ObjectiveTo compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes between laminoplasty and laminectomy compression and fusion with internal fixation to treat cervical spondylotic myelopathy. MethodsBetween September 2006 and September 2009, 143 cases of multilevel cervical myelopathy (the affected segments were more than 3) were treated by laminoplasty in 87 cases (group A) and by laminectomy decompression and fusion with lateral mass screw fixation in 56 cases (group B). There was no significant difference in gender, age, disease duration, pathological type, and affected segments between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, improvement of neurological function [Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) 17 score], and the incidences of complications were observed; the cervical curvature index (CCI), range of motion (ROM), and symptoms of neck and shoulder pain [visual analogue scale (VAS) and neck disability index (NDI) scores] were recorded and compared. ResultsThere was no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05). All patients were followed up 18-30 months (mean, 24 months). C5 nerve root palsy occurred in 4 cases (4.60%) of group A and in 5 cases (8.93%) of group B, showing no significant difference (χ2=0.475, P=0.482). No complication of deep infection, pseudarthrosis, or screw loosening occurred. No closure of opened laminae was observed in group A; and no screw extrusion, breakage, or nerve injury was observed in group B. At last follow-up, neck axial symptoms appeared in 35 cases (40.23%) of group A and in 11 cases (19.64%) of group B, showing significant difference (χ2=6.612, P=0.009). No significant difference was found in JOA score, CCI, ROM, or VAS scores between 2 groups at preoperation (P gt; 0.05); the JOA score, ROM, and VAS scores of groups A and B and CCI of group A at last follow-up were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones (P lt; 0.05). No significant difference was found in the JOA score, improvement rate, and VAS score between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05); however, significant differences were found in ROM and CCI between 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). There were significant differences (P lt; 0.05) in pain intensity, lifting, work, reaction, driving, and total score between 2 groups at last follow-up. ConclusionLaminectomy decompression and fusion with internal fixation can effectively relieve pain, but it will greatly reduce the ROM; laminoplasty has less complications and satisfactory outcome. The two methods have similar effectiveness in the improvement of neurological function.
Objective To explore the occurrence condition of the neck axial symptom (AS) after cervical Bryan artificial disc replacement combined with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (Hybrid surgery) and traditional anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF surgery) to treat the two-level cervical disease, and to do contrastive analysis. Methods Between August 2006 and March 2010, 18 patients underwent Hybrid surgery (group A) and 30 patients underwent two-level ACDF surgery (group B). There was no significant difference in age, gender, disease duration, type, and operated segment between 2 groups (P gt; 0.05). The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, neck disability index (NDI) score, cervical curvature of the operated segment, total range of motion (ROM) of C2-7, ROM of the adjacent segment, and incidence of neck AS were recorded and compared between before operation and at last follow-up. Results All the patients were followed up 18-34 months (24.1 months on average). In both groups, the JOA and NDI scores at last follow-up had significantly improvement when compared with preoperative scores (P lt; 0.01), but there was no significant difference between 2 groups at preoperation and last follow-up (P gt; 0.05). The kyphosis incidence of the operated segment in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (χ2=5.333, P=0.021). There was no significant difference in the total ROM of C2-7 between at preoperation and last follow-up in group A (t=0.410, P=0.685); the total ROM of C2-7 at last follow-up was significantly lower than that at preoperation in group B (t=3.007, P=0.006); and significant difference was found between 2 groups at last follow-up (t=2.664, P=0.013). At last follow-up, ROM of the superior and inferior adjacent segments in group B increased obviously (P lt; 0.05) and was significantly higher than that in group A (t=2.252, P=0.033; t=2.203, P=0.037). The incidence of neck AS were 16.7% in group A and 46.7% in group B, showing significant difference at last follow-up (χ2=4.427, P=0.035). Conclusion Compared with two-level ACDF surgery, Hybrid surgery has good outcomes. At the same time, it can maintain the curvature of operated segments and total ROM, avoid excessive increased ROM of the adjacent segments, and reduce the incidence of neck AS.
