Therapeutic effect and mechanism of electroacupuncture at Zusanli on plasticity of interstitial cells of Cajal: a study of rat ileum.

BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture (EA) is one of the techniques of acupuncture and is believed to be an effective alternative and complementary treatment in many disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects and mechanisms of EA at acupoint Zusanli (ST36) on the plasticity of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in partial bowel obstruction. METHODS: A Sprague Dawley rat model of partial bowel obstruction was established and EA was conducted at Zusanli (ST36) and Yinglingquan (SP9) in test and control groups, respectively. Experiments were performed to study the effects and mechanisms of EA at Zusanli on intestinal myoelectric activity, distribution and alteration of ICCs, expression of inflammatory mediators, and c-Kit expression. RESULTS: 1) EA at Zusanli somewhat improved slow wave amplitude and frequency in the partial obstruction rats. 2) EA at Zusanli significantly stimulated the recovery of ICC networks and numbers. 3) the pro-inflammatory mediator TNF-α and NO activity were significantly reduced after EA at Zusanli, However, no significant changes were observed in the anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10 activity. 4) EA at Zusanli re-expressed c-Kit protein. However, EA at the control acupoint, SP9, significantly improved slow wave frequency and amplitude, but had no effect on ICC or inflammatory mediators. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that EA at Zusanli might have a therapeutic effect on ICC plasticity, and that this effect might be mediated via a decrease in pro-inflammatory mediators and through the c-Kit signaling pathway, but that the relationship between EA at different acupoints and myoelectric activity needs further study.

Development and Validation Nomogram for Predicting the Survival of Patients with Thrombocytopenia in Intensive Care Units.

Background: The number of patients with thrombocytopenia (TCP) is relatively high in intensive care units (ICUs). It is therefore necessary to evaluate the prognostic risk of such patients. Aim: This study investigated the risk factors affecting the survival of patients with TCP in the ICU. Using the findings of this investigation, we developed and validated a risk prediction model. Methods: We evaluated patients admitted to the ICU who presented with TCP. We used LASSO regression to identify important clinical indicators. Based on these indicators, we developed a prediction model complete with a nomogram for the development cohort set. We then evaluated the mode's accuracy using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) in a validation cohort. Results: A total of 141 cases of ICU TCP were included in the sample, of which 47 involved death of the patient. Clinical results were as follows: N (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.97, P=0.003); TBIL (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.02-1.99, P=0.048); APACHE II (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.39, 2.48, P=0.045); WPRN (HR 6.22, 95% CI 2.86-13.53, P<0.001); WTOST (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.21-1.46, P<0.001); and DMV [HR1.87, 95% CI 1.12-2.33]. The prediction model yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.918 (95% CI 0.863-0.974) in the development cohort and 0.926 (95% CI 0.849-0.994) in the validation cohort. Application of the nomogram in the validation cohort gave good discrimination (C-index 0.853, 95% CI 0.810-0.922) and good calibration. DCA indicated that the nomogram was clinically useful. Conclusion: The individualized nomogram developed through our analysis demonstrated effective prognostic prediction for patients with TCP in ICUs. Use of this prediction metric may reduce TCP-related morbidity and mortality in ICUs.

Establishment of risk nomogram prediction model for venous catheter thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Venous catheters are widely used in clinical practice, but a drawback of their usage is the increased risk of thrombosis. AIMS: The current study explored the risk factors affecting the formation of thrombosis following venous catheterization and establishes a risk nomogram prediction model for catheter-related thrombosis. METHODS: Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify the independent factors involved in venous catheter thrombosis. These factors were included in the construction of a nomogram. Finally, the C-index and calibration curves were used to validate the nomogram. RESULT: A total of 146 cases were included in the sample, of which 36 were cases of thrombosis. The results of the univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the following were significant factors: age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation scoring system (APACHE II) score, white blood cell (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), international normalized ratio (INR), fibrinogen (FIB), and D-dimer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, which confirmed that the factors of age (AUC: 0.677, 95% CI: 0.564-0.790), APACHE II score (AUC: 0.746, 95% CI: 0.656-0.837), INR (AUC: 0.743, 95% CI: 0.636-0.849), and D-dimer (AUC: 0.826, 95% CI: 0.750-0.902) were independent variables. Next, a nomogram was constructed using these independent variables for predicting venous catheter thrombosis. Favorable results with C-indexes (0.816; 95% CI: 0.780-0.882) and calibration curves closer to ideal curves indicated the accurate predictive ability of this nomogram. CONCLUSION: The individualized nomogram demonstrated effective prognostic prediction for patients with venous thrombosis.

