European consensus on patient contact shielding

Patient contact shielding has been in use for many years in radiology departments in order to reduce the effects and risks of ionising radiation on certain organs. New technologies in projection imaging and CT scanning such as digital receptors and automatic exposure control (AEC) systems have reduced doses and improved image consistency. These changes and a greater understanding of both the benefits and the risks from the use of shielding have led to a review of shielding use in radiology. A number of professional bodies have already issued guidance in this regard. This paper represents the current consensus view of the main bodies involved in radiation safety and imaging in Europe: European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics, European Federation of Radiographer Societies, European Society of Radiology, European Society of Paediatric Radiology, EuroSafe Imaging, European Radiation Dosimetry Group (EURADOS), and European Academy of DentoMaxilloFacial Radiology (EADMFR). It is based on the expert recommendations of the Gonad and Patient Shielding (GAPS) Group formed with the purpose of developing consensus in this area. The recommendations are intended to be clear and easy to use. They are intended as guidance, and they are developed using a multidisciplinary team approach. It is recognised that regulations, custom and practice vary widely on the use of patient shielding in Europe and it is hoped that these recommendations will inform a change management program that will benefit patients and staff.     

儿童社区获得性肺炎血清维生素A的变化及与免疫功能相关性

目的 研究社区获得性肺炎(community acquired pneumonia,CAP)患儿血清维生素A(vitamin A,VA)水平及与免疫功能的相关性,为肺炎病情评估提供一定参考。方法 以入住新乡医学院第一附属医院PICU的63例重度社区获得性肺炎(severe community acquired pneumonia, SCAP)患儿(SCAP组)、普通儿科病区的30例轻度社区获得性肺炎(mild community acquired pneumonia, MCAP)患儿(MCAP组),以及同期体检的30名健康儿童(对照组)为研究对象,检测其血清中VA和免疫球蛋白(immunoglobulin,Ig)G、IgA、IgM水平,及SCAP组体内T淋巴细胞亚群(总T淋巴细胞、CD4、CD8、CD4/CD8),并对SCAP组体内VA水平及以上指标的相关性进行分析。结果 3组性别和年龄差异无统计学意义;血清中VA的平均含量分别为0.36、0.25和0.19 mg/L,CAP组VA的含量较对照组明显降低,且SCAP组明显低于MCAP组(P<0.05)。根据WHO推荐的VA诊断标准,3组VA临床缺乏/亚临床缺乏率分别为10.00%、36.67%和61.90%,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。CAP组血清中Ig水平较对照组明显降低,且SCAP组明显低于MCAP组(P<0.05)。SCAP组血中总T淋巴细胞、CD4、CD8和CD4/CD8的平均水平分别为53.28%、30.26%、20.24%和1.59;分析VA水平与免疫相关指标关系发现VA水平与Ig(IgG、IgA、IgM)水平、总T淋巴细胞、CD4呈正相关,与CD8水平不相关。结论 肺炎患儿血清VA水平与病情严重程度及机体免疫功能相关。     

Brachytherapy: An emblematic example of extreme hypofractionated regimen

In order to provide more convenient irradiation regimens for patient comfort, radiation facility organization and health expenses, new hypofractionated protocols have been evaluated. Moderately (dose/fraction: 2.3 to 3 Gy), then ultra (dose/fraction: 5.2 to 6.1 Gy) hypofractionated irradiations were first validated. The current question is: is it possible to go forward using extreme hypofractionated regimens (EHR) based on 1 to 3 fractions. Different irradiation techniques are under investigation. However, brachytherapy remains the smartest way to deliver a high dose in a small volume. We report prospective and retrospective study results which evaluated EHR for breast and prostate brachytherapy. While oncological outcome and toxicity profile appear extremely encouraging for low-risk breast cancer after a 1 to 4 fractions (6.25 to 20 Gy/fraction), the use of a single fraction of 19 to 23 Gy appears debatable for prostate cancer. Brachytherapy represents an emblematic example of EHR but longer follow-up and more mature results are awaited in order to specify the right indications and refine the EQD2 calculation method including new biological and technical factors.     

Magnetron Sputtered CsPbCl3 Perovskite Detectors as Real-Time Dosimeters for Clinical Radiotherapy

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of manufacturing thin real-time relative dosimeters for clinical radiotherapy (RT) with potential applications for transmission monitoring in vivo dosimetry and pre-treatment dose verifications. Thin (≈1 μm) layers of a high sensitivity, wide bandgap semiconductor, the inorganic perovskite CsPbCl₃, have been grown for the first time by magnetron sputtering on plastic substrates equipped with electrode arrays. Prototype devices have been tested in real-time configuration to evaluate the dose delivered by a 6 MV photon beam from a linear accelerator. Linearity of the charge with the dose has been verified over three order of magnitudes, linearity of the current signal with the dose rate has been also successfully tested in the range 0.5-4.3 Gy/min. The combination of high sensitivity per unit volume and wide bandgap provides high signal-to-noise ratios, up to 70, even at moderate applied voltages. The Schottky diode configuration allows the detector to operate without bias voltage (null bias).The blocking-barrier structure allows to confine the active volume within sub-millimetric sizes, a quite attractive feature in view to increase granularity and achieve the high spatial resolutions required in modern RT techniques. All the above-mentioned features indeed pave the way to a novel generation of flexible, transmission, real time dosimeters for clinical radiotherapy.     

