Effect of Ambient Temperature on Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Disease in Suburban Rural Villages of a Semi-Arid Region in Northwest China.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of extreme temperatures on hospital admissions for respiratory diseases (RDs) in a semi-arid region in the Northwest of China. METHODS: Distributed lag nonlinear model was constructed, and stratified analysis by gender and age was performed. RESULTS: The exposure-response curve between temperature and RD hospital admissions was almost W-shaped. Either extremely cold temperatures or moderately cold temperatures presented a short-term acute harmful effect, and the relative risks were higher among males (1.976, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.773-2.203; 1.242, 95% CI: 1.203-1.282) and the elderly (2.363, 95% CI: 1.724-3.240; 1.267, 95% CI: 1.154-1.390). Both extreme and moderately hot temperatures had higher risks among females (2.040, 95% CI: 1.815-2.292; 1.328, 95% CI: 1.276-1.381). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between air temperature and RD hospital admissions was nonlinear. Vulnerable populations varied according to extreme temperature conditions.

The Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Insomnia Drugs: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of 153 Randomized Trials.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacological treatment is common in practice and widely used for the management of insomnia. However, evidence comparing the relative effectiveness, safety, and certainty of evidence among drug classes and individual drugs for insomnia are still lacking. This study aimed to determine the relative effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of drugs for insomnia. METHODS: In this systematic review and network meta-analysis we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov, from inception to January 10, 2022 to identify randomized controlled trials that compared insomnia drugs with placebo or an active comparator in adults with insomnia. We conducted random-effects frequentist network meta-analyses to summarize the evidence, and used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the certainty, categorize interventionsand present the findings. RESULTS: A total of 148 articles met our eligibility criteria; these included 153 trials which enrolled 46,412 participants and assessed 36 individual drugs from eight drug classes. Compared with placebo, both subjectively and objectively measured total sleep time were significantly improved with non-benzodiazepine (subjective: mean difference [MD] 25.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 15.49-34.64, low certainty; objective: MD 22.34, 95% CI 7.64-37.05, high certainty), antidepressants (subjective: MD 54.40, 95% CI 34.96-75.83, low certainty; objective: MD 35.64, 95% CI 13.05-58.24, high certainty), and orexin receptor antagonists (subjective: MD 21.62, 95% CI 0.84-42.40, high certainty; objective: MD 31.81, 95% CI 2.66-60.95, high certainty); of which doxepin, almorexant, suvorexant, and lemborexant were among the relatively effective drugs with relatively good tolerability and lower risks of any adverse events (AEs). Both subjectively and objectively measured sleep onset latency were significantly shortened with non-benzodiazepines (subjective: MD - 10.12, 95% CI - 13.84 to - 6.40, moderate certainty; objective: MD - 12.11, 95% CI - 19.31 to - 4.90, moderate certainty) and melatonin receptor agonists (subjective: MD - 7.73, 95% CI - 15.21 to - 0.26, high certainty; objective: MD - 7.04, 95% CI - 12.12 to - 1.95, moderate certainty); in particular, zopiclone was among the most effective drugs with a lower risk of any AEs but worse tolerability. Non-benzodiazepines could significantly decrease both subjective and objective measured wake time after sleep onset (subjective: MD - 16.67, 95% CI - 21.79 to - 11.56, moderate certainty; objective: MD - 13.92, 95% CI - 22.71 to - 5.14, moderate certainty). CONCLUSIONS: Non-benzodiazepines probably improve total sleep time, sleep onset latency, and wake time after sleep onset. Other insomnia drug classes and individual drugs also showed potential benefits in improving insomnia symptoms. However, the choice of insomnia drugs should be based on the phenotype of insomnia presented, as well as each drug's safety and tolerability. Protocol registration PROSPERO (CRD42019138790).