Objective To investigate the status of frailty in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to analyze the influence of COVID-19 disease on the prevalence of frailty. Methods This study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey method. COVID-19 patients admitted to a centralized isolation point in Guangzhou were selected for an questionnaire survey by “questionnaire star”, between November and December 2022. The questionnaire included the general information questionnaire, Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), the COVID-19 symptom scale and Mental Resilience Scale (RS-11). Multi-model logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influence of COVID-19 on the occurrence of debilitation. Results A total of 667 questionnaires were distributed, of which 594 were valid, with an effective rate of 89.1%. There were 150 patients (25.3%) were frail, 444 patients (74.7%) were non-frail, and 51 patients (8.6%) were newly frail after infected COVID-19. The median TFI score before COVID-19 was 3 (2, 4) points, 16.7% (99/594) were in a weak state. The median TFI score after COVID-19 was 3 (2, 5) points, 25.3% (150/594) were in a weak state. There were statistically significant differences in TFI scores (Z=?6.596, P＜0.001) and the incidence of debilitation (χ2=351.648, P＜0.001) before and after COVID-19. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after controlling disease factors, demographic factors and psychosocial factors, the score of the COVID-19 symptom score was always the influencing factor of COVID-19 patients. The overall change trend of COVID-19 symptom score was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusions The COVID-19 symptom score is an important risk factor or predictor of frailty in patients with COVID-19. As the level of COVID-19 symptom score increases, the risk of frailty in COVID-19 patients increases.
Patients with autoimmune encephalitis are mainly characterized by behavioral, mental and motor abnormalities, neurological dysfunction, memory deficits and seizures. Different antibody types of autoimmune encephalitis its pathogenesis, clinical characteristics are different, in recent years found immune related epilepsy is closely related to autoimmune encephalitis, based on autoimmune encephalitis type is more, we choose more common autoimmune encephalitis, expounds its characteristics, to help clinical diagnosis.
ObjectiveTo compare the mid-term effectiveness of arthroscopy versus conservative treatment on symptomatic discoid lateral meniscus (SDLM) in middle-aged and elderly patients. Methods The clinical data of 118 middle-aged and elderly patients (154 knees) with SDLM who received arthroscopy or conservative treatment between June 2014 and May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, including 76 patients (96 knees) in the arthroscopy group (group A) and 42 patients (58 knees) in the conservative treatment group (group B). There was no significant difference in age, gender, and body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with group B, the symptoms duration in group A was longer, the incidences of discoid lateral meniscus injury and mechanical symptoms were higher, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Lysholm score before treatment were worse, with significant differences (P<0.05). VAS score and Lysholm score before and after treatment were recorded and compared. ResultsThe patients in both groups were followed up 60-74 months, with an average of 66.3 months. The follow-up time of group A and group B was (65.9±3.5) months and (67.0±4.0) months respectively, with no significant difference (t=–1.615, P=0.109). At last follow-up, in either group A or group B, the VAS score and Lysholm score significantly improved when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The differences of VAS score and Lysholm score in group A before and after treatment were significantly better than those in group B (P<0.05). ConclusionArthroscopy and conservative treatment have a satisfactory mid-term effectiveness on SDLM in middle-aged and elderly patients. However, the improvement of symptoms and function of arthroscopy was significantly better than that of conservative treatment. For middle-aged and elderly SDLM patients with invalidated conventional treatment for 6 months, severe clinical symptoms, long duration of symptoms, and combined with mechanical symptoms, arthroscopy should be given priority even if they are complicated with early osteoarthritis.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of black cohosh root extract in the treatment of menopausal symptoms for patients with breast cancer.
MethodsDomestic and foreign literatures about the effect of black cohosh root extract in the treatment of menopausal symptoms for patients with breast cancer were collected to make a review.
ResultsBlack cohosh root extract was a kind of herbal preparations. In the treatment of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients, it not only had significantly curative effect but also had less adverse reactions.
