Sequential Therapy Based on Evolvement of Patterns: A New Model for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

In order to solve the problem of long-term (>9 months) efficacy in the treatment of Alzheimer''s disease (AD) by conventional therapy (CT), a staged and multiply-targeted sequential therapy based on the evolvement of patterns (STEP) was developed. Its main innovations include: (1) the time order of evolution of patterns defined by Chinese medicine (CM) in AD was found, that is, "the orderly pattern evolution starting from Shen (Kidney) deficiency, progressing to phlegm, stasis and fire, and worsening to severe toxin as well as functional collapse"; (2) the cascade hypothesis of Shen deficiency in AD and its sequential therapy based on Shen-reinforcing was proposed, that is, "reinforcing Shen in the early stage and throughout the whole process, resolving phlegm, activating blood and purging fire in the middle stage, detoxifying and replenishing vitality to stop the collapse in the advanced stage", and through meta-analysis, clinical drug use was optimized, thus the leap from "inferential selection" to "evidence-based selection" was realized; (3) the STEP regimen combined with CT maintained cognitive and behavioral stability in AD patients for at least 12 months, with cognitive enhancement and behavioral synergy after 9 months, and cognitive benefit was superior to CT at 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months, respectively. The 2-year cognitive improvement rate was increased by 25.64% (P=0.020) and the cognitive deterioration rate was decreased by 48.71% (P=0.000). Among them, the cognitive and functional benefits of Shen-reinforcing therapy for very early AD (350 cases) for 1 year were better than the placebo (P<0.001), and the dementia conversion rate was reduced by 8.85% (P=0.002). The behavioral symptomatic relief of patients with vascular dementia received fire-purging therapy (540 cases) was superior to those received CT (P=0.016). These data suggested that the STEP regimen has synergistic effects on CTs at least in terms of cognitive benefit, and the earlier the use, the greater the benefit will have. Therefore, the STEP regimen should be considered as one of the clinical options, particularly for the dearth of effective pharmaceutical or immunological interventions that are currently available for AD.     

Multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with Lyme disease suspicion

Objective

The teaching hospital of Nancy, France, implemented a specific multidisciplinary care pathway (French acronym AMDPL) to improve the management of patients presenting with Lyme borreliosis (LB) suspicion. We aimed to assess the first year of activity of this care pathway.

Effectiveness of a nurse-led multidisciplinary self-management program for patients with coronary heart disease in communities: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo examine the effectiveness of a nurse-led multidisciplinary self-management program (NMSP) on self-management behaviors, self-efficacy, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and unplanned health service utilization (HSU) among Chinese patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in communities.MethodsA randomized controlled trial with repeated measurements was used. A convenience sample of 144 participants was recruited from a community health center in China. All participants were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 72) in the newly developed NMSP or a control group (n = 72) in routine care. Outcome measurement was performed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months using Coronary Artery Disease Self-Management Scale (CADSs), Self-efficacy for Chronic Disease 6-item Scale (SECD6), and Short Form-12 health survey questionnaire (SF-12).ResultsOver the six months, the two groups reported significant differences in disease medical and emotional management of CADSs, confidence in symptom and disease management of SECD6, physical and mental component summary of SF-12, as well as emergency and outpatient visits of unplanned HSU.ConclusionsThe NMSP improves self-management behaviors, self-efficacy, HRQoL and reduces unplanned HSU among CHD patients in communities.Practice implicationsThis study provides an effective approach to empower CHD patients with emphasizing on collaboration support of health professionals in communities.     

老年难治性胃食管反流病患者食管动力学特征和反流特点分析

目的 分析老年难治性胃食管反流病（rGERD）患者食管动力学特征和反流特点。方法 以我院2017 年2 月～2019 年12 月收治的100 例rGERD 患者为观察对象。按照年龄分为老年组（年龄≥60 岁）42 例和非老年组（年龄＜60 岁）58 例。比较两组基线资料、临床表现特征、食管动力学特征、反流特点。结果 老年组与非老年组在性别、BMI 指数、吸烟及饮酒方面比较，差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。老年组胸痛、上腹部不适及慢性咳嗽发生率均高于非老年组，差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。老年组LESP 及LEPP 水平均低于非老年组，差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。老年组酸反流、弱酸反流、非酸反流、气体反流、气液混合反流次数均高于非老年组，差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 老年rGERD 患者存在明显的食管动力学异常，且该类患者的反流主要是弱酸反流、非酸反流、气体反流、气液混合反流。     

Post-Lyme disease syndrome

About 10% of patients with Lyme disease continue to experience musculoskeletal pain and cognitive dysfunction after recommended antibiotic treatment. This condition is called post-Lyme disease syndrome (PLDS) or post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. These two terms are used interchangeably. The pathogenesis of PLDS has been controversial. The hypothesis that patients with PLDS may harbor hidden reservoirs of Borrelia burgdorferi after their initial antibiotic treatment is difficult to accept. The prospective, double-blind studies contradict this point of view. Also, recently published research applying xenodiagnosis to PLDS supports the opinion that PLDS most likely has an autoimmune background. Lengthy courses of antibiotics are not justified in patients with PLDS because of the lack of benefit, and they are fraught with hazards. Most patients with PLDS recover from persistent symptoms with time. However, it can take months before they feel completely well.     

