Economic Burden of Patient-Reported Penicillin Allergy on Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty

IntroductionSelf-reported penicillin allergies in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty often results in the use of second-line prophylactic antibiotics. A higher risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is associated with suboptimal antibiotics vs first generation cephalosporins, which have historically been grouped with other beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin for potential allergic reactions. This study evaluates the economic burden of self-reported penicillin allergies in total joint arthroplasty (TJA).MethodsData from studies reporting true incidence of IgE-mediated penicillin allergies, infection-free survivorship of TJA, and cost of PJI attributed to use of second-line antibiotics were obtained. Projected cost of preoperative penicillin allergy testing and potentially avoidable PJI associated with second-line antibiotic usage were calculated. This was compared with projected cost of PJI in the current state to estimate cost savings.ResultsImplementation of preoperative penicillin allergy testing leads to a potential savings of nearly $37 million to payors in the first year based on 1-year survivorship. This savings increases to $411.6 million over a 10-year span and $1.18 billion over a 20-year span.ConclusionPreoperative penicillin allergy testing or risk stratification via thorough history should be implemented as standard of care for patients with self-reported penicillin allergies before TJA and would result in decreased cost of PJI.     

Effectiveness of extra-corporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) vs methylprednisolone injections in plantar fasciitis

IntroductionIn Plantar Fasciitis, the main concern of the patients is the pain that disturbs their day to day activities. Different modalities of treatments are being used for its pain management. This study seeks to investigate and compare decrease in level of pain following treatment with Methylprednisolone injections (DMP) Vs Extra-Corporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) in plantar fasciitis.MethodsThis prospective comparative non randomized study was conducted in 60 patients of any age presenting with Plantar Fasciitis at B&B Hospital, Kathmandu. Patients were divided into 2 groups (30 each) based on patients preference. Methylprednisolone injection was given to one group and another group received ESWT. Follow up of both groups were carried out at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months and the outcome was measured with Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS). Statistical analysis wasdone using SPSS software, version 13. Chi-square and Independent t-test were applied to look for significant variations in outcome.ResultsFollow-up at 6 weeks revealed 26 (86.7%) patients attaining VAS < 5 in ESWT group in comparison to 16 (53.3%) patients of DMP group (p = 0.005). At the end of 6 months, 5 patients in DPM group still had significant pain (VAS ≥ 5) compared to 2 patients in ESWT group (p = 0.02). However 11 patients of DMP group and 23 of ESWT group received single episode of treatment only and had persistent symptomatic pain relief (VAS < 5) during all follow ups at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months (p = 0.004).ConclusionsPlantar fasciitis was more prevalent in overweight population and females. Significant improvement in pain was observed with both ESWT and DMP Injections. However, ESWT was found to be more effective than DMP Injections for treatment of Plantar Fasciitis.     

疏血通对慢性阻塞性肺疾病合并肺动脉高压患者血清D-二聚体与呼吸功能的影响

【摘要】 目的 观察疏血通注射液对慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）合并肺动脉高压患者血清D 二聚体（D D）的影响及呼吸功能改善作用。方法 将我院收治的80例COPD合并肺动脉高压患者随机分为观察组与对照组各40例，均给予吸氧、支气管舒张剂、糖皮质激素、抗生素、营养支持等常规治疗，观察组在此基础上给予疏血通注射液，两组均治疗21d。比较两组凝血功能，检测血气指标、肺动脉压、肺功能指标，评估呼吸系统评分，统计治疗过程中的不良反应。结果 观察组治疗21d后凝血酶原时间（PT）、活化部分凝血活酶时间（APTT）显著高于对照组（P＜005），纤维蛋白原（FIB）、D D显著低于对照组（P＜005）。观察组治疗21d后动脉血氧分压（Pa02）、用力呼气1s率（FEV1/FVC）分别为（7124±1284）mmHg、（5784±1043）%显著高于对照组的（6536±1177）mmHg、（5241±945）%（P＜005），动脉血二氧化碳分压（PaC02）、肺动脉收缩压分别为（4541±819）mmHg、（4016±720）mmHg显著低于对照组的（5002±901）mmHg、（4473±806）mmHg（P＜005）。结论 疏血通可以改善COPD合并肺动脉高压患者血液高凝状态，增加血氧含量，降低肺动脉高压，改善呼吸功能。     