Early use of high-dose vitamin C is beneficial in treatment of sepsis.

PURPOSE: Vitamin C has shown benefits in patients with sepsis in addition to standard therapy recently. However, further evidence is required to verify the efficacy of vitamin C in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the effect of adjunctive intravenous high-dose vitamin C treatment on hospital mortality in patients with sepsis. METHODS: One hundred seventeen patients with sepsis in our department from June 2017 to May 2019 were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (56 cases) and the vitamin C group (61 cases). The control group was treated by the routine and basic therapy with intravenous drip of 5% dextrose and placebo (100 ml/time, 2 times/day), while the vitamin C group was administered intravenously by 3.0 g vitamin C dissolved into 5% dextrose (100 ml/time, 2 times/day) based on the control group. The mortality and efficacy were statistically analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The 28-day mortality differed significantly between the control group and the vitamin C group (42.97% vs. 27.93%) (p < 0.05). The changes in the sepsis-related organ failure assessment (ΔSOFA) scores at 72 h after ICU admission (4.2 vs. 2.1), the application time of vasoactive drugs (25.6 vs. 43.8), and the procalcitonin clearance (79.6% vs. 61.3%) differed significantly between groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The early treatment of sepsis with intravenous high-dose vitamin C in combination with standard therapy showed a beneficial effect on sepsis, in terms of the reduced 28-day mortality, the decreased SOFA score, and the increased clearance rate of procalcitonin.

Risk factors for gallbladder contractility after cholecystolithotomy in elderly high-risk surgical patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cholecystolithiasis is a common disease in the elderly patient. The routine therapy is open or laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In the previous study, we designed a minimally invasive cholecystolithotomy based on percutaneous cholecystostomy combined with a choledochoscope (PCCLC) under local anesthesia. METHODS: To investigate the effect of PCCLC on the gallbladder contractility function, PCCLC and laparoscope combined with a choledochoscope were compared in this study. RESULTS: The preoperational age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores, as well as postoperational lithotrity rate and common biliary duct stone rate in the PCCLC group, were significantly higher than the choledochoscope group. However, the pre- and postoperational gallbladder ejection fraction was not significantly different. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses indicated that the preoperational thickness of gallbladder wall (odds ratio [OR]: 0.540; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.317-0.920; P=0.023) and lithotrity (OR: 0.150; 95% CI: 0.023-0.965; P=0.046) were risk factors for postoperational gallbladder ejection fraction. The area under receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.714 (P=0.016; 95% CI: 0.553-0.854). CONCLUSION: PCCLC strategy should be carried out cautiously. First, restricted by the diameter of the drainage tube, the PCCLC should be used only for small gallstones in high-risk surgical patients. Second, the usage of lithotrity should be strictly limited to avoid undermining the gallbladder contractility and increasing the risk of secondary common bile duct stones.

