Holistic Approach to Functional Constipation: Perspective of Traditional Persian Medicine

Traditional Persian medicine (TPM) proposes a different viewpoint to the chronic diseases. Diagnosis and implemented treatment are based on individual differences among patients. Constipation or Ea''teghal-e-batn is a condition in which the patient develops difficult or painful defecation. Based on TPM concepts, the first digestion step starts from halq (oral cavity), and ends via defecation from the maq''ad (anus). Avicenna believed that four faculties, ha''zemeh (digestive), ja''zebeh (absorptive), ma''sekeh (retentive) and da''fe''eh (propulsive), are involved in the process of digestion and absorption of the ingested food and expelling the waste materials. The bowel movement and appearance of the stool is a measure for evaluating the gastrointestinal healthy function. Defecation should be with no pain and fecal material should have no burning and acuity. Low food intake or foods with dry temperament, dryness of gastrointestinal tract, diaphoresis and heavy exercise as well as intestine sensory loss were discussed as main causes of constipation. Management of constipation in TPM includes dietary schemes, oil massages and subsequently simple herbal medicines. According to TPM theories, the first step in treating a disease is the elimination of disease causes (asbab e-maraz) and also providing the causes of health (asbab-e-sehhat). Health care providers should know the proper condition which the herbal medicines should be administered in and be able to guide the patients about the benefits and hazards of herbal remedies, commonly used in their living origin.     

Intraocular inflammation after Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty for the treatment of glaucoma

This is a prospective interventional clinical study evaluating intraocular inflammation developed after Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty (UCP) for the treatment of glaucoma. Eighteen eyes of 18 patients were treated with UCP second-generation probes (Eye OP1). After treatment, the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) significantly decreased from 26.8±7.2 to 18.8±6.1 mm Hg at day 1 and to 14.7±3.4 mm Hg at month 6 (all P<0.001). Mean laser flare-cell photometry value steeply increased after surgery from 12.1±7.5 to 64.1±53.9 ph/ms (P=0.001) at day 1, and then progressively decreased to respectively 60.6±49.7 at day 7, 43.5±38.5 at day 14 and 28.2±18.3 at month 1 (all P<0.05), returning at levels similar to baseline ones at month 3 and month 6 (respectively 16.7±6.2 and 12.8±10.2, both P>0.05). A significant negative correlation was found between postoperative increase of aqueous flare values and anterior chamber depth (R=-0.568, P=0.014). This timeframe may be considered reasonable for repeating UCP treatment, when required.     

基于常规和三元整合教育方案对超低出生体重儿住院期间父母焦虑抑郁影响的历史对照研究

目的 评价专业人员-父母-住院早产儿三元整合教育方案(三元整合教育方案)在超低出生体重早产儿(ELBW)中的临床应用效果。方法 选取复旦大学附属儿科医院2个年度ELBW的连续样本,对照组常规护理教育方案,实验组三元整合教育方案,采用贝克焦虑量表 (BAI)和贝克抑郁量表第2版(BDI-Ⅱ)作为评价焦虑和抑郁的工具,比较不同教育方案父母的焦虑、抑郁程度的差别和父母入院时和出院前焦虑、抑郁水平。结果 实验组79对父母、对照组64对父母进入本文分析。实验组ELBW平均孕周小于对照组,试管婴儿比例高于对照组,机械通气时间长于对照组,但住院时间并不长于对照组,母乳喂养率也较对照组明显增高,差异均有统计学意义。入院时实验组和对照组BAI粗分[(18.9±9.8)vs (17.1±10.2)]和BDI-Ⅱ评分[(17.2±8.8)vs (16.0±9.0)],中重度焦虑[(37/128) vs (36/158)]和中重度抑郁的例数[(38/128) vs (51/158)],差异均无统计学意义;实验组和对照组出院时较入院时BAI粗分下降了(11.0±6.5)分和(8.5±2.3)分,BDI-Ⅱ评分下降了(11.3±8.1)分和(9.1±7.9)分,中重度焦虑和中重度抑郁的例数均有明显下降,差异均有统计学意义;实验组焦虑和抑郁评分改善值好于对照组,差异有统计学意义。入院时父亲焦虑和抑郁评分均较高于母亲,差异均有统计学意义。结论 三元整合教育方案明显降低了ELBW父母焦虑、抑郁的水平,在单中心的历史对照研究中得到较好的验证。     

The efficacy of tucatinib-based therapeutic approaches for HER2-positive breast cancer

Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) occurs in approximately 15%–20%of breast cancer cases.HER2 is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family with tyrosinase kinase activity,and its overexpression is linked to poor prognosis and shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival(OS).Among various treatment options,HER2-targeting monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs) have mostly been applied in recent decades to treat...     

