Modern Medicine: Ideas and Advances

Considering the limitations of medical science and the risks associated with medical treatments, we need to re-examine the connotation of medical science from the perspective of philosophy. Medical science is the natural expression of human kindness and human nature of rescuing the dying and healing the wounded. It is a combination of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. From the perspectives of medical philosophy and humanistic care, this article expounds the concepts and ideas of evidence-based, translational, and precision medicine in modern medicine and emphasizes the importance of avoiding new technical bureaucracy, paying attention to achieving a holistic view and systematic understanding, and avoiding biases in development because of the loss of the humanistic spirit in modern medical practice.     

Bypass Surgery or Stenting for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Diabetes

Background

The randomized EXCEL (Evaluation of XIENCE versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization) trial reported a similar rate of the 3-year composite primary endpoint of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke in patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCAD) and site-assessed low or intermediate SYNTAX scores treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Whether these results are consistent in high-risk patients with diabetes, who have fared relatively better with CABG in most prior trials, is unknown.

Psychomotor therapy targeting anger and aggressive behaviour in individuals with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

Background: Poor anger regulation is considered a risk factor of aggression in individuals with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities. Psychomotor therapy (PMT) targets anger regulation through body- and movement-oriented interventions. This study aims to inform practitioners on efficacy and research-base of PMT in this population.

Method: This systematic review evaluated nine studies which met inclusion criteria in terms of participants, intervention procedures, outcomes and certainty of evidence.

Results: Seven studies revealed a substantial reduction of aggressive behaviour or anger. Certainty of evidence was rated inconclusive in most cases due to absence of experimental control.

Conclusions: We can conclude that body-oriented PMT, involving progressive relaxation and meditation procedure “Soles of the Feet”, is a promising approach. However, the paucity of studies and methodological limitations preclude classifying it as an evidence-based practice. This suggests stronger methodological research and research aimed at PMT’s mechanisms of action (e.g., improved interoceptive awareness) is warranted.     

Variant analysis and genotype/phenotype association study in 42 Chinese patients with Bartter syndrome type 3

Objective To analyze the variants of 42 Chinese patients with Bartter syndrome type 3 (BS3) and explore the characteristics of genotype and phenotype. Methods Forty-two genetically diagnosed patients from 40 Han and one Hui families were collected in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University and the Affiliated Qingdao Municipal Hospital of Qingdao University during the period of June 2012 to October 2018. The second-generation sequencing and multiplex ligase probe-dependent amplification (MLPA) technique were used to analyze the CLCNKB gene variation and its characteristics in children with BS3. The clinical data were collected, and the therapeutic effect and growth improvement were observed and followed up. Thirty eight patients were divided into severe (n=26) and light (n=12) groups according to the severity of genetic variation. The clinical phenotypic characteristics of the two groups were compared. Results Thirty-six variants including 16 novel ones of CLCNKB gene were found. The whole gene deletion of CLCNKB gene was the most frequent mutation (40%), and the rate of large deletions was up to 55%. The most common symptoms included development retardation (38/42), polydipsia and polyuria (35/42), constipation (31/42) and vomiting (27/42). All patients presented with hypokalemia, hypochloremia and metabolic alkalosis. After the medicine treatment that based on indomethacin and potassium chloride, most patients could achieve obvious recovery of growth rate and restoration of hypokalemia. The severe group showed more severe metabolic alkalosis than the light group. Conclusions Thirty-six variants of CLCNKB gene have been found in this study, including 16 novel ones, which enrich the human gene mutation database (HGMD) and provide valuable references to diagnosis, treatment and the genetic counseling of Chinese population.     

