Abstract P236: Impact of Covid-19 Outbreak on the Quality of Care and Outcomes for In-Hospital Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke in China

Background: It is unclear the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care and outcomes for in-hospital patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the influence of COVID-19 on the quality of care for in-hospital patients with AIS.

Methods: This is an observational registry study between November 23rd, 2019 and March 22nd, 2020. 408 hospital from 29 provinces in China were enrolled from Chinese Stroke Center Alliance (CSCA). Patients with AIS were extracted with demographic, clinical and previous history information. We focus on the time period before and after January 23rd, 2020, when the public health interventions were carried out in China. The primary outcome was adherence to 11 performance measures, with co-primary outcomes of a composite of percentage of performance measures adhered to. Secondary outcomes included were time measures and in-hospital outcomes.

Results: 42056 patients with AIS was enrolled (mean age 66.5±12.1, male 61.3%). The overall in-hospital patients decreased slightly from 14323 to 14204 before the COVID-19 outbreak and went down sharply by 31.4% and 61.1% after the outbreak and the public conducted interventions in China. A remarkable reduction was shown in patients with NIHSS score ≤ 3 from 57.7% to 55.7% after the outbreak (p<.001). Adherence to performance kept steady and grew slightly overall, for the composite measure (0.78±0.19 vs. 0.79±0.18, p<.001) increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. Discharged against medical advice increased from 5.9% to 7.3% after the outbreak (p<.001). The length of stay fell as expected after the public health interventions (10.0 (7.0-13.0) vs. 9.0 (7.0-13.0), p<.001).

Conclusions: The admission number of patients with AIS declined significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak, but the quality of care and outcomes kept stable. Hospitals should admit AIS patients to the fullest extent of ability and provide tailored treatment strategies under the premise of no the cross-infection of COVID-19.

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality among acute ischemic stroke patients in China: a nationwide prospective study

Objective: We aimed to investigate factors related to in-hospital mortality (IHM) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients.Methods: We prospectively investigated 827,314 patients who were admitted within 7 days of AIS between August 2015 and July 2019. Demographic characteristics, risk factors, and clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients were assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors associated with IHM.Results: The IHM rate in this study was 0.5% in women and 0.3% in men. Factors associated with IHM in AIS included diabetes (odds ratio [OR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.43), female (OR 0.84, 95%CI 0.74-0.96), hypertension (OR 1.16, 95%CI 1.01-1.34), atrial fib/flutter (OR 1.51, 95%CI 1.29-1.77), other heart disease (OR1.43, 95%CI 1.23-1.67), prior myocardial infarction (OR 2.00, 95%CI 1.54-2.60), antiplatelet therapies (OR 0.71, 95%CI 0.60-0.84), gastrointestinal bleeding (OR 3.54, 95%CI 2.83-4.44), pulmonary embolism (OR 2.53, 95%CI1.41-4.53), dysphagia(OR7.32, 95%CI6.23-8.61), glycosylated hemoglobin (OR1.05, 95%CI 1.02-1.09), serum creatinine (OR 1.001, 95%CI 1.001-1.002), urea nitrogen (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.08-1.12), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (4-5 vs. 0-4: OR 3.58; ≥15 vs. 0-4: OR 8.78), stroke rehabilitation (OR 0.27, 95%CI 0.23-0.30), age (third IQR vs. first IQR: OR 1.57; fourth IQR vs. first IQR: OR 2.23), and in-hospital stroke/TIArecurrence (OR 2.38, 95%CI 2.03-2.78).Conclusions: The findings from this study may help clinicians control the risk of IHM better for patients with AIS.

