中药防治糖尿病并发抑郁症药理作用和临床应用的研究进展

抑郁症具有发病率高、致残率高和致死率高的巨大社会危害性，且在糖尿病人群中发病率是在正常人群的2～3倍，两者合并引发且加重了患者多种机体功能和心理障碍，使其自杀率增高。中药防治糖尿病并发抑郁症具有整体论治、不良反应小、疗效显著的优势，然而其科学内涵不十分清晰，现代研究与推广应用仍十分薄弱。综述了糖尿病并发抑郁症的发病机制和中药复方、单味中药、中药有效成分防治糖尿病并发抑郁症的现代动物研究和临床研究。结合中药在防治糖尿病并发抑郁症方面的现代研究概况，提出今后应以复方的临床效用为指导，加强有效复方中“君”“臣”“佐”“使”药及其有效成分防治糖尿病并发抑郁症的基础实验研究，为中药复方的物质基础和作用靶点的阐明提供依据，为糖尿病并发抑郁症的实验研究和临床应用推广提供一定的参考价值。     

老年脓毒症患者临床特征及预后影响因素

 目的 探讨老年脓毒症患者临床特征及影响预后的危险因素。方法 选取2020年7月-2021年9月某三级甲等医院收治的老年脓毒症患者为研究对象，记录患者的临床及实验室资料，根据患者28天预后情况分为存活组和死亡组，比较各临床指标在两组间的差异，应用二元logistic回归分析法分析影响老年脓毒症患者预后的独立危险因素，进一步绘制受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线，评估不同指标预测患者预后的价值。结果 共纳入121例患者，其中74例为脓毒症，47例为脓毒性休克。存活组92例，死亡组29例。与存活组相比，死亡组患者发生脓毒性休克、合并症个数 ≥ 2的比例均较高（P<0.05）；序贯器官衰竭评估（SOFA）评分和急性生理与慢性健康状况评估（APACHEⅡ）评分也较高，白细胞介素6（IL-6）、胱抑素C（Cys-C）、降钙素原（PCT）、凝血酶原时间（PT）和D -二聚体（D -D）表达水平均增高（均P<0.05），而淋巴细胞绝对计数（ALC）和清蛋白（ALB）表达水平降低（均P<0.01）。二元logistic回归分析显示脓毒性休克、SOFA评分、D -D及Cys-C表达水平是影响老年脓毒症患者28天预后的独立危险因素。ROC曲线分析显示SOFA评分（AUC=0.758）、D -D（AUC=0.774）、Cys-C（AUC=0.650）预测患者的预后均有一定的价值（均P<0.01），与单个指标相比，三个指标的联合检测显示出更高的预测价值（AUC=0.882）。结论 发生脓毒性休克、SOFA评分增高、D -D及Cys-C表达水平增加是导致老年脓毒症患者病死率上升的独立危险因素，SOFA评分、D -D和Cys-C的联合检测可进一步提高脓毒症患者预后的预测价值，为临床治疗和预后评估提供参考依据。     

A semi‐quantitative approach to variation of the azygos vein course

The azygos vein (AV) is typically described (illustrated) as ascending vertically on the right of thoracic vertebrae. Most thoracic vein studies have focused on tributary patterns, but some have noted more leftward AV courses. This study statistically documents variation in AV course independent of tributary patterns. A more statistical approach to the probable position of AV at different vertical levels may aid clinicians in locating and assessing it in clinical contexts. The AV course was exposed in 84 cadavers by removing overlying viscera between the aortic hiatus and tracheal bifurcation. Subjectively, non‐pathological specimens were digitally photographed in anterior view. For each photo, a scaled grid was used to mark the horizontal position of the AV center at each of five vertical levels. The summated numerical distributions showed the following: ～5% of the AVs ascended on the right side (classical) position, ～30% did not cross the midline, ～70% included part or all of their course left of the midline, and ～14% reached the extreme left side. Based on this data, the modal AV course (1) begins at, or to the right of, the midline, (2) deviates leftward, (3) crosses the midline below mid‐level, (4) reaches a leftward maximum at about 3/5 of its course, (5) then deviates rightward (often only reaching the midline at the uppermost level). In several noticeable cases, the leftward maximum was associated with large connections to left‐side veins, suggesting a possible tension mechanism exerting traction on the AV over time. Clin. Anat. 27:1030–1037, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Setting Standards to Determine Core Clerkship Grades in Pediatrics

