Cough variant asthma is a special type of asthma, of which the only or main symptom is cough, and it is the main cause of chronic cough. Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent cough variant asthma developing into typical asthma. This article summarizes the progress in pathogenesis, diagnosis and assessment, treatment, and prognosis of cough variant asthma, aiming to improve the prevention and treatment of this disease, and increase the patients’ quality of life.
Trans-radial access (TRA) has been a common approach to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Comparing with trans-femoral access (TFA), TRA is used as an alternative approach for PCI with less local complications, higher comfort level, and better outcome. In recent years, TRA has been paid more and more attention in peripheral vascular interventions. We reviewed recent developments in peripheral vascular intervention using TRA, with detail summary of the effectiveness, safety, limits, and future developments of it, aiming to improve the understanding and performance of TRA in interventionalists to benefit patients.
Objective To investigate the clinical outcome of sensory reconstruction about the functional perforator flap for repairing the complex defects on the limbs. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 21 patients with limb complex defects admitted between March 2018 and January 2023. There were 12 males and 9 females, with a median age of 36 years (range, 19-62 years). The wounds were on the upper limbs (hands) in 13 cases and the lower limbs (feet) in 8 cases. Five patients with tumor/scar, and the left defects after en-bloc resection of the tumor lesion and scar were repaired immediately. The remaining 16 cases were acute/chronic wounds, undergoing the emergent debridement and vacuum sealing drainage placement, and the left defects were repaired with flaps during second-stage operation. The size of the defects ranged from 5.5 cm×4.5 cm to 17.0 cm×12.0 cm. The donor sites were located on the thoracic and back in 4 cases, the anterior lateral thigh in 6 cases, and the feet in 11 cases. All flaps were functional perforator flaps with sensory nerve. The donor sites were closed directly or repaired with skin grafting. At last follow-up, the sensation of flap and the muscle strength of recipient site were evaluated according to the British Medical Research Council (BMRC) sensory grading (S0-S4) and muscle strength grading (M0-M5) criteria. Results Twenty flaps survived completely without significant complication, and partial edge necrosis was observed in 1 flap, which healed after the debridement and skin grafting. The donor and recipient sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 10-18 months (mean, 12 months). At last follow-up, the flaps with satisfactory shape and soft texture were observed, and no abnormal hair growth or pigmentation occurred. The sensation of flap was evaluated as S1 in 2 cases, S2 in 7, S3 in 9, and S4 in 3. The muscle strength of recipient site was evaluated as M2 in 4 cases, M3 in 9, M4 in 5, and M5 in 3. Only linear scars were left at the donor site. Conclusion The functional perforator flap with sensory nerve is beneficial for early sensation reconstruction for repairing the complex defects on the limbs, and could reconstruct the functional subunit structure defect in one stage. The short-term functional follow-up results are satisfactory.
Objective To investigate the effects of TiotropiumBromide on airway inflammation in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( COPD) . Methods Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group A received normal breeding as normal control. Group B and group C received LPS( 200 μg, intratracheally injected at the 1st and the 14th day) and tobacco exposure( from the 2nd day to the 30th day except the 14th day) to establish COPD model. And group C received a nebulized dose of Tiotropium Bromide( 0. 12 mmol / L, 10 minutes) 30 minutes before the tobacco exposure each time. Airway resistance and compliance were measured before sacrificed. Histological examination was performed with Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. The concentrations of IL-8 and LTB4 , total and differential cells counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid( BALF) were examined, and the concentrations of IL-8 and LTB4 in blood serum were also examined by ELISA. Results Severe lung inflammation and decreased lung function were demonstrated in the rats in the group B compared with those in the group A. The inflammatory cell counts in BALF, and the levels of IL-8 and LTB4 in BALF and serum were significantly increased in the group B compared with those in the group A. Tiotropium Bromide administration improved the parameters above. Conclusions The results suggest that Tiotropium Bromide can alleviate the lung inflammation and improve the lung function in a rat COPD model. These effects may be exerted through reducing the mediators of inflammation.