玻璃体内注射联合全身应用更昔洛韦治疗AIDS合并巨细胞病毒视网膜炎的临床疗效

目的　观察玻璃体内注射联合全身应用更昔洛韦治疗AIDS合并巨细胞病毒视网膜炎（cytomegalovirus retinitis,CMVR）的临床疗效。方法　收集2016年1月至2018年1月在广西医科大学第一附属医院收治的AIDS合并CMVR患者7例13眼。患者全身用药为更昔洛韦和膦甲酸钠注射液，更昔洛韦 5.0～7.5 mg·kg^-1，每天2次静脉滴注；成人每次给予膦甲酸钠3 g，每天3次静脉滴注；同时在局部玻璃体内注射更昔洛韦。治疗前后对比的指标有:最佳矫正视力、眼压、眼底照相情况、视觉诱发电位、眼电图和视网膜电图等检查；检测指标包括CD4+T细胞计数，血液、前房水、玻璃体CMV-DNA病毒载量等。通过检查结果辅助判断治疗效果。结果　6例患者治疗后最佳矫正视力为（0.72±0.83）logMAR，较治疗前（1.14±0.83）logMAR提高（P=0.001），其中1例患者经过全身和局部抗病毒治疗后视力不提高。患者治疗前后眼压均在正常范围内，治疗前为（13.62±3.04）mmHg（1 kPa=7.5 mmHg），治疗后为（12.77±2.89）mmHg，差异无统计学意义（P=0.119）。注药后患者眼底病变范围逐渐变小（P<0.05）。治疗1个月后，患者视觉诱发电位N2-P2振幅及眼电图光峰电位较治疗前升高（均为P<0.05），视觉诱发电位P2潜伏期和视网膜电图（明适应）a波及b波潜伏期和振幅治疗前后差异均无统计学意义（均为P>0.05）。3例患者治疗前血液中CMV-DNA病毒载量检测为阴性，1例患者2眼经过治疗后眼内液中CMV-DNA病毒载量检测为阴性。治疗前玻璃体CMV-DNA病毒载量均明显高于前房水，而前房水CMV-DNA病毒载量又明显高于血液（均为P<0.05），说明三个部位的CMV-DNA病毒载量从高到低的排列顺序为玻璃体>前房水>血液。治疗后玻璃体、前房水CMV-DNA病毒载量均低于治疗前，差异均有统计学意义（均为P<0.05）。治疗前后血液CMV-DNA病毒载量差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。治疗前后CD4+T 细胞计数差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。治疗前CD4+T细胞计数与眼内液、血液CMV-DNA病毒载量均呈负相关关系（均为P<0.05）；治疗过程中，CD4+T细胞计数与眼内液CMV-DNA病毒载量无相关关系（均为P>0.05），与血液CMV-DNA病毒载量呈负相关关系（P<0.05），但两者之间不存在直线回归关系（P>0.05）。治疗前及治疗过程中玻璃体CMV-DNA病毒载量与前房水CMV-DNA病毒载量均存在正相关关系（回归方程分别为:Y=20 178.973+0.165X，Y=171 849.77+0.168X，均为P<0.05）。所有患者术中和术后均未出现严重并发症。结论　静脉滴注抗病毒药物联合玻璃体内注射小剂量更昔洛韦是治疗AIDS合并CMVR安全有效的治疗方法。     