Uncut Esophagojejunostomy with Double Jejunal Pouch: An Alternative Reconstruction Method that Improves the Quality of Life of Patients after Total Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no optimal digestive tract reconstruction technique well recognized by scholars after total gastrectomy. In this study, a new reconstruction method, which is modified from the classic Roux-en-Y procedure, an uncut jejunal esophageal anastomosis with double jejunal pouch (UJEA-DJP) was established, and its advantages for improving the quality of life of patients who undergo total gastrectomy were analyzed. METHODS: Altogether 160 patients with gastric cancer enrolled in our center from September 2009 to March 2012 received radical D2 total gastrectomy. According to the reconstruction methods used, these patients were divided into three groups: UJEA-DJP (n = 63), Roux-en-Y (n = 45), and P-loop with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy (P-RY; n = 52). The operation time for reconstruction, complications, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and the Visick classification among the three groups were analyzed. RESULTS: We found that UJEA-DJP has advantages over Roux-en-Y and P-RY regarding the time of digestive tract reconstruction, incidence rates for long-term complications, postoperative nutritional index, body weight recovery, and the Visick classification for subjective feelings (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The UJEA-DJP surgical procedure has the advantages of intestinal continuity and double-pouch construction, which can significantly reduce long-term complications and improve the long-term quality of life of patients after surgical procedure.

Learning curve for hand-assisted laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy.

AIM: To describe the learning curves of hand-assisted laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy (HALG) for the treatment of gastric cancer. METHODS: The HALG surgical procedure consists of three stages: surgery under direct vision via the port for hand assistance, hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery, and gastrointestinal tract reconstruction. According to the order of the date of surgery, patients were divided into 6 groups (A-F) with 20 cases in each group. All surgeries were performed by the same group of surgeons. We performed a comprehensive and in-depth retrospective comparative analysis of the clinical data of all patients, with the clinical data including general patient information and intraoperative and postoperative observation indicators. RESULTS: There were no differences in the basic information among the patient groups (P > 0.05). The operative time of the hand-assisted surgery stage in group A was 8-10 min longer than the other groups, with the difference being statistically significant (P = 0.01). There were no differences in total operative time between the groups (P = 0.30). Postoperative intestinal function recovery time in group A was longer than that of other groups (P = 0.02). Lengths of hospital stay and surgical quality indicators (such as intraoperative blood loss, numbers of detected lymph nodes, intraoperative side injury, postoperative complications, reoperation rate, and readmission rate 30 d after surgery) were not significantly different among the groups. CONCLUSION: HALG is a surgical procedure that can be easily mastered, with a learning curve closely related to the operative time of the hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery stage.

Three-step hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for radical distal gastrectomy: an effective surgical approach.

OBJECTIVE: Three-step hand-assisted laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy (HALG) is a modified surgical technique based on hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) for the treatment of gastric cancer. This surgical approach is particularly easy and convenient for radical distal gastrectomy. In order to thoroughly understand the advantages of applying "three-step HALG" in distal gastrectomy, our center conducted a retrospective study to analyze data from patients who underwent HALG and laparoscopic-assisted D2 radical gastrectomy (LAG) during the corresponding time period. METHODS: The HALG procedure is performed in three steps, namely the operation performed through an auxiliary incision under direct vision, hand-assisted laparoscopic operation, and gastrointestinal tract reconstruction through the auxiliary incision under direct vision. This study performed comprehensive, in-depth comparative analyses on the clinical data of two groups of patients who underwent HALG and LAG. RESULTS: The auxiliary incision under the xiphoid was maximally utilized in the HALG procedure. The rate of conversion to open surgery in HALG group patients was significantly lower than in the LAG group (P = 0.03), and the operating time was significantly shorter in the HALG group than in the LAG group (P = 0.00). There was no significant difference in the pain rate score on postoperative day 2 and on the day of discharge between the HALG and LAG groups (P > 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the time to recovery of bowel function, postoperative hospital stay, or postoperative complications (P > 0.05), although the values were all lower in the HALG group than in the LAG group. CONCLUSION: "Three-step HALG" is a highly feasible surgical approach for radical distal gastrectomy.

