Effect of remimazolam vs. propofol on hemodynamics during general anesthesia induction in elderly patients: Single-center, randomized controlled trial

The current study aimed to compare the effects between remimazolam and propofol on hemodynamic stability during the induction of general anesthesia in elderly patients.We used propofol at a rate of 60 mg/(kg·h)in the propofol group(group P)or remimazolam at a rate of 6 mg/(kg·h)in the remimazolam group(group R)for the induction.A processed electroencephalogram was used to determine whether the induction was successful and when to stop the infusion of the study drug.We measured when patients entered the operating room(T_(0)),when the induction was successful(T_(1)),and when before(T_(2))and 5 min after successful endotracheal intubation(T_(3)).We found that mean arterial pressure(MAP)was lower at T_(1–3),compared with T_(0) in both groups,but higher at T_(2) in the group R,whileΔMAP_(T0–T2) andΔMAP_(max) were smaller in the group R(ΔMAP_(T0–T2):the difference between MAP at time point T_(0) and T_(2),ΔMAP_(max):the difference between MAP at time point T_(0) and the lowest value from T_(0) to T_(3)).Cardiac index and stroke volume index did not differ between groups,whereas systemic vascular resistance index was higher at T_(1–3) in the group R.These findings show that remimazolam,compared with propofol,better maintains hemodynamic stability during the induction,which may be attributed to its ability to better maintain systemic vascular resistance levels.

Sleep quality in middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients:Impact of a structured nursing intervention program

BACKGROUND Poor sleep quality is common among hemodialysis patients and can significantly impact their well-being.This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured nursing intervention program in improving sleep quality in middleaged and elderly hemodialysis patients.AIM To evaluate the impact of nursing intervention on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary hospital,the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University,in 2023.This study included 105 middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients aged≥45 years who underwent maintenance hemodialysis for at least 3 mo,utilizing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)to identify poor sleepers.Those identified underwent a 12-wk nursing intervention program focusing on education,relaxation techniques,and counseling.Post-intervention,sleep quality was reassessed using the PSQI.RESULTS The study found that 68.6%of hemodialysis patients were poor sleepers.Following the 12-wk nursing intervention program,there was a significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score from 8.9±3.2 to 5.1±2.7(P<0.001),indicating improved sleep quality.This demonstrated the effectiveness of the structured nursing intervention in enhancing sleep quality for middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.CONCLUSION The structured nursing intervention program focusing on sleep hygiene education,relaxation techniques,and counseling effectively improved sleep quality among middle-aged and elderly hemodialysis patients.The significant decrease in the mean global PSQI score post-intervention indicates the positive impact of tailored nursing interventions in addressing poor sleep quality in this patient population.These findings emphasize the importance of implementing targeted nursing interventions to enhance the quality of life for hemodialysis patients by addressing the prevalent issue of poor sleep quality.

Differences in insomnia-related self-reported outcomes among elderly hospitalized patients

Insomnia is among the most common sleep disorders worldwide.Insomnia in older adults is a social and public health problem.Insomnia affects the physical and mental health of elderly hospitalized patients and can aggravate or induce physical illnesses.Understanding subjective feelings and providing reasonable and standardized care for elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia are urgent issues.AIM To explore the differences in self-reported outcomes associated with insomnia among elderly hospitalized patients.METHODS One hundred patients admitted to the geriatric unit of our hospital between June 2021 and December 2021 were included in this study.Self-reported symptoms were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale(AIS),Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7(GAD-7),Geriatric Depression Scale-15(GDS-15),Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness(MUNSH),Barthel Index Evaluation(BI),Morse Fall Scale(MFS),Mini-Mental State Examination,and the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire(SF-36).Correlation coefficients were used to analyze the correlation between sleep quality and self-reported symptoms.Effects of insomnia was analyzed using Logistic regression analysis.RESULTS Nineteen patients with AIS≥6 were included in the insomnia group,and the incidence of insomnia was 19%(19/100).The remaining 81 patients were assigned to the non-insomnia group.There were significant differences between the two groups in the GDA-7,GDS-15,MUNSH,BI,MFS,and SF-36 items(P<0.05).Patients in the insomnia group were more likely to experience anxiety,depression,and other mental illnesses,as well as difficulties with everyday tasks and a greater risk of falling(P<0.05).Subjective well-being and quality of life were poorer in the insomnia group than in the control group.The AIS scores positively correlated with the GAD-7,GDS-15,and MFS scores in elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that GDS-15≥5 was an independent risk factor for insomnia in elderly hospitalized patients(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The number of self-reported symptoms was higher among elderly hospitalized patients with insomnia.Therefore,we should focus on the main complaints of patients to meet their care needs.