Pre-stroke dementia and in-hospital outcomes in the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance

Little is known about the prevalence of pre-stroke dementia in China and whether this group is at higher risk of adverse in-hospital outcomes. We aimed to understand this association using data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance. Multivariable logistic regressions were conducted to assess the association between pre-stroke dementia status and ambulation at day 2, in-hospital mortality, and in-hospital complications. Covariates included age, sex, medical history, history of smoking, history of alcohol use, medication history (antiplatelet drugs, lipid-lowering drugs), stroke severity (measured by the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale), whether IV tPA was administered within 4.5 hours, and whether the patient received deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis as needed. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were presented for the adjusted models. In the final analytic sample of 559,070 ischemic stroke patients with no prior stroke history enrolled across 1476 hospitals, 1511 (0.3%) had pre-stroke dementia, and they were older and more likely to be female. Patients with pre-stroke dementia had lower odds of ambulating at day 2, higher odds of having any complications and higher odds of in-hospital mortality compared to those without pre-stroke dementia, despite little difference in treatment received. Our findings may be explained by communication barriers experienced by patients with pre-stroke dementia that limited their ability to advocate for their own care needs. Further research is needed to determine whether a different care pathway or additional attention from clinicians is necessary for patients with pre-stroke dementia.

[ Ⅲ ]

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of Changsulin^® with Lantus^® in treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This was a phase Ⅲ, multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, active-controlled clinical trial. A total of 578 participants with T2DM inadequately controlled on oral hypoglycemic agents were randomized 3∶1 to Changsulin^® or Lantus^® treatment for 24 weeks. The efficacy measures included changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2h postprandial plasma glucose (2hPG), 8-point self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) profiles from baseline, and proportions of subjects achieving targets of HbA1c and FPG. The safety outcomes included rates of hypoglycemia, adverse events (AEs) and anti-insulin glargine antibody. Results: After 24 weeks of treatment, mean HbAlc decreased 1.16% and 1.25%, FPG decreased 3.05 mmol/L and 2.90 mmol/L, 2hPG decreased 2.49 mmol/L and 2.38 mmol/L in Changsulin^® and in Lantus^®, respectively. No significant differences could be viewed in above parameters between the two groups (all P>0.05). There were also no significant differences between Changsulin^® and Lantus^® in 8-point SMBG profiles from baseline and proportions of subjects achieving the targets of HbA1c and FPG (all P>0.05). The rates of total hypoglycemia (38.00% and 39.01% for Changsulin^® and Lantus^®, respectively) and nocturnal hypoglycemia (17.25% and 16.31% for Changsulin^® and Lantus^®, respectively) were similar between the two groups (all P>0.05). Most of the hypoglycemia events were asymptomatic, and no severe hypoglycemia were found in both groups. No differences were observed in rates of AEs (61.77% vs.52.48%) and anti-insulin glargine antibody (after 24 weeks of treatment, 6.91% vs.3.65%) between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Changsulin^® shows similar efficacy and safety profiles compared with Lantus^® and Changsulin^® treatment was well tolerated in patients with T2DM.

[Threshold effects of body mass index on the bone mineral density of Chinese rural women in fluorosis area]

To explore the threshold effect of body mass index (BMI) on bone mineral density (BMD) in Chinese women living in the fluorosis area, we conducted a cross-sectional study and recruited 722 women in rural areas in Henan Province, China. After detection and analyses, we found that compared with the normal BMI group, the risk of osteoporosis in the overweight and obese groups were reduced by 32% and 69%, respectively. Threshold effect analysis showed that BMD was positively correlated with BMI when BMI was 16.8-31.2 kg/m²; while when BMI was greater than 31.2 kg/m², the correlation reached saturation. The correlation observed between low-to-moderate fluoride exposure and BMD in rural women was not significant.

[Development and applications of makeshift emergency hospitals]

When wars, major disasters, or epidemics of the infectious diseases occur, existing medical facilities are usually unable to implement timely and effective treatment for patients, or the reception capacity is difficult to meet the surge in demand for health care. The makeshift emergency hospitals are built for patient reception, treatment and even isolation for infectious disease control. The makeshift hospitals have developed and improved in modern times, including mobile field hospitals, field tent hospitals and navy hospital ships equipped with advanced equipment and commonly used for military purposes, or temporary hospitals built in large public buildings and newly built hospitals in support of disaster relief and humanitarian operation. Makeshift hospitals have played an important role in response to many disasters and epidemics globally. This paper briefly summarizes the history, types, and applications of makeshift hospitals in disasters and epidemic responses.

