Effects of positive psychological control intervention on sleep and psychology of officers and soldiers working at sea

BACKGROUND The working environment of submarine crews is also very special.They are in a closed,high-temperature,high-noise,high-vibration and narrow working and living space for a long time,and they suffer from physical discomfort caused by seasickness,which will affect the mental health of officers and soldiers.American psychologists have achieved positive results in psychological resilience training for officers and soldiers from the perspective of positive psychology.At present,there are few reports on the correlation between psychological resilience in the field of domestic research on submarine crew psychology,and it is necessary to conduct further research.METHODS A total of 121 soldiers working in a confined space of a large ship were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group.The 50 soldiers in the experimental group were given a training course intervention,while the 71 soldiers in the control group did not receive any intervention measures.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,Psychological Resilience Scale,military Psycho-logical Stress Self-Assessment Questionnaire,and General Self-Efficacy Scale scores were compared before and 6 months after the intervention.RESULTS Under the positive psychological control intervention,except for sleep efficiency(P=0.05),the difference between the remaining dimensions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores and the total scores of the experimental group compared with the control group was statistically significant(P<0.05);the assessment of the psychological condition showed that,in addition to the Psychological Stress Self-assessment Questionnaire for Military Personnel scores(P=0.05),the scores of the Mental Toughness Scale(Dispositional Resilience Scale Resilience II)in the experimental group,General Self-Efficacy Scale scores were statistically significant(P<0.05)compared to pre-intervention.CONCLUSION Positive psychological intervention and control can improve the sleep state and psychological state of officers and soldiers working in confined space at sea.

Development and validation of an emergency bloodstream infection score for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with community-acquired bloodstream infections

BACKGROUND:Community-acquired bloodstream infections(CABSIs)are common in the emergency departments,and some progress to sepsis and even lead to death.However,limited information is available regarding the prediction of patients with high risk of death.METHODS:The Emergency Bloodstream Infection Score(EBS)for CABSIs was developed to visualize the output of a logistic regression model and was validated by the area under the curve(AUC).The Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis(MEDS),Pitt Bacteremia Score(PBS),Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA),quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA),Charlson Comorbidity Index(CCI),and McCabe–Jackson Comorbid Classification(MJCC)for patients with CABSIs were computed to compare them with EBS in terms of the AUC and decision curve analysis(DCA).The net reclassification improvement(NRI)index and integrated discrimination improvement(IDI)index were compared between the SOFA and EBS.RESULTS:A total of 547 patients with CABSIs were included.The AUC(0.853)of the EBS was larger than those of the MEDS,PBS,SOFA,and qSOFA(all P<0.001).The NRI index of EBS in predicting the in-hospital mortality of CABSIs patients was 0.368(P=0.04),and the IDI index was 0.079(P=0.03).DCA showed that when the threshold probability was<0.1,the net benefit of the EBS model was higher than those of the other models.CONCLUSION:The EBS prognostic models were better than the SOFA,qSOFA,MEDS,and PBS models in predicting the in-hospital mortality of patients with CABSIs.

Effect of internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy

BACKGROUND Patients with colorectal cancer may need postoperative nursing to improve prognosis,and conventional nursing is not effective.Clinical research is needed to explore nursing methods that can more effectively improve postoperative conditions on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.AIM To explore the effect of internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care on colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.METHODS Data from 187 patients with colostomy treated in our hospital from May 2019 to March 2022 were collected and divided into three groups,A(n=62),B(n=62)and C(n=63),according to different intervention methods.Group A received internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care.Group B received internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care.Group C received usual care intervention.Complications were compared among the three groups.The stoma self-efficacy scale,Hamilton Anxiety Scale,RESULTS The complication rate of group A,B and C(16.13%,20.97%and 60.32%,respectively)was significantly different(all P<0.05).The incidence of complications in groups A and B was lower than that in group C,and there was no significant difference between groups A and B(P>0.05).After intervention,the scores of ostomy care,social contact,diet choice,confidence in maintaining vitality,confidence in self-care of ostomy,confidence in sexual life,confidence in sexual satisfaction and confidence in physical labor in the three groups were all higher than before intervention,and the scores of groups A and B were higher than those of group C,with statistical significance(P<0.05).The Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale scores of the three groups after intervention were lower than those before intervention.The scores of groups A and B were lower than those of group C,and the score of group A was lower than that of group B,all with statistical significance(all P<0.05).There was a statist-ically significant difference in cancer-induced fatigue among the three groups(P<0.05).After intervention,the scores of physical health,psychological health,social health and mental health of the three groups were lower than before the intervention.The scores of group A and B were lower than that of group C;and the score of group A was lower than that of group B,all with statistical significance(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION Internet multiple linkage mode-based extended care combined with in-hospital comfort care can effectively improve self-efficacy,bad mood,cancer-related fatigue and life quality of colorectal cancer patients undergoing colostomy.