Phase II Clinical Study of Three-Dimensional Printed Coplanar Template Combined with CT-Guided Percutaneous Core Needle Biopsy of Pulmonary Nodules in Elderly Patients

Background: As the population age structure gradually ages, more and more elderly people were found to have pulmonary nodules during physical examinations. Most elderly people had underlying diseases such as heart, lung, brain and blood vessels and cannot tolerate surgery. Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) was the first choice for pathological diagnosis and subsequent targeted drugs, immune drugs or ablation treatment. CT-guided percutaneous CNB requires clinicians with rich CNB experience to ensure high CNB accuracy, but it was easy to cause complications such as pneumothorax and hemorrhage. Three-dimensional (3D) printing coplanar template (PCT) combined with CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB biopsy has been used in clinical practice, but there was no prospective, randomized controlled study. Methods: Elderly patients with lung nodules admitted to the Department of Oncology of our hospital from January 2019 to January 2023 were selected. A total of 225 elderly patients were screened, and 30 patients were included after screening. They were randomly divided into experimental group (Group A: 30 cases) and control group (Group B: 30 cases). Group A was given 3D-PCT combined with CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB biopsy, Group B underwent CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary CNB. The primary outcome measure of this study was the accuracy of diagnostic CNB, and the secondary outcome measures were CNB time, number of CNB needles, number of pathological tissues and complications. Results: The diagnostic accuracy of group A and group B was 96.67% and 76.67%, respectively (P = 0.026). There were statistical differences between group A and group B in average CNB time (P = 0.001), number of CNB (1 vs more than 1, P = 0.029), and pathological tissue obtained by CNB (3 vs 1, P = 0.040). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of pneumothorax and hemorrhage between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: 3D-PCT combined with CT-guided percutaneous CNB can improve the puncture accuracy of elderly patients, shorten the puncture time, reduce the number of punctures, and increase the amount of puncture pathological tissue, without increasing pneumothorax and hemorrhage complications. We look forward to verifying this in a phase III randomized controlled clinical study. .

Impact of Sedation Protocols on Elderly Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation and Off-Line Weaning

The proportion of elderly patients in intensive care is increasing, and a significant proportion of them require mechanical ventilation. How to implement safe and effective mechanical ventilation for elderly patients, and when appropriate off-line is an important issue in the field of critical care medicine. Appropriate sedation can improve patient outcomes, but excessive sedation may lead to prolonged mechanical ventilation and increase the risk of complications. Elderly patients should be closely monitored and evaluated on an individual basis while offline, and the sedation regimen should be dynamically adjusted. This requires the healthcare team to consider the patient’s sedation needs, disease status, and pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drug to arrive at the best strategy. Although the current research has provided valuable insights and strategies for sedation and off-line management, there are still many problems to be further explored and solved.

Anesthesia,Anesthetics,and Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly Patients

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD)remains a major issue that worsens the prognosis of elderly surgery patients.This article reviews the current research on the effect of different anesthesia methods and commonly utilized anesthetics on the incidence of POCD in elderly patients,aiming to provide an understanding of the underlying mechanisms contributing to this condition and facilitate the development of more reasonable anesthesia protocols,ultimately reducing the incidence of POCD in elderly surgery patients.

Correlation between TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions in colorectal cancer tissues of elderly patients and neoplasm staging,invasion,and metastasis

