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Objective:To explore the risk factors for lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:The medical records of 276 hospitalized SCI patients were analyzed retrospectively. They were divided into a DVT group ( n=63) and a no-DVT group ( n=213). Gender, age, blood type, smoking history, surgical history, the time from SCI to admission, cause of SCI, fracture, SCI segments, American Spinal Cord Injury Association grade and complications were compared between the two groups. Binomial logistic regression was used to isolate the risk factors for lower extremity DVT among such patients. Results:Among 84% of the 63 with a lower extremity DVT, it was a calf muscle venous thrombosis. Anemia, hyponatremia and time from SCI to admission (which ranged from 74 to 195 days) were the most serious DVT risk factors.Conclusions:SCI patients are of high risk for DVT, with anemia and hyponatremia being independent risk factors.
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Objective:To explore the risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) after a spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:The medical records of 403 SCI patients were analyzed retrospectively. They were divided into UTI group and no-UTI group according to whether they had a UTI at admission. Gender, age, cause of injury, injury level of the spinal cord, voluntary anal contraction, time from injury to admission, American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grade, axillary temperature at admission, complications at admission (diabetes, hypertension, fracture of the pelvis, pressure sores or anemia), white blood cell count and urinary bacteria were compared between the two groups. Binary logistic regression was used to highlight the risk factors for a UTI after an SCI.Results:Of the 354 patients included in the final analysis, 62 (17.51%) had a UTI at admission. The regression showed that UTI after an SCI was closely related to an inability to voluntarily contract the anus, anemia, elevated white blood cell count and a high level of bacteria in the urine.Conclusions:Inability to contract the anus, fever, anemia and an elevated white blood cell count are independent indicators of a UTI after an SCI. A temperature ≥37.3°C is a simple indicator of a concentration of bacteria in the urine ≥1266/μL.
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Objective:To examine the risk factors for neuropathic pain (NP) after a spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods:A total of 115 patients with a SCI were analyzed retrospectively. They were divided into an NP group of 53 and a non-NP group of 62 according to the occurrence of NP. Gender, age, length of stay, occupation, level of education, cause of injury, spinal fracture, degree of SCI, the injury′s plane and complications at admission (diabetes, hypertension, anemia, venous thrombosis, pressure sores, urinary tract infection or hypoproteinemia) were recorded. T-tests and chi-squared tests were used to compare those factors between the two groups, and multivariate logistic regressions were evaluated to identify the risk factors for NP.Results:Twenty-three of the 53 cases of NP (43%) had developed within 1 month of the SCI. Thirty-seven (75%) experienced pain below the plane of the SCI. The main features reported were squeezing (34%) and numbness (26%). The multivariate logistic regression showed that the occurrence of NP was most strongly related to gender (women being particularly at risk) and venous thrombosis at admission.Conclusions:Women are at particular risk of feeling NP after an SCI, and venous thrombosis is an independent risk factor. NP should be diagnosed and treated quickly to reduce the negative impact on patients′ life quality.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of carotid webs and prevention measurements of cerebral ischemic stroke caused by carotid webs.Methods:The clinical data of three patients with carotid webs admitted to our hospital from October 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively studied, and publications (208 patients with carotid webs) reported from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2019 in PubMed, Embase, Wanfang and CNKI databases were collected. The demographic and clinical characteristics of carotid webs and secondary prevention measurements of ischemic stroke caused by carotid webs were analyzed.Results:A total of 211 patients with carotid webs were enrolled, including 68 male (32.2%) and 143 female (67.8%), with an median age of 48 years. Prevalence of risk factors for cerebrovascular disease reported in 148 patients was as follows: hypertension ( n=43, 29.1%), dyslipidemia ( n=19, 12.8%), diabetes mellitus ( n=14, 9.5%), and smoking ( n=12, 8.1%); 89.8% of carotid webs(44/49) caused mild stenosis of carotid artery (stenosis degree<50%). In secondary stroke prevention, the recurrence rate of stroke patients treated with anticoagulation plus antiplatelet was obviously lower than that of patients treated with antiplatelet alone (11.1% vs. 49.3%). No ischemic stroke or surgical complications were noted in 23 patients underwent carotid endarterectomy and 54 patients underwent carotid stent implantation during the mean follow-up period of 12 months (one-60 months) and 11 months (3-144 months), respectively. Conclusions:Carotid web may be a vital risk factor for cryptogenic stroke. Anticoagulation plus antiplatelet is superior to antiplatelet alone in preventing stroke recurrence. Carotid endarterectomy and carotid stent implantation may be the perfect choices for carotid web patients with high risk of stroke recurrence.
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Objective:To investigate the independent predictors of the long-term clinical outcomes in patients with branch atheromatous disease (BAD) in lenticulostriate artery (LSA) territory.Methods:Patients with LSA-BAD admitted to the Department of Neurology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from January 1, 2016 to June 1, 2019 were enrolled retrospectively. Their demography, vascular risk factor, and baseline clinical data were collected. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate the severity of stroke. The clinical outcomes were evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale at 6 months. 0-2 was defined as good outcome, and >2 was defined as poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent influencing factors of clinical outcomes in patients with LSA-BAD. Results:A total of 81 patients with LSA-BAD were enrolled. Their age 59.20±11.75 years (range, 39-81 years), 53 were male (65.4%), and median baseline NIHSS score was 1.0 (interquartile range, 0-4.0). Forty-one patients (50.6%) received intravenous thrombolysis. At 6-month follow-up after the onset, 63 patients (77.8%) had a good outcome, and 18 (22.2%) had a poor outcome. The baseline NIHSS score of the poor outcome group was significantly higher than that of the good outcome group (6.5 [0-9.0] vs. 1.0 [0-3.0]; Z=2.395, P=0.017), while the proportion of mild stroke (61.6% vs. 98.4%; χ2=17.595, P<0.001) and patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis (38.9% vs. 54.0%; χ2=4.450, P=0.035) were significantly lower than those of the good outcome group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for other confounding factors, venous thrombolysis was independently correlated with the good outcome (odds ratio 0.099, 95% confidence interval 0.011-0.924; P=0.042), while the high baseline NIHSS score was independently associated with the poor outcome (odds ratio 1.736, 95% confidence interval 1.262-2.388; P=0.001). Conclusion:Intravenous thrombolysis is helpful to improve the outcomes of patients with LSA-BAD, and a higher baseline NIHSS score is an independent predictor of the poor outcome.