Comparison of Child-Pugh, MELD, MELD-Na, and ALBI Scores in Predicting In-Hospital Mortality in Patients with HCC

Background & Objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) leads to high morbidity and mortality. Various models have been proposed for predicting the outcome of patients with HCC. We aim to compare the prognostic abilities of Child-Pugh, MELD, MELD-Na, and ALBI scores for predicting in-hospital mortality of HCC. Methods: We enrolled patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and HCC from May 2017 through May 2018. We further divided eligible patients into hepatitis B virus (HBV), patients without ascites, and patients with ascites subgroups. Areas under the characteristic curves (AUCs) were analyzed. Results: A total of 495 patients were included in the study. We collected data on patients at admission. A majority of patients were infected with HBV (91.5%). None of them were complicated with hepatic encephalopathy. Only 14.9% of patients presented with ascites. In the whole population, AUCs with 95% confidence interval (CI) of Child-Pugh, ALBI, MELD, and MELD-Na scores in predicting in-hospital mortality were 0.889 (95% CI: 0.858 - 0.915), 0.849 (95% CI: 0.814 - 0.879), 0.669 (95% CI: 0.626 - 0.711), and 0.721 (95% CI: 0.679 - 0.760), respectively. In the patients without ascites subgroup, Child-Pugh showed better discriminatory ability than ALBI score in predicting in-hospital mortality (P = 0.0002), while there were no significant differences among other comparisons. Conclusions: Child-Pugh and ALBI may be useful predictors for predicting in-hospital mortality in whole patients, in patients with HBV infection, and in patients without ascites. In HCC patients with ascites, MELD-Na may be effective for predicting in-hospital mortality.

The Effectiveness of Psychotherapy on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Soldier:A Systematic Review

The objective of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of psychotherapy in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD)in military personnel.PubMed,Web of Science,The Cochrane Library,EBSCO and CNKI databases were searched from 1 January,2000 to November 2022 for Randomized Controlled Trials(RCTs)on psychotherapeutic interventions for military PTSD.The physical Therapy Evidence Database(PEDro)scale was used to evaluate the quality of the literature.Two researchers conducted literature screening,data extraction,and risk bias assessment in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria.Ultimately,49 RCTs were included,involving a total of 5073 veterans,retired and active military from four countries.The average score on the PEDro scale was 7.60.The primary psychotherapeutic modalities for military PTSD intervention include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy,Exposure Therapy,Mindfulness interventions,psychotherapy based on new technological tools,and other emerging psychotherapeutic tools.The review highlights that Cognitive Processing Therapy(CPT)and Prolonged Exposure Therapy(PET)stand out as the primary psychotherapeutic modalities for treating PTSD in military personnel.In cases where CPT and PET yield limited benefits,Mindfulness interventions emerge as effective alternatives.Moreover,considering the diverse needs and high dropout rates in the military,population,the review suggests using web-based,computer,and virtual reality technology tools as supplements to first-line treatments(CPT/PET)to enhance overall intervention effectiveness.For the advancement of future psychotherapeutic initiatives,there is a pronounced emphasis on prioritizing proven first-line interventions,CPT and PET while also recognizing the potential of mindfulness-based interventions as credible alternatives.In tandem with this,the active integration of technological tools is advocated to amplify the therapeutic impact of conventional psychological treatment modalities.

