Background Thoracoscopy is highly sensitive and accurate for detecting pleural effusions. However, most respiratory physicians are not familiar with the use of the more common rigid thoracoscope or the flexible bronch...Background Thoracoscopy is highly sensitive and accurate for detecting pleural effusions. However, most respiratory physicians are not familiar with the use of the more common rigid thoracoscope or the flexible bronchoscope, which is difficult to manipulate within the pleural cavity. The semi-rigid thoracoscope combines the best features of the flexible and rigid instruments. Since the practice with this instrument is limited in China, the diagnostic utility of semi-rigid thoracoscopy （namely medical thoracoscopy） under local anesthesia for undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions was evaluated . Methods In 50 patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions who were studied retrospectively, 23 received routine examinations between July 2004 and June 2005 and the rest 27 patients underwent medical thoracoscopy during July 2005 and June 2006. Routine examinations of the pleural effusions involved biochemistry and cytology, sputum cytology, and thoracentesis. The difference in diagnostic sensitivity, costs related to pleural fluid examination and complications were compared directly between the two groups. Results Medical thoracoscopy revealed tuberculous pleurisy in 6 patients, adenocarcinoma in 7, squamous-cell carcinoma in 2, metastatic carcinoma in 3, mesothelioma in 2, non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma in 1, and others in 4. Only 2 patients could not get definite diagnoses. Diagnostic efficiency of medical thoracoscopy was 93% （25/27）. Only 21% patients were diagnosed after routine examinations, including parapneumonic effusion in 2 patients, lung cancer in 2 and undetermined metastatic malignancy in 1. Twelve patients with tuberculous pleurisy were suspected by routine examination. Costs related to pleural effusion testing showed no difference between the two groups （P=0.114）. Twenty-three patients in the routine examination group underwent 97 times of thoracentesis. Two pleural infection patients and 2 pneumothorax patients were identified and received antibiotic treatment and drainage. Medical thoracoscopy could be well tolerated by all the patients. The semi-rigid thoracoscope could be easily controlled by chest physicians. The most common complication was transient chest pain （20 of 27 patients） from the indwelling chest tube, which would be managed with conventional analgesics. One case of subcutaneous emphysema and 2 cases of postoperative fever were self-limiting. No severe complications occurred. Conclusions Medical thoracoscopy is a simple, safe, and cost-effective tool, with a high positive rate. Physicians should extend its access to proper patients if the facilities for medical thoracoscopy are available.展开更多
Background Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is always associated with a high incidence and mortality. Because of the presence of some concomitant risk factors such as immobilization...Background Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is always associated with a high incidence and mortality. Because of the presence of some concomitant risk factors such as immobilization, bronchial superinfection, patients who are admitted for acute exacerbations of COPD are generally considered to be at moderate risk for the development of venous thromboembolism. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and the clinical manifestations of deep venous thrombosis （DVT） in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.Methods From March 2007 to March 2009, 520 consecutive patients were included in this study. On admission, color Doppler ultrasound of lower extremities in all cases was performed for diagnosing DVT. Patients with DVT were compared with those without DVT from such aspects as demographics, symptoms, physical signs and risk factors.Results Among the 520 patients, DVT was found in 46 cases （9.7%）. In patients with DVT, the duration of hospitalization was longer （P=0.01）, and the mechanical ventilation requirement increased （P 〈0.001）. Other indicators for patients with more possibility of DVT were immobility exceeding 3 days （P 〈0.001）; pneumonia as concomitance （P=0.01）; respiratory failure type Ⅱ （P=0.013）; current smoking （P=0.001）. Lower extremity pain was more common in DVT cases in comparison to those without DVT （34.8% vs. 15.2%, P=0.01 ）.Conclusions The acute exacerbation of COPD patients, who were immobilized for over 3 days, complicated by pneumonia and had respiratory failure type Ⅱ, had a higher risk of DVT. In addition, DVT detection awareness should be increased in cases that had a lower extremity pain.展开更多
Anew mixed alkali and alkaline-earth metal borate Na4Ca2[B14O22(OH)6]·2H2O(1) has been made under a mild solvothermal condition and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared(IR) spectroscopy, UV...Anew mixed alkali and alkaline-earth metal borate Na4Ca2[B14O22(OH)6]·2H2O(1) has been made under a mild solvothermal condition and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared(IR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Compound 1 features a 1D tube based on[B14O24(OH)6]12-({B14}-1) oxo-boron clusters. Such a tube built by {B14}-1 units has been discovered for the first time in borate system. These tubes are arranged orderly to generate 2D layers and a further 3D supramolecular network through hydrogen bond interactions. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum reveals that compound 1 is a wide band-gap semiconductor and has potential application in UV region.展开更多
