BACKGROUND:The AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures are usually caused by high-energy injuries,accompanied by comminuted fractures and a large number of butterfly-shaped bone fragments.These fractures are difficult to achieve good reduction and effective fixation.With the increasing understanding of the biological characteristics of bone and soft tissue,surgical treatment is gradually shifting towards minimally invasive steel plates and intramedullary nail fixation.However,there has been no consensus on which is the best surgical technique for treating humeral fractures in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail.OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical effect of minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed in 36 patients with AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fracture who met the inclusion criteria admitted to the Guizhou Hospital of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022.All patients were assigned to minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(18 cases)and intramedullary nail group(18 cases)according to the surgical treatment plan.The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group received minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis based on preoperative planning assisted by 3D printing,while the intramedullary nail group received intramedullary nail internal fixation.Operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,and fracture healing time were compared between the two groups.Visual analog scale score at 1,3,and 6 months after surgery,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score,and complications of the shoulder joint at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All patients were followed-up for average(15.56±4.05)months,and no difference was observed in hospital stay and fracture healing time between the two groups(P＞0.05).The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group had shorter operation time compared to the intramedullary nail group(P＜0.05).The intramedullary nail group had less intraoperative blood loss between the two groups of patients(P＜0.05).(2)In the intramedullary nail group,at 1 and 3 months after operation,the visual analog scale score was significantly lower than the minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(P＜0.05).No difference was observed in the visual analog scale in long-term follow-up,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score at the last follow-up between the two groups(P＞0.05).(3)No complications such as nonunion or wound infection occurred in either group.Two cases of radial nerve palsy occurred in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group,both of which recovered within 3 months.The intramedullary nail group had 1 case of rotator cuff injury.There was no significant difference in the rate of complications between the two groups(P＞0.05).(4)To conclude,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail can achieve good clinical efficacy in the treatment of AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures,effectively improving shoulder joint function in patients.However,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis exhibits obvious advantages in shorter surgical time with the assistance of 3D printing,which is a valuable,effective,and safe method for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.

BACKGROUND:The AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures are usually caused by high-energy injuries,accompanied by comminuted fractures and a large number of butterfly-shaped bone fragments.These fractures are difficult to achieve good reduction and effective fixation.With the increasing understanding of the biological characteristics of bone and soft tissue,surgical treatment is gradually shifting towards minimally invasive steel plates and intramedullary nail fixation.However,there has been no consensus on which is the best surgical technique for treating humeral fractures in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail.OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical effect of minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed in 36 patients with AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fracture who met the inclusion criteria admitted to the Guizhou Hospital of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022.All patients were assigned to minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(18 cases)and intramedullary nail group(18 cases)according to the surgical treatment plan.The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group received minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis based on preoperative planning assisted by 3D printing,while the intramedullary nail group received intramedullary nail internal fixation.Operation time,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,and fracture healing time were compared between the two groups.Visual analog scale score at 1,3,and 6 months after surgery,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score,and complications of the shoulder joint at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All patients were followed-up for average(15.56±4.05)months,and no difference was observed in hospital stay and fracture healing time between the two groups(P＞0.05).The minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group had shorter operation time compared to the intramedullary nail group(P＜0.05).The intramedullary nail group had less intraoperative blood loss between the two groups of patients(P＜0.05).(2)In the intramedullary nail group,at 1 and 3 months after operation,the visual analog scale score was significantly lower than the minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group(P＜0.05).No difference was observed in the visual analog scale in long-term follow-up,shoulder joint function,Constant-Murley score,Quick Disabilities of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(QuickDASH)score at the last follow-up between the two groups(P＞0.05).(3)No complications such as nonunion or wound infection occurred in either group.Two cases of radial nerve palsy occurred in minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis group,both of which recovered within 3 months.The intramedullary nail group had 1 case of rotator cuff injury.There was no significant difference in the rate of complications between the two groups(P＞0.05).(4)To conclude,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis and intramedullary nail can achieve good clinical efficacy in the treatment of AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures,effectively improving shoulder joint function in patients.However,minimal invasive plate osteosynthesis exhibits obvious advantages in shorter surgical time with the assistance of 3D printing,which is a valuable,effective,and safe method for treating AO12-C type middle-proximal humeral fractures.

