Medicine
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Observational Study
Are we ever too old?: Characteristics and outcome of octogenarians admitted to a medical intensive care unit.
The aging population increases the demand of intensive care unit (ICU) treatments. However, the availability of ICU beds is limited. Thus, ICU admission of octogenarians is considered controversial. ⋯ Octogenarians show a higher intra-ICU and long-term mortality than younger patients. Still, they show a considerable life expectancy after ICU admission even though they get less invasive care than younger patients. Furthermore, some admission diagnoses like myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia and monitoring post cardiac intervention are much stronger predictors for long-term survival than age or SAPS II score in the very old.
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Risk factors of hypoparathyroidism following total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection.
The risk factors of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy (TT) with central lymph node dissection (CND) have not been completely defined. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors of hypoparathyroidism after the surgery. We retrospectively reviewed our patients who underwent TT and CND (including lateral lymph node dissection) for thyroid carcinoma between January 2013 and June 2016. ⋯ Precise surgical techniques and carbon nanoparticles suspension should be applied for in situ preservation of parathyroid glands (PGs) in thyroid carcinoma patients, especially in females with hypertension and a tumor in the upper pole of thyroid gland. Autotransplantation is only performed when a PG is resected inadvertently or devascularized. TT with BCND should be better performed by an experienced surgeon to reduce the incidence of hypoparathyroidism.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy for the treatment of primary dysmenorrheal.
This study aimed to investigate the effect and safety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy for relieving pain in women with primary dysmenorrhea (PD). ⋯ TENS was efficacious and safe in relieving pain in participants with PD.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparative assessment of the efficacy and safety of acarbose and metformin combined with premixed insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
This study, a subgroup analysis of the data from the Organization Program of DiabEtes INsulIN ManaGement study, aimed to compare the efficacy and safety profiles of acarbose and metformin used in combination with premixed insulin. This analysis included 80 and 192 patients taking only 1 oral antidiabetic drug, classified into acarbose (treated with acarbose + insulin) and metformin groups (treated with metformin + insulin), respectively. The efficacy and safety data were analyzed for within- and between-group differences. ⋯ Mean scores of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale improved in both groups at endpoint. Combination of insulin with acarbose or metformin could improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Acarbose and metformin were found to be comparable in terms of efficacy, weight gain, and incidence of hypoglycemia.
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Comparative Study
Transabdominal ultrasonography of the pancreas is superior to that of the liver for detection of ectopic fat deposits resulting from metabolic syndrome.
The aim of our study was to investigate the rate of nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) in the south China province of Fujian and its relationship to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic parameters. NAFPD is frequently identified on transabdominal ultrasound examination. The incidence of NAFPD varies from 16% to 69.7% depending on the country. ⋯ The BMI, age, and NAFLD were the independent risk factors of NAFPD. The sex distribution, weight, SBP, DBP, BMI, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, glucose, cholesterol, NAFPD, and NAFLD were different significantly between metabolic syndrome and normal subjects. NAFPD and NAFLD can reflect the body metabolism, but NAFPD has a higher detection rate.