Risk of incident diabetes after COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 might be a risk factor for various chronic diseases. However, the association between COVID-19 and the risk of incident diabetes remains unclear. We aimed to meta-analyze evidence on the relative risk of incident diabetes in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the Embase, PubMed, CENTRAL, and Web of Science databases were searched from December 2019 to June 8, 2022. We included cohort studies that provided data on the number, proportion, or relative risk of diabetes after confirming the COVID-19 diagnosis. Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We used a random-effects meta-analysis to pool the relative risk with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals. Prespecified subgroup and meta-regression analyses were conducted to explore the potential influencing factors. We converted the relative risk to the absolute risk difference to present the evidence. This study was registered in advance (PROSPERO CRD42022337841). MAIN FINDINGS: Ten articles involving 11 retrospective cohorts with a total of 47.1 million participants proved eligible. We found a 64 % greater risk (RR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.51 to 1.79) of diabetes in patients with COVID-19 compared with non-COVID-19 controls, which could increase the number of diabetes events by 701 (558 more to 865 more) per 10,000 persons. We detected significant subgroup effects for type of diabetes and sex. Type 2 diabetes has a higher relative risk than type 1. Moreover, men may be at a higher risk of overall diabetes than women. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results. No evidence was found for publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 is strongly associated with the risk of incident diabetes, including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. We should be aware of the risk of developing diabetes after COVID-19 and prepare for the associated health problems, given the large and growing number of people infected with COVID-19. However, the body of evidence still needs to be strengthened.

A critical appraisal of clinical practice guidelines on insomnia using the RIGHT statement and AGREE II instrument.

OBJECTIVE: Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have an indispensable role in guiding the selection of various treatments for insomnia, however, little is known about the quality of released insomnia CPGs. This study aims to critically appraise the quality of existing insomnia CPGs and identify quality limitations. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, China Biology Medicine disc, and 6 databases of international guideline developing institutions were systematically searched. CPGs on the diagnosis or treatment of insomnia were included. Reviewers independently extracted basic information and development methods, and assessed methodological quality and reporting quality using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool and Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT) checklist respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to measure the agreement among reviewers and assess inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: Twenty-six CPGs were identified that focused on adults, children, or children with autistic spectrum disorder, patients in the intensive care unit, patients with cancer and pregnant, lactating or menopausal women. Twenty-two CPGs used nine grading systems to rate the level of evidence and strength of recommendation. 53.85% CPGs were classified as "recommended with modification" according to the AGREE II scores (ICC from 0.64 to 0.90), and 2 CPGs were "recommended". The "clarity of presentation" domain achieved the highest mean score (67.9% ± 11.04%) but the "applicability" domain (37.1% ± 12.67%) achieved the lowest. The average reporting rate of RIGHT items in all guidelines was 67.87%. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of guidelines varied substantially. Guideline developers should realize the importance of guideline applicability, patients' preferences and values.

White rice consumption and risk of cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

White rice is the food more than half of the world's population depends on. White rice intake can significantly increase the glycemic load of consumers and bring some adverse health effects. However, the quality of evidence implicating white rice in adverse health outcomes remains unclear. To evaluate the association between white rice consumption and the risk of cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes, a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of the relevant publications were performed. Twenty-three articles including 28 unique prospective cohorts with 1,527,198 participants proved eligible after a comprehensive search in four databases. For the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the pooled RR was 1.18 (16 more per 1000 persons) for comparing the highest with the lowest category of white rice intake, with moderate certainty evidence. Females presented a higher risk (23 more per 1000 persons) in subgroup analysis. And every additional 150 grams of white rice intake per day was associated with a 6% greater risk of T2DM (5 more per 1000 persons) with a linear positive trend. We found no significant associations between white rice intake and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), CVD mortality, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, moderate certainty evidence demonstrated that white rice intake was associated with T2DM risk, with a linear positive trend. However, low to very low certainty of evidence suggested that no substantial associations were found between white rice intake and other cardiometabolic and cancer outcomes. More cohorts are needed to strength the evidence body.

The use of GRADE approach in Cochrane reviews of TCM was insufficient: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a cross-sectional survey on the application status of the Grades of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) in Cochrane systematic reviews (CSRs) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We searched CSRs of TCM from the inception to December 2020 in the Cochrane Library database. General characteristics and details of GRADE were extracted. RESULTS: Among 226 CSRs of TCM, 86 (38.05%) involving 711 outcomes used GRADE to rate the certainty of evidence. Topics mainly focused on genitourinary diseases (17.44%), diseases of the musculoskeletal system or connective tissue (11.63%), and diseases of the nervous system (10.47%). Only 15.89% of the outcomes reported high or moderate certainty of evidence. Acupuncture was the most common intervention. There were no significant differences in evidence certainty between acupuncture and non-acupuncture, between TCM alone and integrated Chinese and western medicine, or between Chinese patent medicines and non-Chinese patent medicines (P > 0.05). Among 1 273 instances of downgrading, 44.62% were due to the risk of bias and 40.14% due to imprecision. CONCLUSION: Overall, GRADE approach is not widely used in CSRs of TCM. The certainty of evidence is generally low to very low, mainly because of the serious risk of bias and imprecision.

