A Mixed-Methods Study of the Effect of Abdominal Binders on Opioid Use and Postoperative Pain After Cesarean Birth

ObjectiveTo compare levels of postoperative oxycodone use and incisional pain between two randomized groups—an intervention and a control.DesignMixed-methods design; quantitative data achieved via a randomized controlled trial, with qualitative data collected on binder use. The primary variable was oxycodone (in milligrams) required during the first 48 hours after birth, and the secondary variable was incisional pain levels measured on Postoperative Days 1 and 2.SettingAcute-care community hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and an acute care urban hospital in Denver, Colorado.ParticipantsA total of 220 individuals in the postpartum period after having cesarean birth.Interventions/MeasurementsParticipants were randomized to the intervention group (binder) or the control group (no binder). Data were collected on opioid usage for the first 48 hours. Participants in both groups were asked to rate their incisional pain on Postoperative Day 1 (24 hours after birth) and Postoperative Day 2 (48 hours after birth). Participants in the binder group were also asked to provide feedback on their experience wearing the binder.ResultsA total of 196 participants completed the study. The overall amount of oxycodone taken by individuals in the binder group was lower than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = .10). Pain scores in the binder group were significantly lower on Day 2 compared with the control group (p = .002). The majority of individuals in the binder group provided positive feedback about their experience wearing the binder.ConclusionIndividuals routinely receive medications to assist with pain management postoperatively. Because of growing concerns related to the nation’s opioid addiction crisis, there is interest in using multimodal treatments to achieve adequate pain control for individuals postoperatively. Abdominal binders are a low-cost intervention to assist with pain management and, given the results of this study, seem like a reasonable option to consider.     

基于DTI评价急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度与肾虚髓亏证的相关性研究＊

目的 运用核磁共振弥散张量成像技术（DTI），从皮质脊髓束损伤程度评价的角度，探讨肾虚髓亏证与急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能缺损程度相关性，丰富中风病病机及证候诊断，拓宽缺血性脑卒中的中医药防治思路，为急性缺血性脑卒中肾虚髓亏证患者运动功能损伤程度提供临床依据，强调肾虚髓亏证在急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能损伤中的重要意义。方法 纳入符合诊断标准的90例病例，根据证候分别归入肾虚髓亏组和非肾虚髓亏组，每组各45例。每组患者均给予常规西药治疗。对两组患者入院后行弥散张量成像检测，同时分别于治疗前及治疗后14天，记录两组患者NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分量表评分，比较两组病例发病时的轻重程度及治疗前后两组病例组间的恢复差异。结果 研究显示，治疗前肾虚髓亏组在NIHSS评分方面高于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）；治疗前肾虚髓亏组在改良Barthel指数量表及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分方面低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前后NIHSS评分、改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分改善情况，非肾虚髓亏组要优于肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。治疗前两组患者在健侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值无明显差异；肾虚髓亏组在患侧内囊后肢及大脑脚外侧处FA值及ADC值均低于非肾虚髓亏组（P<0.05）。相关性分析得出，两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者治疗前NIHSS评分呈负相关；两组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与患者改良Barthel指数评分及简化Fugl-Meyer运动功能评分呈正相关；肾虚髓亏组患者患侧内囊后肢FA值与肾虚髓亏证中医证候评分呈负相关。结论 肾虚髓亏是急性缺血性脑卒中运动功能障碍的重要病机。研究结果显示，两组皮质脊髓束损伤程度与神经功能及运动功能损伤存在相关性，且肾虚髓亏组在皮质脊髓束的损伤程度方面与其中医证候评分呈负相关。     

全身性遗传疾病对角膜移植排斥的影响

角膜移植为治疗角膜盲的主要手段，而角膜移植排斥则是决定角膜植片存活时间和病人术后视力的关键。角膜得益于其特殊的眼前节“免疫赦免”状态，使得角膜移植能够在众多器官移植中享有极低的排斥率，然而排斥反应发生的风险依然存在。当机体处于遗传物质异常的特殊状态时，宿主将通过宏观调控“免疫赦免”状态对植片的保护作用或受体对移植物排异产生的有害作用，延迟或促进角膜移植排斥反应的发生，进而影响移植物的存活时间和透明度。该文综述与角膜移植排斥相关的多种全身性遗传疾病，总结全身性遗传疾病对角膜移植排斥的影响，浅析其发生的病理生理学机制以及诊疗的特殊性。     