Determinants of child resilience in poverty: findings from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study

Background

Poverty has adverse effects on child health. While children in poverty face greater health challenges, some still achieve positive health outcomes. This is in part due to their resilience when facing adversity. Identifying the factors that foster child resilience can aid in developing strategies to promote child resilience and reduce the harmful effects of child poverty. This study aims to identify the biological and social factors of resilience among children in poverty from birth to age 12.

Methods

Data for the analysis came from the Taiwan Birth Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of 17,354 children who completed six waves of interview surveys between 2005 and 2017. Our sample included 4,570 children who experienced poverty from birth to age 12. The primary outcome variable was child resilience, defined as impoverished children who maintained good health outcomes over the 12-year survey period. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine the factors of child resilience.

Results

Of the 4,570 children, 36.1% always had good health despite experiencing poverty before the age of 12. An easy temperament (OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.9-3.0), female (OR = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.3), a birth weight greater than 2,500 grams (OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2-2.1), having a foreign-born mother (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7), receiving breast milk after birth (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), and good parent-child interaction at 3 years of age (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.7) were associated with child resilience. Early parent-child interactions can moderate the effect of children's birth weight on later resilience.

Conclusions

Our findings indicated the factors associated with child resilience in the context of poverty, suggesting that supporting breastfeeding and nurturing parent-child relationships are effective public health actions to foster child resilience. Future research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms of biological factors associated with child resilience.

Key messages

Breastfeeding after birth and high-quality parent-child interaction can lead to positive adaptations to child poverty. Children with difficult temperaments, boys and those born at low birthweight are more vulnerable to poverty and should be targeted for building resilience against poverty.

China Stroke Statistics 2019: A Report From the National Center for Healthcare Quality Management in Neurological Diseases, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, the Chinese Stroke Association, National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Institute for Global Neuroscience and Stroke Collaborations

China faces the greatest challenge from stroke in the world. The death rate for cerebrovascular diseases in China was 149.49 per 100 000, accounting for 1.57 million deaths in 2018. It ranked third among the leading causes of death behind malignant tumours and heart disease. The age-standardised prevalence and incidence of stroke in 2013 were 1114.8 per 100 000 population and 246.8 per 100 000 person-years, respectively. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, the years of life lost (YLLs) per 100 000 population for stroke increased by 14.6%; YLLs due to stroke rose from third highest among all causes in 1990 to the highest in 2017. The absolute numbers and rates per 100 000 population for all-age disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for stroke increased substantially between 1990 and 2017, and stroke was the leading cause of all-age DALYs in 2017. The main contributors to cerebrovascular diseases include behavioural risk factors (smoking and alcohol use) and pre-existing conditions (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and atrial fibrillation (AF)). The most prevalent risk factors among stroke survivors were hypertension (63.0%-84.2%) and smoking (31.7%-47.6%). The least prevalent was AF (2.7%-7.4%). The prevalences for major risk factors for stroke are high and most have increased over time. Based on the latest national epidemiological data, 26.6% of adults aged ≥15 years (307.6 million adults) smoked tobacco products. For those aged ≥18 years, age-adjusted prevalence of hypertension was 25.2%; adjusted prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia was 5.8%; and the standardised prevalence of diabetes was 10.9%. For those aged ≥40 years, the standardised prevalence of AF was 2.31%. Data from the Hospital Quality Monitoring System showed that 3 010 204 inpatients with stroke were admitted to 1853 tertiary care hospitals during 2018. Of those, 2 466 785 (81.9%) were ischaemic strokes (ISs); 447 609 (14.9%) were intracerebral haemorrhages (ICHs); and 95 810 (3.2%) were subarachnoid haemorrhages (SAHs). The average age of patients admitted was 66 years old, and nearly 60% were male. A total of 1555 (0.1%), 2774 (0.6%) and 1347 (1.4%) paediatric strokes (age <18 years) were identified among IS, ICH and SAH, respectively. Over one-third (1 063 892 (35.3%)) of the patients were covered by urban resident basic medical insurance, followed by urban employee basic medical insurance (699 513 (23.2%)) and new rural cooperative medical schema (489 361 (16.3%)). The leading risk factor was hypertension (67.4% for IS, 77.2% for ICH and 49.1% for SAH), and the leading comorbidity was pneumonia or pulmonary infection (10.1% for IS, 31.4% for ICH and 25.2% for SAH). In-hospital death/discharge against medical advice rate was 8.3% for stroke inpatients, ranging from 5.8% for IS to 19.5% for ICH. The median and IQR of length of stay was 10.0 (7.0-14.0) days, ranging from 10.0 (7.0-13.0) in IS to 14.0 (8.0-22.0) in SAH. Data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance demonstrated that the composite scores of guideline-recommended key performance indicators for patients with IS, ICH and SAH were 0.77±0.21, 0.72±0.28 and 0.59±0.32, respectively.