Global Trends and Future Prospects of Child Nutrition: A Bibliometric Analysis of Highly Cited Papers.

Child nutrition has always been a global concern. This study performed visual analysis of 1,398 child nutrition highly cited papers (HCPs) from 2009 to 2019. The purpose of the study was to evaluate and present the performances of authors, journals, countries, institutions, top cited papers; to explore the hot topics, prospects, and to propose the future research directions on child nutrition. We used bibliometric methods to conduct in-depth statistical analysis of HCPs on child nutrition, showing research progress, trends and hot spots. We included HCPs on child nutrition from the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) database February 7, 2020. Two tools, CiteSpace and VOSviewer, were used to conduct the bibliometric analyses. The results showed that, since 2011, the number of HCPs on child nutrition has increased rapidly. The top three contributors in this field were the USA, the UK and Canada. However, the contribution of developing countries was very limited. Intestinal microflora, food allergy, overweight and obesity were the three major research hotspots in this field. Results of this study provide valuable references for ongoing child nutrition related research, which may be interesting and noteworthy to the researchers involved.

Association between shift work or long working hours with metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies.

This meta-analysis investigates the relationship between both shift work and long working hours and risk of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched from the outset to December 10, 2019. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. A total of 36 (30 cross-sectional, 5 cohort, and a nested case-control) studies, involving 274,263 participants, were included. The pooled odds ratio of shift work and development of MetS was 1.35 (95% confidence interval: 1.24-1.48), and the pooled odds ratio of long working hours and development of MetS was 1.19 (95% confidence interval: 0.97-1.46). In the subgroup analysis stratified by gender, the pooled odds ratios for male and female shift workers were 1.25 (95% confidence interval: 1.14-1.37) and 1.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.18-1.82), respectively. The dose-response (number of years of shift work and development of MetS) analysis showed the pooled odds ratio for 5 years of shift work was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 1.05-1.09) and for 10 years of shift work 1.11 (95% confidence interval: 1.06-1.15). Our meta-analysis confirmed shift work is significantly associated with risk of metabolic syndrome, but the relationship between long working hours and MetS was not substantiated. Additionally, there was a nonlinear dose-response relationship between the number of years of shift work and risk of MetS, showing positive relationship to about 20 years of shift work but not for longer than 20 years. Prospective cohort studies regarding specific shift work schedules are needed to confirm these results.

Association between shift work and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies.

To evaluate the association between shift work and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, we searched PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science from their inception to June 8, 2019. Observational studies examining the relationship between shift work and type 2 diabetes were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore whether specific characteristics would affect the relationship. A dose-response relationship was estimated by using generalized least squares trend regression. Finally, twelve cohort studies and nine cross-sectional studies were included (inter-rater agreement, k = 0.96). The result of meta-analysis indicated that shift work was associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (relative risk = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-1.14). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that female shift workers have increased risk of type 2 diabetes while male not observed, health care workers showed the highest risk compared with civil servants and manual workers, and night shift and rotating shift were associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Dose-response meta-analysis based on three cohorts among female workers indicated that there might be a positive association between duration of shift work and the risk of type 2 diabetes. In conclusion, shift work is positively associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Among female workers, with the years of exposure to shift work prolonged, the risk of type 2 diabetes might increase accordingly. In the future, more studies are needed to confirm the results of dose-response analysis.

The Effectiveness of Music Therapy for Terminally Ill Patients: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: The quality of death has increasingly raised concern because of the physical and psychological suffering of patients with advanced disease. Music therapy has been widely used in palliative care; however, its physical and mental effectiveness remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of music therapy during palliative care in improving physiology and psychology outcomes. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials evaluating music therapy for terminally ill patients were searched and included from inception up to April 25, 2018. The quality of the studies was assessed using the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane Handbook V.5.1.0. RESULTS: In this study, 11 randomized controlled trials (inter-rater agreement, κ = 0.86) involving 969 participants were included. The quality of the included studies ranged from moderate to high. Compared with general palliative care, music therapy can reduce pain (standardized mean difference: -0.44, 95% confidence interval: -0.60 to -0.27, P < 0.00001) and improve the quality of life (standardized mean difference: 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.41 to 0.82, P < 0.00001) in terminally ill patients. In addition, anxiety, depression, and emotional function are improved as well. However, no significant differences were found in the patient's physical status, fatigue, and social function. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis study demonstrated that music therapy served as an effective intervention to alleviate pain and psychological symptoms of terminally ill patients. However, considering the limitation of the quantity of the studies included, these results would need to be further confirmed.

