Application value of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluating donor liver from donation after brain death / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the application value of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in evaluating the donor liver from donation after brain death (DBD). Methods Clinical data of 25 DBD donor livers and 10 healthy adult livers were retrospectively analyzed. CEUS examinations of DBD donor livers and healthy livers were collected. Quantitative parameters included the area under curve (AUC), maximum intensity (Imax), time to peak (TTP) and mean transit time (mTT), etc. Results Among 25 cases of DBD donor livers, 23 cases showed normal enhancement pattern, and the other 2 cases presented with abnormal enhancement pattern. Compared with the control group, the AUC, Imax and mTT values of DBD donor livers were significantly decreased (all P < 0.05). Conclusions CEUS quantitative parameters can be effective means to evaluate the micro-perfusion of DBD donor livers.

Tidal breathing analysis as a tool for asthma diagnosis in children aged six months to five years

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BACKGROUND:</strong> The diagnosis of asthma is difficult to establish using spirometry in children below 5 years old. Tidal breathing analysis (TBA) can provide useful information about lung function in infants and young children, as it is effort-independent. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVES:</strong> To determine if baseline and post-bronchodilator ratios of the time and volume until peak expiratory flow to the total expiratory time and volume, (tPEF/tE and V PEF/V E) can distinguish asthmatics from normal children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>METHODS:</strong> This is a cross-sectional study wherein 146 children ages 6 months to 5 years old completed TBA before and 15 minutes after administration of 250?g of salbutamol via nebulization. Children 3 years old and below who did not cooperate were given sedation with oral diphenhydramine (1mg/kg/dose). The tPEF/tE and VPEF/VE were compared between the controls and asthmatics.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>RESULTS:</strong> In children below 2 years old, the baseline tPEF/tE of asthmatics and non-asthmatics were 29.6  ± 13.8and 22.0 ± 6.6. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.649 attPEF/tEof 32.250, with a sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 97%. The baseline VPEF/VE of asthmatics and non-asthmatics were 32.7 ±12.4 and 26.0 ± 4.9.AUC was 0.661 at VPEF/VEof34.500, with a sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 97%.In subjects 2 to 5 years old, the baseline tPEF/tE of asthmatics and non-asthmatics were 35.3 ± 14.7 and 35.0 ± 13.1. The baseline VPEF/VE were 37.0 ± 12.3 and 36.7 ± 10.7. After salbutamol nebulization, the tPEF/tE of asthmatics and non-asthmatics in all ages were 30.9±13.7 and 27.9± 10.8. The VPEF/VE were 34.1± 11.4 and 30.9± 9.0.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>CONCLUSION</strong>: Baseline tPEF/tE and VPEF/VE can distinguish asthmatics from non-asthmatics in children below 2 years old. However, baseline tPEF/tE and VPEF/VE in children 2 to 5 years old and post-bronchodilator tPEF/tE and VPEF/VE in all ages could not distinguish asthmatics from non-asthmatics after nebulization with 250?g of salbutamol.</p>

The foot pressure distribution of a normal left and toes-out right foot gait / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To characterize the foot pressure distribution during walking of the male college students with a normal left foot and toes-out right foot gait.Methods Forty-two male college students age 20 to 25 with a toes-out gait on the right side and a normal gait on the left side were recruited.The FOOTSCAN system was used to measure their foot pressure distribution while walking.Results There were significant differences between the normal and the toes-out foot with regard to the peak pressure on the third metatarsal bone [(45.05 ±13.91)N/cm2 vs (26.83 ± 10.82) N/cm2] and pressure under the arch [(4.48 ± 1.94) N/cm2 vs (2.90 ±1.57) N/cm2],as well as the time for the appearance of peak pressure under the 1st and 4th metatarsal bones.The foot regional impulse was significantly lower on the normal side than on the toes-out side for toes 2 to 5 and for metatarsal bone 2.Conclusion In contrast to the normal foot,the pressure center of the toe-out foot deflects to the inner side.This results in slanted power application instead of straight ahead,so the strength in the direction of travel is small.And it will produce torsion between the tibia and fibula,which makes the tibia appear introverted and causes excessive friction in the knee joint.This will lead to injury of the knee joint.

The evaluations of the effect of stent implantation using multimodal computed tomography in ischemic cerebrovascular patients / 中国神经精神疾病杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of stent implantation using Multimodal CT in patients with MCA and ICA stenosis. Methods Twenty-six patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease who received MCA or ICA stent implantation in ChongQing xinqiao Hospital were recruited. Multimodal Stroke Assessment Using CT Score (MOSAIC) was used to evaluate the Neuroimaging data before stent implantation and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) to evaluate the time to peak (TTP) of CTP before and after stent implantation. Results Patients were divided into 4 groups based on scores: 4 scores, 5 scores, 6 scores, and 7 scores groups. the improvement degree was increase by 31.7%±14.17%、38.6%±15.73%、43.3%±10.3%、358.6%±13.45% in 4 scores, 5 scores, 6 scores, and 7 scores groups, respectively. The paired t test demonstrated that there were a statistically significant difference among four groups(H=10.673, P <0.05). Preoperative MOSAIC score was positively correlated with the improvement of ASPECT score for TTP, with a correlation coefficient of 0.579 ( P <0.002). Conclusions Multimodal CT is a sensitive assessment for the evaluation of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and patients with a higher MOSAIC score may benefit more from stent implantation.