Trauma in The Lonely Soldier

Benedict is an award-winning novelist and non-fiction writer specializing in social injustice.Her non-fiction book The Lonely Soldier reflects the impact of war on violence against women.Female soldiers are always the victims of violence,before,during,and after serving in the Iraq War.This thesis aims to explore their trauma and illuminate the book’s meaning.

Predictors and in-hospital prognosis of recurrent acute myocardial infarction

Objective To investigate the contributing factors and in-hospital prognosis of patients with or without recurrent acute myocardial infarction （AMI）. Methods A total of 1686 consecutive AMI patients admitted to Peking University People＇s Hospital from January 2010 to December 2015 were recruited. Their clinical characteristics were retrospectively compared between patients with or without a recurrent AMI. Then multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the predictors of recurrent myocardial infarction. Results Recurrent AMI patients were older （69.3 ± 11.5 vs. 64.7 ± 12.8 years, P 〈 0.001） and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus （DM） （52.2% vs. 35.0%, P 〈 0.001） compared with incident AMI patients, they also had worse heart function at admission, more severe coronary disease and lower reperfusion therapy. Age （OR = 1.03, 95% CI： 1.02-1.05; P 〈 0.001）, DM （OR = 1.86, 95% CI： 1.37-2.52; P 〈 0.001） and reperfusion therapy （OR = 0.74; 95% CI： 0.52-0.89; P 〈 0.001） were independent risk factors for recurrent AMI Recurrent AMI patients had a higher in-hospital death rate （12.1% vs. 7.8%, P = 0.039） than incident AMI patients. Conclusions Recurrent AMI patients presented with more severe coronary artery conditions. Age, DM and reperfusion therapy were independent risk factors for recurrent AMI, and recurrent AM1 was related with a high risk of in-hospital death.

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio for In-hospital Mortality in Elderly Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery disease （CAD） is a multifactorial disease in which inflammation plays a central role. This study aimed to investigate the association of inflammatory markers such as the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio （NLR）, the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events （GRACE） score with in-hospital mortality of elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction （AMI） in an attempt to explore the prognostic value of these indices for elderly AMI patients. One thousand consecutive CAD patients were divided into two groups based on age 60. The laboratory and clinical characteristics were assessed retrospectively by reviewing the medical records. The NLR and GRACE score were calculated. In the elderly （〉60 years）, patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction （NSTEMI） and ST-elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI） had significantly higher NLR than did those with unstable angina （UA） and stable angina pectoris （SAP） （P〈0.01）. The NLR was considerably elevated in older AMI patients compared with their younger counterparts （〈60 years） （P〈0.05）. In elderly AMI patients, the NLR was considerably higher in the high-risk group than in both the low-risk and mediumrisk groups based on the GRACE score （P〈0.05 and P〈0.01, respectively）, and the NLR was positively correlated with the GRACE score （r=0.322, P〈0.001）. Either the NLR level or the GRACE score was significantly higher in the death group than in the surviving group （P〈0.05）. By curve receiver operator characteristic curve （ROC） analysis, the optimal cut-off levels of 9.41 for NLR and 174 for GRACE score predicted in-hospital death [ROC area under the curve （AUC） 0.771 and 0.787, respectively, P〈0.001]. It was concluded that an elevated NLR is a potential predictor of in-hospital mortality in elderly patients with AMI.

