Effect of probiotics on length of hospitalization in mild acute pancreatitis:A randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis is the leading cause of hospitalization for acute gastrointestinal disease worldwide.The effects of probiotics in mild acute pancreatitis have not been studied.We hypothesized that the administration of probiotics may accelerate the recovery of intestinal function and shorten the length of hospital stay(LOS)in patients with mild pancreatitis.AIM To investigate the value of probiotics in reducing the LOS in patients with mild acute pancreatitis.METHODS We conducted a double-blind randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effects of probiotics administered to patients with mild acute pancreatitis at a tertiary medical center.The patients were given probiotics capsules(a mixed preparation of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium)or placebo.The primary study endpoint was the LOS.The secondary endpoints included time to abdominal pain relief,recurrent abdominal pain,and time to successful oral feeding.RESULTS A total of 128 patients were included,with 64 patients in each arm.The severity of illness and the etiological distribution of disease were similar in the two groups.There was a significant reduction in the LOS in the probiotics treatment group vs the placebo group(5.36±0.15 vs 6.02±0.17 d,P<0.05).The probiotics group was associated with a shorter time to abdominal pain relief and time to successful oral feeding(P<0.01 for both)than the placebo group.No statistical difference was found in recurrent abdominal pain between the two groups.CONCLUSION The study results showed that the administration of probiotics capsules is associated with a shorter duration of hospitalization in patients with mild acute pancreatitis.

Domestic versus imported drug-eluting stents for the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND:The application of coronary stents,especially drug-eluting stents(DESs),has made percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) one of important therapeutic methods for CHD. DES has reduced the in-stent restenosis to 5%–9% and signifi cantly improved the long-term prognosis of patients with CHD. The study aimed to investigate the long-term eff icacy and safety of domestic drugeluting stents(DESs) in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).METHODS:All patients with ACS who had undergone successful percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI) in the First Aff iliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2009 to December 2010 were included in this study. Patients were excluded from the study if they were implanted with bare metal stents or different stents(domestic and imported DESs) simultaneously. The included patients were divided into two groups according to different stents implanted:domestic DESs and imported DESs.RESULTS:In the 1 683 patients of this study,1 558(92.6%) patients were followed up successfully for an average of(29.1±5.9) months. 130(8.3%) patients had major adverse cardiovascular events(MACEs),including cardiac death in 32(2.1%) patients,recurrent myocardial infarction in 16(1%),and revascularization in 94(6%). The rates of cardiac death,recurrent myocardial infarction,revascularization,in-stent restenosis,stent thrombosis and other MACEs were not signif icantly different between the two groups(all P>0.05). Multivarite logistic regression revealed that diabetes mellitus(OR=1.75,95%CI:1.09–2.82,P=0.021),vascular numbers of PCI(OR=2.16,95%CI:1.22–3.83,P=0.09) and PCI with left main lesion(OR=9.47,95%CI:2.96–30.26,P=0.01) were independent prognostic factors of MACEs. The Kaplan-Meier method revealed that there was no significant difference in cumulative survival rates and survival rates free from clinical events between the two groups(all P>0.05).CONCLUSIONS:The incidences of clinical events and cumulative survival rates are not statistically different between domestic DESs and imported DESs. Domestic DES is effective and safe in the treatment of patients with ACS.