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

For middle-aged and elderly patients with conditions such as spinal fractures and degenerative spinal diseases, spinal internal fixation is a core surgical procedure for reconstructing spinal stability, heavily relying on the biomechanical stability provided by pedicle screw systems. Whereas, these patients are often complicated by osteoporosis that can significantly compromise the stability of the bone-pedicle screw interface, leading to a marked increase in pedicle screw loosening and surgical failure rates. The bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique, which involves injecting bone cement into the vertebral body or screw trajectory to optimize the mechanical properties of the bone-pedicle screw composite, has been proven to significantly enhance fixation strength and effectively prevent screw-related failures, thereby reducing the incidence of internal fixation failure in high-risk populations undergoing spinal fusion. However, the widespread clinical application of this technique has faced challenges such as inaccurate clinical decision-making (indication and contraindication selection), non-standardized operative practices, and insufficient awareness of complication prevention, resulting in considerable variability in clinical outcomes and even severe complications. To address this, Prof. Luo Fei from First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University initiated the project and the Chinese Association Orthopaedic Surgeons organized relevant experts to develop the Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for bone cement-augmented pedicle screw technique ( version 2025), based on current evidence. The guidelines put forward 8 recommendations regarding the clinical value, scope of application, and operational standards of the technique, aiming to provide evidence-based medical support and technical standardization for clinical decision-making.

Objective:To summarize experience of managing adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis(LCH) in hypothalamic-pituitary region(HPR) from Shanghai Huashan Hospital.Methods:Adult HPR-LCH patients diagnosed at oar endocrinology department from January 2013 to February 2022 were included. Clinical characteristics and treatment response were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 27 adult HPR-LCH patients were included, with 14 cases involving the hypothalamus(H group) and 13 cases without(group NH). The common radiological findings included thickening of the pituitary stalk(25/27, 92.6%). At the time of diagnosis, 14 cases(51.9%) presented with panhypopituitarism, and 19 cases(70.4%) exhibited metabolic abnormalities. The group H had higher proportions of adrenal insufficiency, central hypothyroidism, panhypopituitarism, and diabetes compared to group NH(78.6% vs 23.1%; 78.6% vs 23.1%; 92.9% vs 30.8%, 35.7% vs 0%, respectively, all P<0.05). Hypothalamus syndrome was identified in 71.4%(10/14) of group H. The inital diagnosis rate was 79.2%(19/24), with 48.1% and 51.9% through biopsy of sellar and extrasellar lesions, respectively. Repeated biopsies confirmed the diagnosis in 25.9%(7/27) of cases. The peripheral lesions included bone, thyroid, lung, lymph node, thymus and liver. Out of 20 cases treated with chemotherapy, the objective response rate was 85% at 12 weeks. Four cases received local therapy, one case received traditional Chinese medicine treatment, one case abandoned treatment, and one case was lost to follow-up. The median follow-up time was 28(range 15 to 54) months. During this period, there were 3 deaths in group H and 1 death in group NH. Conclusion:Adult HPR-LCH patients presented with diabetes insipidus and high prevalences of hypopituitarism, hypothalamus syndrome and metabolic abnormalities. Typical imaging features were pituitary stalk thickening. A solitary mass in the HPR was usually very small, posing a great challenge for early diagnosis. Systemic evaluation would help to clarify the diagnosis. Patients with hypothalamus involvement had a higher mortality rate, suggesting the hypothalamus as a risk organ with poor prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatic diseases and abnormal liver function, as well as determine the proportion and severity of liver function abnormalities.Methods:Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from patients registered in the Chinese Rheumatism Date Center from 2011 to 2021. The rheumatic diseases analyzed in this study were rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren syndrome (SS), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Patient