Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel sleep-aid decoction in treating elderly insomnia patients with different traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutional types, and its effects on neurotransmitter and inflammatory factor levels. Methods A total of 200 patients with four different TCM constitutions-peaceful, Qi-deficient, Yin-deficient, and Yang-deficient-were recruited. Peripheral blood neurotransmitter and inflammatory factor levels were measured for variations among insomnia patients across different constitutions. These patients were treated using the novel sleep-aid decoction, the effects of which were evaluated based on changes in neurotransmitters and inflammatory factors. Results Compared to the peaceful constitution group, insomnia patients with Qi-deficient, Yin-deficient, and Yang-deficient constitutions exhibited significantly elevated baseline levels of neurotransmitters (5-HT, GABA) and inflammatory factors (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, CRP). Following the treatment, the Qi-deficient and Yin-deficient groups showed a marked increase in 5-HT levels, restored balance of Glu, GABA, and melatonin, and significant reductions in IL-6 and TNF-α levels. The overall effective rate was 83.5%, with optimal efficacy observed in the Qi-deficient (97.72%) and Yin-deficient (95.34%) groups. Conclusion The novel sleep-aid decoction is effective in treating insomnia in elderly patients, with the best results observed in the Qi-deficient and Yin-deficient constitution groups.
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/blood* ; Aged ; Male ; Female ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Sleep Aids, Pharmaceutical/therapeutic use* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/therapeutic use* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Interleukin-1beta/blood* ; Neurotransmitter Agents/blood* ; Aged, 80 and over ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism*

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with acute low-frequency hearing loss（ALHL） and explore the potential role of migraine in its pathogenesis. Methods:A total of 56 ALHL patients treated at our outpatient clinic from June 2024 to January 2025 were randomly divided into two groups: a standardized treatment group and an anti-migraine treatment group. The standardized group received oral/intravenous steroids + oral/intravenous Ginkgo biloba extract, while the anti-migraine group received postauricular steroid injection/oral steroids + oral flunarizine for 2 weeks. Audiological, clinical, and psychological characteristics were collected, and statistical analysis was performed to assess clinical features and treatment outcomes, exploring the potential mechanism of migraine in ALHL. Results:The anti-migraine treatment group showed a significantly higher recovery rate than the standardized treatment group（92.86% vs 71.43%, P=0.036）. Among the anti-migraine group, 6 patients（21.43%） had a history of ALHL, 13（46.43%） had a confirmed migraine history, 26（92.86%） had anxiety, 26（92.86%） had depression, 5（17.86%） had irritable bowel syndrome, 21（75.00%） had sleep disorders, and 1（3.57%） experienced recurrence within 6 months. Conclusion:Anti-migraine therapy significantly improves the recovery rate in ALHL patients, suggesting that migraine may have a certain correlation with the pathogenesis of acute low-frequency hearing loss.
Humans ; Migraine Disorders/complications* ; Ginkgo biloba ; Male ; Female ; Flunarizine/therapeutic use* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Middle Aged ; Ginkgo Extract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of early pain and agitation management in critically ill patients in Guizhou Province. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed using data collected from a quality control activity conducted between April and June 2021 in non-provincial public hospitals with general intensive care unit (ICU) in Guizhou Province. Hospital-level data included hospital name and grade, ICU staffing, and number of ICU beds. Patient-level data included characteristics of patients treated in the general ICU on the day of the survey (e.g., age, sex, primary diagnosis), as well as pain and agitation assessments and the types of analgesic and sedative medications administered within 24 hours of ICU admission. RESULTS: A total of 947 critically ill ICU patients from 145 hospitals were included, among which 104 were secondary-level hospitals and 41 were tertiary-level hospitals. Within 24 hours of ICU admission, 312 (32.9%) critically ill patients received pain assessments, and 277 (29.3%) received agitation assessments. Among the pain assessment tools, the critical care pain observation tool (CPOT) was used in 44.2% (138/312) of critically ill ICU patients, with a significantly higher usage rate in tertiary hospitals compared to secondary hospitals [52.3% (69/132) vs. 38.3% (69/180), P < 0.05]. The Richmond agitation-sedation scale (RASS) was used in 93.8% (260/277) of critically ill ICU patients for agitation assessment, with no significant difference between hospital levels. Among the 947 critically ill patients, 592 (62.5%) received intravenous analgesics within 24 hours, with remifentanil being the most commonly used [42.9% (254/592)]; 510 (53.9%) received intravenous sedatives, with midazolam being the most frequently used [60.8% (310/510)]. Mechanical ventilation data were available for 932 critically ill patients, of whom 579 (62.1%) received mechanical ventilation and 353 (37.9%) did not. Compared with non-ventilated patients, ventilated patients had significantly higher rates of analgesic and sedative use [analgesics: 77.9% (451/579) vs. 38.8% (137/353); sedatives: 71.8% (416/579) vs. 25.8% (91/353); both P < 0.05]. In terms of analgesic selection, ventilated patients were more likely to receive strong opioids than non-ventilated patients [85.8% (95/137) vs. 69.3% (387/451), P < 0.05]. For sedatives, ventilated patients preferred midazolam [66.6% (277/416)], whereas non-ventilated patients more often received dexmedetomidine [45.1 (41/91)]. Blood pressure within 24 hours of ICU admission were available for 822 critically ill patients, of whom 245 (29.8%) had hypotension and 577 (70.2%) did not. Compared with non-hypotensive patients, hypotensive patients had significantly higher rates of analgesic and sedative use [analgesics: 74.7% (183/245) vs. 59.8% (345/577); sedatives: 65.7% (161/245) vs. 51.3% (296/577); both P < 0.05], but there was no significant difference in the choice of analgesic or sedative agents between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of critically ill ICU patients in Guizhou Province who received standardized pain and agitation assessments was relatively low. The most commonly used assessment tools were CPOT and RASS, while remifentanil and midazolam were the most frequently used analgesic and sedative agents, respectively. Secondary-level hospitals had a lower rate of using standardized pain assessment tools compared to tertiary-level hospitals. Mechanical ventilation and hypotension were associated with the use of analgesic and sedative medications.
Humans ; Critical Illness ; Intensive Care Units ; Analgesics/therapeutic use* ; Hypnotics and Sedatives/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; China ; Pain Measurement ; Pain Management ; Female ; Male ; Critical Care ; Middle Aged