ConclusionsIn the treatment of menopausal symptoms in breast cancer patients, black cohosh root extract gives people a new treatment idea. It has significant side effect and can be widely promoted and applied in clinical.
Objective To investigate the smoking status and factors influencing tobacco dependence among inpatients with respiratory diseases, and analyze the relationship of salivary and plasma nicotine metabolic ratio (NMR) with tobacco dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on eligible patients admitted to the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, between October 2023 and October 2024. Basic information of enrolled patients was collected and smoking questionnaires were administered. The participants were categorized into current smokers or former smokers based on smoking status. The current smokers were classified into no dependence, mild dependence, moderate dependence, and severe dependence by ICD-10, Chinese guidelines, and FTND. Group differences were analyzed with ANOVA and chi-square test. Tobacco dependence risk factors were identified by univariate/multivariate logistic regression. The smokers were stratified into slow and normal metabolizers based on NMR to analyze its correlation with tobacco dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Results Among 602 enrolled patients, 20.4% initiated smoking before age 18 years, with a mean smoking history of 46.2 pack-years. Family members smoked in 49.3% and friends smoked in 89.5% of cases; primary smoking motivations were conformity, curiosity, and boredom relief. Tobacco dependents had significantly higher rates of family member smoking (P=0.005) and withdrawal symptoms (P<0.001). Logistic regression identified lower education level, absence of pulmonary infection, parental smoking, and higher daily cigarette consumption as significant risk factors for tobacco dependence. NMR was positively correlated with nicotine dependence severity (saliva: rs=0.303, P=0.013; plasma: rs=0.297, P=0.045). Normal metabolizers had a significantly higher prevalence of nicotine dependence than slow metabolizers (saliva: 56.3% vs. 33.3%, P=0.014; plasma: 58.8% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044). Withdrawal symptoms were positively correlated with NMR (rs=0.244, P=0.048), with a higher incidence in normal metabolizers (81.3% vs. 58.8%, P=0.048). Conclusions Lower education level, absence of pulmonary infection, parental smoking, and higher daily cigarette consumption are major risk factors for tobacco dependence. Normal nicotine metabolizers are more likely to exhibit higher levels of tobacco dependence and withdrawal symptoms than slow metabolizers.
Objective
To investigate the effect of the penetration of mini-plate mass screws into facet joint on axial symptoms in cervical laminoplasty.
Methods
A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 52 patients who underwent unilateral open-door cervical expansive laminoplasty fixed with Centerpiece mini-plate between September 2009 and December 2011. There were 42 males and 10 females, with a mean age of 61.2 years (range, 34-83 years). Seventeen patients exhibited simple degeneration cervical canal stenosis, 25 patients had multilevel cervical disc protrusion, and 10 patients had ossification of posterior longitudinal ligaments. Disease duration ranged 1-120 months (median, 11 months). The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score was used to assess neurological function, and JOA recovery rates were calculated. The visual analogue score (VAS) and the neck disability index (NDI) were used to evaluate the axial pain and neck daily activities. The axial symptoms and other complications were recorded. The cervical canal diameter, cervical curvature, cervical canal cross area, and open angle were measured according to the X-ray films, CT scans, and MRI scans. The postoperative CT three dimensional (3-D) reconstruction images were used to identify whether the screws penetrated into the facet joints. All the patients were divided into 3 groups according to involved facet joints: no joint penetrating group (no penetrated facet joint), oligo-joint penetrating group (one or two penetrated facet joints), and multi-joint penetrating group (three or more penetrated facet joints).