The impact of major dietary patterns on glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, and weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes: A network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively compare the differences between major dietary patterns in improving glycemic control, cardiovascular risk, and weight loss for patients with type 2 diabetes. METHOD: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate, and/or low-fat dietary patterns for patients with type 2 diabetes. Studies that compared any one of those diets with regular diet were also included. The risk of bias in eligible RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook. The primary outcome was glycemic control. Secondary outcomes included weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors. A network meta-analysis was performed using R-3.3.2. RESULTS: Ten RCTs involving five dietary patterns met the eligibility criteria. The findings revealed that compared to low-fat diet, Mediterranean diet showed beneficial effects in glycemic control (HbA1c [%]: MD = -0.45, 95% CI = -0.55 to -0.34; fasting plasma glucose [mmol/L]: MD = -1.24 95% CI = -1.57 to -0.91, respectively; weight loss [kg]: MD =-1.18, 95% CI = -1.99 to -0.37; waist circumference [cm]: MD = -0.73, 95% CI = -1.26 to -0.19), and cardiovascular risk factors (HDL-cholesterol [mmol/L]: MD = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.11; total cholesterol [mmol/L]: MD = -0.17, 95% CI = -0.26 to -0.08; triglycerides [mmol/L]: MD = -0.21, 95% CI = -0.27 to -0.16). Network meta-analysis showed that high-carbohydrate diet improved HDL-cholesterol (mmol/l) (MD = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.39 to 1.68) when compared with regular diet. The differences were not statistically significant in other indirect comparison groups for other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A mediterranean diet showed beneficial improvements in glycemic control, weight loss, and cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes.

Exercise training modalities in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Current international guidelines recommend aerobic, resistance, and combined exercises for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In our study, we conducted a network meta-analysis to assess the comparative impact of different exercise training modalities on glycemic control, cardiovascular risk factors, and weight loss in patients with T2DM. METHODS: We searched five electronic databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the differences between different exercise training modalities for patients with T2DM. The risk of bias in the included RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane tool. Network meta-analysis was performed to calculate mean difference the ratio of the mean and absolute risk differences. Data were analyzed using R-3.4.0. RESULTS: A total of 37 studies with 2208 patients with T2DM were included in our study. Both supervised aerobic and supervised resistance exercises showed a significant reduction in HbA1c compared to no exercise (0.30% lower, 0.30% lower, respectively), however, there was a less reduction when compared to combined exercise (0.17% higher, 0.23% higher). Supervised aerobic also presented more significant improvement than no exercise in fasting plasma glucose (9.38 mg/dl lower), total cholesterol (20.24 mg/dl lower), triacylglycerol (19.34 mg/dl lower), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (11.88 mg/dl lower). Supervised resistance showed more benefit than no exercise in improving systolic blood pressure (3.90 mmHg lower]) and total cholesterol (22.08 mg/dl lower]. In addition, supervised aerobic exercise was more powerful in improving HbA1c and weight loss than unsupervised aerobic (HbA1c: 0.60% lower; weight loss: 5.02 kg lower) and unsupervised resistance (HbA1c: 0.53% lower) exercises. CONCLUSION: Compared with either supervised aerobic or supervised resistance exercise alone, combined exercise showed more pronounced improvement in HbA1c levels; however, there was a less marked improvement in some cardiovascular risk factors. In terms of weight loss, there were no significant differences among the combined, supervised aerobic, and supervised resistance exercises. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Our study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO); registration number: CRD42017067518 .

The impact of heat waves and cold spells on respiratory emergency department visits in Beijing, China.

