Chinese Med J Peking
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Chinese Med J Peking · Jun 2012
Predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment score in sepsis.
The prognostic power of n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in sepsis is disputable and unstable among different models. We attempt to evaluate the prognostic potential of NT-proBNP in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score in sepsis. ⋯ In our study, both DNT-proBNP and SOFA were independent predictors of septic patients' prognosis. Moreover, the combination of DNT-proBNP and admission SOFA provided a novel strategy that contained information regarding both the response to treatment and sepsis severity.
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Chinese Med J Peking · Jun 2012
Relationships between pain intensity and heart rate variability in patients after abdominal surgery: a pilot study.
A link between postoperative pain intensity and heart rate variability (HRV) had not been well established. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between post-operative pain intensity and HRV. ⋯ The multidimensional pain assessment tool (SF-MPQ) reflects better the patients' post-operative pain than the single-dimensional assessment tool (VAS). HRV positively correlated with SF-MPQ scores in patients after abdominal surgery.
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Chinese Med J Peking · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyInfliximab monotherapy for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.
Tumor necrosis factor-α is a key mediator in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Infliximab is a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to tumor necrosis factor-α. The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy and safety of 5 mg/kg infliximab therapy in Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. ⋯ Infliximab treatment was effective as induction and maintenance treatments for Chinese patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Most drug-induced adverse events were mild to moderate, and well tolerated. Screening for tuberculosis is essential and prophylactic treatment should be given if necessary.
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Chinese Med J Peking · Jun 2012
Meta AnalysisEffect of polymorphisms in the β2-adrenergic receptor on the susceptibility and pulmonary function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a meta analysis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous and complex disease of which the pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Many factors could influence COPD development and progression. One of them is the genetic risk factor. A severe hereditary deficiency of alpha-1 antitrypsin is the best genetic proof. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of beta2-adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR) result in single amino acid substitution. Two loci had been extensively studied and found that they could change the function of β(2)AR. Two SNPs consist of substitutions of glycine for arginine at amino acid position 16, glutamic acid for glutamine at position 27. Many studies proved that polymorphisms at position 16 and 27 altered the lung function of COPD patients or the patient's susceptibility to the development of COPD. However, there was no exclusive conclusion. Therefore, a meta analysis was done to investigate the effect of polymorphisms in the β2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2) gene on the risk of COPD and lung function. ⋯ Polymorphisms of ADRB2 at positions 16 and 27 did not change the risk of COPD nor affect lung function or disease severity. The genotype distribution for these polymorphisms was different between Caucasian and Asian populations.
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Chinese Med J Peking · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialEarly versus late percutaneous dilational tracheostomy in critically ill patients anticipated requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Tracheostomy should be considered to replace endotracheal intubation in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV). However, the optimal timing for tracheostomy is still a topic of debate. The present study aimed to investigate whether early percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) can reduce duration of MV, and to further verify whether early PDT can reduce sedative use, shorten intensive care unit (ICU) stay, decrease the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP), and increase successful weaning and ICU discharge rate. ⋯ The early PDT resulted in more ventilator-free, sedation-free, and ICU-free days, higher successful weaning and ICU discharge rate, and lower incidence of VAP, but did not change the cumulative 60-day incidence of death in the patients' anticipated requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation.