Differential Diagnosis of Acute Diarrhea

Acute diarrhea is a condition of increased water stool content, stool volume, and number of bowel movements that lasts less than 14 days. Mild diarrhea is usually self-limiting; however, undertreated moderate to severe diarrhea may cause severe dehydration and lead to hypovolemic shock. In order to prevent severe dehydration and treat patients appropriately, it is crucial for health care providers to determine the right diagnosis of patients with acute diarrhea. This article focuses on pathophysiology, general patient presentation, diagnostic tests and differential diagnosis lists of acute diarrhea to discuss which diagnosis should be made based on patient presentation and objective data.     

Variability in non-core vaccination rates of dogs and cats in veterinary clinics across the United States

Vaccination guidelines for dogs and cats indicate that core vaccines (for dogs, rabies, distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus; for cats, feline parvovirus, herpes virus-1, calicivirus) are essential to maintain health, and that non-core vaccines be administered according to a clinician’s assessment of a pet’s risk of exposure and susceptibility to infection. A reliance on individual risk assessment introduces the potential for between-practice inconsistencies in non-core vaccine recommendations. A study was initiated to determine non-core vaccination rates of dogs (Leptospira, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bordetella bronchiseptica, canine influenza virus) and cats (feline leukemia virus) in patients current for core vaccines in veterinary practices across the United States. Transactional data for 5,531,866 dogs (1,670 practices) and 1,914,373 cats (1,661 practices) were retrieved from practice management systems for the period November 1, 2016 through January 1, 2020, deidentified and normalized. Non-core vaccination status was evaluated in 2,798,875 dogs and 788,772 cats that were core-vaccine current. Nationally, median clinic vaccination rates for dogs were highest for leptospirosis (70.5%) and B. bronchiseptica (68.7%), and much lower for canine influenza (4.8%). In Lyme-endemic states, the median clinic borreliosis vaccination rate was 51.8%. Feline leukemia median clinic vaccination rates were low for adult cats (34.6%) and for kittens and 1-year old cats (36.8%). Individual clinic vaccination rates ranged from 0 to 100% for leptospirosis, B. bronchiseptica and feline leukemia, 0–96% for canine influenza, and 0–94% for borreliosis. Wide variation in non-core vaccination rates between clinics in similar geographies indicates that factors other than disease risk are driving the use of non-core vaccines in pet dogs and cats, highlighting a need for veterinary practices to address gaps in patient protection. Failure to implement effective non-core vaccination strategies leaves susceptible dogs and cats unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases.     

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of adenoviral and subunit RSV vaccines based on stabilized prefusion F protein in pre-clinical models

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) remains a leading cause of severe respiratory disease for which no licensed vaccine is available. We have previously described the derivation of an RSV Fusion protein (F) stabilized in its prefusion conformation (preF) as vaccine immunogen and demonstrated superior immunogenicity in naive mice of preF versus wild type RSV F protein, both as protein and when expressed from an Ad26 vaccine vector. Here we address the question if there are qualitative differences between the two vaccine platforms for induction of protective immunity. In naïve mice, both Ad26.RSV.preF and preF protein induced humoral responses, whereas cellular responses were only elicited by Ad26.RSV.preF. In RSV pre-exposed mice, a single dose of either vaccine induced cellular responses and strong humoral responses. Ad26-induced RSV-specific cellular immune responses were detected systemically and locally in the lungs. Both vaccines showed protective efficacy in the cotton rat model, but Ad26.RSV.preF conferred protection at lower virus neutralizing titers in comparison to RSV preF protein. Factors that may contribute to the protective capacity of Ad26.RSV.preF elicited immunity are the induced IgG2a antibodies that are able to engage Fcγ receptors mediating Antibody Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC), and the induction of systemic and lung resident RSV specific CD8 + T cells. These data demonstrate qualitative improvement of immune responses elicited by an adenoviral vector based vaccine encoding the RSV preF antigen compared to the subunit vaccine in small animal models which may inform RSV vaccine development.     

李东垣论治泄泻理论探讨

李东垣的升脾阳法对于泄泻的治疗具有重要价值。泄泻的基本病机是脾虚湿盛，脾虚为病机之核心，或兼肺虚，或兼湿盛，或兼寒积，脾虚则清阳不升，正所谓"清气在下，则生飧泄"。治疗以补脾健脾为本，根据不同的病机或补益脾肺，或燥湿健脾，或攻逐寒积，或健脾升阳。     

王有鹏教授应用当归六黄汤治疗病毒性心肌炎经验

病毒性心肌炎是小儿常见的心系疾病,是病毒感染后引起的心肌损伤,目前西医治疗本病尚无特效药物,王有鹏教授从中医整体观念出发,运用辨病、辨证与辨体相结合的方法,结合中医阴阳平衡的理论,注重心脾两脏辨证关系来治疗本病,获得较好疗效。王有鹏教授借鉴古方当归六黄汤的病因病机,寒温并用,补清兼施,做到异病同治,疗效显著,值得同道探讨。     

邱健主任从心小肠藏象系统论治腹泻型肠易激综合征的临床经验

邱健主任医师从事中医临床35年,临床治疗腹泻型肠易激综合征(IBS-D)有独到的见解,认为IBS-D的病因为先天禀赋不足和(或)后天失养、情志失调、饮食不节、感受外邪等,其发病关键在于心小肠藏象系统功能紊乱,心阳不足,不能温煦小肠,小肠泌别清浊失司而发为泄泻,以“桂枝荔芝汤”为基础方论治此病临床效果显著。     

益气养阴解毒方联合环磷腺苷葡胺注射液治疗病毒性心肌炎35例

目的:探讨益气养阴解毒方联合环磷腺苷葡胺注射液对病毒性心肌炎患者心功能及外周血清肿瘤坏死因子-α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)、转化生长因子-β1(transforming growth factor-β1,TGF-β1)和干扰素-γ(interferon-γ,IFN-γ)水平的影响。方法:将70例病毒性心肌炎患者按照随机数字法分为对照组和观察组,每组各35例。两组患者均给予常规治疗,对照组在常规治疗的基础上给予环磷腺苷葡胺注射液静脉滴注,观察组在对照组的基础上联合益气养阴解毒方治疗。比较两组患者的临床疗效及治疗前后左室短轴缩短分数(left ventricular shortening fraction,LVFS)、左心室射血分数(left ventricular ejection fraction,LVEF)、心脏指数(cardiac index,CI)、TNF-α、TGF-β1和IFN-γ水平。结果:观察组有效率为88.57%,对照组有效率为68.57%,两组患者有效率比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者治疗后LVEF、LVFS高于本组治疗前,且观察组高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者治疗后TGF-β1、TNF-α水平低于治疗前比较,IFN-γ高于治疗前,且观察组TGF-β1、TNF-α低于对照组,IFN-γ高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。两组患者不良反应发生率比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:益气养阴解毒方联合环磷腺苷葡胺注射液治疗病毒性心肌炎疗效更显著,可减轻机体的炎症反应,恢复患者心功能。