The objectives of this article were (i) to find the association between extreme temperatures and respiratory emergency department (ED) visits and (ii) to explore the added effects of heat waves and cold spells on respiratory ED visits in Beijing from 2009 to 2012. A quasi-Poisson generalised linear model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was performed to quantify this association. The results indicated that (i) ambient temperature related to respiratory ED visits exhibited a U-shaped association. The minimum-morbidity temperature was 21.5°C. (ii) the peak relative risk (RR) of cold spells on respiratory ED visits was observed in relatively mild cold spells with a threshold below the 3rd percentile for 4days (RR=1.885, 95% CI: 1.300-2.734), and there was a reduction in risk during extremely chilly cold spells (RR=1.811, 95% CI: 1.229-2.667). However, the risk of heat waves increased with the thresholds, and the greatest risk was found for extremely hot heat waves (RR=1.932, 95% CI: 1.461-2.554). (iii) the added effect of heat waves was small, and we observed that the added heat wave effect only introduced additional risk in females (RR=1.166, 95% CI: 1.007-1.349). No added effect of cold spells was identified. In conclusion, the main effects of heat waves and cold spells on respiratory ED visits showed different change trends. In addition, the added effects of extreme temperatures on respiratory ED visits were small and negligible.

Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and Cardiac Arrhythmia: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

The objective was to assess the transient association between air pollution and cardiac arrhythmia. Five databases were searched for studies investigating the association between daily increases in air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and arrhythmia hospitalization or arrhythmia mortality. Two reviewers independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Outcomes were analyzed via a random-effects model and reported as relative risk and 95% confidence interval. 25 studies satisfied our inclusion criteria and 23 contributed to the meta-analysis. Arrhythmia hospitalization or mortality were associated with increases in PM2.5 (RR = 1.015 per 10 µg/m³, 95% CI: 1.006-1.024), PM10 (RR = 1.009 per 10 µg/m³, 95% CI: 1.004-1.014), carbon monoxide (RR = 1.041 per 1 ppm, 95% CI: 1.017-1.065), nitrogen dioxide (RR = 1.036 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 1.020-1.053), and sulfur dioxide (RR = 1.021 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 1.003-1.039), but not ozone (RR = 1.012 per 10 ppb, 95% CI: 0.997-1.027). Both particulate and gaseous components, with the exception of ozone, have a temporal association with arrhythmia hospitalization or mortality. Compared with Europe and North America, a stronger association was noted in Asia.

Improving Knowledge about Children's Environmental Health in Northwest China.

The main purpose of this study was to identify policy maker opinions and attitudes towards children's environmental health (CEH), potential barriers to child-specific protective legislation and implementation in northwest China, and evaluate knowledge and attitudes about CEH before and after an educational conference. We conducted seventy-two interviews with regional officials, researchers and non-governmental organization representatives from five provinces, and surveyed participants (forty-seven) before and after an educational conference in northwest China about CEH. Interviews identified general consensus among participants of the adverse effects of air pollution on children, yet few participants knew of policies to protect them. Barriers identified included limited funding and enforcement, weak regional governments and absence of child-specific policy-making. After the conference, substantially greater self-efficacy was identified for lead, mercury, air pollution and polychlorinated biphenyls (+0.57-0.72 on a 1-5 Likert scale, p = 0.002-0.013), and the scientific knowledge for the role of environment in children's health (+0.58, p = 0.015), and health care provider control (+0.52, p = 0.025) were rated more strongly. We conclude that policy makers in Northwest China appreciate that children are uniquely vulnerable, though additional regulations are needed to account for that vulnerability. Further research should examine effectiveness of the intervention on a larger scale and scope, and evaluate the usefulness of such interventions in translating research into improved care/reduced exposure to environmental hazards.

[Clustering Analysis of Hydatid Disease in Gansu Province].

The prevalence of hydatid disease in human population and livestock, and the positive rate of echinococcal antigen in canine feces were analyzed with sample clustering method, according to the survey on hydatid disease in 72 counties in Gansu province in the database of the National Survey on Prevalence of Echinococcosis in 2012. The prevalence of hydatid disease in huma and livestock, and the positive rate of echinococcal antigen in canine feces were 0-1.59%, 0-15.22%, and 0-16.87% respectively. Clustering analysis revealed four types of prevalence in the 72 counties. The first type existed only in Dunhuang city, with the three indicators being 0.27%, 15.22% and 16.87%; the second in four counties, with the three indicators being 0.43%, 6.57% and 1.83%; the third in 22 counties, with the three indicators being 0.22%, 1.15% and 1035%; and the fourth in 45 counties, with the three indicators being 0.16%, 0.58% and 1.69%.