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most frequently encountered malignant tumors in clinical settings.Proteins encoded by the testis-expressed gene 14(TEX14)are imperative for spermatogenesis,necessitating intercellular bridges between germ cells.Anomalous expression of TEX14 has also been associated with the proliferation and differentiation of certain tumor cells.Recombinant A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17(ADAM17)is known as a membrane-bound protease that regulates cellular activities and signal transduction by hydrolyzing various substrate proteins on the cell membrane.We hypothesize that TEX14 and ADAM17 may serve as potential biomarkers influencing the staging,invasion,and metastasis of CRC.AIM To probe the correlation between TEX17 and ADAM17 profiles in the CRC tissues of elderly patients and their association with CRC staging,invasion,and metastasis.METHODS We gathered data from 86 elderly patients diagnosed pathologically with CRC between April 2020 and December 2023.For each patient,one sample of cancer tissue and one sample of adjacent normal tissue were harvested.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR measured the mRNA profiles of TEX14 and ADAM17.Immunohistochemistry ascertained the positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions.Clinical pathological features of neoplasm staging,invasion,and metastasis were collected,and the association between TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions and clinical pathology was evaluated.RESULTS The mRNA and expression profiles of TEX14 and ADAM17 were significantly elevated in CRC tissues.The positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 proteins in CRC tissues were 70.93%and 77.91%,respectively.There were no significant differences in age,sex,pathological type,and tumor diameter between TEX14 and ADAM17-positive and-negative patients.Patients with higher tumor differentiation degree,deeper infiltration and TNM stages ranging from III to IV exhibited higher positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17.Patients with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis showed higher positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 than those without.Positive expressions of TEX14 and ADAM17 were highly correlated with tumor staging,invasion,and metastasis.CONCLUSION TEX14 and ADAM17 profiles were significantly elevated in the CRC tissues of elderly patients,and their high expressions were associated with tumor staging,invasion,and metastasis.

Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique

BACKGROUND Postoperative delirium,particularly prevalent in elderly patients after abdominal cancer surgery,presents significant challenges in clinical management.AIM To develop a synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-based model for predicting postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal cancer patients.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we analyzed data from 611 elderly patients who underwent abdominal malignant tumor surgery at our hospital between September 2020 and October 2022.The incidence of postoperative delirium was recorded for 7 d post-surgery.Patients were divided into delirium and non-delirium groups based on the occurrence of postoperative delirium or not.A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors and develop a predictive model for postoperative delirium.The SMOTE technique was applied to enhance the model by oversampling the delirium cases.The model’s predictive accuracy was then validated.RESULTS In our study involving 611 elderly patients with abdominal malignant tumors,multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for postoperative delirium.These included the Charlson comorbidity index,American Society of Anesthesiologists classification,history of cerebrovascular disease,surgical duration,perioperative blood transfusion,and postoperative pain score.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium in our study was 22.91%.The original predictive model(P1)exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862.In comparison,the SMOTE-based logistic early warning model(P2),which utilized the SMOTE oversampling algorithm,showed a slightly lower but comparable area under the curve of 0.856,suggesting no significant difference in performance between the two predictive approaches.CONCLUSION This study confirms that the SMOTE-enhanced predictive model for postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal tumor patients shows performance equivalent to that of traditional methods,effectively addressing data imbalance.

Postoperative delirium:A tragedy for elderly cancer patients

In this editorial,we comment on the article by Hu et al entitled“Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique”.We wanted to draw attention to the general features of postoperative delirium(POD)as well as the areas where there are uncertainties and contradictions.POD can be defined as acute neurocognitive dysfunction that occurs in the first week after surgery.It is a severe postoperative complication,especially for elderly oncology patients.Although the underlying pathophysiological mechanism is not fully understood,various neuroinflammatory mechanisms and neurotransmitters are thought to be involved.Various assessment scales and diagnostic methods have been proposed for the early diagnosis of POD.As delirium is considered a preventable clinical entity in about half of the cases,various early prediction models developed with the support of machine learning have recently become a hot scientific topic.Unfortunately,a model with high sensitivity and specificity for the prediction of POD has not yet been reported.This situation reveals that all health personnel who provide health care services to elderly patients should approach patients with a high level of awareness in the perioperative period regarding POD.

Effectiveness of Remimazolam Benzenesulfonate Combined with Alfentanil in Elderly Patients Undergoing Painless Gastroenteroscopy

Objective:To observe the effects of remimazolam benzenesulfonate combined with alfentanil during painless gastroenteroscopy in elderly patients.Methods:This study analyzes patients aged 60–85 years old undergoing painless gastroenteroscopy.A total of 140 patients,examined between February 2023 and February 2024,voluntarily participated and were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group.The control group received alfentanil combined with propofol for anesthesia,while the experimental group received alfentanil combined with remimazolam benzenesulfonate.The relevant indices of both groups were separately analyzed.Results:Patients in the experimental group had a shorter awakening time,a faster discharge rate(P<0.05),and a shorter examination duration;however,the difference in examination time between the two groups was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Before anesthesia,there was no significant difference in the basic information and vital signs of the two groups(P>0.05).Two minutes after anesthesia,both groups showed a decline in vital signs,but the vital signs of the experimental group remained more stable after the procedure,with the group’s indices showing improvement over the control group(P<0.05).Additionally,the incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was lower than in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:In painless gastroenteroscopy for elderly patients,anesthesia using a combination of remimazolam benzenesulfonate and alfentanil improves anesthesia effectiveness,hastens patient recovery,enhances the stability of vital signs,and effectively controls adverse reactions,thereby improving patient comfort.