Arteriovenous fistula dysfunction(AVF)is a frequent and often unforeseeable complication in hemodialysis patients,and the most common cause is venous outflow stenosis resulting from neointimal hyperplasia and outward remodeling.Currently,there have been few effective prevention and treatment measures for AVF,therefore,this paper reviews the interventions and preventive measures of the AVF.

The STAR tool was used to evaluate and analyze the science, transparency, and applicability of Chinese pathology guidelines and consensus published in medical journals in 2022. There were a total of 18 pathology guidelines and consensuses published in 2022, including 1 guideline and 17 consensuses. The results showed that the guideline score was 21.83 points, lower than the overall guideline average (43.4 points). Consensus ratings scored an average of 27.87 points, on par with the overall consensus level (28.3 points). Areas that scored above the overall level were "conflict of interest" and "working groups", while areas that scored below the overall level were "proposals", "funding", "evidence", "consensus approaches" and "accessibility". To sum up, the formulation of pathology guidelines and consensuses in 2022 is not standardized, and the evidence retrieval process, evidence evaluation methods and grading criteria for recommendations on clinical issues are not provided in the formulation process; the process and method for reaching consensus are not provided, the plan is lacking, and registration is not carried out. It is therefore suggested that guidelines/consensus makers in the field of pathology should attach importance to evidence-based medical evidence, strictly follow guideline formulation methods and processes, further improve the scientific, applicable and transparent guidelines/consensuses in the field, and better provide support for clinicians and patients.

Bone Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Transplantation, Autologous/adverse effects*

BACKGROUND: There are few multi-city studies on the association between temperature and mortality in basin climates. This study was based on the Sichuan Basin in southwest China to assess the association of basin temperature with non-accidental mortality in the population and with the temperature-related mortality burden. METHODS: Daily mortality data, meteorological and air pollution data were collected for four cities in the Sichuan Basin of southwest China. We used a two-stage time-series analysis to quantify the association between temperature and non-accidental mortality in each city, and a multivariate meta-analysis was performed to obtain the overall cumulative risk. The attributable fractions (AFs) were calculated to access the mortality burden attributable to non-optimal temperature. Additionally, we performed a stratified analyses by gender, age group, education level, and marital status. RESULTS: A total of 751,930 non-accidental deaths were collected in our study. Overall, 10.16% of non-accidental deaths could be attributed to non-optimal temperatures. A majority of temperature-related non-accidental deaths were caused by low temperature, accounting for 9.10% (95% eCI: 5.50%, 12.19%), and heat effects accounted for only 1.06% (95% eCI: 0.76%, 1.33%). The mortality burden attributable to non-optimal temperatures was higher among those under 65 years old, females, those with a low education level, and those with an alternative marriage status. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that a significant association between non-optimal temperature and non-accidental mortality. Those under 65 years old, females, and those with a low educational level or alternative marriage status had the highest attributable burden.
Female ; Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Cities ; Cold Temperature ; Hot Temperature ; Mortality ; Temperature ; Time Factors ; Middle Aged ; Male

The ethics committee of organ transplantation technology and clinical application in a hospital has encountered some difficulties and typical cases in its review work and practice for many years. Sometimes, it is difficult to make a decision in these dilemmas. Based on the previous experience of the hospital in the ethical review of organ donation and transplantation, combined with two typical cases, this paper discussed and analyzed two review points of whether the voluntary unpaid donation and the principle of informed consent were met, and whether the risk-benefit ratio was reasonable, and put forward relevant ethical and legal countermeasure for further research by institutional ethics committees and other parties, in order to provide reference for discussing the practical problems and ethical confusion of ethical review of organ donation and transplantation.

