Cost of postoperative complications: How to avoid calculation errors

Postoperative complications(PC) are a basic health outcome, but no surgery service in the world records and/or audits the PC associated with all the surgical procedures it performs. Most studies that have assessed the cost of PC suffer from poor quality and a lack of transparency and consistency. The payment system in place often rewards the volume of services provided rather than the quality of patients' clinical outcomes. Without a thorough registration of PC, the economic costs involved cannot be determined. An accurate, reliable appraisal would help identify areas for investment in order to reduce the incidence of PC,improve surgical results, and bring down the economic costs. This article describes how to quantify and classify PC using the Clavien-Dindo classification and the comprehensive complication index, discusses the perspectives from which economic evaluations are performed and the minimum postoperative follow-up established, and makes various recommendations. The availability of accurate and impartially audited data on PC will help reduce their incidence and bring down costs. Patients, the health authorities, and society as a whole are sure to benefit.     

Factors affecting community pharmacist work: A scoping review and thematic synthesis using role theory

Many community pharmacists ideologically support recent changes to their roles in primary healthcare. However, their antithetical resistance towards practice change could have systemic causes (i.e. role stresses), which may account for increased job dissatisfaction, burnout, and job turnover in the profession. Deeper comprehension was sought using a role theory framework.ObjectiveTo identify factors leading to role stresses and strain responses for community pharmacists, and to create a framework for community pharmacist role management.MethodPubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched for qualitative studies identifying community pharmacist role stress and strain using scoping review methodology from 1990 to 2019. Content and thematic analysis using the framework method was performed, and themes were reported using thematic synthesis.ResultsScreening of 10,880 records resulted in 33 studies identified, with 41 factors categorised into four domains: Interpersonal Interactions, Social Setting, Individual Attributes, and Extra-Role. All role stresses were present. Reported role strains suggest role system imbalance.ConclusionCommunity pharmacists are in a multifactorial transitional environment. Reported role stresses may be a function of past pharmacist roles and increased role expectations, amplified by many requisite interactions and individual pharmacist characteristics. Social science theories were found to be applicable to the community pharmacy setting.     

靶向肠道微生态:中药药效机理研究的新机遇与挑战

肠道微生态紊乱与众多疾病的发生发展密切相关,靶向肠道微生态的调节已成为疾病防治的重要策略。同时,肠道微生态很可能也是理解中医学理论现代科学内涵的重要途径。传统中药大多以口服为主,药物与肠道微生物的相互作用往往是其发挥药效的关键。中药可以通过促进有益菌增殖或抑制病原菌,增加短链脂肪酸等代谢产物生成的方式,恢复疾病条件下的肠道微生态平衡,发挥对疾病的治疗作用。另一方面,肠道菌的代谢转化是影响中药药效和毒性产生的重要途径。针对中药及其复方、人体及肠道微生态三者间的关系,提出三种模式假说,即菌群响应模式、菌群依赖模式和菌群代谢模式,并探讨了当前肠道微生态研究所面临的机遇与挑战。     

基于脏腑经络理论探讨啮舌证治

啮舌是中医临床中较为常见且棘手的一个症状。中医对啮舌的认识历史悠久,但缺乏对此症的系统研究,只有零散的医家论述和临床个案报道。有鉴于此,笔者通过分析归纳古代中医文献和现代临床报道,基于脏腑经络理论初步探讨啮舌的证治,认为啮舌一症有虚实之别,实则责之于心肝,虚则责之于脾肾,可分为心火亢盛、肝火痰瘀、脾肾阳虚及肾阴不足等主要证型,痰和瘀是发生啮舌的重要病理因素,治疗应以清心平肝、补益脾肾、祛痰化瘀开窍为大法,希望本研究能为临床解决啮舌一症提供思路与方法。     

《伤寒论》六经辨证与肾性水肿

肾性水肿临床可见于原发性或继发性肾脏疾病。仲景继承《内经》理论,著《伤寒杂病论》并开创六经辨证理论体系,对现代肾性水肿临床治疗具有重要的指导意义。该体系囊括了经络脏腑、气血津液、体质禀赋等理论基础。根据六经辨证理论体系,以太阳、阳明、少阳、太阴、少阴、厥阴六经理论为基础,结合各经辨证要点,将《伤寒论》六经辨证引入肾性水肿的临床诊疗。拓展六经辨证理论在肾性水肿临床治疗中的实际应用。     

“扎根理论”于温病学科建设的研究思路及理论价值探析

分析温病学术理论发展与温病学教学、临床应用现状,认为有关温病文献研究可从深度与广度进行再拓展、再挖掘。介绍"扎根理论"研究方法,结合温病学科学术性质及特点,探讨"扎根理论"在该学科学术理论建设中可行的研究模式与研究思路,剖析该研究对于温病学科学术建设的理论价值及应用前景。同时,基于"扎根理论"研究难点,提出研究过程中需注意的问题。