Diabetes is associated with high risk of severe adverse events during chemotherapy for cancer patients: A single-center study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common comorbidity among cancer patients, but its impact on chemotherapy tolerance has not been widely studied. We aimed to compare the occurrence of severe grade 3/4 adverse events (G3/4 AEs) within 90 days of starting chemotherapy between patients with and without diabetes. We conducted a retrospective single-center study in Lille University Hospital Oncology Department, France. Patients who received the first cycle of chemotherapy for gastrointestinal, gynecological or cancer of unknown primary source between 1 May 2013 and 1 May 2016, were included. Overall, 609 patients were enrolled: 490 patients without diabetes (80.5%) and 119 patients with diabetes (19.5%). Within 90 days of starting chemotherapy, patients with diabetes had a significantly higher occurrence of AEs G3/4 compared to those with no diabetes (multivariate odds ratio [OR]: 1.57 [1.02-2.42], P = .04). More frequent G3/4 AEs in patients with diabetes were infection (26%), hematological disorders (13%), endocrine disorders (13%) and deterioration of the general condition (13%). In the year following the beginning of chemotherapy, patients with diabetes were twice as likely to be hospitalized as those without diabetes (univariate OR: 2.1 [1.40-3.15], P = .0003). After multivariate adjustment, diabetes was no longer significantly associated with the risk of hospitalization (P = .051). There were no differences between patients with and without diabetes regarding dose reduction and chemotherapy treatment delays (P = .61 and P = .30, respectively). Our study suggests the need for better consideration of DM in the personalized care plan to improve chemotherapy tolerance and quality of life of patients with DM.     

Patient navigation across the cancer care continuum: An overview of systematic reviews and emerging literature

Patient navigation is a strategy for overcoming barriers to reduce disparities and to improve access and outcomes. The aim of this umbrella review was to identify, critically appraise, synthesize, and present the best available evidence to inform policy and planning regarding patient navigation across the cancer continuum. Systematic reviews examining navigation in cancer care were identified in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Epistemonikos, and Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) databases and in the gray literature from January 1, 2012, to April 19, 2022. Data were screened, extracted, and appraised independently by two authors. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Review and Research Syntheses was used for quality appraisal. Emerging literature up to May 25, 2022, was also explored to capture primary research published beyond the coverage of included systematic reviews. Of the 2062 unique records identified, 61 systematic reviews were included. Fifty-four reviews were quantitative or mixed-methods reviews, reporting on the effectiveness of cancer patient navigation, including 12 reviews reporting costs or cost-effectiveness outcomes. Seven qualitative reviews explored navigation needs, barriers, and experiences. In addition, 53 primary studies published since 2021 were included. Patient navigation is effective in improving participation in cancer screening and reducing the time from screening to diagnosis and from diagnosis to treatment initiation. Emerging evidence suggests that patient navigation improves quality of life and patient satisfaction with care in the survivorship phase and reduces hospital readmission in the active treatment and survivorship care phases. Palliative care data were extremely limited. Economic evaluations from the United States suggest the potential cost-effectiveness of navigation in screening programs.     

老年脓毒症患者临床特征及预后影响因素

 目的 探讨老年脓毒症患者临床特征及影响预后的危险因素。方法 选取2020年7月-2021年9月某三级甲等医院收治的老年脓毒症患者为研究对象，记录患者的临床及实验室资料，根据患者28天预后情况分为存活组和死亡组，比较各临床指标在两组间的差异，应用二元logistic回归分析法分析影响老年脓毒症患者预后的独立危险因素，进一步绘制受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线，评估不同指标预测患者预后的价值。结果 共纳入121例患者，其中74例为脓毒症，47例为脓毒性休克。存活组92例，死亡组29例。与存活组相比，死亡组患者发生脓毒性休克、合并症个数 ≥ 2的比例均较高（P<0.05）；序贯器官衰竭评估（SOFA）评分和急性生理与慢性健康状况评估（APACHEⅡ）评分也较高，白细胞介素6（IL-6）、胱抑素C（Cys-C）、降钙素原（PCT）、凝血酶原时间（PT）和D -二聚体（D -D）表达水平均增高（均P<0.05），而淋巴细胞绝对计数（ALC）和清蛋白（ALB）表达水平降低（均P<0.01）。二元logistic回归分析显示脓毒性休克、SOFA评分、D -D及Cys-C表达水平是影响老年脓毒症患者28天预后的独立危险因素。ROC曲线分析显示SOFA评分（AUC=0.758）、D -D（AUC=0.774）、Cys-C（AUC=0.650）预测患者的预后均有一定的价值（均P<0.01），与单个指标相比，三个指标的联合检测显示出更高的预测价值（AUC=0.882）。结论 发生脓毒性休克、SOFA评分增高、D -D及Cys-C表达水平增加是导致老年脓毒症患者病死率上升的独立危险因素，SOFA评分、D -D和Cys-C的联合检测可进一步提高脓毒症患者预后的预测价值，为临床治疗和预后评估提供参考依据。