Objective To assess the systematic reviews of magnesium sulfate used to treat severe asthma. Methods An electronic search was performed in The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2008), ACP Journal Club (1991 to June 2008), MEDLINE (1990 to June 2008), Chinese Journal Full-text Database (1979 to June 2008), Chinese Scientific and Technological Periodical Databases (VIP) (1980 to June 2008), and Chinese Bio-medicine Database (CBM) (1980 to June 2008) to collect systematic reviews of magnesium sulfate treatment for severe asthma. The retrieved systematic reviews were reassessed, and then we adopted the evidence for clinical practice. Results Nine systematic reviews were included, and all of them included 14.1 ± 2.9 items of QUOROM (the quality of reporting of Meta-analyses) on average. In general, the included systematic reviews had comparatively high quality. Evidence illustrated that intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate could improve pulmonary function and reduce hospital admission without any serious side effects. However, no evidence could verify that patients with asthma can benefit from aerosolized and oral magnesium sulfate. In a specific case with severe asthma, we used magnesium sulfate via intravenous infusion which helped the control of symptoms with no adverse reactions. Conclusion Magnesium sulfate via intravenous infusion can improve pulmonary function and reduce hospital admission rates. Due to its effectiveness, safety, and low cost, it deserves widespread application in patients with severe asthma.
Objective To investigate the change characteristics of brain natriuretic peptide(BNP) after offpump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB), and observe the relationship of BNP with atrial fibrillation, intensive care unit(ICU) stay time, time of withdrawing trachea tube, and usage of intraaortic balloon pump(IABP). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 168 consecutive patients with coronary artery diseases who underwent OPCAB in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from September 2009 to March 2010. There were 133 males and 35 females with an age of 60.77±9.32 years. BNP was determined before operation, on the operative day just after operation, and day 1, 2 and 3 after operation. At the same time, the relationship between BNP and ICU stay time, time of withdrawing trachea tube, occurrence of atrial fibrillation, and usage of IABP were also recorded. Results There were two inhospital deaths, due to low cardiac output syndrome, infection and circulatory failure respectively. BNP increased significantly after operation with the peak level occurring 1 day after operation, after which it decreased gradually. BNP level in patients with their left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) under 50% was significantly higher than that in patients with LVEF equal to or above 50% before and after operation(the median BNP level at the second postoperative day: 2 198.20 pg/ml vs. 531.65 pg/ml, Plt;0.05). BNP in patients using IABP was significantly higher than that in patients without using IABP before and after operation(the median BNP level at the first postoperative day: 5 066.75 pg/ml vs. 745.20 pg/ml, Plt;0.05). The ROC value was 0.834 when perioperative BNP was used to predict the possibility of using IABP. BNP in patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation was also significantly higher than that in patients without atrial fibrillation(the median BNP level at the first postoperative day: 1 070.60 pg/ml vs. 747.80 pg/ml, Plt;0.05). BNP was positively correlated with using IABP(at the third postoperative day: r=0.437, Plt;0.05), prognosis(at the first postoperative day:r=0.224, Plt;0.05), time of withdrawing trachea tube(at the third postoperative day: r=0.440, Plt;0.05), ICU stay time(at the third postoperative day: r=0.477, Plt;0.05). Conclusion BNP can be considered as one of the diagnostic criteria for ventricular dysfunction, and preoperative high BNP level is a risk factor for using IABP and ICU stay time equal to or longer than 3 days.