Patterns of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following PCI for very elderly patients： insights from the Dartmouth Dynamic Registry

Background Very elderly patients （age 〉 85 years） are a rapidly increasing segment of the population. As a group, they experience high rates of in-hospital mortality and bleeding complications following percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. However, the relationship between bleeding and mortality in the very elderly is unknown. Methods Retrospective review was performed on 17,378 consecutive PCI procedures from 2000 to 2015 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Incidence of bleeding during the index PCI admission （bleeding requiring transfusion, access site hematoma 〉 5 cm, pseudoaneurysm, and retroperitoneal bleed） and in-hospital mortality were reported for four age groups （〈 65 years, 65-74 years, 75-84 years, and ≥ 85 years）. The mortality of patients who suffered bleeding complications and those who did not was calculated and multivariate analysis was performed for in-hospital mortality. Lastly, known predictors of bleeding were compared between patients age 〈 85 years and age ≥85 years. Results Of 17,378 patients studied, 1019 （5.9%） experienced bleeding and 369 （2.1%） died in-hospital following PCI. Incidence of bleeding and in-hospital mortality increased monotonically with increasing age （mortality： 0.94%, 2.27%, 4.24% and 4.58%; bleeding： 3.96%, 6.62%, 10.68% and 13.99% for ages 〈 65, 65-4, 75-84 and ≥ 85 years, respectively）. On multivariate analysis, bleeding was associated with increased mortality for all age groups except patients age ≥85 years [odds ratio （95% CI）： age 〈 65 years, 3.65 （1.99-6.74）; age 65-74 years, 2.83 （1.62-4.94）; age 75-84 years, 3.86 （2.56-5.82）, age ≥ 85 years 1.39 （0.49-3.95）]. Conclusions Bleeding and mortality following PCI increase with increasing age. For the very elderly, despite high rates of bleeding, bleeding is no longer predictive of in-hospital mortality following PCI.

Comparison of different versions of the quick sequential organ failure assessment for predicting in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients:A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND:The quick sequential organ failure assessment(qSOFA)is recommended to identify sepsis and predict sepsis mortality.However,some studies have recently shown its poor performance in sepsis mortality prediction.To enhance its effectiveness,researchers have developed various revised versions of the qSOFA by adding other parameters,such as the lactate-enhanced qSOFA(LqSOFA),the procalcitonin-enhanced qSOFA(PqSOFA),and the modified qSOFA(MqSOFA).This study aimed to compare the performance of these versions of the qSOFA in predicting sepsis mortality in the emergency department(ED).METHODS:This retrospective study analyzed data obtained from an electronic register system of adult patients with sepsis between January 1 and December 31,2019.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analyses were performed to determine the area under the curve(AUC),with sensitivity,specificity,and positive and negative predictive values calculated for the various scores.RESULTS:Among the 936 enrolled cases,there were 835 survivors and 101 deaths.The AUCs of the LqSOFA,MqSOFA,PqSOFA,and qSOFA were 0.740,0.731,0.712,and 0.705,respectively.The sensitivity of the LqSOFA,MqSOFA,PqSOFA,and qSOFA were 64.36%,51.40%,71.29%,and 39.60%,respectively.The specificity of the four scores were 70.78%,80.96%,61.68%,and 91.62%,respectively.The LqSOFA and MqSOFA were superior to the qSOFA in predicting in-hospital mortality.CONCLUSIONS:Among patients with sepsis in the ED,the performance of the PqSOFA was similar to that of the qSOFA and the values of the LqSOFA and MqSOFA in predicting in-hospital mortality were greater compared to qSOFA.As the added parameter of the MqSOFA was more convenient compared to the LqSOFA,the MqSOFA could be used as a candidate for the revised qSOFA to increase the performance of the early prediction of sepsis mortality.

Syncope as a health risk for soldiers: Influence of medical history and clinical findings on the sensitivity of head-up tilt table testing

Background: Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments. Reliable diagnosis is challenging. Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms, co-morbidity, frequency of syncopal events, body length, body mass index, and electrocardiography(ECG) abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods: Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope, who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing, were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis. The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation. Results: Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms, such as dizziness and sweating, significantly more often. The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events, and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing. An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension. However, patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller. This finding was detected for both females and males. No significant predictors were found in the ECG patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions: Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms, and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis. In particular, if these factors are present, tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.