Abstract 331: Area Specific Differences for Quality of Care and Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke in China

Background: Former studies suggest differences in stroke care associated with race, age or gender. We sought to find whether such disparities existed in different areas in patients hospitalized with stroke among hospitals participating in the China Stroke Center Association.

Methods: In-hospital mortality and 4 stroke performance measures among 660,225 patients admitted with ischemic stroke in the Eastern, Central and Western regions of China in the China Stroke Center Association between 2015 and 2019.

Results: After adjustment for both demographics and diseases history variables, western patients had lower odds relative of receiving intravenous thrombolysis (Eastern: OR, 1.78; 95%CI, 1.72 to 1.84; Central: OR, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.50 to 1.60), early antithrombotics (Eastern: OR, 1.95; 95%CI, 1.90 to 1.99; Central: OR, 1.86; 95%CI, 1.81 to 1.90), dysphagia screening (Eastern: OR, 1.03; 95%CI, 1.01 to 1.04; Central: OR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.81 to 0.84) and NIHSS (Eastern: OR, 1.18; 95%CI, 1.16 to 1.20; Central: OR, 1.50; 95%CI, 1.48 to 1.53). However, the in-hospital death was higher in eastern and central regions (Eastern: OR, 0.48; 95%CI, 0.43 to 0.54; Central: OR, 0.51; 95%CI, 0.45 to 0.57).

Conclusions: Western patients with stroke received fewer evidence-based care processes than central or eastern patients. Quality of care improvement in stroke should be focused on the west. The high mortality of the east and central probably resulted in that better hospitals in these areas received more severe patients substantially.

[Development and applications of makeshift emergency hospitals]

When wars, major disasters, or epidemics of the infectious diseases occur, existing medical facilities are usually unable to implement timely and effective treatment for patients, or the reception capacity is difficult to meet the surge in demand for health care. The makeshift emergency hospitals are built for patient reception, treatment, and even isolation for infectious disease control. The makeshift hospitals have developed and improved in modern times, including mobile field hospitals, field tent hospitals, and navy hospital ships equipped with advanced equipment and commonly used for military purposes or in support of disaster relief and humanitarian operation, and temporary hospitals built in large public buildings, and newly built hospitals. Makeshift hospitals have played an important role in response to many disasters and epidemics globally. This paper briefly summarizes the history, types, and applications of makeshift hospitals in disaster and epidemic response.