Objective To observe the intervention effect of acupuncture at"Zusanli"(ST36)or"Neiguan"(PC6)on the ulcerative colitis(UC)model mice.And to analyze the similarities and differences of gene transcription expression between the diseased colon and the non-diseased heart after acupuncture intervention by using transcriptomics,to explore whether there are efficacy differences between the two acupoints.Methods The UC mouse model was established by inducing dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS).After successful modeling,the mice were randomly divided into model group,Zusanli group,and Neiguan group,with 9 mice in each group.Zusanli group and Neiguan group intervened with acupuncture at"Zusanli"and"Neiguan",respectively,30 min each time,once a day,for 5 consecutive days.The control and model groups were only bound without acupuncture.Observe the general situation of mice in each group,calculate the disease activity index(DAI),observe the morphological changes of colon tissue by HE staining.Use transcriptome sequencing technology to sequence and biologically analyze the colon tissue of mice in each group,and compare and study whether the two acupoints have differences in acupoint efficacy from the perspective of diseased tissue.At the same time,take the heart tissues of each group for comparative analysis,and discuss whether the effects of the two acupoints are different from the perspective of non-diseased tissue.Results Compared with control group,the DAI score of the model group increased significantly(P<0.001),and HE staining results showed significant pathological damage;after acupuncture at Zusanli or Neiguan,the DAI scores of UC mice were reduced considerably(P<0.05),and the pathological damage was significantly improved.The results of transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis showed that the effects of acupuncture at Zusanli or Neiguan on the colon of diseased tissue involved multiple genes,and 825 differential genes with similar changes(co-DEGs)were mainly enriched in white blood cells and chemokine pathways;there were 168 differentially expressed genes(ST36 only-DEGs)affected only by Zusanli,which were enriched to gastric acid secretion and other pathways;there were 325 differentially expressed genes(PC6 only-DEGs)only affected by Neiguan,which were enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and other pathways.There were 95 co-DEGs in the heart of non-diseased tissue,which were mainly enriched in positive regulation of defense response and response to interleukin-1;there were 28 ST36 only-DEGs;there were114 PC6 only-DEGs,which were enriched in cardiovascular diseases and other pathways.Conclusion Acupuncture of"Zusanli"and"Neiguan"could improve UC mice's symptoms and pathological colon changes.However,through transcriptomic analysis,it was found that the two acupoints had differences in gene transcription effects on the colon of diseased tissue and the heart of non-diseased tissue,suggesting that acupoints with different distribution positions had some similarities in macro efficacy.Still,there were some differences at a micro level.

Objective To analyze the frailty of patients with long-term maintenance dialysis(MD)and its influencing factors,and to explore the correlation of different dialysis modalities with the re-infection of novel coronavirus infection(COVID-19)and frailty syndrome.Methods Patients with regular dialysis in Nephrology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from February to June 2023 were selected.A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect clinical data of the patients,including dialysis modality(i.e.maintenance hemodialysis,abbreviated as hemodialysis,and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis,abbreviated as peritoneal dialysis),and whether with re-infection of COVID-19.Patients were divided into 3 groups using Fried's frailty phenotype(FP):non-frailty group,pre-or-intermediate frailty group,and frailty syndrome group.The clinical characteristics of the FP were compared among the three groups.The correlation of frailty with clinical data,dialysis modality,re-infection of COVID-19 in each group was compared.Multifactorial logistic regression was used to analyze the factors influencing the development of frailty syndrome in patients.Results A total of 246 dialysis patients were included in this study,with 77(31.3%)in the non-frailty group,83(33.7%)in the pre-frailty group and 86(35.0%)in the frailty syndrome group.The frailty syndrome group showed characteristics of advanced age,high pre-dialysis creatinine level,low serum albumin level and combined pleural effusion(all P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the comparison of frailty between the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis group(P = 0.960).COVID-19 re-positive patients had higher frailty score than non-re-positive patients.Multifactor logistic regression showed that age,COVID-19 re-infection of COVID-19,serum albumin,pre-dialysis creatinine,and pleural effusion were factors influencing the development of frailty syndrome in dialysis patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is high incidence of frailty syndrome in dialysis patients,and there is no correlation of frailty with dialysis modality.High serum albumin level is a protective factor for the development of frailty syndrome in patients,whereas re-infection of COVID-19,advanced age,high pre-dialysis blood creatinine level and pleural effusion are risk factors for the development of frailty syndrome.