Medicine
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Observational Study
Distinguishing tuberculosis pleural effusion from parasitic pleural effusion using pleural fluid characteristics: A case control study.
Tuberculosis pleural effusion (TPE) and parasitic pleural effusion (PPE) present with similar clinical manifestations. We evaluated the pleural fluid features of TPE and PPE. A total of 76 patients with pleuritis, including 25 patients with TPE and 51 patients with PPE were retrospectively studied. ⋯ The mean level (SD) of ADA was 46.99 ± 22.09 U/L in the TPE group and 39.08 ± 23.03 U/L in the PPE group. No difference was detected between the study groups in terms of the ADA level of the pleural fluid (P > .05). When the results of pleural fluid testing reveal marked eosinophilia and a low proportion of lymphocytes, physicians should consider a diagnosis of PPE, especially for patients who live in or have traveled to endemic areas.
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After nearly 20 years of development, China has realized some achievements in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). The purpose of this article is to introduce and evaluate the development and characteristics of HEMS in China by collecting and analyzing relevant literature and, in so doing, help this vital service to further develop. ⋯ China's HEMS is a relatively new service. Its level of development is low, interregional development is uneven, and cooperation has been insufficient. We need to strengthen capital investment and develop a unified guideline to further enhance the development of HEMS in China.
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Observational Study
The incidence of unexpected poor ovarian response in Chinese young women.
Unexpected poor ovarian response (UPOR) is a problem for both clinicians and infertile couples, because our understanding of this situation is limited. This article investigated incidence of UPOR in women <35 years with normal ovarian reserve function with further analysis. This is a retrospective study, which included 567 women who accepted their first IVF-ET/ICSI. ⋯ The incidence of UPOR in Chinese women is 21.16%. Patient age (χ = 6.177, P = .0129), basic FSH (χ = 20.585, P < .0001), basic LH (χ = 11.689, P = .0006), and AFC (χ = 8.053, P = .0045) might be helpful for diagnosis of UPOR. The basic evaluation of ovarian function may no longer be simplified into normal and abnormal ovarian reserve function; rather, by using a detailed numerical analysis, such as basal FSH and LH levels, the ovarian response to ovulation induction may be predicted to some extent.
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Case Reports
Surgical treatment of postburn heterotopic ossification around the elbow: Three case reports.
Heterotopic ossification (HO), which is defined as the formation of new bone in tissues that do not normally ossify, is an infrequent yet debilitating complication of burns. Herein, we report three patients who suffered from elbow HO after burn injury due to a dust explosion event. This is a case report that includes the most cases involved in a single mass casualty incident in the presented literature. ⋯ We discuss our experience of treating postburn HO and review the recent literature. The postburn HO treatment results of early surgical excision combined with immediate postoperative physical therapy were satisfactory.
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Hypoglycemia, which is characterized mainly by palpitations, dizziness, and sweating, is common and easy to identify. However, some other symptoms, such as mental disorder or abnormal behavior, are atypical, which may lead to a misdiagnosis of epilepsy, sleepwalking, infarction, or mental disorder, among others. ⋯ For physicians, if the cause of abnormal behavior cannot be detected, hypoglycemia should be suspected. Long-term persistent hypoglycemia may cause brain dysfunction and even result in permanent brain damage.