data, including demographic characteristics [ such as age, sex, body mass index,(BMI), and smoking history], liver function test results [including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bilirubin], and use of anti-rheumatic immune drugs and liver-protective drugs, were collected and compared between groups with normal and abnormal liver functions. In addition, the proportions of abnormal liver function were compared between sex and age groups.Results:A total of 116 308 patients were included in this study, including 49 659 with RA, 17 597 with SLE, 9 039 with SS, 11 321 with AS, and 28 692 with gout. The lowest proportion of liver function abnormalities was observed in patients with RA[11.02% (5 470/49 659)], followed by those with SS[17.97% (1 624/9 039)] and AS [18.22% (2 063/11 321) ], whereas patients with SLE [21.14% (3 720/17 597) ] and gout [28.73% (8 242/28 692)] exhibited the highest proportion of these abnormalities. Elevated ALT, mostly classified as grade 1, was the most commonly noted liver function abnormality, whereas elevated ALP was the least common. Some patients who took liver-protective drugs had normal liver function, with the lowest percentage observed in patients with gout [7.45% (36/483) ] and ranging from 21.7% to 30.34% in patients with RA, SLE, SS, and AS. The proportion of liver function abnormalities was higher in males than in females for all disease types [RA: 13.8%(1 368/9 906) vs. 10.3%(4 102/39 753); SLE: 33.6% (479/1 424) vs. 20.0% (3 241/16 173); SS: 25.4%(111/437) vs. 17.6%(1 513/8 602); AS: 20.1%(1 629/8 119) vs. 13.6% (434/3 202); and gout: 29.3% (8 033/27 394) vs. 16.1% (209/1 298)]. In RA, SLE, and AS, the proportions of liver function abnormalities were similar across all age groups. In SS, the proportion of liver function abnormalities increased with age [<40 years: 14.9%(294/1 979); 40-59 years: 18.1%(858/4 741); ≥60 years: 20.4%(472/2 319)], whereas a reversal of this trend was observed in gout [<40 years: 34.9%(4 294/12 320); 40-59 years: 25.5%(2 905/11 398);≥60 years: 21.0%(1 042/4 971)].Conclusions:The proportions of combined liver function abnormalities in patients with rheumatologic diseases were high, and the utilization rates of liver-protective drugs were low. It is necessary to pay more attention to monitoring patients′ liver function, timely administer liver-protective drugs, and optimize liver-protective regimens during the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sex on the clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were diversely reported in the literature. The Chinese Registry of rhEumatoiD arthrITis provides a platform for the investigation of this issue in Chinese patients. METHODS: Demographic and clinical parameters were collected from all enrolled patients with RA and from patients with early RA (disease duration ≤6 months). The differences in data regarding disease activity, comorbidities, and medications for RA were compared between men and women. The proportions of patients who achieved remission and low disease activity were compared at enrollment and during 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: A total of 11,564 patients were enrolled, 83.6% of whom were female. In all the enrolled patients and patients with early RA, C-reactive protein (CRP, 12.0 vs . 6.7 mg/L), pain visual analogue scale (4.8 vs . 4.5), patient's and physician's global assessment (4.9 vs . 4.5 and 4.9 vs . 4.5), 28-joint disease activity score using DAS28-CRP (4.3 vs . 4.0) simplified disease activity index (21.9 vs . 19.9), and clinical disease activity index (19.3 vs . 18.0) were significantly higher in men than in women. Additionally, the swollen joint count/tender joint count and DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher in male patients than in female patients with early RA. More female patients with early RA reached the treatment target at baseline than male patients (23.4% vs . 18.2%, assessed by CDAI). At 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, the proportion of remission and treatment target achievement was similar in both sexes. Coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke were more frequent in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS In Chinese patients with RA, men were found to have more active disease, as well as more cases of CAD and stroke. Therefore, sex should be carefully considered during the personalization of RA treatment.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Registries ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use*

