with anemia and have a higher demand for transfusions compared to other pediatric patients. This guideline provides guidance and recommendations for blood transfusions in cases of general critical illness, septic shock, acute brain injury, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, non-life-threatening bleeding, and hemorrhagic shock. This article interprets the background and evidence of the blood transfusion provisions for critically ill and severely bleeding children in the "Guideline for pediatric transfusion", aiming to enhance understanding and implementation of this aspect of the guidelines. Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2025, 27(4): 395-403.
Humans
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Critical Illness
;
Blood Transfusion/standards*
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Child
;
Hemorrhage/therapy*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic

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