文摘Background Thoracoscopy is highly sensitive and accurate for detecting pleural effusions. However, most respiratory physicians are not familiar with the use of the more common rigid thoracoscope or the flexible bronchoscope, which is difficult to manipulate within the pleural cavity. The semi-rigid thoracoscope combines the best features of the flexible and rigid instruments. Since the practice with this instrument is limited in China, the diagnostic utility of semi-rigid thoracoscopy （namely medical thoracoscopy） under local anesthesia for undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions was evaluated . Methods In 50 patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions who were studied retrospectively, 23 received routine examinations between July 2004 and June 2005 and the rest 27 patients underwent medical thoracoscopy during July 2005 and June 2006. Routine examinations of the pleural effusions involved biochemistry and cytology, sputum cytology, and thoracentesis. The difference in diagnostic sensitivity, costs related to pleural fluid examination and complications were compared directly between the two groups. Results Medical thoracoscopy revealed tuberculous pleurisy in 6 patients, adenocarcinoma in 7, squamous-cell carcinoma in 2, metastatic carcinoma in 3, mesothelioma in 2, non-Hodgkin＇s lymphoma in 1, and others in 4. Only 2 patients could not get definite diagnoses. Diagnostic efficiency of medical thoracoscopy was 93% （25/27）. Only 21% patients were diagnosed after routine examinations, including parapneumonic effusion in 2 patients, lung cancer in 2 and undetermined metastatic malignancy in 1. Twelve patients with tuberculous pleurisy were suspected by routine examination. Costs related to pleural effusion testing showed no difference between the two groups （P=0.114）. Twenty-three patients in the routine examination group underwent 97 times of thoracentesis. Two pleural infection patients and 2 pneumothorax patients were identified and received antibiotic treatment and drainage. Medical thoracoscopy could be well tolerated by all the patients. The semi-rigid thoracoscope could be easily controlled by chest physicians. The most common complication was transient chest pain （20 of 27 patients） from the indwelling chest tube, which would be managed with conventional analgesics. One case of subcutaneous emphysema and 2 cases of postoperative fever were self-limiting. No severe complications occurred. Conclusions Medical thoracoscopy is a simple, safe, and cost-effective tool, with a high positive rate. Physicians should extend its access to proper patients if the facilities for medical thoracoscopy are available.
文摘Background Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） is always associated with a high incidence and mortality. Because of the presence of some concomitant risk factors such as immobilization, bronchial superinfection, patients who are admitted for acute exacerbations of COPD are generally considered to be at moderate risk for the development of venous thromboembolism. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and the clinical manifestations of deep venous thrombosis （DVT） in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.Methods From March 2007 to March 2009, 520 consecutive patients were included in this study. On admission, color Doppler ultrasound of lower extremities in all cases was performed for diagnosing DVT. Patients with DVT were compared with those without DVT from such aspects as demographics, symptoms, physical signs and risk factors.Results Among the 520 patients, DVT was found in 46 cases （9.7%）. In patients with DVT, the duration of hospitalization was longer （P=0.01）, and the mechanical ventilation requirement increased （P 〈0.001）. Other indicators for patients with more possibility of DVT were immobility exceeding 3 days （P 〈0.001）; pneumonia as concomitance （P=0.01）; respiratory failure type Ⅱ （P=0.013）; current smoking （P=0.001）. Lower extremity pain was more common in DVT cases in comparison to those without DVT （34.8% vs. 15.2%, P=0.01 ）.Conclusions The acute exacerbation of COPD patients, who were immobilized for over 3 days, complicated by pneumonia and had respiratory failure type Ⅱ, had a higher risk of DVT. In addition, DVT detection awareness should be increased in cases that had a lower extremity pain.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.21571016,21831001,91122028)the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.20725101).
文摘Anew mixed alkali and alkaline-earth metal borate Na4Ca2[B14O22(OH)6]·2H2O(1) has been made under a mild solvothermal condition and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared(IR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Compound 1 features a 1D tube based on[B14O24(OH)6]12-({B14}-1) oxo-boron clusters. Such a tube built by {B14}-1 units has been discovered for the first time in borate system. These tubes are arranged orderly to generate 2D layers and a further 3D supramolecular network through hydrogen bond interactions. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum reveals that compound 1 is a wide band-gap semiconductor and has potential application in UV region.
