Point‐of‐care ultrasound in paediatric emergency medicine

Point‐of‐care ultrasound (POC US) is an adjunct to clinical paediatric emergency medicine practice that is rapidly evolving, improving the outcomes of procedural techniques such as vascular access, nerve blocks and fluid aspiration and showing the potential to fast‐track diagnostic streaming in a range of presenting complaints and conditions, from shock and respiratory distress to skeletal trauma. This article reviews the procedural and diagnostic uses, both established and emerging, and provides an overview of the necessary components of quality assurance during this introductory phase.     

A rapid interleukin-6 bedside test for the identification of intra-amniotic inflammation in preterm labor with intact membranes

Objective: Preterm birth is associated with 5–18% of pregnancies and is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Amniotic fluid (AF) interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key cytokine for the identification of intra-amniotic inflammation, and patients with an elevated AF IL-6 are at risk for impending preterm delivery. However, results of the conventional method of measurement (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ELISA) are usually not available in time to inform care. The objective of this study was to determine whether a point of care (POC) test or lateral-flow-based immunoassay for measurement of AF IL-6 concentrations can identify patients with intra-amniotic inflammation and/or infection and those destined to deliver spontaneously before term among women with preterm labor and intact membranes.

Methods: One-hundred thirty-six women with singleton pregnancies who presented with symptoms of preterm labor and underwent amniocentesis were included in this study. Amniocentesis was performed at the time of diagnosis of preterm labor. AF Gram stain and AF white blood cell counts were determined. Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) was defined according to the results of AF culture (aerobic and anaerobic as well as genital mycoplasmas). AF IL-6 concentrations were determined by both lateral flow-based immunoassay and ELISA. The primary outcome was intra-amniotic inflammation, defined as AF ELISA IL-6?≥?2600?pg/ml.

Results: (1) AF IL-6 concentrations determined by a POC test have high sensitivity (93%), specificity (91%) and a positive likelihood ratio of 10 for the identification of intra-amniotic inflammation by using a threshold of 745?pg/ml; (2) the POC test and ELISA for IL-6 perform similarly in the identification of MIAC, acute inflammatory lesions of placenta and patients at risk of impending spontaneous preterm delivery.

Conclusion: A POC AF IL-6 test can identify intra-amniotic inflammation in women who present with preterm labor and intact membranes and those who will subsequently deliver spontaneously before 34 weeks of gestation. Results can be available within 20?min – this has important clinical implications and opens avenues for early diagnosis as well as treatment of intra-amniotic inflammation/infection.     

两种灸法治疗轻中度膝骨关节炎的疗效对照研究

目的:观察雷火-热敏灸与单纯雷火灸治疗轻中度膝骨关节炎的临床疗效差异。方法:将60例轻中度KOA患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组30例,治疗组采用雷火灸条施以热敏灸法治疗,对照组采用单纯雷火灸条悬灸治疗。分别于治疗后2周及治疗4周后,观察两组疼痛VAS评分及骨关节炎指数(WOMAC评分),并比较两组临床疗效。结果:治疗后2周,两组VAS评分及WOMAC各项评分与治疗前比较,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.01);治疗组与对照组比较,VAS评分差异显著(P0.05),WOMAC疼痛评分、WOMAC身体功能评分、WOMAC总分差异极显著(P0.01)。治疗后4周,两组WOMAC僵硬评分与治疗后2周比较,差异显著(P0.05);两组VAS评分、WOMAC疼痛评分、WOMAC身体功能评分及WOMAC总分与治疗后2周比较,差异极显著(P0.01);治疗组与对照组比较,WOMAC身体功能评分、WOMAC总分差异显著(P0.05)。治疗后4周,治疗组与对照组总有效率分别为96.67%和93.33%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.01);治疗后3个月随访,治疗组与对照组总有效率分别为96.55%和96.30%,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:雷火-热敏灸较单纯雷火灸治疗KOA在短期内疗效更优,且疗效稳定。     

腰俞穴中药穴位注射麻醉用于肛肠手术研究

目的:通过对腰俞穴中药穴位麻醉与肛周局部浸润麻醉进行临床对比研究,比较两种麻醉方式的优点和缺点,为肛肠手术麻醉选择提供指导。方法:收集临床病例80例,随机分为试验组和对照组(每组各40例):试验组采用复方薄荷脑注射液行腰俞穴穴位注射;对照组采用20 m L(1.5%盐酸利多卡因)注射液注射于肛门周围皮下组织、两侧的坐骨直肠窝。观察两组病例麻醉不良反应情况、术中疼痛情况、术中镇痛范围、术中肛门松弛情况。结果:两组病例采用两种不同麻醉方式后,镇痛范围、疼痛情况以及肛门的松弛情况差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);对两组病例的麻醉不良反应进行统计学分析,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:在肛肠手术时,采用腰俞穴中药穴位注射麻醉较采用肛周局部浸润麻醉具有多方面优势。     

Multiplex bead-based immunoassay for the free soluble forms of the HLA-G receptors,ILT2 and ILT4

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G is an immune-inhibitory molecule that exerts its function via interaction with two main inhibitory receptors: ILT2 and ILT4. This interaction is considered to be an immune checkpoint. HLA-G can be found as a soluble molecule, but it is not known if its receptors can also be found as soluble molecules. In this work, we present a multiplex luminex-based assay to measure soluble ILT2 (sILT2) and soluble ILT4 (sILT4) molecules together. It is based on two antibody pairs, GHI/75 and HP-F1-PE for ILT2 and 27D6 and 42D1-PE for ILT4. The characterization of our method reveals that it specifically detects the free soluble forms of sILT2 and sILT4, and not those complexed to HLA Class I molecules such as their ligand of highest affinity HLA-G. A study on two small cohorts of cancer patients demonstrated that soluble ILT2 and ILT4 molecules were of low abundance in the plasma of healthy controls, but that elevated levels of plasmatic sILT2 were present in non-muscle-infiltrating bladder cancer patients. This demonstrated that the titration test is indeed working, and that soluble ILT2 molecules do exist in pathological contexts, which relevance may now be sought on larger cohorts and other pathologies.     

电针“肺俞”穴对慢性阻塞性肺疾病大鼠迷走神经放电的影响

目的 观察电针“肺俞”穴对慢性阻塞性肺疾病（chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD)大鼠迷走神经放电的影响,初步探讨针刺治疗COPD的作用机制。方法 随机将40只SD大鼠分为正常组、正常电针组、模型组、模型电针组,后两组以香烟烟熏结合脂多糖气管滴注法复制COPD模型。观察各组大鼠支气管肺泡灌洗液(bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, BALF)和血浆中乙酰胆碱（acetylcholine, ACh）的含量,并取正常电针组、模型电针组大鼠的“肺俞”穴进行即刻电针治疗,观察电针前后大鼠迷走神经放电情况。结果 与电针前比较,正常电针组和模型电针组大鼠电针后颈部左侧迷走神经放电频率、面积和幅度均显著增加（P<0.05） 模型电针组大鼠电针前后颈部左侧迷走神经放电频率、面积和幅度差值显著大于正常电针组（P<0.05）。ACh在外周血浆中含量变化为：模型组显著高于正常组（P<0.05）,模型电针组显著高于正常电针组但显著低于模型组（P<0.05）。ACh在BALF中含量变化为：正常电针组显著高于正常组（P<0.05）,模型电针组显著高于正常电针组和模型组（P<0.05）。结论 电针“肺俞”穴可使COPD大鼠迷走神经放电增强,并促进肺局部ACh递质的释放。