National level data analysis of facial lacerations in Korea using the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database

No national epidemiological investigations have been conducted recently regarding facial lacerations. The study was performed using the data of 3,634,229 people during the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018 archived by the National Health Information Database (NHID) of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Preschool and children under 10 years old accounted for about one-third of patients. Facial lacerations were concentrated in the “T-shaped” area, which comprised forehead, nose, lips, and the perioral area. The male to female ratio for all study subjects was 2.16:1. Age and gender are significantly related with each other (P < .001). Mean hospital stays decreased, and numbers of outpatient department visits per patient were highest for hospitals and lowest for health agencies. Over the study period, hospital costs per patient in tertiary and general hospitals increased gradually. Preschool and school-aged children are vulnerable to trauma. Male patients outnumbered female patients by a factor of more than 2. The “T-shaped’” area around forehead is vulnerable to injury. Total cost of medical care benefits per patient in tertiary hospitals was about 7 times on average than in health agencies. Regarding functional, behavioral, and aesthetic outcomes, more attention should be paid to epidemiologic data and hospital costs for facial lacerations.     

理气中药组方对糖尿病大鼠胃排空延迟的作用

目的:观察理气中药经验组方对糖尿病大鼠胃排空延迟的干预作用。方法:雌雄各半成年SD大鼠110只,随机分为正常组(A组)、糖尿病中药组(B组)、糖尿病胃复安组(C组)、糖尿病组(D组)。A组、D组1次/d按10 mL/只予0.9%生理盐水灌胃,B组1次/d按8 mL/只予中药煎剂灌胃,C组1次/d按0.5 mg/只予胃复安片灌胃。喂养12周后,行13C胃排空实验及甲基橙水溶液胃排空实验,观察各组大鼠胃排空情况。结果:糖尿病大鼠胃排空较正常大鼠明显延迟(P0.01),糖尿病大鼠胃排空延迟模型制作成功。糖尿病中药组和糖尿病胃复安组大鼠胃排空较糖尿病组快(P0.01);糖尿病中药组大鼠胃排空较糖尿病胃复安组大鼠快(P0.05)。结论:常规喂养12周后糖尿病大鼠出现胃排空延迟。理气中药陈皮、枳实、木香、香附组方煎剂和胃复安均能促进糖尿病大鼠胃排空,理气中药组方煎剂的效果优于胃复安。     

Botulinum toxin blocks mast cells and prevents rosacea like inflammation

Background

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition whose etiology has been linked to mast cells and the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin LL-37. Individuals with refractory disease have demonstrated clinical benefit with periodic injections of onabotulinum toxin, but the mechanism of action is unknown.

Cardiac Denervation for Arrhythmia Treatment with Transesophageal Ultrasonic Strategy in Canine Models

Stellate ganglion (SG) modification has been investigated for arrhythmia treatment. In this study, transesophageal SG imaging and intervention were explored using a homemade 30F integrated focused ultrasonic catheter in healthy mongrel canines in vivo. Anatomic details of SGs were ultrasonically imaged and evaluated. SG had a heterogeneous echoic structure and characteristic profiles sketched by hyper-echoic outlines in an ultrasonogram. Left SGs in the experimental group were successfully ablated through the esophagus under ultrasonic guidance provided by the catheter itself. Two weeks after the ablation, the QT and QTc of the experimental group decreased compared with those of the sham group and at baseline (both p values < 0.001). Histologic examination revealed that left SGs were destroyed. No major complications were observed. This approach may be further explored as a method for ganglia remodeling evaluation and as a strategy of ganglia modification for arrhythmia and for other diseases.