A Case of Refractory Insomnia Responding to Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy

A 42-year-old female patient suffered refractory insomnia. A variety of drugs including anti-anxiety, antidepressants, antipsychotics and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have been applied in the treatment with no significant effect, whereas modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) can significantly improve the patient’s sleep.

Clinical Effects of the Qi-acupuncture Therapy of TCM on Portal Hypertension

Objective:To explore the effective prevention and treatment of portal hypertension(PH).Methods:A total of 220 patients who came to our hospital from March 2015 to October 2018 were treated.They were randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group,each with 110 cases.Before treatment,there was no significant differences in age,sex,clinical symptoms,signs,laboratory tests and color Doppler ultrasound related examinations between the 2 groups(P>0.05).Among them,the treatment group on the basis of traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment in our hospital,the Qi-acupuncture therapy of TCM was added.The extra meridian acupoints along with acupoints were selected.The control group received conventional treatment with traditional Chinese and Western medicine in our hospital.Results:There were significant differences in clinical symptoms,signs and chemistry between groups after treatment(P<0.01).There were significant differences in test,color ultrasound related examination and so on(P<0.01).Those in the treatment group was significantly better than the control group(P<0.01).Conclusion:On the basis of the Qi-acupuncture therapy of TCM,selecting extra meridian acupoint and acupoints can effectively treat PH.

The Influence of Placement Time of Blood Samples on the Accuracy of Blood Glucose Measurement

This study aims to explore the influence brought by the decrease degree in blood glucose during the period when diabetes patients’ blood samples are collected through fasting blood and sent to the laboratory for detection on the accuracy on blood glucose measurement. Methods: This study is conducted by detecting fasting blood glucose of 150 patients who came to our hospital for physical examination and collecting their general information. Blood glucose concentration is measured through centrifugation after blood samples are placed for 0 min, 60 min, 120 min and 180 min.

Orthodontic treatment combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration for edentulism and its influence on mastication and phonic function

BACKGROUND Dentition defect,a common clinical oral disease developed in humans,not only causes masticatory dysfunction and articulation difficulties but also affects facial appearance and increases the burden on the intestinal tract.Restorative treatment is the primary option for this disease.However,traditional restorations have many drawbacks,such as mismatch with the body,low reliability,and incomplete occlusal function recovery.AIM to analyze the efficacy of orthodontics combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration in treating patients with dentition defects and its influence on masticatory and phonic functions.METHODS A prospective study was carried out in 86 patients with dentition defects who received implant prosthesis after orthodontic treatment in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2019.Those patients were divided into a control group and an intervention group with 43 patients in each group using a random number table.The control group received traditional implant restoration,whereas the intervention group received 3D printing guide plate implant restoration.Treatment outcomes,cosmetic appearance,dental function,implant deviation,and quality of life were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The overall response rate in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group(95.35%vs 81.40%,χ^(2)=4.071,P=0.044).The number of cases with neatly trimmed cosmetic appearance(χ^(2)=4.497,P=0.034),complete coverage(χ^(2)=4.170,P=0.041),and normal occlusion(χ^(2)=5.512,P=0.019)in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group.After treatment,mastication,swallowing,and articulation were significantly improved in both groups.Masticatory(t=2.980,P=0.004),swallowing(t=2.199,P=0.031),and phonic functions(t=3.950,P=0.004)were better in the intervention group than those in the control group.The deviation value and the deviation angle(t=5.440,P=0.000)at the top(t=6.320,P=0.000)and middle parts of the implants(t=22.295,P=0.000)in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group after treatment.Functional limitations,psychosocial and physical pain and discomfort,and total scores decreased in both groups.The functional limitation(t=2.379,P=0.020),psychosocial(t=2.420,P=0.000),physical pain and discomfort(t=6.581,P=0.000),and total scores(t=2.140,P=0.035)were lower in the intervention group than those in the control group.CONCLUSION Orthodontic treatment combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration can significantly improve the masticatory and phonic functions,quality of life,and psychological health of patients with dentition defects.Therefore,it is highly recommended in clinic application.

Utilization of Transthoracic Echocardiography Is Associated with a Decreased 6-month Readmission Rate in Hospitalized Heart Failure:A Propensity Score-matched Analysis

Objective::Repeated hospitalization due to congestion is a characteristic of the whole course of heart failure.Echocardiography can be used to assess cardiac function and volume status.However,whether echocardiography can reduce the rehospitalization rate remains unclear.This study aimed to evaluate the impact of transthoracic echocardiography(TTE)use on readmission rates in hospitalized patients with heart failure.Methods::The study was based on the Zigong heart failure database,which contained information on 2,008 adult patients with heart failure admitted to the Zigong Fourth People’s Hospital(Sichuan Province,China)from December 2016 to June 2019.Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the usage of TTE on the day of hospital admission(TTE group(1,371 patients)and no TTE group(637 patients),respectively).The primary outcome was the 6-month readmission rate.The statistical approaches used included multivariate Cox regression,propensity score analysis,and an inverse probability weighting model to ensure the robustness of the findings.Results::A significant reduction in 6-month readmission rate was observed among the TTE group compared with the no TTE group(hazard ratio=0.60,95%confidence interval(CI)=0.52-0.69,P<0.001).The frequencies of intravenous nitrates,diuretics,and inotropes during hospitalization were significantly higher in the TTE group compared with those in the no TTE group(10.9%vs.8.3%,88.5%vs.86.2%,and 66.9%vs.65.6%,respectively,all P<0.001).The proportion of patients returning to the emergency department within 6 months was significantly lower in the TTE group compared with the no TTE group(35.6%vs.50.3%,P<0.001).Conclusions::Utilization of TEE on admission day was associated with a reduced 6-month readmission rate in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channels 2 and 3 in myocardial ischemia rats induced by isoproterenol

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the impact of electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint on protein and RNA expression of acid-sensing ion channel 2(ASIC2) and ASIC3 in myocardial ischemia rats.METHODS:Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used,weighing(230 ± 50) g.The rats were randomized into a normal group A,model group B,Neiguan(PC 6) group C,Lieque(LU 7) group D,and A-shi points group E.There were 10 rats in each group.Rats were continuously administered 85 mg/kg intravenous isoproterenol daily to establish the model.Successfully modeled rats in groups C,D,and E were given electro-acupuncture treatment.Each group of rats was sacrificed with chloral hydrate(1 mL/100 g) intraperitoneal injection.The left ventricular myocardium was extracted and placed at- 70 ℃ until use.Western blot analysis and real-time PCR were performed to assay protein and RNA expressions of ASIC2 and ASIC3,respectively.Fold changes in RNA expression were quantified with the 2~^(-△△Ct) method.Blood samples were drawn from the aorta abdominalis and tested for creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.RESULTS:Myocardial ischemia rats given electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint had significantly lower protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,and CK-MB and LDH levels,compared with model rats(P < 0.01).CONCLUSION:Electro-acupuncture at the Neiguan(PC 6) acupoint can not only decrease the protein and RNA expression of ASIC2 and ASIC3,but also inhibit the opening of ASICs and reduce the cardiomyocyte damage in myocardial ischemia rats.