Objective:In general, patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are considered to show an aggressive disease course. However, the relationship between the two subgroups in disease severity is controversial. Our study is aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and prognosis of double-seropositive and seronegative RA in China through a real-world large scale study.Methods:RA patients who met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria or the 2010 ACR/European Anti-Rheumatism Alliance RA classification criteria, and who attended the 10 hospitals across the country from September 2015 to January 2020, were enrolled. According to the serological status, patients were divided into 4 subgroups [rheumatoid factor (RF)(-) anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody (-), RF(+), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+), anti-CCP antibody(+)] and compared the disease characteristics and treatment response. One-way analysis of variance was used for measurement data that conformed to normal distribution, Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for measurement data that did not conform to normal distribution; paired t test was used for comparison before and after treatment within the group if the data was normally distributed else paired rank sum test was used; χ2 test was used for count data. Results:① A total of 2 461 patients were included, including 1 813 RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) patients (73.67%), 129 RF(+) patients (5.24%), 245 RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) patients (9.96%), 74 anti-CCP antibody(+) patients (11.13%). ② Regardless of the CCP status, RF(+) patients had an early age of onset [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) (51±14) years old, anti-CCP antibody(+) (50±15) years old, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) (48±14) years old, RF(+)(48±13) years old, F=3.003, P=0.029], longer disease duration [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 50 (20, 126) months, anti-CCP antibody(+) 60(24, 150) months, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 89(35, 179) months, RF(+) 83(25, 160) months, H=22.001, P<0.01], more joint swelling counts (SJC) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 2(0, 6), Anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 5), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 7), RF(+) 2(0, 6), H=8.939, P=0.03] and tender joint counts (TJC) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 3(0, 8), anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 6), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 3(1, 9), RF(+) 2(0, 8), H=11.341, P=0.01] and the morning stiff time was longer [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 30(0, 60) min, anti-CCP antibody(+) 20(0, 60) min, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 30(10, 60) min, RF(+) 30(10, 60) min, H=13.32, P<0.01]; ESR [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 17(9, 38) mm/1 h, anti-CCP antibody(+) 20(10, 35) mm/1 h, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 26(14, 45) mm/1 h, RF(+) 28(14, 50) mm/1 h, H=37.084, P<0.01] and CRP [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 2.3 (0.8, 15.9) mm/L, Anti-CCP antibody(+) 2.7(0.7, 12.1) mm/L, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 5.2(1.3, 17.2) mm/L, RF (+) 5.2(0.9, 16.2) mm/L, H=22.141, P<0.01] of the RF(+)patients were significantly higher than RF(-) patients, and RF(+) patients had higher disease severity(DAS28-ESR) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) (4.0±1.8), anti-CCP antibody(+) (3.8±1.6), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) (4.3±1.8), RF(+) (4.1±1.7), F=7.269, P<0.01]. ③ The RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) patients were divided into 4 subgroups, and it was found that RF-H anti-CCP antibody-L patients had higher disease severity [RF-H anti-CCP antibody-H 4.3(2.9, 5.6), RF-L anti-CCP antibody-L 4.5(3.0, 5.7), RF-H anti-CCP antibody-L 4.9(3.1, 6.2), RF-L anti-CCP antibody-H 2.8(1.8, 3.9), H=20.374, P<0.01]. ④ After 3-month follow up, the clinical characteristics of the four groups were improved, but there was no significant difference in the improvement of the four groups, indicating that the RF and anti-CCP antibody status did not affect the remission within 3 months. Conclusion:Among RA patients, the disease activity of RA patients is closely related to RF and the RF(+) patients have more severe disease than RF(-) patients. Patients with higher RF titer also have more severe disease than that of patients with low RF titer. After 3 months of medication treatment, the antibody status does not affect the disease remission rate.