Comprehensive Level One Trauma Center Could Lower In-hospital Mortality of Severe Trauma in China

Trauma is a major health and social problem in the US and China, It constitutes the main cause of death in people aged 45 or under in both countries112]. There is clear evidence from clinical studies that a large percentage of these deaths are needless and preventable if better treatment and prevention programs are available12-3].

Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) & In-Hospital Neutron Irradiator (IHNI)——a new technology on binary targeting radiation therapy of cancer

BNCT is finally becoming ＂a new option against cancer＂. The difficulties for its development progress of that firstly is to improve the performance of boron compounds, secondly, it is the requirements of quantification and accuracy upon radiation dosimetry evaluation in clinical trials. Furthermore, that is long anticipation on hospital base neutron sources. It includes dedicated new NCT reactor, accelerator based neutron sources, and isotope source facilities. In ad- dition to reactors, so far, the technology of other types of sources for clinical trials is not yet completely proven. The In- Hospital Neutron lrradiator specially designed for NCT, based on the MNSR successfully developed by China, can be installed inside or near the hospital and operated directly by doctors. The Irradiator has two neutron beams for respective treatment of the shallow and deep tumors. It is expected to initiate operation in the end of this year. It would provide a safe, low cost, and effective treatment tool for the NCT routine application in near future.

High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and In-hospital Mortality in Patients with Acute Aortic Dissection

The association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C） and mortality in patients with acute aortic dissection（AAD） is unclear. From January 2007 to January 2014, a total of 928 consecutive AAD patients who were admitted within 48 h after the onset of symptoms were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether serum HDL-C level was below the normal lower limit or not. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify the predictive value of HDL-C for in-hospital mortality in patients with AAD. As compared with normal HDL-C group（n=585）, low HDL-C group（n=343） had lower levels of systolic blood pressure and hemoglobin and higher levels of leukocyte, alanine aminotransferase, blood glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and urea acid. Low HDL-C group had significantly higher in-hospital mortality than normal HDL-C group（21.6% vs. 12.6%, log-rank=10.869, P=0.001）. After adjustment for baseline variables including demographics and biologic data, the increased risk of in-hospital mortality in low HDL-C group was substantially attenuated and showed no significant difference（adjusted hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.86–1.77; P=0.259）. Low HDL-C is strongly but not independently associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with AAD.

Impact of gout on in-hospital outcomes of acute coronary syndrome-related hospitalizations and revascularizations: Insights from the national inpatient sample

BACKGROUND Previous studies have established a role of gout in predicting risk and prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. However, large-scale data on the impact of gout on inpatient outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS)-related hospitalizations and post-revascularization is inadequate. AIM To evaluate the impact of gout on in-hospital outcomes of ACS hospitalizations, subsequent healthcare burden and predictors of post-revascularization inpatient mortality. METHODS We used the national inpatient sample (2010-2014) to identify the ACS and goutrelated hospitalizations, relevant comorbidities, revascularization and postrevascularization outcomes using the ICD-9 CM codes. A multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the predictors of post-revascularization in-hospital mortality. RESULTS We identified 3144744 ACS-related hospitalizations, of which 105198 (3.35%) also had gout. The ACS-gout cohort were more often older white males with a higher prevalence of comorbidities. Coronary artery bypass grafting was required more often in the ACS-gout cohort. Post-revascularization complications including cardiac (3.2% vs 2.9%), respiratory (3.5% vs 2.9%), and hemorrhage (3.1% vs 2.7%) were higher whereas all-cause mortality was lower (2.2% vs 3.0%) in the ACSgout cohort (P < 0.001). An older age (OR 15.63, CI: 5.51-44.39), non-elective admissions (OR 2.00, CI: 1.44-2.79), lower household income (OR 1.44, CI: 1.17- 1.78), and comorbid conditions predicted higher mortality in ACS-gout cohort undergoing revascularization (P < 0.001). Odds of post-revascularization inhospital mortality were lower in Hispanics (OR 0.45, CI: 0.31-0.67) and Asians (OR 0.65, CI: 0.45-0.94) as compared to white (P < 0.001). However, postoperative complications significantly raised mortality odds. Mean length of stay, transfer to other facilities, and hospital charges were higher in the ACS-gout cohort. CONCLUSION Although gout was not independently associated with an increased risk of postrevascularization in-hospital mortality in ACS, it did increase postrevascularization complications.