Analysis of the Degree of Psychological Distress of Elderly Patients with Recurrent Trigeminal Neuralgia and Its Influencing Factors

Objective:To analyze the degree of psychological distress among elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia and its influencing factors.Methods:A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia who visited the Pain Department of our hospital from March 2022 to April 2024.Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the factors influencing psychological distress,based on general patient data,the Distress Thermometer(DT),the Perceived Social Support from Family Scale(PSS-Fa),and the Pitsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI).Results:Among the 126 elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia,those with a DT score≥4(72 patients,57.14%)were more prevalent than those with a DT score<4(54 patients,42.86%).The average DT score for all patients was 4.35±1.72.Patients in the DT score≥4 group were older than those in the DT score<4 group(t=4.207,P=0.000),had lower PSS-Fa scores(t=5.925,P=0.000),and had higher PSQI scores(t=17.858,P=0.000).There were no statistically significant differences in gender,marital status,residence area,education level,disease type,or pain location(all P>0.05).Older age and poor sleep quality were identified as independent risk factors for psychological distress in elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia(OR=1.258,OR=1.713,both P<0.05),while higher levels of family support were identified as a protective factor(OR=0.581,P=0.025).Conclusion:Elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia experience psychological distress,and the degree of severity depends on age,quality of sleep,and level of family support.

Diagnosis of Acute Q Fever in an Elderly Patient Using Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing:A Case Report

Query fever(Q fever)is a globally spread zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii,commonly found in natural foci but rarely seen in Hebei Province.The clinical manifestations of Q fever are diverse and nonspecific,which often leads to missed or incorrect diagnoses in clinical practice.This article reports a case of acute Q fever diagnosed in an elderly patient using metagenomic next-generation sequencing.

Compliance to Medication Management and Mental Health Status of Elderly Hypertensive Patients: Basis of Educational Health Program

Objective:The study aimed to assess medication management compliance and mental health in elderly patients with hypertension.Method:The study evaluated medication compliance and mental health status of elderly hypertensive patients in China using simple random sampling.Data was collected using the Morisky Medication Compliance Questionnaire,Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,and a checklist.Ethical practices were strictly observed.Results:A study of 100 elderly hypertensive patients found poor drug management compliance,with female patients showing worse compliance.Female patients were more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.The study also found no significant association between gender,age,education level,marital status,living standards,and medication compliance.Barriers to medication management included food and daily necessities,lack of awareness about the importance of drug treatment,and basic family needs.The lowest-ranked barriers were lack of support from government health clinics,low income,and lack of family support.Conclusion:Based on the results,the study proposes an educational plan for elderly hypertensive patients and their families,to be evaluated and implemented by the hospital and township community service center.The plan aims to improve medication management and lifestyle modification compliance,encourage active participation,and provide access to medical and mental health clinics,support groups,and counseling services.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Maintaining Perioperative Hemodynamic Stability in Elderly Patients:A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Objective Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative and analgesic properties but without respiratory depression effect and has been widely used in perioperative anesthesia.Here we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of dexmedetomidine on maintaining perioperative hemodynamic stability in elderly patients.Methods PubMed,Web of Science,the Cochrane Library,China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),and Wanfang Data were searched for randomized-controlled trials(RCTs)on the application of dexmedetomidine in maintaining perioperative hemodynamic stability in elderly patients from their inception to September,2021.The standardized mean differences(SMD)with 95%confidence interval(CI)were employed to analyze the data.The random-effect model was used for the potential clinical inconsistency.Results A total of 12 RCTs with 833 elderly patients(dexmedetomidine group,546 patients;control group,287 patients)were included.There was no significant increase in perioperative heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)in the dexmedetomidine group before and during the operation.In addition,the variations of hemodynamic indexes including HR,MAP,SBP(systolic blood pressure),and DBP were significantly lower in the dexmedetomidine group compared with the control group(HR:SMD=-0.87,95%CI:-1.13 to-0.62;MAP:SMD=-1.12,95%CI:-1.60 to-0.63;SBP:SMD=-1.27,95%CI:-2.26 to-0.27;DBP:SMD=-0.96,95%CI:-1.33 to-0.59).Subgroup analysis found that with the prolongation of 1.0μg/kg dexmedetomidine infusion,the patient’s heart rate declined in a time-dependent way.Conclusion Dexmedetomidine provides more stable hemodynamics during perioperative period in elderly patients.However,further well-conducted trials are required to assess the effective and safer doses of dexmedetomidine in elderly patients.