卒中医疗体系之急诊医疗服务的实施策略:美国心脏协会/美国卒中协会急诊医疗服务体系专家组和卒中委员会的政策声明

尽管卒中的预防、诊断、治疗和康复已取得一些进展,但卒中在美国仍然是第三大死亡原因和长期残疾的主要原因.每年约有70万人新发或复发卒中[1].在过去10年里,急性卒中诊治的一些进展,包括纤溶和其他短期疗法的引入,突出显示了急诊医疗服务(emergency medical services,EMS)机构和急诊医疗服务体系(emergency medical services systems,EMSS)在优化卒中医疗中的关键作用[2-7].     

Medical treatment of peripheral arterial disease in the elderly

Smoking should be stopped and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypothyroidism be treated in elderly patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Statins reduce the incidence of intermittent claudication and improve exercise duration until the onset of intermittent claudication in persons with PAD and hypercholesterolemia. Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel, especially clopidogrel, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and statins should be given to all persons with PAD. Beta blockers should be given if coronary artery disease is present. Exercise rehabilitation programs and cilostazol lengthen exercise time until intermittent claudication develops. Chelation therapy should be avoided.     

Percutaneous cervical carotid artery access with stenting of the left internal carotid artery in an elderly patient

To describe the successful endovascular treatment in a nonagenarian with symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis using direct carotid artery access. An independent 98 year-old man was admitted to our hospital for symptoms of progressive weakness with disorientation and dysphasia. Carotid Duplex ultrasonography was performed which revealed a totally occluded right internal carotid artery and high grade stenosis of the left internal carotid artery by velocities of 608/240 cm/sec. The patient refused surgical endarterectomy and thus he was referred for carotid artery stenting. Using the femoral artery approach and multiple catheter techniques, access to the common carotid artery could not be accomplished safely. The procedure was aborted and he was therefore brought back to the catheterization laboratory the following day for direct carotid access. Carotid artery stenting was accomplished by using of a 6F sheath percutaneously in the left common carotid, cerebral protection device (CPD) and a Nitinol stent. The patient was discharged the following day without complications. At 14 months follow-up the patient is functional and independent without recurrence of symptoms. Carotid artery stenting via direct access can be accomplished in patients when the femoral artery approach is anatomically prohibitive. In this case of advanced age and the patient‘s refusal for surgery, direct carotid access was his only option.     

Diagnosis and treatment of hypertensive crises in the elderly patients

Hypertension is a common clinical problem in the elderly worldwide and physicians of all types are likely to encounter patients with hypertensive urgencies and emergencies in these patients. Although various terms have been applied to these conditions, they are all characterized by acute elevations in blood pressure and evidence of end-organ injury. Prompt, but carefully considered therapy is necessary to limit morbidity and mortality. A wide range of pharmacologic alternatives are available to the practitioner to control blood pressure and treat complications in these patients. The management of the elderly patient with hypertensive crises needs to include close monitoring and a gentle decline in blood pressure to avoid catastrophic complications, exacerbation of ischemic myopathy, and vascular insufficiency.     

针刺穴位与非穴位激活不同脑区的效应观察

目的：观察穴区与非穴区对大脑功能区影响的差异，以探讨相关的针刺理论基础。方法：以视力正常的健康志愿者18人作为受试对象，随机分为A、B组。两组先分别接受针刺假穴治疗，然后A组针刺穴位光明和太冲，B组针刺穴位丰隆和陷谷。所有成像技术均采用1．5T磁共振扫描仪（西门子Erlangen）。结果：在试验中，丘脑及红核的激活、大脑外侧沟与顶颞皮质的激活证明了针刺真穴位与假穴位在激活类型上有显著差异。结论：通过针刺与视觉有关的穴位发现针刺对于视皮质并没有确切的影响，但对其他皮质区，如脑岛、外侧沟、顶颞皮质等与疼痛及躯体感觉刺激有关的皮质有激活作用。     

五味清浊散乙醇提取物镇痛镇静作用研究

目的:研究五味清浊散乙醇提取物(WWQZSAE)的镇痛、镇静作用。方法:采用小鼠热板刺激法、光热尾痛法、醋酸扭体法进行镇痛作用研究;采用小鼠自主活动计数法观察镇静作用。结果:WWQZSAE ig能提高热板法和光热尾痛法试验小鼠痛阈值;减少由醋酸引起的试验小鼠扭体反应次数;能明显减少小鼠自主活动次数。结论:WWQZSAE有明显的镇痛镇静作用。