Results
Five patients suffered from C5 nerve palsy, and 2 patients had cerebrospinal fluid leakage. The follow-up time ranged 3-35 months (mean, 15.7 months). At the final follow-up, the JOA scores, NDI, cervical canal diameter, and cervical canal cross area were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones (P lt; 0.05). At 1 week after operation, CT 3-D reconstruction showed that 16 patients had no penetrated facet joint, 23 patients had one or two penetrated facet joints, and 13 patients had three or more penetrated facet joints. There was no significant difference in age, gender, disease duration, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and follow-up time among 3 groups (P gt; 0.05). And at the final follow-up, there was no significant difference in JOA score, VAS score, cervical curvature, cervical canal diameter, cervical canal cross area, the JOA recovery rates, and lamiae open angle among 3 groups (P gt; 0.05). The NDI of the multi-joint penetrated group was significantly higher than that of other 2 groups (P lt; 0.05). Axial pain occurred in 1 case of no penetrating group, in 4 cases of oligo-joint penetrating group, and in 5 cases of multi-joint penetrating group, showing no significant difference among 3 groups (χ2=4.881, P=0.087).
Conclusion
The penetrations of lateral mass screws into articular surface of facet joint may contribute to the axial symptoms after cervical laminoplasty. The risk of axial symptom raises accompany with increased penetrated facet joints.
Objective
To explore the effect of kidney transplantation on chronic prostatitis-like symptoms.
Methods
A total of 300 male renal transplant recipients between January 2015 and January 2017 were collected in the study. All recipients received the questionnaire survey of the National Institute of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) preoperatively and at 3 months after transplantation. The score and relevant risk factors were statistically analyzed.
Results
A total of 210 recipients (70.0%) completed questionnaire effectively, in whom 150 (71.4%) had preoperative and 90 (42.9%) had postoperative chronic prostatitis-like symptoms, respectively. In the 210 patients, the preoperative and postoperative pain score was 6.57±3.12 vs. 3.57±3.16 (P<0.001), voiding score was 3.71±2.38vs. 3.29±2.66 (P=0.116), quality of life score was 7.57±1.60 vs. 5.14±2.75 (P<0.001), and the total NIH-CPSI score was 17.86±3.81vs. 12.00±6.65 (P<0.001), respectively. The severity of chronic prostatitis-like symptoms was alleviated significantly after kidney transplantation.
Conclusion
Kidney transplantation can alleviate the chronic prostatitis-like symptoms significantly, and improve the quality of life in uremia patients.
Objective To cluster the symptoms of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) through the cluster analysis, and to explore the relationships among symptom clusters of CHF, patients’ self-care behaviors and sleep quality, as well as the pathways influencing sleep quality of CHF patients. Methods A convenience sampling approach was used to provide a questionnaire survey to CHF patients who were being followed up with between January and December 2021. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Heart Failure, European Heart Failure Self- care Behavior Scale and a self-created questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical data characteristics were all included in the survey. Results A total of 304 CHF patients were included. Among them, there were 178 males and 126 females; the average age was (61.31±14.00) years; the average sleep quality score was (8.17±4.51) points, while the average overall self-care behavior score was (21.28±3.80) points. According to the cluster analysis of the symptoms of CHF patients, the patients’ symptoms were separated into clusters related to exhaustion, disease perception, and a single symptom of dry mouth. The sleep quality score was positively correlated with the following factors: age, number of comorbidities, overall score of symptom assessment, fatigue symptom cluster score, and illness perception symptom cluster score (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the self-care behavior score and sleep quality (P>0.05). However, sleep quality scores were negatively correlated with body mass index and education level, respectively (P<0.05). Age, gender, score of illness perception symptom cluster, and fatigue symptom cluster all had direct effects on sleep quality of 0.014, 0.206, 0.487, and 0.165 (P<0.05), respectively, according to path analysis. Self-care behavior also had a direct influence of 0.018 (P=0.686). Conclusions CHF patients have somewhat high levels of self-care behaviors, but they have poor sleep quality. They still have a lot of symptoms after being released. Sleep quality is significantly impacted by the patients’ age, body mass index, educational attainment, number of comorbidities, symptom ratings, fatigue symptom clusters, and disease perception symptom clusters. While the route effects of the patients’ self-care actions are not statistically significant, the age, gender, disease perception, and fatigue symptom cluster scores of CHF patients have a direct impact on the quality of their sleep. By managing the same clusters of symptoms, nursing staff can help patients with CHF feel better. They can also help patients sleep better by adopting practical measures.