Peri-operative score for elderly patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Liver resection is the mainstay for a curative treatment for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),also in elderly population.Despite this,the evaluation of patient condition,liver function and extent of disease remains a demanding process with the aim to reduce postoperative morbidity and mortality.AIM To identify new perioperative risk factors that could be associated with higher 90-and 180-d mortality in elderly patients eligible for liver resection for HCC considering traditional perioperative risk scores and to develop a risk score.METHODS A multicentric,retrospective study was performed by reviewing the medical records of patients aged 70 years or older who electively underwent liver resection for HCC;several independent variables correlated with death from all causes at 90 and 180 d were studied.The coefficients of Cox regression proportional-hazards model for sixmonth mortality were rounded to the nearest integer to assign risk factors'weights and derive the scoring algorithm.RESULTS Multivariate analysis found variables(American Society of Anesthesiology score,high rate of comorbidities,Mayo end stage liver disease score and size of biggest lesion)that had independent correlations with increased 90-and 180-d mortality.A clinical risk score was developed with survival profiles.CONCLUSION This score can aid in stratifying this population in order to assess who can benefit from surgical treatment in terms of postoperative mortality.

Rituximab combined with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor to treat elderly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is a common aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL),accounting for 30%-40%of adult NHLs.This report aims to explore the efficacy and safety of rituximab combined with Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors(BTKis)in the treatment of elderly patients with DLBCL.CASE SUMMARY The clinical data of two elderly patients with DLBCL who received rituximab combined with BTKi in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed,and the literature was reviewed.The patients were treated with chemotherapy using the R-miniCHOP regimen for two courses.Then,they received rituximab in combination with BTKi.CONCLUSION The treatment experience in these cases demonstrates the potential efficacy of rituximab combined with BTKi to treat elderly DLBCL patients,thus providing a new treatment strategy.

Effects of health concept model-based detailed behavioral care on mood and quality of life in elderly patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND With the intensification of social aging,the susceptibility of the elderly population to diseases has attracted increasing attention,especially chronic heart failure(CHF)that accounts for a large proportion of the elderly.AIM To evaluate the application value of health concept model-based detailed behavioral care in elderly patients with CHF.METHODS This study recruited 116 elderly CHF patients admitted from October 2018 to October 2020 and grouped them according to the nursing care that they received.The elderly patients who underwent health concept model-based detailed behavioral care were included in a study group(SG;n=62),and those who underwent routine detailed behavioral nursing intervention were included as a control group(CG;n=54).Patients’negative emotions(NEs),quality of life(QoL),and nutritional status were assessed using the self-rating anxiety/depression scale(SAS/SDS),the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire(MLHFQ),and the Modified Quantitative Subjective Global Assessment(MQSGA)of nutrition,respectively.Differences in rehabilitation efficiency,NEs,cardiac function(CF)indexes,nutritional status,QoL,and nursing satisfaction were comparatively analyzed.RESULTS A higher response rate was recorded in the SG vs the CG after intervention(P<0.05).After care,the left ventricular ejection fraction was higher while the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular end systolic diameter were lower in the SG compared with the CG(P<0.05).The post-intervention SAS and SDS scores,as well as MQSGA and MLHFQ scores,were also lower in the SG(P<0.05).The SG was also superior to the CG in the overall nursing satisfaction rate(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Health concept model-based detailed behavioral care has high application value in the nursing care of elderly CHF patients,and it can not only effectively enhance rehabilitation efficiency,but also mitigate patients’NEs and improve their CF and QoL.