注射用血栓通中三七元素迁移的规律

目的:分析注射用血栓通中三七从原料到成品全过程的元素迁移规律,以便更好地控制成品中元素杂质。方法:采用ICP-MS法全面分析三七药材、三七总皂苷(中间体)和注射用血栓通中21种元素的含量。结果:21种元素的标准曲线相关系数r均在0. 999以上,回收率在92. 71%～107. 07%之间,RSD均在5%以内。三七药材中铝、铁含量较高,铅、砷、汞、镉、铜符合中华人民共和国药典的相关规定,三七总皂苷(中间体)和注射用血栓通中多数元素均未检出或含量极低。结论:注射用血栓通的提取工艺可有效去除三七中大部分元素,重金属及有害元素也降到较低水平。     

Increased Bone Marrow Plasma-Cell Percentage Predicts Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients

BackgroundPrevious reports have suggested that a higher bone marrow plasma-cell percentage (BMPC%) is associated with worse outcomes. However, it is unknown whether BMPC% is an independent predictor because genetic information was not available at that time. Currently the impact of BMPC% at diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM) is not well described.Patients and MethodsWe evaluated the prognostic impact of BMPC% ≥ 60% versus < 60% in 1426 newly diagnosed MM patients. All patients had an estimation of their BMPC% at diagnosis, and the highest percentage was used. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses for PFS and OS using the Cox proportional hazards model were performed for age, Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) score, creatinine level, and BMPC%.ResultsBMPC% ≥ 60% was found in 562 patients (39%), and the median PFS was shorter for these patients compared to BMPC% < 60% (22.6 vs. 32.1 months; P < .0001). Also, for OS, the median was shorter for the higher BMPC% group (53.4 vs. 75.4 months; P < .0001). On the multivariate analysis for PFS, age ≥ 65 years (hazard ratio [HR], 1.46; P < .0001), R-ISS (1-2 vs. 3) (HR, 0.49; P < .0001), and BMPC% ≥ 60% (HR, 1.23; P = .015) were predictive. On the multivariate analysis for OS, age ≥ 65 years (HR, 2.23; P < .001), R-ISS (1-2 vs. 3) (HR, 0.41; P < .0001), and BMPC% ≥ 60% (HR, 1.24; P = .02) were also predictive.ConclusionBMPC% ≥ 60% at diagnosis is predictive for PFS and OS, even in a multivariate analysis that included known prognostic factors for MM.     

基于PI3K/AKT信号通路的谷红注射液抗H9c2心肌细胞缺氧/复氧损伤的机制研究

目的基于PI3K/AKT信号通路,探讨谷红注射液(guhong injection,GHI)对H9c2心肌细胞缺氧/复氧(H/R)损伤的保护作用。方法培养H9c2心肌细胞,CCK-8比色法筛选GHI实验剂量。将细胞随机分为8组:正常组、模型组、GHI低、中、高剂量组(30、60和90μL·mL^-1)、阳性药组(维拉帕米注射液7.5μL·mL^-1)、GHI+LY294002(PI3K抑制剂)组和LY294002组。除正常组外,其他组均建立缺氧4 h复氧16 h的H/R损伤模型。ELISA检测各组细胞内肌酸激酶同工酶(CKMB)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性及丙二醛(MDA)含量,Western blot法检测各组细胞内p-PI3K、PI3K、p-AKT、AKT及GSK-3β蛋白表达水平。结果与模型组相比,各给药组LDH、CK-MB均降低(P<0.05),MDA降低(P<0.01)、SOD升高(P<0.01)。p-PI3K/PI3K、p-AKT/AKT及GSK-3β蛋白表达水平均升高(P<0.01)。给予LY294002后,与模型组相比,LDH、CK-MB、MDA及SOD无显著性差异,p-PI3K/PI3K、p-AKT/AKT及GSK-3β蛋白表达水平均降低(P<0.01)。结论GHI可以明显减轻H/R对H9c2心肌细胞造成的损伤,表现出抗氧化应激与抗凋亡的作用,其作用机制可能与PI3K/AKT信号通路有关。