Objective To investigate the effect of family factors on the prognosis of patients with epilepsy and the relationship between family factors and clinical characteristics of epilepsy.Methods Data were collected from 107 patients definitely diagnosed with epilepsy who were treated by antiepileptic drugs for at least two years.All the patients were divided into good or poor prognosis group according to whether achieving at least one year free of seizures.The clinical and family data were colleeted.The questionnaire Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale-Ⅱ-Chinese Version containing 30 items was used for patients and the Epilepsy Knowledge Questionnaire containing 34 questions for primary caregiver.We compared the clinical and family factors between the two groups to identify the predictors of poor control of seizures with univariate and multiple Logistic regression,and observed the relationship between family factors and clinical features such as course,type of seizure,seizure frequency,etc,with Pearson correlation analysis.Results Patients with poor prognosis were more likely to have interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs),multidrug treatment and pre-treatment seizure frequency of more than once monthly (84.6％ (44/52) vs 50.9 ％ (28/55),x2 =13.797,P =0.000;63.5 ％ (33/52) vs 34.5 ％ (19/55),x2 =8.947,P =0.003;38.5％ (20/52) vs 5.5％ (3/55),x2 =17.257,P =0.000).Family in rural area,unbalanced family type,number of family members were much more in poor prognosis group than in good prognosis group (51.9％ (27/52) vs 25.5 ％ (14/55),x2 =7.923,P =0.005;80.8 ％ (42/52) vs 49.1％ (27/55),x2 =11.712,P=0.000;4.1 ± 1.1 vs 3.6 ±0.8,t=2.631,P=0.010).And average family income,education level of father,the level of epilepsy knowledge of primary caregiver were significantly lower in poor prognosis group than in good prognosis group (19/20/13 vs 11/17/27,x2 =7.198,P =0.027;15/30/7 vs 4/34/17,x2 =10.709,P =0.005;36/11/5 vs 15/25/15,x2 =19.022,P =0.000).Multiple Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that IEDs (OR =12.332,95％ CI 2.756-55.190,P =0.001),pretreatment seizure frequency of more than once monthly (OR =8.401,95％ CI 1.573-44.884,P =0.013)were clinical risk factors of unfavorable prognosis;more family members (OR =3.021,95％ CI 1.554-5.870,P =0.001),poor epilepsy knowledge of primary caregiver (OR =3.392,95％ CI 1.304-8.821,P=0.012) and unbalanced family type (OR=4.794,95％ CI 1.217-18.894,P=0.025) were independent family risk factors of poor prognosis.The level of epilepsy knowledge of primary caregiver was inversely associated with duration (r =-0.237,P =0.014).Conclusions The prognosis of epilepsy is not only affected by clinical factors,but also by family factors.More family members,poor epilepsy knowledge of primary caregiver and unbalanced family type are independent risk factors of unfavorable prognosis.The poorer epilepsy knowledge the primary caregivers have,the longer duration the disease has.

Objective To investigate precipitants of epileptic seizure, and to explore the correlation between various precipitants and relationship between precipitants and clinical features of epilepsy.Methods Data were collected from 154 patients attending a tertiary-care epilepsy clinic of Nanjing Brain Hospital between April 2015 and April 2016.The patients with epilepsy were older than 16 years, had a clinical history of one year or more, and one seizure at least a year and one seizure at least in the latest three months.An enclosed questionnaire was combined with open interview to identify and characterize seizure precipitants and clinical characteristics of patients.Patients were asked respectively whether there were some precipitants three months before and during last three months.Correlation between seizure precipitants and relationship between precipitants and clinical characteristics, such as age, gender, course, seizure frequency and so on, were calculated.Results A total of 125 (81.2%) participants reported at least one precipitant.Common precipitants (in descending order) were as follows: emotional stress (56.0%), sleep disorder (38.4%), fatigue (27.2%), missed medication (20.0%).There were one to six different precipitants for one patient, and 60.8% of patients had two or more precipitants.There was a correlation between emotional stress and sleep disorders as well as fatigue (χ2=4.665, 8.668;P<0.05).Patients with idiopathic epilepsy were more sensitive to sleep disorders.There was no relationship between total precipitants and clinical features such as age, gender, age of onset, duration, type of seizure, seizure frequency, number of drug taking and so on.Conclusions Seizure precipitants were found widespread.The most common precipitants were found to be emotional stress, sleep disorders, fatigue and missed medication.There existed a correlation between emotional stress and sleep disorders as well as fatigue.There was no connection between total precipitants and patient′s demographic characteristics as well as clinical features.However, the type of seizure precipitants was different in patients with different demographic and clinical characteristics.