Objective To investigate the blood clotting dysfunction of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis(IPA)and the therapeutic effect of low molecular hepafin in a mouse model．Methods The neutropenic IPA mouse model was constructed by being given cyclophosphamide to depress immunologic function，and then intranasally challenged with Aspergillus fumigatus conidia．(1)Blood clotting function were assessed by bleeding time，clotting time，platelet count and antithrombase-III(AT-III)activity．Seventy-two mice were randomly assigned into 4 groups．Group A received only normal saline．group B received normal saline to substitute the cycloph0sphamide，and the rest equal to group D．Group C received normal saline to substitute the AspergiUus fumigatus conidia suspension，and the rest equal to group D．Group D(model group)received cyclophosphamide(intraperitoneally，150 mg／kg，d4，d1)and Aspergillus fumigatus conidia suspension(intranasally，40 μL／mouse，1．5×10∧5／mL，d0)．Six mice were randomly sacrificed in each group for analysis of blood clotting function per 24 h after inoculation for 3 times．(2)Therapeutic effect of low molecular heparin was determined by survival time of IPA mice．One hundred and eighteen mice were randomly assigned into 4 groups after challenged with 6×10 conidia／mouse and received one of the following regimens daily from dl to d7 after challenge，vehicle(group E，n=29)，low molecular heparin(group F，n=30，subcutaneous injection，1000 IU／kg，qd×7 d)，amphotericin B(group G，n=29，intraperitoneal，1 m kg，qd×7 d)，low molecular heparin plus amphotericin B(group H，n=30)．Mice survivals were recorded once daily to d21 after innoculation．Results (1)AT-III activity of group D decreased significantly 24 h after innoculation．Bleeding time and clotting time decreased significantly and AT—III activity decreased sequentially 48 h after innoculation．The platelet decreased significantly 72 h after innoculation，and bleeding time shoaened further．Clotting time was longer than that 0f 48 h．but still shorter than norm al and AT-III activity decreased sequentially．There were significant differences when comparing group D with group A，B and C(all Plt;0.01)．And there was no significant difference between group A，B and C(all Pgt;0．05)．(2)Survival analysis indicated that the therapeutic effect of low molecular hepafin plus amphotericin B was better than that of amphotericin B or low molecular heparin alone．No therapeutic effect was found in group F(group E vs group F，Pgt;0．05，both group E and group F compared with group H，P lt;0．01．Group H vs group G，P lt;0．05．Both group E and group F compared with group G，P lt;0．05)．Conclusions The results suggest that there is blood clotting dysfunction in IPA mice and AT—III activity may be an early index to monitor the disfunction．Compared with the therapeutic effect of amphoterinein B alone，low molecular hepafin plus amphoterincin B can prolong survival of neutropenic IPA mice
Objective
To evaluate the biomechanical stability of a newly-designed Y type pedicle screw (YPS) in osteoporotic synthetic bone.
Methods
The osteoporotic synthetic bone were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=20). A pilot hole, 3.0 mm in diameter and 30.0 mm in deep, was prepared in these bones with the same method. The YPS, expansive pedicle screw (EPS), and bone cement-injectable cannulated pedicle screw (CICPS) were inserted into these synthetic bone through the pilot hole prepared. X-ray film examination was performed after 12 hours; the biomechanical stability of YPS, EPS, and CICPS groups was tested by the universal testing machine (E10000). The test items included the maximum axial pullout force, the maximum running torque, and the maximum periodical anti-bending.
Results
X-ray examination showed that in YPS group, the main screw and the core pin were wrapped around the polyurethane material, the core pin was formed from the lower 1/3 of the main screw and formed an angle of 15° with the main screw, and the lowest point of the inserted middle core pin was positioned at the same level with the main screw; in EPS group, the tip of EPS expanded markedly and formed a claw-like structure; in CICPS group, the bone cement was mainly distributed in the front of the screw and was dispersed in the trabecular bone to form a stable screw-bone cement-trabecular complex. The maximum axial pullout force of YPS, EPS, and CICPS groups was (98.43±8.26), (77.41±11.41), and (186.43±23.23) N, respectively; the maximum running torque was (1.42±0.33), (0.96±0.37), and (2.27±0.39) N/m, respectively; and the maximum periodical anti-bending was (67.49±3.02), (66.03±2.88), and (143.48±4.73) N, respectively. The above indexes in CICPS group were significantly higher than those in YPS group and EPS group (P<0.05); the maximum axial pullout force and the maximum running torque in YPS group were significantly higher than those in EPS group (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the maximum periodical anti-bending between YPS group and EPS group (P>0.05).
Conclusion
Compared with EPS, YPS can effectively enhance the maximum axial pullout force and maximum rotation force in the module, which provides a new idea for the design of screws and the choice of different fixation methods under the condition of osteoporosis.
Objective
To investigate the clinical application of relaying lateral gastrocnemius artery perforator flap in reconstruction of the donor defect after distally sural flap transferring.
Methods
Between January 2014 and January 2016, 12 cases with foot and ankle defects were treated. There were 10 males and 2 females with an average age of 23.4 years (mean, 14-52 years). The injury was caused by motorcycle accident in 7 cases and traffic accident in 5 cases. The injury located at left limb in 7 cases and right limb in 5 cases. The size of soft tissue ranged from 10 cm×4 cm to 12 cm×6 cm. The disease duration was 2-84 hours (mean, 26.2 hours). The foot and ankle defects were reconstructed by distally sural flaps, then the flap donor sites were reconstructed with relaying lateral gastrocnemius artery perforator flap at the same stage. The size of distally sural flap ranged from 11 cm×5 cm to 13 cm×7 cm. The size of relaying flap ranged from 7 cm×4 cm to 10 cm×6 cm.
Results
All flaps survived uneventfully. All recipient sites and donor sites healed smoothly. No vascular crisis, wound dehiscence, or evident swelling occurred. All patients were followed up 6-14 months (mean, 12.4 months) with satisfied esthetic and functional results in recipient and donor sites. There were only linear scar on the donor sites. The color and contour was satisfying, the function of calf and foot were not affected.
Conclusion
The relaying lateral gastrocnemius artery perforator flap combined with distally sural flap is an idea choice to reconstruct foot and ankle defect, which can avoid donor site skin grafting, minimize donor site morbidity.
