中西医结合治疗继发性再生障碍性贫血的临床观察

目的：探析中西医结合疗法对继发性再生障碍性贫血的临床疗效。方法：选取我院收治的继发性再生障碍性贫血患者92例，随机分为对照组和中药组各46例，对照组给予西医治疗，中药组在对照组治疗的基础上，给予补肾中药方剂辅助治疗，观察两组患者的临床疗效。结果：中药组治疗总有效率高于对照组；在中医症状积分上，中药组症状改善的时间较对照组快；中药组不良反应的发生率低于对照组。结论：补肾中药方剂联合西医疗法可以提高再生障碍性贫血的治疗总有效率，改善骨髓增生的程度，为临床指导治疗提供了依据。     

Is computer-assisted training effective in improving rehabilitative outcomes after brain injury? A case-control hospital-based study

BackgroundRehabilitation of impaired cognitive functions begins to be considered a standard component of medical care after acquired brain injury. Indeed, many evidences support the effectiveness of the two major categories of techniques, i.e. the traditional and computer-assisted ones, which are widely used in cognitive rehabilitative treatment.ObjectiveAim of this study is to evaluate the effects of pc – cognitive training in brain injury patients.MethodsWe studied 35 subjects (randomly divided into two groups), affected by traumatic or vascular brain injury, having attended from January 2010 to December 2012 the Laboratory of Robotic and Cognitive Rehabilitation of IRCCS Neurolesi of Messina. Cognitive impairment was investigated through psychometric battery, administered before (T0) and two months (T1) after the cognitive pc-training, which was performed only by the experimental group, in addition to conventional treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon test with a p < 0.01.ResultsAt time T0, all patients showed language deficits and cognitive alterations in visual attention and memory abilities. After the rehabilitation program we noted a global improvement in both the groups. However, at T1, the experimental group showed a greater cognitive improvement than the control group, with significant differences in nearly all the neuropsychological tests performed.ConclusionsOur data suggest that cognitive pc-training may be a promising methodology to optimize the rehabilitation outcomes following brain injury.     

Using Tablet Computers to Teach Evidence-Based Medicine to Pediatrics Residents: A Prospective Study

ObjectiveWe sought to determine if tablet computers—supported by a laboratory experience focused upon skill-development—would improve not only evidence-based medicine (EBM) knowledge but also skills and behavior.MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study where we provided tablet computers to our pediatric residents and then held a series of laboratory sessions focused on speed and efficiency in performing EBM at the bedside. We evaluated the intervention with pre- and postintervention tests and surveys based on a validated tool available for use on MedEdPORTAL. The attending pediatric hospitalists also completed surveys regarding their observations of the residents' behavior.ResultsAll 38 pediatric residents completed the preintervention test and the pre- and postintervention surveys. All but one completed the posttest. All 7 attending pediatric hospitalists completed their surveys. The testing, targeted to assess EBM knowledge, revealed a median increase of 16 points out of a possible 60 points (P < .0001). We found substantial increases in individual resident's test scores across all 3 years of residency. Resident responses demonstrated statistically significant improvements in self-reported comfort with 6 out of 6 EBM skills and statistically significant increases in self-reported frequencies for 4 out of 7 EBM behaviors. Attending pediatric hospitalists reported improvements in 5 of 7 resident behaviors.ConclusionsThis novel approach for teaching EBM to pediatric residents improved knowledge, skills, and behavior through the introduction of a tablet computer and laboratory sessions designed to teach the quick and efficient application of EBM at the bedside.     

Interlimb transfer of motor skill learning during walking: No evidence for asymmetric transfer

Several studies have shown that learning a motor skill in one limb can transfer to the opposite limb—a phenomenon called as interlimb transfer. The transfer of motor skills between limbs, however, has shown to be asymmetric, where one side benefits to a greater extent than the other. While this phenomenon has been well-documented in the upper-extremity, evidence for interlimb transfer in the lower-extremity is limited and mixed. This study investigated the extent of interlimb transfer during walking, and tested whether this transfer was asymmetric using a foot trajectory-tracking paradigm that has been specifically used for gait rehabilitation. The paradigm involved learning a new gait pattern which required greater hip and knee flexion during the swing phase of the gait while walking on a treadmill. Twenty young adults were randomized into two equal groups, where one group (right-to-left: RL) practiced the task initially with the dominant right leg and the other group (left-to-right: LR) practiced the task initially with their non-dominant left leg. After training, both groups practiced the task with their opposite leg to test the transfer effects. The changes in tracking error on each leg were computed to quantify learning and transfer effects. The results indicated that practice with one leg improved the motor performance of the other leg; however, the amount of transfer was similar across groups, indicating that there was no asymmetry in transfer. This finding is contradictory to most upper-extremity studies (where asymmetric transfer has been reported) and points out that both differences in neural processes and types of tasks may mediate interlimb transfer.     

自拟通芪汤治疗原发性支气管肺癌104例

[目的]观察自拟方通芪汤治疗原发性支气管肺癌的临床疗效。[方法]将169例原发性支气管肺癌患者随机分为两组,治疗组104例,给予口服通芪汤治疗,对照组65例,给予口服消癌平片治疗,连服3个月后比较疗效。[结果]治疗组治疗后,瘤体缓解率75.96%,临床症状改善率85.58%,对照组治疗后,瘤体缓解率66.15%,临床症状改善率75.38%,两组疗效比较,差异有显著性(P<0.01)。[结论]自拟方通芪汤疗效显著,且无毒副作用。     

Compellingness: assessing the practical relevance of clinical research results

While the critical appraisal of clinical research has generally focused on aspects of study design and statistical analysis, other features of clinical studies appear to be more important to clinicians for assessing the value of a particular study in the care of particular patients. These features relate to the quality of the knowledge derived from the research, the value of the results to the care of individual patients, and the responsibility of clinicians to be stewards of limited resources. Twelve features of clinical research studies that affect how compelling individual clinicians find the results are proposed and examined here. By better understanding what makes clinical research compelling enough to alter or reinforce clinical practice, clinical researchers can design future studies to better serve the needs of clinicians and patients.