A comparison of efficacy and safety of complementary and alternative therapies for severe mycoplasma pneumonia in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:In recent years, the incidence rate of children with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (SMPP) is increasing, which poses a great threat to children''s life and safety. There are some limitations in the existing drugs for the treatment of SMPP, and the supplementary and alternative therapy of SMPP plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of this disease. This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of various complementary and alternative therapies for SMPP by means of mesh meta-analysis. In order to provide the basis for clinical rational use.Methods:Two researchers will independently and comprehensively searched the Cochrane Central controlled trials registry, Cochrane Library, PubMed, web of science, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wanfang database to collect randomized controlled trials (RCT) studies on complementary and alternative therapies for SMPP. And the relevant references included in the systematic review/meta-analysis are screened. The retrieval time limit is from the establishment of the database to November 2020. We will use Revman 5.3 software for meta-analysis and use grade to grade the quality of evidence in the net meta-analysis (NMA).Results:The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of different complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of SMPP, with a view to evaluating and ranking different interventions.Conclusion:The supplement and replacement therapy of SMPP can improve the clinical efficacy, relieve the clinical symptoms, improve the quality of life of children, and reduce adverse reactions, which can provide strong support for the rational use of clinicians.INPLASY registration number:INPLASY2020110079.     

布地奈德联合阿奇霉素治疗肺炎支原体肺炎

目的探讨布地奈德联合阿奇霉素治疗肺炎支原体肺炎。方法选取我院在2018年12月—2020年5月确诊并治疗的98例支原体肺炎患儿,依据不同治疗方式分成两组,两组均接受常规治疗,对照组应用阿奇霉素,研究组联合应用布地奈德。观察两组的治疗有效率水平差异;两组的康复指标:体温恢复正常耗时、缓解咳嗽气喘耗时、啰音消失耗时水平差异。结果研究组有效率水平比对照组高(P<0.05)。研究组的康复指标:体温恢复正常耗时、缓解咳嗽气喘耗时、啰音消失耗时均优于对照组(P<0.05)。结论给予支原体肺炎患儿在常规治疗基础上联合使用阿奇霉素+布地奈德,可显著提高患儿的治疗效果,缩短患儿的康复时间。     

Safety and feasibility of robotic assisted percutaneous coronary intervention compared to standard percutaneous coronary intervention- a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveRobotically assisted PCI offers a great alternative to S–PCI. This has gained even more relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic era however safety of R–PCI compared to S–PCI has not been studied well. This study explores the safety and efficacy of robotically assisted PCI (R–PCI) compared to standard PCI (S–PCI) for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsPubMed, Scopus, Ovid, and Google scholar databases were searched for studies comparing R–PCI to S–PCI. Outcomes included clinical success, procedure time, fluoroscopy time, contrast use and radiation exposure.ResultsTheauthors included 5 studies comprising 1555 patients in this meta-analysis. Clinical success was comparable in both arms (p = 0.91). Procedure time was significantly longer in R–PCI group (risk ratio: 5.52, 95% confidence interval: 1.85 to 9.91, p = 0.003). Compared to S–PCI, patients in R–PCI group had lower contrast use (meandifference: −19.88, 95% confidence interval: −21.43 to −18.33, p < 0.001), fluoroscopy time (mean difference:-1.82, 95% confidence interval: −3.64 to −0.00, p = 0.05) and radiation exposure (mean difference:-457.8, 95% confidence interval: −707.14 to −208.14, p < 0.001).ConclusionR–PCI can achieve similar success as S–PCI at the expense of longer procedural times. However, radiation exposure and contrast exposure were lower in the R–PCI arm.     

Improving Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirit Content in a Radiation Therapy Undergraduate Curriculum

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirit plus (LGBTQ2S+) people have distinct healthcare needs that may be unaddressed in many undergraduate healthcare curricula. The Radiation Therapy Program (RADTH) at the University of Alberta underwent a review of the three-year didactic curriculum using an online survey. The survey sought to ascertain if, where and how topics related to LGBTQ2S + healthcare are taught. Results indicated that out of 10 RADTH program faculty respondents, three teach related topics. The total time dedicated within the three-year curriculum was approximately three and a half hours. Other findings showed that faculty are interested in receiving more education in this area and would favour discussions about how to incorporate these themes into appropriate courses. This preliminary investigation demonstrated that there has been some initial work in this area, but there is more to be done.