Lactation mastitis: Promising alternative indicators for early diagnosis

Although lactation mastitis(LM)has been extensively researched,the incidence rate of LM remains a salient clinical problem.To reduce this incidence rate and achieve a better prognosis,early and specific quantitative indicators are particularly important.It has been found that milk electrolyte concentrations(chloride,potassium,and sodium)and electrical conductivity(EC)significantly change in the early stages of LM in an animal model.Several studies have evaluated EC for the detection of subclinical mastitis in cows.EC,chloride,and sodium content of milk were more accurate for predicting infection status than were other variables.In the early stages of LM,lactic sodium,chloride,and EC increase,but potassium decreases.However,these indicators have not been reported in the diagnosis of LM in humans.This review summarizes the pathogenesis and the mechanism of LM in terms of milk electrolyte concentration and EC,and aim to provide new ideas for the detection of sub-clinical mastitis in humans.

Psychological experience of breastfeeding among primiparous women with lactating mastitis:A qualitative research

Objective:The objective of this study is to comprehensively understand the psychological experience of primiparous women during breastfeeding while dealing with lactating mastitis and to establish a reliable foundation for tailored support measures.Methods:Twenty primiparous mothers from a tertiary hospital in Beijing between January and March 2023 were chosen using purposive sampling for semi-structured interviews.After conducting 20 interviews,data saturation was achieved.The Colaizzi’s seven-step analytical approach was employed to analyze,summarize,and refine the identified themes.Results:Among primiparous women afflicted by lactating mastitis,the primary themes regarding breastfeeding attitudes included three key aspects:(1)uncertainty during the initial diagnosis phase,(2)intricate emotional journey during treatment,and(3)positive psychological outlook during the recovery stage.Conclusion:Primiparous women undergoing lactating mastitis experience substantial physical and psychological strain.It is crucial for medical personnel,family caregivers,and society at large to be attuned to the emotions of these patients.Tailored support measures should be offered to enhance patients’physical and mental well-being and facilitate disease recovery.

Outcome report of breast massage for lactational mastitis patients in early stage: A protocol for systematic review

Objective:Lactation mastitis is a kind of disease with high incidence during puerperium.In the early stage,breast massage can effectively eliminate the symptoms.However,the value of breast massage is not fully known to the public,which restricts its promotion and popularization.One important reason is the absence of a multi-dimensional and overall evaluation of outcome.COS is strongly advocated internationally as the outcome in clinical research to promote the transformation of clinical evidence into practice.At present,there is no systematic review of the existing outcome.This protocol aims to provide a set of outcomes and outcome evaluation schemes for developing COS of breast massage in lactation mastitis early stage.Methods:We will search PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CNKI,Wan-fang,VIP,SinoMed,Grey literature databases(master and doctoral thesis databases and conference literature databases of CNKI,Wan-fang and SinoMed),Clinical Trials Registry Platform portal,the Clinical Trials Registry,Australian,New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry,the Center Watch Registry,before March 1,2021.We will include randomized controlled trials and non-randomized trials,cohort studies,case series,case reports.We will assess the quality of outcome reporting according to the MOMENT,classify all outcomes using the OMERACT Filter 2.0 conceptual framework.Descriptive analysis will be performed for all categorical variables using frequency and mean.Result:This protocol aims to help guide the design of systematic review to summarize the existing outcomes,and comprehensively evaluate existing outcomes,classify outcomes and provide schemes of outcome evaluation for developing COS of breast massage in the early stage of lactation mastitis.Percentage and mean will be used to describe the extracted data.Conclusion:This is the first systematic review protocol to summarize outcomes,measurement instruments,assessment times,measurement frequencies,measurers about breast massage in the early stage of lactational mastitis.

Specification of manual lactation traditional Chinese medicine technology

Acute mastitis is one of the common diseases of postpartum lactating women,also known as lactational mastitis,which can occur during breastfeeding,especially in the postpartum 3–4 weeks.Acute mastitis can lead to the cessation of breastfeeding.Improving breastfeeding behavior and extending breastfeeding duration have become a global strategy to promote maternal and child health.Manual lactation traditional Chinese medicine technology is one of the important measures to improve the rate of breastfeeding,which can solve the problems of breast swelling,pain,and reduction of milk production.This article introduces the definition,indications,standard operating procedures,precautions,and treatment of adverse events of manual lactation in traditional Chinese medicine technology,so as to provide more comprehensive guidance for clinical workers to carry out manual lactation operations.

The clinical efficacy of Lou’s Wentong method in the treatment of lactational mastitis: A retrospective self-control study with 158 cases

Background:As a common breast disease in lactating women,lactational mastitis is clinically manifested as painful breast lumps and systemic symptoms.To a certain extent,this disease may affect the physical and mental health of lactating women and even the breastfeeding of infants.Objective:This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Lou’s Wentong Method in the comprehensive treatment of lactational mastitis and its effects on relevant symptoms.Methods:A total of 158 patients who were diagnosed with lactational mastitis in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University from January 2022 to January 2024 were included in this study to conduct a retrospective analysis.The treatment method comprised oral administration of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions guided by the concept of“Wentong zhi yong”(warming and dispersing therapy for treating abscesses),puncture and pus extraction for patients with abscess formation,and milk drainage for patients with milk stagnation.The clinical symptoms of these patients were collected according to the seven indexes in Lou’s quantitative scorecard for evaluating the condition of canker sores before and after treatment.Additionally,the improvement of each symptom after treatment,the total effective rate of the clinical treatment,and the total symptom evaluation score before and after treatment were also analyzed.Results:It was demonstrated that there were significant differences in the overall distribution of different severity symptoms(skin erythema,breast pain,number of lumps,size of lumps,breast abscesses,and body temperature)at three time points(P<0.01).The evaluation of these symptoms at different time points revealed that all symptoms were effectively mitigated over time.Meanwhile,the efficacy was assessed according to the efficacy index to evaluate the efficacy of Lou’s Wentong Method in the comprehensive treatment of lactational mastitis.The results corroborated the pronounced efficacy of Lou’s Wentong Method in treating lactational mastitis,exhibiting statistical significance(P<0.01).Conclusion:Lou’s Wentong Method has significant therapeutic effects in the comprehensive treatment of lactational mastitis.Furthermore,this method is conducive to alleviating the clinical symptoms of these patients as soon as possible and can reduce the pain of patients,thus promoting their recovery.