CT引导下经蝶腭穴芒针透刺蝶腭神经节治疗变应性鼻炎的临床观察*

目的观察CT引导下经蝶腭穴芒针透刺蝶腭神经节治疗变应性鼻炎的临床疗效。方法 将72例变应性鼻炎患者随机分为试验组和对照组，试验组采用CT引导下经蝶腭穴芒针透刺蝶腭神经节；对照组采用常规针刺蝶腭穴及常规穴位，疗程结束后评定临床疗效。结果 试验组的总有效率为94.44%，对照组的总有效率为77.78%，差异具有统计学意义。试验组的指标改善均优于对照组。结论 在CT引导下，采用芒针透刺蝶腭神经节治疗变应性鼻炎，其治疗方法颇具特色，提高了透刺蝶腭神经节的准确性及安全性，从而为非CT引导时透刺的角度与深度提供了一定的参考依据。     

耳穴贴压联合俞募配穴针刺治疗中风后便秘疗效观察

目的观察耳穴贴压联合俞募配穴针刺治疗中风后便秘(虚秘)的临床疗效。方法将80例中风后便秘(虚秘)患者随机分为治疗组40例、对照组40例。在中风常规治疗、护理及康复训练下,治疗组采用耳穴贴压联合俞募配穴针刺,对照组采用普通针刺法。对两组患者临床疗效、便秘症状积分、胃肠激素水平及生存质量进行比较。结果两组治疗后胃肠激素P物质(SP)水平及便秘患者生存质量量表(PAC-QOL)评分均有显著提高(P<0.01),且治疗组治疗后明显高于对照组(P<0.01),两组治疗后便秘症状积分、胃肠激素血管活性肠肽(VIP)水平均显著降低(P<0.01),且治疗组治疗后低于对照组(P<0.01)。治疗组总有效率为87.5%,两组疗效比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论耳穴贴压联合俞募配穴针刺治疗中风后便秘(虚秘)具有良好疗效。     

针刀松解激痛点治疗颈源性头痛39例影响

目的分析针刀松解激痛点治疗方法用于颈源性头痛患者的效果。方法对医院接受针刀松解激痛点治疗的39例颈源性头痛患者纳入试验组,选于2017年2月—2018年9月,抽取同期接受针刺治疗的39例颈源性头痛患者纳入对照组,评比两组治疗有效总计率、治疗前和治疗3个疗程后头痛程度评分值、头痛维持时间、头痛发生频率。结果试验组治疗有效总计率明显高于对照组统计值(P<0.05)。试验组治疗3个疗程后头痛程度评分值、头痛维持时间、头痛发生频率显著低于治疗前及对照组统计值(P<0.01)。结论对颈源性头痛患者实行针刀松解激痛点治疗的效果较优。     

耳穴贴压联合涌泉穴按摩对老年原发性高血压患者血压变异性的影响

目的:探讨耳穴贴压联合涌泉穴按摩治疗老年原发性高血压的效果及对患者血压变异性(BPV)的影响。方法:将94例老年原发性高血压患者随机分为对照组(n=47)和观察组(n=47)。常规西医治疗基础上,观察组给予王不留行籽耳穴贴压联合涌泉穴按摩治疗。比较两组治疗前后收缩压(SBP)、舒张压(DBP)水平、SBP/DBP下降幅度并评估降压疗效,BPV根据24 h动态血压监测结果评估,计算两组治疗前后24h SBP标准差(24h SBP)、24h DBP标准差(24h DBP)、白天SBP标准差(dSSD)、白天DBP标准差(dDSD)、夜间SBP标准差(nSSD)和夜间DBP标准差(nDSD),记录两组治疗期间不良反应情况。结果:观察组治疗后SBP、DBP水平和下降幅度均优于对照组(P<0.05); 观察组降压总有效率97.87%明显高于对照组82.98%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05); 对照组治疗后24h SBP、24h DSD、dSSD、dDSD较治疗前有明显下降(P<0.05),观察组治疗后24h SBP、24h DSD、dSSD、dDSD、nSSD显著低于治疗前(P<0.05),观察组治疗后24h SBP、24h DSD、dSSD均显著低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05); 两组不良反应以头晕、头痛、恶心和眩晕为主,症状程度均较轻,患者耐受性好,组间不良反应率比较差异均无统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:常规西医治疗基础上给予中医耳穴贴压联合涌泉穴按摩,不仅能有效降低老年原发性高血压患者血压水平和增益降压疗效,而且能显著降低BPV。     

Focused Cardiac Ultrasonography: Current Applications and Future Directions

Focused cardiac ultrasonography is performed by clinicians at the bedside and is used in time‐sensitive scenarios to evaluate a patient's cardiovascular status when comprehensive echocardiography is not immediately available. This simplified cardiac ultrasonography is often performed by noncardiologists using small, portable devices to augment the physical examination, triage patients, and direct management in both critical care and outpatient settings. However, as the use of focused cardiac ultrasonography continues to expand, careful consideration is required regarding training, scope of practice, impact on patient outcomes, and medicolegal implications. In this review, we examine some of the challenges with rapid uptake of this technique and explore the benefits and potential risk of focused cardiac ultrasonography. We propose possible mechanisms for cross‐specialty collaboration, quality improvement, and oversight.     