The Relationship Between Mean Platelet Volume and In-Hospital Mortality in Geriatric Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Who Underwent Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Objective:We planned to investigate the effect of mean platelet volume(MPV)on in-hospital mortality and coronary risk factors in geriatric patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Methods:We enrolled 194 consecutive STEMI patients.The study population was divided into two groups on the basis of admission MPVs.The high-MPV group(n=49)included patients in the highest tertile(>8.9 fL),and the low-MPV group(n=145)included patients with a value in the lower two tertiles(≤8.9 fL).Clinical characteristics,in-hospital mortality,cardiovascular risk factors,and outcomes of primary PCI were analyzed.Results:The patients in the high-MPV group were older,more of them had three-vessel disease,and they had higher in-hospital mortality.Patients with in-hospital death were older,had higher Gensini score,creatinine concentration,and MPV,and had lower HDL cholesterol concentration.MPV,age,HDL cholesterol concentration,creatinine concentration,and Gensini score were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital death.Conclusion:These results suggest that high admission MPV levels are associated with increased in-hospital mortality in geriatric patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI.

Syncope as a health risk for soldiers-influence of medical history and clinical findings on the sensitivity of head-up tilt table testing

Background:Syncope is a relevant health problem in military environments.Reliable diagnosis is challenging.Tilt table testing is an important tool for syncope diagnosis.The aim of this study was to determine whether signs such as prodromal symptoms,co-morbidity,frequency of syncopal events,body length,body mass index,and electrocardiography abnormalities can be used to predict the success of tilt table testing at diagnosing syncope.Methods:Data from 100 patients with histories of syncope or pre-syncope,who were diagnosed using head-up tilt table testing,were retrospectively analyzed in a cross-sectional analysis.The diagnostic procedure was based upon a modified version of the Westminster protocol without any pharmacological provocation.Results:Patients showing pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing suffered from prodromal symptoms,such as dizziness and sweating,significantly more often.The patients reported more injuries resulting from syncopal events and more previous syncopal events,and the prevalence of co-morbidity was greater among patients presenting negative findings during tilt testing.An asthenic-leptosomal physique was not confirmed as a risk factor for syncopal events as is the case for idiopathic arterial hypotension.However,patients with pathological reaction patterns during tilt table testing were significantly taller.This finding was detected for both females and males.No significant predictors were found in the electrocardiogram patterns of patients showing syncope during tilt table testing.Conclusions:Frequency of prior syncope and prodromal symptoms,and increased body length with an otherwise good state of health influence the predictive value of tilt table testing for syncope diagnosis.In particular,if these factors are present,tilt table testing should be considered part of the diagnostic algorithm for soldiers with recurrent syncope.

Unilateral foveomacular retinitis resembling solar retinopathy among young soldiers in Korean army and associated multimodal imaging findings

AIM: To describe the clinical features and multimodal images of unilateral foveomacular retinitis in young Korean soldiers. METHODS: Ten patients having foveomacular retinitis were included. Fluorescein angiography, fundus autofluorescence(FAF), infrared reflectance(IR), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(SD-OCT) were analyzed.RESULTS: All patients were young males experienced insidious visual decline without exposure to bright light. Initial and final vision ranged from hand movement to 20/20(median 20/200) and 20/2000 to 20/20(median 20/500), respectively. Vision decreased in 6 patients while improved in two. Typical macular abnormality was yellow granular spots. SD-OCT showed ellipsoid zone(EZ) or interdigitation zone(IZ) disruption of fovea. The degree of EZ/IZ damage correlated with vision. Lesions were clearly visualized through IR and matched with SD-OCT findings.CONCLUSION: This is the first case series of foveomacular retinitis diagnosed with multimodal imaging. Foveomacular retinitis should be suspected in sudden unilateral visual decline especially in young soldiers. SD-OCT is the most important diagnostic modality.