Chronic Subdural Hematoma Associated with an Arachnoid Cyst in Elderly, an Intraoperative Finding after Re-Bleeding: Case Report

Intracranial arachnoid cysts (AC) are believed to be congenital and chronic subdural hematomas tend to occur in elderly patients with a history of mild head injury. The association between these two entities sporadically occur in relatively young patients but rare in elderly patients. We report a 65-year-old man who presented with headache and dizziness of 2 months’ duration with a history of head injury. Brain computed tomography (CT) a CSDH in right side and a hygroma in left side. After first operation with burr holes in both sides, the patient underwent an early recurrence of acute subdural hematoma in the right side. The evacuation of this hematoma by a craniotomy allowed seeing an AC that we resected partially with complete recovery of the patient. The association CSDH/AC is rare and possible in elderly patients and there is no consensus on treatment.

Clinical Evaluation of a Vancomycin Dosage Strategy Based on a Serum Trough Concentration Model in Elderly Patients with Severe Pneumonia

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits of a vancomycin dosage strategy based on a serum trough concentration model in elderly patients.Methods This prospective single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial categorized 66 elderly patients with severe pneumonia into study and control groups. The control group received vancomycin using a regimen decided by the attending physician. Meanwhile, the study group received individualized vancomycin therapy with a dosing strategy based on a serum trough concentration model. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with serum trough concentrations reaching the target values.The secondary endpoints were clinical response, vancomycin treatment duration, and vancomycinassociated acute kidney injury(VA-AKI) occurrence.Results All patients were at least 60 years old(median age = 81 years). The proportion of patients with target trough concentration achievement(≥ 15 mg/L) with the initial vancomycin regimen was significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group(75.8% vs. 42.4%, P = 0.006).Forty-five patients(68.2%) achieved clinical success, the median duration of vancomycin therapy was10.0 days, and VA-AKI occurred in eight patients(12.1%). However, there were no significant differences in these parameters between the two groups. The model for predicting vancomycin trough concentrations was upgraded to: serum trough concentration(mg/L) = 17.194-0.104 × creatinine clearance rate(mL/min) + 0.313 × vancomycin daily dose [mg/(kg·d)].Conclusion A vancomycin dosage strategy based on a serum trough concentration model can improve the proportion of patients achieving target trough concentrations in elderly patients with severe pneumonia.

Tear inflammation related indexes after cataract surgery in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Quantitative studies on the changes in inflammation-related content in tears,especially the effect of diabetes,are lacking.In this study,we measured the preoperative and postoperative tear inflammatory mediator levels in cataract patients,focusing on the expression of inflammatory factors in postoperative cataracts in the diabetic,and investigated the effect of drugs on the control of postoperative inflammation.AIM To study the expression of inflammatory factors in elderly people with type 2 diabetes after cataract surgery.METHODS Patients with a mean age of 70.3±6.3 years were divided into group A(composed of elderly patients with cataracts and type 2 diabetes,n=20 eyes)and group B(patients with age-related cataract,n=20 eyes).Their tears were collected before each operation and on days 1 and 3,and weeks 1,2,3,and 4 post-surgery.Saline(150μL)was dropped into the conjunctival sac of the surgical eye,followed by oculogyration in four directions.The fluid in the conjunctival sac was extracted using a sterile syringe and stored in Eppendorf tubes at-80°C until measurement.The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2),MMP-9,tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1(TIMP-1),TIMP-2,interleukin-6(IL-6),and IL-20 in tear fluid were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.RESULTS The postoperative expression levels of MMP-2,MMP-9,TIMP-2,IL-6,and IL-20 in group A were significantly higher than those in group B,whereas the concentration of TIMP-1 in group A remained lower than that in group B.The levels of MMP-2 and IL-6 in both groups continuously increased until the peak in the first postoperative week,and then gradually decreased over the next three weeks.Ultimately,MMP-2 declined to a lower level than that preoperatively at week 4,but IL-6 decreased to the same level as that preoperatively.The level of MMP-9 peaked in the first two weeks postoperative and then returned to the same level as 1-day post-operation.The concentration of TIMP-1 post-operation remained constant at a lower level than before surgery,and TIMP-2 Levels remained stable in both groups.IL-20 content started to increase in the third week after surgery.CONCLUSION Inflammatory factor levels in tears fluctuated before and post-operation,which indicated more severe postoperative inflammation in the first two weeks.