Efficacy of Topical Vibratory Stimulation for Reducing Pain During Trigger Point Injection to the Gastrocnemius: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of topical vibratory stimulation for reducing pain during trigger point injection (TPI).DesignDouble-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.SettingTertiary care university hospital.ParticipantsA total of 136 participants were randomly recruited from among patients with myofascial pain syndrome who were scheduled for TPI. Of these, 65 were excluded because they met the exclusion criteria, and 11 because they refused to participate. Finally, 60 participants were enrolled. No participants dropped out of the study.InterventionParticipants were randomly assigned to the vibration group or control group. TPI was performed with 0.5% lidocaine using a 25-gauge needle. A vibrator was applied to the popliteal fossa for 3 to 5 seconds prior to and during TPI to the gastrocnemius; 100-Hz vibration was turned on for the vibration group and turned off for the control group.Main Outcome MeasuresPain intensity during TPI was assessed using a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) as a primary outcome, and participant satisfaction and preference for repeated use were measured using 5-point Likert scales as a secondary outcome. These parameters were evaluated immediately after TPI. The primary outcome was evaluated using analysis of covariance and secondary outcome using the Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsVAS scores for pain during TPI were significantly lower in the vibration group (30.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 22.65-39.26) compared with the control group (47.58; 95% CI, 38.80-56.52; F=7.74; P< .01). The mean difference in VAS scores between the 2 groups was 17.27 (95% CI, 5.24-29.30). Participant satisfaction and preference for repeated use were significantly higher in the vibration group than in the control group (P<.05). No participant showed any side effects.ConclusionTopical vibratory stimulation significantly decreased pain during TPI of the gastrocnemius.     

Role of ultrasound in confirmation of endotracheal tube in neonates: a review

Tracheal intubation (TI) is a commonly done procedure in neonatal intensive care unit and delivery room during resuscitation. The confirmation of endotracheal tube (ETT) position should be done quickly as tube malposition is associated with various serious adverse outcomes like hypoxemia, right upper lobe collapse, atelectasis, air leak syndromes and esophageal intubation. ETT position can be confirmed by various methods like clinical sign, chest radiography, capnography, external digital tracheal palpation, ultrasonography (USG), respiratory function monitor, video-laryngoscope and fiberoptic devices. The current gold standard test to confirm ETT position is a chest radiograph, but it has many fallacies thus presently there is the need for a modality that helps in detection of endotracheal intubation and tube position with minimal complications. USG has been used in adult and pediatric population for detecting ETT position but there are very less studies in neonates. In this review, we analyze all the published studies, case reports and personal experiences that have sought the use of USG in neonatal population for detection of ETT position.     

A new analytical cut-off point for determining 18 years of age using MRI on medial clavicular epiphysis

Evaluation of the ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis plays a key role in forensic age estimation. The purpose of the present study was to assess a new numerical cut-off at the age of 18 years, taking into consideration Magnetic Resonance (MR) images of the medial clavicular epiphysis. We analyzed 163 MR scans of Italian subjects aged between 14 and 25 years. Using the data obtained we calculated two ratios: REM-1 (ratio between the length of the whole epiphysis and the length of the metaphysis) and REM-2 (ratio between the length of epiphyseal-metaphyseal fusion and the length of the metaphysis). In 68 out of 163 cases it was not possible to measure REM-2. The reproducibility was demonstrated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.80). REM-1 and REM-2 were compared in each category of age (adult and minor) by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The cut-off points for measurements of REM-1 and REM-2 were determined by logistic regression. For REM-1, the cut-off scores were 0.83 for all individuals (accuracy = 94.77%) and males (accuracy = 96.05%), and 0.86 for females (accuracy = 92.30%). For REM-2, the cut-off values were 0.40 for all individuals and males (accuracy = 100.00%), and 0.41 for females (accuracy = 100.00%). Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for age classification based on REM-1 and REM-2 were constructed, showing that REM-2 had the highest discriminative power. Thus, a new cut-off model for predicting the age of majority has been introduced, conducting a quantitative analysis thanks to the use of a high-resolution imaging tool.