Stroke:challenges and opportunities--Perspectives on clinical research advances and future outlook in 2024

Dear readers,In the field of stroke research and treatment,cutting-edge technologies and studies continue to emerge,providing new perspectives and strategies for exploring the mechanisms and treatment methods of stroke.According to the latest advancements,neuroimaging techniques play a crucial role in stroke research.MRI technology,for instance,is essential for evaluating stroke patients.

Day surgery model: a new path for hospital high-quality development

In the current healthcare system,the day surgery model is increasingly valued and has become an important driving force for the high-quality development of hospitals.The day surgery model refers to a medical model where patients can leave the hospital and recover at home on the same day after completing specific treatments or surgeries[1].

Life-threatening delayed mediastinal and subcutaneous emphysema after general anesthesia in a rheumatoid arthritis patient: a case report

Background:Delayed mediastinal emphysema with subcutaneous emphysema after extubation is rarely reported in current literature.Symptomatic treatment is considered effective for management.Case presentation:We report a case of a 56-year-old female with longstanding rheumatoid arthritis under corticosteroid therapy who developed mediastinal emphysema with subcutaneous emphysema 2 days after recovering from general anesthesia for orthopedic surgery treating a femoral neck fracture.The patient received aggressive subcutaneous decompression and symptomatic management.Results:The patient’s condition improved after treatment.Based on computed tomography scan results,we hypothesize that the longstanding rheumatoid arthritis may have resulted in fragile lung tissue.Violent postoperative coughing likely caused rupture of small airways,leading to mediastinal emphysema.Conclusions:It is crucial to preoperatively assess the risk of airway injury in high-risk patients with longstanding rheumatoid arthritis.Delayed postoperative mediastinal emphysema should be carefully evaluated and managed aggressively to avoid exacerbation or life-threatening scenarios.Further research is warranted to elucidate the pathology and guide perioperative management in these patients.

Neuroprotective effect of bispectral index-guided fast-track anesthesia using sevoflurane combined with dexmedetomidine for intracranial aneurysm embolization

Dexmedetomidine has sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-sympathetic, and anti-shivering effects. Dexmedetomidine might be effective in combination with sevoflurane for anesthesia, but prospective randomized controlled clinical trials with which to verify this hypothesis are lacking. In total, 120 patients who underwent embolization of an intracranial aneurysm were recruited from Anhui Provincial Hospital and Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University of China and randomly allocated to two groups. After intraoperative administration of 2% to 3% sevoflurane inhalation, one group of patients received pump-controlled intravenous injection of 1.0 ~tg/kg dexmedetomidine for 15 minutes followed by maintenance with 0.3 ~tg/kg/h until the end of surgery; the other group of patients only underwent pump-controlled infusion of saline. Bispectral index monitoring revealed that dexmedetomidine-assisted anesthesia can shorten the recovery time of spon- taneous breathing, time to eye opening, and time to laryngeal mask removal. Before anesthetic induction and immediately after laryngeal mask airway removal, the glucose and lactate levels were low, the S100~ and neuron-specific enolase levels were low, the perioperative blood pressure and heart rate were stable, and postoperative delirium was minimal. These findings indicate that dexmedetomidine can effectively assist sevoflurane for anesthesia during surgical embolization of intracranial aneurysms, shorten the time to consciousness and extubation, reduce the stress response and energy metabolism, stabilize hemodynamic parameters, and reduce adverse reactions, thereby reducing the damage to the central nervous system. This trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry （http：//www.chictr.org. cn/） （registration number： ChiCTR-IPR- 16008113）.

Neuroprotective Effects of Dexmedetomidine Preconditioning on Oxygen-glucose Deprivation-reoxygenation Injury in PC12 Cells via Regulation of Ca^2+-STIM1/Orail Signaling

Summary:Dexmedetomidine(DEX),a potent and highly selective agonist for a2-adrenergic receptors(a2AR),exerts neuroprotective effects by reducing apoptosis through decreased neuronal Ca^2+influx.However,the exact action mechanism of DEX and its effects on oxygen-glucose deprivation-reoxygenation(OGD/R)injury in vitro are unknown.We demonstrate that DEX pretreatment reduced OGD/R injury in PC12 cells,as evidenced by decreased oxidative stress,autophagy,and neuronal apoptosis.Specifically,DEX pretreatment decreased the expression levels of stromal interaction molecule 1(STIM1)and calcium release-activated calcium channel protein 1(Orail),and reduced the concentration of intracellular calcium pools.In addition,variations in cytosolic calcium concentration altered apoptosis rate of PC12 cells after exposure to hypoxic conditions,which were modulated through STIM 1/Orail signaling.Moreover,DEX pretreatment decreased the expression levels of Beclin-1 and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3(LC3),hallmark markers of autophagy,and the formation of autophagosomes.In conclusion,these results suggested that DEX exerts neuroprotective effects against oxidative stress,autophagy,and neuronal apoptosis afier OGD/R injury via modulation of Caf-STIM1/Orai1 signaling.Our results offer insights into the molecular mechanisms of DEX in protecting against neuronal ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Mechanisms and status of research on the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine against ischemic brain injury

Ischemic brain injury occurs when the metabolic needs of brain tissue cannot be met due to insufficient blood supply to the brain.It is one of the main causes of death and adult disability worldwide.The recurrence rate of ischemic brain injury is high.It places a heavy economic burden on families and society,and seriously affects human health and quality of life.In traditional Chinese medicine,ischemic stroke belongs to the category of“stroke”.The use of traditional Chinese medicine to treat stroke has a long history.After years of experimental research,a large amount of theoretical knowledge and practical experience have been accumulated.Promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis is the basis of traditional Chinese medicine theory on the treatment of ischemic stroke.Commonly used single Chinese medicines include Chuangxiong(Ligusticum chuanxiong hort),Danggui(Angelica sinensis),Danshen(Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge),Honghua(Carthamus tinctorius L.),Mudanpi(Moutan Cortex),and Huangqi(Astragali Radix).Buyang Huanwu decoction,Xinglou Chengqi decoction,Taohong Siwu decoction,and other traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions are believed to have a protective effect against brain damage caused by ischemic stroke.With the development of modern medical technology,the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine treatments for ischemic brain injury has gradually been explored.This article reviews the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine’s protection against ischemic brain injury and its current clinical application.

