Medicine
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Danggui Liuhuang (DLH) decoction is a traditional herbal medicine that is widely used in East Asia to treat menopausal symptoms. Most of the available clinical trials that investigated DLH decoction have been included in this review. The objectives of this protocol are to provide the information of how to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of DLH decoction for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. ⋯ The full systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The review will also be disseminated electronically and in print. Updates of the review will be conducted to inform and guide healthcare practice and policy.
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Case Reports
Five-year serial follow-up of muscle MRI in adult onset myotonic dystrophy type 1: A case report.
Although several studies have described the involvement pattern of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) using muscle MRI, most of these studies have limitations as cross-sectional studies. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reports of longitudinal studies describing muscle involvement patterns in patients with DM1 via serial MRI. ⋯ Since most previous studies on muscle involvement patterns in DM1 patients were cross-sectional studies, this case series of studying muscle involvement patterns through serial MRI in patients with DM1 may have significant clinical significance.
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Cheiro-Oral syndrome (COS) is a pure sensory deficit confined to the perioral area and ipsilateral distal fingers or hand. Owing to relatively minor clinical findings and various presentations in different cases, the insidious and severe illness it implies may be overlooked at acute settings. ⋯ We demonstrated type I COS associated with thalamic hemorrhage to highlight the neurological implication of COS. It is crucial for emergency clinicians to recognize the symptoms and promptly order a neuroimaging study to exclude large infarction/hemorrhage, which would deeply affect the disposition and following treatment of the patient.
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Controlled Clinical Trial Observational Study
Evaluation of HVHF for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis accompanying MODS.
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) prevention is key to severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) treatment and the assessment of high-volume hemofiltration (HVHF) for treating SAP accompanying multiple organ dysfunction syndromes. In this prospective controlled study, 40 SAP patients were divided into 2 groups: control (n = 22, treated with fasting, decompression, and intravenous somatostatin) and HVHF (n = 18, HVHF administration in addition to the treatment in the control group) groups; and were assessed for serum and urine amylase, WBC, C-reactive protein (CRP), and hepatic and renal functions. Vital signs and abdominal symptoms were recorded, and complications and mortality were analyzed. ⋯ Meanwhile, mortality (16.7% vs 31.8%) and complication (11.1% vs 40.9%) rates were significantly reduced. The other clinical parameters were significantly ameliorated by HVHF. HVHF rapidly reduces abdominal symptoms and improves prognosis, reducing mortality in SAP patients; and is likely through systemic inflammatory response syndrome attenuation in the early disease stage.
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Intrathecal therapy, with a low complication rate, has become an alternative to standard pain management for treatment of neuropathic cancer pain. ⋯ In conclusion, cervical intrathecal infusion requires low concentration but high doses of bupivacaine and morphine, which is safe and effective in cancer patients with refractory pain and short life expectancy.