Abstract: Objective To compare the multiple organ dysfunction score (MODS), the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), the acute physiology, age, and chronic health evaluation system Ⅱ(APACHE Ⅱ), the acute physiology, age, and chronic health evaluation system Ⅲ(APACHE Ⅲ) in evaluating risks for patients after cardiac surgery, in order to provide better treatment and prediction of prognosis after cardiac operation. Methods A prospective study was carried out on 1 935 cardiac postoperative patients, including 1 050 males and 885 females, enrolled in cardiac postoperative intensive care unitof Anzhen hospital between October 2007 and April 2008. The age of the patients ranged from 18 to 86 years with the mean age of 53.96 years. The patients underwent the surgery because of various cardiac diseases including coronary heart disease, valve disease, congenital heart disease, aortic aneurysm, pericardial disease, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary embolism. We used MODS, SOFA, APACHE Ⅱ, and APACHE Ⅲ respectively to calculate the value of the first day after operation, the maximum value during the first three days, the maximum value, and the change of the value between the third day and the first day for every patient, and then we compared the calibration and discrimination of these different systems using HosmerLemeshow goodnessoffit analysis and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. Results There were 47 perioperative deaths because of circulating system failure, respiration failure, kidney failure, liver failure or nervous system diseases. The death rate was 2.43%. In discrimination analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) in ROC of the first day value after operation, the maximum value, the maximum value during the first three days, and the change of value between the third day and the first day for MODS were respectively 0.747, 0.901, 0.892, and 0.786; for SOFA were respectively 0.736, 0.891, 0.880, and 0.798; for APACHE Ⅱ were respectively 0.699, 0.848, 0,827, and 0.562; for APACHE Ⅲ were respectively 0.721, 0.872, 0.869, and 0.587. In calibration analysis, we compared the χ2 value of the first day value, the maximum value, the maximum value during the first 3 days, and the change of value between the third day and the first day of these systems. χ2 value of MODS was 4.712, 5.905, 5.384, and 13.215; χ2 value of SOFA was 8.673, 3.189, 3.111, and 14.225; χ2 value of APACHE Ⅱ was 15.688, 10.132, 8.061, and 42.253; χ2 value of APACHE Ⅲ was 13.608, 11.196, 19.310, and 47.576. AUC value of MODS and SOFA were all larger than those of APACHE Ⅱ and APACHE Ⅲ (Plt;0.05); AUC value of APACHE Ⅱ was smaller than that of APACHE Ⅲ (Plt;0.05). Conclusion MODS, SOFA, APACHE Ⅱ and APACHE Ⅲ are all applicable in evaluating risks for patients after cardiac surgery. However, MODS and SOFA are better than APACHE Ⅱ、APACHE Ⅲ in predicting mortality after cardiac surgery. In cardiac surgery, the complicated APACHE Ⅱ and APACHE Ⅲ systems can be replaced by MODS and SOFA systems which are simpler for use.
Objective To explore whether the placebo-controlled trials in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were scientific and ethical. Method An electronic search concerned with placebo-controlled trials of TCM was performed at Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Scientific and Technological Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang Database and Chinese Bio-medicine Database (CBM) from January 1979 to April 2008. In addition, we handsearched the trials in specialized journals of TCM. The trials were assessed regard with their scientificalness, ethic and traits of TCM of placebo-controlled trials. Results A total of 231 trials were included, occupying about 2.09% of all the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM; among which there were 79 (34.20%) with sequence generation, 10 (4.33%) with allocation concealment, 129 (55.84%) with blind methods; 106 (45.89%)with basic intervention, 13 (5.63%) with criteria of intervention quality control, 139 (60.17%) with preparation of placebo, 10 (10.33%) with aggravating scheme, 70 (30.30%) with syndrome type of TCM, 48 (20.78%) with the outcome measurement of TCM. There were 48 RCTs (20.78%) were not scientific. There were 221 RCTs without institutional review board and 187 RCTs without informed consent. Conclusion Placebo-controlled trials of TCM are not applied extensively, and some of them are not scientific. Most of than do not meet the ethical requirements.
Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics and surgical treatment experience of 1 106 patients with cardiac myxoma. Methods Clinical data of 1 106 patients with cardiac myxoma who underwent surgical treatment in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from 2002 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 749 (67.7%) females and 357 (32.3%) males. Results The highest incidence rate was at the age of 51-70 years. The location of the disease was: left atrium in 987 (89.2%) patients, right atrium in 99 (9.0%) patients, left ventricle in 10 (0.9%) patients, right ventricle in 8 (0.7%) patients. There were 1 013 patients of heart classification (NYHA) Ⅰ-Ⅱ and 93 patients of Ⅲ-Ⅳ. There were 301 patients with cerebral infarction and 57 patients with peripheral arterial embolism. Tumor size was closely related to hemodynamic symptoms (P≤0.05), but not to peripheral vascular embolism (P>0.05). Two (0.2%) patients died in hospital and 306 patients were followed up, with a follow-up rate of 27.7%. The median follow-up time was 7 years (range, 1-18 years). One patient died of all causes, and 23 patients recurred, with a recurrence rate of 2.1%. Among 23 recurrent patients, 15 (65.2%) patients were atypical myxoma and 8 (34.8%) patients were typical myxoma. There was no statistical difference in aortic clamping time, ICU stay time, ventilator-assisted breathing time, postoperative hospital stay time, postoperative mortality, or cardiac ejection fraction at discharge between the reoperation in 23 recurrent patients and the first operation in 1 083 non-recurrentpatients. Conclusion Cardiac myxoma is more common in middle-aged and elderly women, and it often occurs in the left atrium. The size of cardiac myxoma can affect the hemodynamic changes. Surgical treatment is effective. Atypical myxoma is more common in recurrent patients, and the effect is still satisfactory through surgical treatment.