Review/overview of pain in sickle cell disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a highly complex inherited disorder of hemoglobin structure. Although the molecular lesion is a single-point mutation, the sickle gene is pleiotropic in nature causing multiple phenotypic expressions that constitute the various complications of the disease. Its manifestations could be acute, chronic, nociceptive, neuropathic that could occur singly or in various combinations. Pain continues to be the major factor of SCD phenotypic complications and the most common cause of admissions to the Emergency Department and/or the hospital. Although progress has been made in understanding the pathophysiology of SCD as well as in developing curative therapies such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy, effective pain management continues to lag behind. Palliative therapies continue to be the major approach to the management of SCD and its complications. The advent of hydroxyurea made partial success in preventing the frequency of vaso-occlusive crises and l-glutamine awaits post-trial confirmation of benefits. The search for additional pharmacotherapeutic agents that could be used singly or in combination with hydroxyurea and/or l-glutamine awaits their dawn hopefully in the near future. The purpose of this review is to describe the various manifestations of SCD, their pathophysiology and their current management. Recent impressive advances in understanding the pathophysiology of pain promise the determination of agents that could replace or minimize the use of opioids.     

lncRNA RP11-86H7.1在川崎病诊断中的临床意义

目的：探讨lncRNA RP11-86H7.1在川崎病（KD）患者血清中的表达及其与临床病理特征及预后的关系。方法：筛选KD特异相关的循环lncRNA，分KD治疗前患儿组、KD治疗后患儿组、普通发热患儿组及健康儿童组，采用qPCR检测各组血清lncRNA RP11-86H7.1相对表达。分析血清lncRNA RP11-86H7.1相对表达与KD临床病理特征间关系；绘制ROC曲线，分析血清lncRNA RP11-86H7.1表达水平对KD的诊断效能。结果：KD急性患儿组血清lncRNA RP11-86H7.1相对表达量高于各对照组（P＜0.05）；年龄和性别比例与低表达组比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）；qPCR发现lncRNA RP11-86H7.1在KD急性期患儿血清中表达水平明显高于KD恢复期、健康儿童及发热儿童组，差异均有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论：血清lncRNA RP11-86H7.1在KD患者中表达上调，其可作为KD早期诊断和评估预后的潜在的生物标志物。     

互动式歌唱表演对轻中度阿尔茨海默病患者抑郁、精神行为和运动训练参与率的影响

目的 观察互动式歌唱表演对轻中度阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者抑郁、精神行为症状及运动训练参与率的影响。方法 选取符合入组条件≥60周岁AD患者63例，随机分为研究组（31例）和对照组（32例）。所有受试患者常规药物治疗及常规运动训练，对照组接受被动性音乐治疗，研究组接受以互动歌唱为主的主动性音乐治疗，1次/d，每次1小时，每周训练5天，持续干预6个月。于治疗前、治疗1个月后、治疗3个月后、治疗6个月后分别采用康奈尔痴呆抑郁量表（CSDD）评分、阿尔茨海默病病理行为（BEHAVE AD）评分、参与率进行评估。结果 治疗1个月、3个月后，研究组CSDD评分较治疗前均降低（P<0.05）；治疗6个月后，研究组患者CSDD评分较治疗前、治疗1个月、3个月后均显著降低（P<0.05），且与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗1个月、3个月后，研究组BEHAVE AD评分较治疗前均降低（P<0.05）；治疗6个月后，研究组患者BEHAVE AD评分较治疗前、治疗1个月、3个月后均显著降低（P<0.05），且与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。治疗6个月后，两组运动训练参与率组间比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 互动式歌唱表演可能对改善轻中度AD患者的抑郁和精神行为症状有着积极的疗效，同时对提高受试者运动训练的参与率可能有着更积极的疗效。     

The management of emergency hospital visits for inflammatory bowel diseases: A French national expert consensus report

BackgroundManagement of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in the emergency department is often suboptimal.AimsTo develop a national consensus checklist of indicators to facilitate decision-making in emergency departments concerning hospitalisation and referral for abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT).MethodsA Delphi survey was used to obtain consensus on a checklist of clinical and biological variables. 119 healthcare professionals experienced in treating IBD were invited to participate. Panellists were provided with a literature survey and invited to agree or disagree with items on a prototype checklist. Two successive rounds of voting were organised.ResultsThe prototype checklist included fifteen clinical or laboratory indicators for hospitalisation or CT. Four indicators were not retained in the Delphi process and four additional indicators added. The final indicators retained were: abdominal signs/symptoms of disease exacerbation, intravenous morphine titration, fever, vomiting, dehydration, recent intestinal surgery, ano-perineal abscess, bowel obstruction, haemodynamic instability, anaemia, acute kidney failure and elevated C-reactive protein. Consensus for the retained indicators was >88%.ConclusionsUse of this consensus checklist for the management of IBD in the emergency department may help improve standards of care and thus reduce the burden of these diseases.