Transvaginal early fistula debridement and repair plus continuous vacuum aspiration via anal tube for rectovaginal fistula following rectal cancer surgery: report of four cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and superiority of transvaginal early fistula debridement and repair plus continuous vacuum aspiration via anal tube for rectovaginal fistula following rectal cancer surgery. METHODS: The clinical data of four cases of rectovaginal fistula following rectal cancer surgery were retrospectively analyzed in our center. After adequate preoperative preparation, the patients underwent transvaginal fistula debridement and repair plus continuous vacuum aspiration via anal tube under continuous epidural anesthesia. After surgery and before discharge, anti-infection and nutritional support was administered for 2 d, and fluid diet and anal tube vacuum aspiration continued for 7 d. RESULTS: All the four cases healed. Three of them healed after one operation, and the other patient had obvious shrinkage of the fistular orifice after the first operation and underwent the same operation for a second time before complete healing. The duration of postoperative follow-up was 2, 7, 8 and 9 months respectively. No recurrence or abnormal sex life was reported. CONCLUSIONS: Early transvaginal fistula debridement and repair plus continuous vacuum aspiration via anal tube are feasible for rectovaginal fistula following rectal cancer surgery. This operation has many advantages, such as minimal invasiveness, short durations of operation, short treatment cycles, and easy acceptance by the patient. In addition, it does not necessitate colostomy for feces shunt and a secondary colostomy and reduction.

Stress-induced intestinal necrosis resulting from severe trauma of an earthquake.

AIM: To investigate the possible reasons and suggest therapeutic plan of stress-induced intestinal necrosis resulting from the severe trauma. METHODS: Three patients in our study were trapped inside collapsed structures for 22, 21 and 37 h, respectively. The patients underwent 3-4 operations after sustaining their injuries. Mechanical ventilation, intermittent hemodialysis and other treatments were also provided. The patients showed signs of peritoneal irritation on postoperative days 10-38. Small intestinal necrosis was confirmed by emergency laparotomy, and for each patient, part of the small bowel was removed. RESULTS: Two patients who all performed 3 operations died of respiratory complications on the first and second postoperative days respectively. The third patient who performed 4 operations was discharged and made a full recovery. Three patients had the following common characteristics: (1) Multiple severe trauma events with no direct penetrating gastrointestinal injury; (2) Multiple surgeries with impaired renal function and intermittent hemodialysis treatment; (3) Progressive abdominal pain and tenderness, and peritoneal irritation was present on post-traumatic days 10-38; (4) Abdominal operations confirmed segment ulcer, necrosis of the small intestine, hyperplasia and stiffness of the intestinal wall; and (5) Pathological examinations suggested submucosal hemorrhage, necrosis, fibrosis and hyalinization of the vascular wall. Pathological examinations of all 3 patients suggested intestinal necrosis with fistulas. CONCLUSION: Intestinal necrosis is strongly associated with stress from trauma and post-traumatic complications; timely exploratory laparotomy maybe an effective method for preventing and treating stress-induced intestinal necrosis.

[Hand-assisted laparoscopic radical gastrectomy: comparison between laparoscopic and open approach].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short-term outcomes after hand-assisted laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. METHODS: Between June 2010 and May 2011, a series of 15 patients underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy(HG), 16 patients underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy(LP), and 11 patients underwent open gastrectomy(OP). Short-term outcomes included operative time, blood loss, lymph nodes harvested, and the length of incision were collected after operation. RESULTS: The operative time was 150-200 min in HG, 180-220 min in LP, and 150-200 min in OP respectively. The time of laparoscopic procedure was 18-58 and 70-100 min respectively. The average incision length was 6.8 cm in HG, 5.6 cm in LP, and 13.5 cm in OP. The average number of lymph nodes harvested was 17.6, 15.1 and 16.4 respectively. The average estimated blood loss was 228 ml, 278 ml, and 427 ml respectively. The mean length of hospital stay was 9.9, 10.8, and 12.4 d. No anastomotic leakage, bleeding, or gastric paralysis were found. One wound infection case was found in OP. CONCLUSIONS: Hand-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy is in concordance with the standardized treatment protocol for gastric cancer. Lymph node dissection is easier by HG, therefore HG can be an alternative for the radical resection of gastric cancer.