Risk factors for adverse in-hospital outcomes in acute colonic diverticular hemorrhage

AIM: To investigate the factors associated with transfusion, further bleeding, and prolonged length of stay.METHODS: In total, 153 patients emergently hospitalized for diverticular bleeding who were examined by colonoscopy were prospectively enrolled. Patients in whom the bleeding source was identified received endoscopic treatment such as clipping or endoscopic ligation. After spontaneous cessation of bleeding withconservative treatment or hemostasis with endoscopic treatment, all patients were started on a liquid food diet and gradually progressed to a solid diet over 3d, and were discharged. At enrollment, we assessed smoking, alcohol, medications [non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs(NSAIDs)], low-dose aspirin, and other antiplatelets, warfarin, acetaminophen, and oral corticosteroids), and co-morbidities [hypertension,diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, cerebro-cardiovascular disease, chronic liver disease, and chronic kidney disease(CKD)]. The in-hospital outcomes were need for transfusion, further bleeding after spontaneous cessation of hemorrhage, and length of hospital stay.The odds ratio(OR) for transfusion need, further bleeding, and prolonged length of stay were estimated by logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: No patients required angiographic embolization or surgery. Stigmata of bleeding occurred in 18% of patients(27/153) and was treated by endoscopic procedures. During hospitalization, 40patients(26%) received a median of 6 units of packed red blood cells. Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex(OR = 2.5, P = 0.02), warfarin use(OR= 9.3, P < 0.01), and CKD(OR = 5.9, P < 0.01)were independent risk factors for transfusion need.During hospitalization, 6 patients(3.9%) experienced further bleeding, and NSAID use(OR = 5.9, P = 0.04)and stigmata of bleeding(OR = 11, P < 0.01) were significant risk factors. Median length of hospital stay was 8 d. Multivariate analysis revealed that age > 70years(OR = 2.1, P = 0.04) and NSAID use(OR = 2.7,P = 0.03) were independent risk factors for prolonged hospitalization(≥ 8 d).CONCLUSION: In colonic diverticular bleeding, female sex, warfarin, and CKD increased the risk of transfusion requirement, while advanced age and NSAID increased the risk of prolonged hospitalization.

Survival to discharge after in-hospital cardiac arrest at emergency department and its associated factors: a prospective observational study

Objectives:To study the rate of survival to discharge after in-hospital cardiac arrest and its associated factors in an emergency department of a tertiary care hospital,South India.Methods:This prospective observational study was conducted between December 2016 and May 2017 among all patients above 12 years old,who suffered witnessed cardiac arrest,after arrival in the emergency department.A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data (socio demographic details,chief complaints,comorbidities).Initial documented rhythm,duration of CPR,use of defibrillator,and presumed cause of cardiac arrest and others were collected from the case records.Results:The study cohort contained 252 participants.The age was (50.0+17.2) years and male patients accounted for 54.4%.The most common complaint was breathlessness (29%),followed by chest pain (20.2%) and trauma (17.5%).The proportion of non-shockable rhythm (77.4 %) was higher than shockable rhythm (22.6%).Pulseless electrical activity (53.9%) was the most common initially documented rhythm.The predominant presumed cause of arrest was cardiac origin (29.7%).The overall rate of survival to discharge was 17.5%.Logistic regression analysis showed age >60 years [odds ratio (OR):3.4,95% confidence interval (CI):1.03-11.22,P=0.04],males (OR:3.45,95% CI:1.00-11.44;P=0.04),presumed respiratory cause (OR:11.8,95% CI:1.0-160.0,P=0.05),initial rhythm ventricular fibrillation (OR:9.1,95% CI:1.0-92.0,P=0.05) as individual predictors of survival rate to discharge after in-hospital cardiac arrest.Conclusions:Our study shows that less than one-fifth of patients survive to discharge after inhospital cardiac arrest.This signifies the need to identify and to make the necessary changes at all levels of organization,service delivery and patient care,so as to improve the overall survival rate following cardiac arrest.