Electroacupuncture in perioperative anesthesia and analgesia management:a non-invasive adjuvant treatment

Anesthesia is mainly a kind of reversible functional inhibition of the central nervous system and(or)peripheral nervous system through drugs or other methods.In modern clinical medicine,modern anesthesiology is a comprehensive subject,which mainly includes clinical anesthesia,pain diagnosis and treatment,intensive care treatment,first aid and resuscitation,etc.Electroacupuncture is developed based on acupuncture therapy which is an important part of traditional Chinese medicine.It uses the comprehensive efficacy of acupuncture and electrical stimulation to deliver electrical energy through acupoints to achieve therapeutic effects.It has been widely used in recent years in clinical.This article summarizes the analgesic mechanism of electroacupuncture and its application in different anesthesia methods,so that clinicians have a deeper understanding of the clinical application of electroacupuncture and promote its clinical application.

Role of activin receptor-like kinase 1 in vascular development and cerebrovascular diseases

Activin receptor-like kinase 1(ALK1)is a transmembrane serine/threonine receptor kinase of the transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ)receptor superfamily.ALK1 is specifically expressed in vascular endothelial cells,and its dynamic changes are closely related to the proliferation of endothelial cells,the recruitment of pericytes to blood vessels,and functional differentiation during embryonic vascular development.The pathophysiology of many cerebrovascular diseases is today understood as a disorder of endothelial cell function and an imbalance in the proportion of vascular cells.Indeed,mutations in ALK1 and its co-receptor endoglin are major genetic risk factors for vascular arteriovenous malformation.Many studies have shown that ALK1 is closely related to the development of cerebral aneurysms,arteriovenous malformations,and cerebral atherosclerosis.In this review,we describe the various roles of ALK1 in the regulation of angiogenesis and in the maintenance of cerebral vascular homeostasis,and we discuss its relationship to functional dysregulation in cerebrovascular diseases.This review should provide new perspectives for basic research on cerebrovascular diseases and offer more effective targets and strategies for clinical diagnosis,treatment,and prevention.

Stability and compatibility of common traditional Chinese medicine injections matching with fructose injection

In recent years,China has attached great importance to the work of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),more and more Chinese patent medicines are included in the national medical insurance catalogue,and the clinical application of TCM injections is also increasing.This article reviews a total of 20 literature reports on the compatibility of fructose injections with TCM injections from 2005 to the present,and evaluates the stability based on the appearance,pH,insoluble particles and content changes after compatibility,and provides for the rational use of fructose injections.Theoretical evidence provides options for special patients with special solvent limit.

Dexmedetomidine:chaperone of anesthesia

Aim:In this review,it will mainly focus on clarifying the pharmacology of dexmedetomidine and discussing the past,present and future clinical applications of dexmedetomidine as an adjunct in anesthesia.Method:We have searched and reviewed the articles about the use of dexmedetomidine in clinical anesthesia,intensive care unit(ICU),painless gastroenteroscopy and painless labor over the past two decades.Recent findings:Dexmedetomidine,a highly selective agonist of alpha2-adrenergic receptors(alpha2-AR),was primarily approved by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration(FDA)for sedation in ICU due to its pharmacological characteristics with sedative,analgesic and sympatholytic effects.These properties make up the limitations of anesthetics,and it produces a“dexmedetomidine assisted”anesthesia mode as an adjuvant combining with other anesthesia methods,which are all termed as“DEX+”.These new methods can reduce the anesthetics requirement but prolong the action period and alleviate the adverse reactions of anesthetics,thus improving the anesthesia more effectively and safely.Summary:Dexmedetomidine possesses the unique properties exerting synergistic effects and alleviating the side effects as an adjuvant in anesthesia through different administration routes.It is beneficial for the patients’long-term outcome and will be bound to be the leading innovator of anesthesia in future.

Prevention of nausea,vomiting and reflux aspiration in two cases of painless hysteroscopy

Objective:To investigate the prevention and management of perioperative nausea and vomiting and reflux aspiration in painless hysteroscopy patients.Methods:The clinical datum of one patient with reflux and postoperative vomiting and another one with a history of multiple postoperative nausea and vomiting during painless hysteroscopy were retrospectively analyzed.Results:In case 1,despite the occurrence of reflux,no significant aspiration or other serious consequences occurred through positive attraction,ondansetron,dexamethasone,droperidol and other drugs and candy treatment,then nausea and vomiting gradually eased.In case 2,due to the reduction of preoperative dosage of sufentanil,prophylactic application of ondansetron,psychological intervention and postoperative candy,no nausea and vomiting occurred during the painless hysteroscopy.The patient recovered quickly with high satisfaction.Conclusion:Patients with a high risk of nausea and vomiting may be ameliorated by positive psychological and drug intervention.Even if patients have intraoperative reflux and postoperative nausea and vomiting,it can be relieved by psychological and drug treatment,and the occurrence of serious complications such as aspiration can be prevented.