Antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate for the treatment of pediatric hematogenous osteomyelitis.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate has excellent curative efficacy in chronic osteomyelitis. However, its curative efficacy in pediatric hematogenous osteomyelitis has not been sufficiently studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the curative effects of antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate in the treatment of pediatric hematogenous osteomyelitis. METHODS: Overall, twenty-one pediatric patients with hematogenous osteomyelitis treated at our hospital between 2013 and 2018 were included for assessment. The clinical history, clinical manifestation, infection recurrence rate, sinus leakage, incision leakage, pathological fractures, bone growth and surgical procedures were analyzed. RESULTS: The infection recurrence rate was 0% (0/21) at a minimum of 31 months (range 31 to 91 months) of follow-up. Postoperative incision leakage was found in one pediatric patient. Osteolysis was found in one pediatric patient. Acceleration of bone growth occurred in one pediatric patient. Retardation of bone growth occurred in one pediatric patient. Genu valgus deformity occurred in one pediatric patient. CONCLUSIONS: Although noninfectious complications occurred, the curative effect of antibiotic-impregnated calcium sulfate in pediatric hematogenous osteomyelitis was satisfactory.

Alcohol Use Among Mental Health Professionals in China: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Survey.

AIM: To survey the use of alcohol, and its correlates by mental health professions in China, a nation where there is rapid increase in alcohol consumption and problems. METHODS: As a part of a large-scale, nation-wide online survey of healthcare professionals, we collected demographic variables and other health-related variables anonymously. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Concise (AUDIT-C) was used to collect data on alcohol use. RESULTS: 13,980 mental health professionals completed the survey (4382 doctors, 9339 nurses and 259 clinical psychologists), representing 64% of the total targeted. Respondents were predominantly female (75.1%). Alcohol consumption was reported by 41.8% of participants (by 53.9% of doctors, 36.2% of nurses and 40.5% of clinical psychologists). Based on the cut-off scores of the AUDIT-C (≥3 for women and ≥4 for men), 7.5% were classified as probable alcohol misusers in the past year, and the rates were 10.2% in doctors, 6.3% in nurses and 5.8% in clinical psychologists. Multiple logistic regression showed that male sex (OR = 3.772; CI = 3.206-4.439), being a doctor (OR = 1.259; CI = 1.052-1.506), being divorced or widowed (OR = 1.979; CI = 1.467-2.666), having an associate degree or less (OR = 1.809; CI = 1.040-3.147), working in Northeast China (OR = 1.538; CI = 1.281-1.848) and the habit of smoking (OR = 3.345; CI = 2.280-3.967) were significantly associated with alcohol misuse. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use and misuse were relatively common among mental health professionals in China, and male sex, being a doctor, with lower education, working in Northeast China and cigarette smoking were significant associations. Awareness and interventions are recommended to promote healthier use of alcohol in this professional group, especially among risk subgroups.

Prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer with direct oral anticoagulants: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer are of a high level risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is recommended as the normal treatment for cancer-associated venous thrombosis. Recently, some studies suggest that patients with cancer-associated venous thrombosis can get a good efficacy and safety profile from treating with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) compared with other anticoagulants. However, when it comes to the efficacy of DAOCs in preventing VTE in patient with cancer, the data are limited. Thus, we performed such a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of DOACs in preventing VTE in patient with cancer compared with LMWHs. METHODS: Medline/PubMed and CENTRAL (The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were systematically searched for relevant studies. For each trial, data on VTE, major bleeding, or bleeding were extracted by 2 reviewers independently. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) were calculated by using Review Manager 5.3 software and the significance was determined by the Z test. RESULTS: A total of 6 studies with 7185 patients were included in our meta-analysis. DOACs (RR = 0.55, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.34-0.90, I = 31%) had a similar prevention effect of VTE to LMWH (RR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37-0.95, I = 59%). DOACs (RR = 1.52, 95% CI: 0.99-2.33, I = 0%) yielded a similar bleeding occurrence rate compared with LMWH (RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.07-1.70, I = 35%). DOACs (RR = 1.95, 95% CI: 0.88-4.30, I = 0%) showed a sight higher major bleeding occurrence rate than LMWH (RR = 1.38, 95% CI: 0.88-2.14, I = 0%). CONCLUSION: DOACs show comparable efficacy to LMWH in cancer patients without VTE with a slightly higher major bleeding occurrence rate. DOACs are inclined to be an alternative thromboprophylaxis strategy in cancer patients as they have superiorities compared to traditional anticoagulation agents. Further studies are still demanded as exiting relevant researches are limited.

Do environmental conservation programs contribute to sustainable livelihoods? Evidence from China's grain-for-green program in northern Shaanxi province.

Several studies reported that conservation programs worldwide have profoundly reshaped participants' livelihoods and influenced other socio-economic processes. A fully understanding of how such conservation programs influence human lives is, therefore, crucial for their success. There, however, is little robust evidence of the effect of China's grain-for-green program (GGP), the largest conservation program in the world, on participants' livelihoods. That is, we do not know whether the program fulfills its goal of, at the very least, doing no harm to the lives of participants while simultaneously enhancing their environmental perception. To help fill this gap, we used a sustainable livelihood approach and structural equation modeling, based on household survey data from China's northern Shaanxi province, to compare the livelihood components of participants and non-participants in the GGP. We then characterized the interactions and pathways between their livelihood components and environmental perception. We found that the GGP indeed does no harm to participants' lives. Although participants suffer from a small reduction in natural capital due to a sharp decrease in their landholdings, they have much more off-farm income, subsidies, and financial and social assets than non-participants. Respondents commonly held positive attitudes toward the program's environmental benefits, but they had weak perceptions of the social and direct economic benefits of the GGP. Respondents' environmental perceptions of the GGP were significantly influenced by the number of available laborers, their education and health levels, off-farm income, subsidies, and the accessibility of transportation. Therefore, further resources should be dedicated to improving education as well as rural health care and infrastructure in order to create more off-farm job opportunities for GGP participants. In addition, decision makers should carefully redesign supporting policies, such as payments for ecosystem services, to help poor participants rebuild their livelihoods.