Comparison of the effect of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in the treatment of axillary lymph nodes during radical surgery for breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in the treatment of axillary lymph nodes during radical surgery for breast cancer. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Breast Surgery, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University. A total of 128 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer who were treated by the same surgeon from July 2023 to November 2023 were included in the analysis. All breast operations were performed using electrocautery, and surgical instruments for axillary lymph nodes were divided into ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel group and electrocautery group using a random number table. According to the extent of lymph node surgery, it was divided into four groups: sentinel lymph node biopsy, lymph node at station I, lymph node at station I and II, and lymph node dissection at station I, II and III. Under the premise of controlling variables such as BMI, age and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the effects of ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in axillary surgery were compared. RESULTS: Compared with the electrosurgical group, there were no significant differences in lymph node operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative axillary drainage volume, axillary drainage tube indwelling time, postoperative pain score on the day after surgery, and the incidence of postoperative complications (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference between ultrasounic-harmonic scalpel and electrocautery in axillary lymph node treatment for breast cancer patients, which can provide a basis for the selection of surgical energy instruments.

Analysis of echinococcosis prevalence among children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years in Lhasa / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand epidemiological characteristics of echinococcosis among children and adolescents in Lhasa, and to provide basic data and theoretical support for echinococcosis prevention and control.@*Methods@#The data of echinococcosis screening in Lhasa in 2017 were collected from 3-18 years old, and portable ultrasound and serum echinococcosis antibody tests were used for screening, and the diagnosis was made based on the epidemiological history and clinical manifestations.@*Results@#The overall echinococcosis detection rate of children and adolescents aged 3-18 years in Lhasa was 0.12% (114/95 835).Among different age groups, the echinococcosis rate of children and adolescents aged 16 to 18 was the highest (0.17%). Among the population with different education levels, the echinococcosis rate of children and adolescents with primary education level was the highest (0.45%).The echinococcosis detection rate of herdsmen was the highest among different occupational groups (0.59%). Among the population with different living patterns, echinococcosis rate was the highest (0.70%) in "settled in winter and nomadic in summer" group. The rate of echinococcosis of children and adolescents were the highest in "nomadism" group and "half farming and half nomadism" group (both 0.20%) among different family production mode. Among different endemic counties, the echinococcosis detection rate of children and adolescents in Dangxiong county and Mozhugongka county were the highest, both of which are 0.18%.All the above differences are statistically significant(χ2=16.77,23.76,69.76,16.49,14.74,25.25,P<0.01).There was no significant difference in echinococcosis detection rate between boys and girls(P>0.05).@*Conclusion@#Echinococcosis is more likely to be detected in children and adolescents who are older and have a lower education level, whose production and lifestyle are involved in animal husbandry, and who live at a higher altitude. Therefore, the prevention and control of echinococcosis among children and adolescents, especially the health education, should be the focus of the government’s work.