特发性肺纤维化急性加重期证候与血清生物标志物的相关性研究＊

目的 通过分析特发性肺纤维化急性加重期（AE-IPF）患者证候与血清生物标志物的关系，为中医辨证治疗提供参考。方法 采用观察性研究设计，收集2019年3月至2019年11月三个中心的AE-IPF患者76例，其中痰热壅肺证26例、痰浊阻肺证50例，并纳入健康志愿者10例作为对照。采用ELISA测定患者血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7、SP-A和SP-D水平，分析与中医证候的相关性。结果 AE-IPF患者血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7、SP-A和SP-D水平均显著高于健康对照组。血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7和SP-D水平在痰热壅肺证和痰浊阻肺证患者间无显著性差异（P＞0.05），而血清SP-A水平存在显著性差异（P＜0.05）。结论 血清SP-A与AE-IPF证候存在一定的相关性，血清SP-A的浓度升高，与痰热壅肺证关系越密切，反之，血清SP-A浓度降低，则与痰浊阻肺证关系越密切。AE-IPF痰热壅肺证患者的预后可能较痰浊阻肺证患者更差。     

Hedgehog pathway inhibition as a therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia

Introduction: The Hedgehog (HH) pathway constitutes a collection of signaling molecules which critically influence embryogenesis. In adults, however, the HH pathway remains integral to the proliferation, maintenance, and apoptosis of adult stem cells including hematopoietic stem cells.

Areas covered: We discuss the current understanding of the HH pathway as it relates to normal hematopoiesis, the pathology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the rationale for and data from combination therapies including HH pathway inhibitors, and ultimately the prospects that might offer promise in targeting this pathway in AML.

Expert opinion: Efforts to target the HH pathway have been focused on impeding this disposition and restoring chemosensitivity to conventional myeloid neoplasm therapies. The year 2018 saw the first approval of a HH pathway inhibitor (glasdegib) for AML, though for an older population and in combination with an uncommonly-used therapy. Several other clinical trials with agents targeting modulators of HH signaling in AML and MDS are underway. Further study and understanding of the interplay between the numerous aspects of HH signaling and how it relates to the augmented survival of AML will provide a more reliable substrate for therapeutic strategies in patients with this poor-risk disease.     

Effects of the Clearing the Lung and Dissipating Phlegm Method in the Treatment of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the clearing the lung and dissipating phlegm method in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) and to provide evidence for the treatment of the disease. Materials and Methods: Literature was searched from the United States National Library of Medicine(PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database(Wanfang), and the Full?Text Database of Chinese Scientific and Technical Periodicals(VIP).A comprehensive collection was made of randomized controlled trials(RCTs) before June 2018, in which the treatment groups used either the clearing the lung and dissipating phlegm formulas only or combined it with routine Western medicine therapy, and the control group adopted routine Western medicine therapy only for the acute exacerbation of COPD. The Cochrane risk of bias method was used to evaluate the quality of the literature. The data were analyzed and retrieved independently by two reviewers before meta?analysis was carried out with RevMan 5.3 software to evaluate the primary outcome measures, including the total clinical effective rate, and the secondary outcome measures such as the pulmonary function(forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in the 1 s [FEV1], percentage of FEV1 [FEV1%], and FEV1/FVC)and blood gases(PaO_2 and PaCo_2). Results: A total of 13 RCTs involving 990 patients(496 in the treatment group and 494 in the control group)were included in this study. Meta?analysis revealed significant difference in the efficacy of the group that adopted solely the routine Western medicine method and the group that combined the Western medicine with the clearing the lung and dissipating phlegm method. Outcome measures including the pulmonary function(FVC, FEV1, FEV1%, and FEV1/FVC) and the blood gases(PaO_2 and PaCo_2) were significantly improved as compared to the control group(P 0.00001). However, adverse effects in the treatment group using combined traditional Chinese medicine were not reported due to the short observation time of the study. Conclusion: The clearing the lung and dissipating phlegm method can improve the efficacy in the treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD, the outcome measures of the pulmonary function and the blood gases,as well as the life quality of the patients. However, due to the fact that the existing studies are generally of poor quality in which randomization and its implementation were not properly carried out, more high?quality RCTs are necessary to confirm the findings of this study.