[A Retrospective Analysis on the Prevalence of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Gansu Province during 2005-2014].

OBJECTIVE: To review the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in Gansu Province during 2005-2014. METHODS: The data of visceral leishmaniasis cases in Gansu Province during 2005-2014 were collected and descriptive statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: During 2005-2014, 1,260 cases of visceral leishmaniasis were reported in Gansu Province. The incidence showed a trend of annual increase from 2005 (90 cases, 7.14%) onwards, peaked in 2011 (168 cases, 13.33%), and decreased afterwards. In 2014, 85 cases (6.75%) were reported. Most of the cases were from the Longnan region and some areas in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Specifically, the case number was highest in Wudu District of the Longnan region (506/1,260, 40.16%), followed by Wenxian County (302/1,260, 23.97%) and Zhouqu County (202/1,260, 16.03%). In total, the cases had a male-to-female ratio of 1.46:1, and concentrated in age group of 0-5 years (665/1,260, 52.78%), showing a trend of decrease with age increase. In addition, visceral leishmaniasis occured throughout the year, with a higher cumulative incidence from March to June [10.48% (132/1,260), 13.33% (168/1,260), 12.86% (162/1,260) and 11.67% (147/1,260), respectively]. CONCLUSION: From 2005 to 2014, the Longnan region and some areas of Gannan Prefecture are the major endemic areas of visceral leishmaniasis, with more cases in children under 5 and higher incidence from March to June.

Could clinical pathways improve the quality of care in patients with gastrointestinal cancer? A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis was performed to assess the implementation effects of clinical pathways in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. A comprehensive search was conducted in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (from inception to May 2014). Selection of studies, assessing risk of bias and extracting data were performed by two reviewers independently. Outcomes were analyzed by fixed-effects and random-effects model meta-analysis and reported as mean difference (MD), standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The Jadad methodological approach was used to assess the quality of included studies and the meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.1 software. Nine citations (eight trials) involving 642 patients were included. The aggregate results showed that a shorter average length of stay [MD = -4.0; 95% CI (-5.1, -2.8); P < 0.00001] was observed with the clinical pathways as compared with the usual care. A reduction in inpatient expenditure [SMD = -1.5; 95% CI (-2.3, -0.7); P = 0.0001] was also associated with clinical pathways, along with higher patient satisfaction [OR = 4.9; 95% CI (2.2, 10.6); P < 0.0001]. Clinical pathways could improve the quality of care in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as evidenced by a significant reduction in average length of stay, a decrease in inpatient expenditure and an improvement in patient satisfaction. Therefore, indicators and mechanisms within clinical pathways should be a focus in the future.

The Environment and Children's Health Care in Northwest China.

BACKGROUND: Industrialization in the northwest provinces of the People's Republic of China is accelerating rapid increases in early life environmental exposures, yet no publications have assessed health care provider capacity to manage common hazards. METHODS: To assess provider attitudes and beliefs regarding the environment in children's health, determine self-efficacy in managing concerns, and identify common approaches to managing patients with significant exposures or environmentally-mediated conditions, a two-page survey was administered to pediatricians, child care specialists, and nurses in five provinces (Gansu, Shaanxi, Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Ningxia). Descriptive and multivariable analyses assessed predictors of strong self-efficacy, beliefs or attitudes. RESULTS: 960 surveys were completed with <5% refusal; 695 (72.3%) were valid for statistical analyses. The role of environment in health was rated highly (mean 4.35 on a 1-5 scale). Self-efficacy reported with managing lead, pesticide, air pollution, mercury, mold and polychlorinated biphenyl exposures were generally modest (2.22-2.52 mean). 95.4% reported patients affected with 11.9% reporting seeing >20 affected patients. Only 12.0% reported specific training in environmental history taking, and 12.0% reported owning a text on children's environmental health. Geographic disparities were most prominent in multivariable analyses, with stronger beliefs in environmental causation yet lower self-efficacy in managing exposures in the northwestern-most province. CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers in Northwest China have strong beliefs regarding the role of environment in children's health, and frequently identify affected children. Few are trained in environmental history taking or rate self-efficacy highly in managing common hazards. Enhancing provider capacity has promise for improving children's health in the region.