ObjectiveOne of the greatest challenges for clerkship directors is assigning a final grade and determining the precise point at which a student either passes or fails a clinical clerkship. The process of incorporating both subjective and objective assessment data to provide a final summative grade can be challenging. We describe our experience conducting a standard-setting exercise to set defensible cut points in a 4-tiered grading system in our pediatric clerkship.MethodsUsing the Hofstee standard-setting approach, 8 faculty members participated in an exercise to establish grade cut points. These faculty members were subsequently surveyed to assess their attitudes toward the standard-setting process as well as their reactions to these newly proposed standards. We applied the new cut points to a historic cohort of 116 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine students from the academic year 2012–2013 to assess the potential impact on grade distributions.ResultsThe resultant grading schema would lead to a significant increase in the number of students receiving a failing grade and a decrease in the number of students receiving a grade of honors in a historical cohort. Faculty reported that the Hofstee method was easy to understand and fair. All faculty members thought that grade inflation presently exists within the pediatric clerkship.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that practical standards using the Hofstee method can be set for medical students in a pediatric clerkship in which multiple performance measures are used.     

Brain temperature regulation in poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage patients – A multimodal neuromonitoring study

Elevated body temperature (T_core) is associated with poor outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Brain temperature (T_brain) is usually higher than T_core. However, the implication of this difference (T_delta) remains unclear. We aimed to study factors associated with higher T_delta and its association with outcome. We included 46 SAH patients undergoing multimodal neuromonitoring, for a total of 7879 h of averaged data of T_core, T_brain, cerebral blood flow, cerebral perfusion pressure, intracranial pressure and cerebral metabolism (CMD). Three-months good functional outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale ≤2. T_brain was tightly correlated with T_core (r = 0.948, p < 0.01), and was higher in 73.7% of neuromonitoring time (T_delta +0.18°C, IQR −0.01 – 0.37°C). A higher T_delta was associated with better metabolic state, indicated by lower CMD-glutamate (p = 0.003) and CMD-lactate (p < 0.001), and lower risk of mitochondrial dysfunction (MD) (OR = 0.2, p < 0.001). During MD, T_delta was significantly lower (0°C, IQR −0.2 – 0.1; p < 0.001). A higher T_delta was associated with improved outcome (OR = 7.7, p = 0.002). Our study suggests that T_brain is associated with brain metabolic activity and exceeds T_core when mitochondrial function is preserved. Further studies are needed to understand how T_delta may serve as a surrogate marker for brain function and predict clinical course and outcome after SAH.     

A Biomechanical Foot-Worn Device Improves Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes

Background

Biomechanics after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) often remain abnormal and may lead to prolonged postoperative recovery. The purpose of this study is to assess a biomechanical therapy after TKA.

Multidisciplinary Tinnitus Care

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) is highly prevalent, and yet standards of clinical care for tinnitus do not exist. Consequently, tinnitus clinical care is haphazard, leaving individuals seeking help for their tinnitus at a disadvantage. These individuals need accurate information about the realities of tinnitus management, which should be made available by health care providers. This report reviews the key concerns related to clinical care for tinnitus and provides recommendations for all health care practitioners to provide their patients with useful and cost-effective information. A toolkit of resources is provided to facilitate the process of dispensing this information.     

The screen for cognitive impairment in psychiatry (SCIP) is associated with disease severity and cognitive complaints in major depression

Objective: To assess the relationship between the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP) score and illness severity, subjective cognition and functioning in a cohort of major depressive disorder (MDD) patients.

Methods: Patients (n?=?40) diagnosed with MDD (DSM-IV-TR) completed the SCIP, a brief neuropsychological test, and a battery of self-administered questionnaires evaluating functioning (GAF, SDS, WHODAS 2.0, EDEC, PDQ-D5). Disease severity was evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI).

Results: Age and sex were associated with performance in the SCIP. The SCIP-Global index score was associated with disease severity (r?=??0.316, p?<?.05), the SDS, a patient self-assessment of daily functioning (r?=??0.368, p?<?.05), and the EDEC subscales of patient-reported cognitive deficits (r?=??0.388, p?<?.05) and their functional impacts (r?=??0.335, p?<?.05). Multivariate analysis adjusted for age and sex confirmed these tests are independent predictors of performance in the SCIP (CGI-S, F_[3,34]?=?4.478, p?=?.009; SDS, F_[3,34]?=?3.365, p?=?.030; EDEC-perceived cognitive deficits, F_[3,34]?=?5.216, p?=?.005; EDEC-perceived impacts of functional impairment, F_[3,34]?=?5.154, p?=?.005).

Conclusions: This study confirms that the SCIP can be used during routine clinical evaluation of MDD, and that cognitive deficits objectively assessed in the SCIP are associated with disease severity and self-reported cognitive dysfunction and impairment in daily life.