Atrial Fibrillation Known Before or Detected After Stroke Share Similar Risk of Ischemic Stroke Recurrence and Death

Background and Purpose- We aim to compare the risk of 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence and death for atrial fibrillation diagnosed after stroke (AFDAS), atrial fibrillation known before stroke (KAF), and sinus rhythm (SR). Methods- From June 2012 to January 2013, 19 604 patients with acute ischemic stroke were admitted to 219 urban hospitals in the China National Stroke Registry II. Based on heart rhythm assessed during admission, we classified patients as AFDAS, KAF, or SR. We explored the relationship between heart rhythm groups and 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence or death by using Cox regression adjusted for multiple covariates. Considering that death is a competing risk for stroke recurrence, we used the competing risks analysis of Fine and Gray and subdistribution Cox proportional hazards to test the association between heart rhythm and 1-year outcomes. Results- Among 19 604 ischemic stroke patients, 17 727 had SR, 495 AFDAS, and 1382 KAF. At 1 year, 54 (10.9%) patients with AFDAS, 182 (13.2%) with KAF, and 1008 (5.7%) with SR had recurrent ischemic strokes ( P<0.0001). Mortality was 22.0% in patients with AFDAS, 22.1% in patients with KAF, and 7.0% in patients with SR ( P<0.0001). AFDAS-related ischemic stroke recurrence adjusted risk was higher than that of SR (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratios, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.29-2.01) but not different from that of KAF (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.87-1.45]). The adjusted risk of 1-year death for AFDAS was also higher than that of SR (hazard ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.37-2.12) and not different from that of KAF (hazard ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.86-1.41). Conclusions- This study showed that AFDAS had similar risk of 1-year ischemic stroke recurrence and mortality when compared with KAF and higher risk when compared with SR. The potential risk of AFDAS should be given more emphasis, and appropriate treatment is needed to achieve reduction in the incidence of stroke recurrence and mortality.

Use of Emergency Medical Services and Timely Treatment Among Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose- Emergency medical services (EMSs) are critical for early treatment of patients with ischemic stroke, yet data on EMS utilization and its association with timely treatment in China are still limited. Methods- We examined data from the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance for patients with ischemic stroke from June 2015 to June 2018. Absolute standardized difference was used for covariates' balance assessments. We used multivariable logistic models with the generalized estimating equations to account for intrahospital clustering in identifying demographic and clinical factors associated with EMS use as well as in evaluating the association of EMS use with timely treatment. Results- Of the 560 447 patients with ischemic stroke analyzed, only 69 841 (12.5%) were transported by EMS. Multivariable-adjusted results indicated that those with younger age, lower levels of education, less insurance coverage, lower income, lower stroke severity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral vascular disease were less likely to use EMS. However, a history of cardiovascular diseases was associated with increased EMS usage. Compared with self-transport, EMS transport was associated with significantly shorter onset-to-door time, door-to-needle time (if prenotification was sent), earlier arrival (adjusted odds ratio [95% CIs] were 2.07 [1.95-2.20] for onset-to-door time ≤2 hours, 2.32 [2.18-2.47] for onset-to-door time ≤3.5 hours), and more rapid treatment (2.96 [2.88-3.05] for IV-tPA [intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator] in eligible patients, 1.70 [1.62-1.77] for treatment with IV-tPA by 3 hours if onset-to-door time ≤2 hours, and 1.76 [1.70-1.83] for treatment with IV-tPA by 4.5 hours if onset-to-door time ≤3.5 hours). Conclusions- Although EMS transportation is associated with substantial reductions in prehospital delay and improved likelihood of early arrival and timely treatment, rate of utilization is currently low among Chinese patients with ischemic stroke. Developing an efficient EMS system and promoting culture-adapted education efforts are necessary for improving EMS activation.

[Three-dimensional finite element analysis on en-mass retraction of anterior teeth with clear aligner]

Objective: To investigate the mechanical effects during en-mass retraction of maxillary anterior teeth with clear aligner using three-dimensional finite element method. Methods: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) was used to scan a female orthodontic patient (26 years old, from Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Hospital of Chongqing Medical University) whose maxillary first premolars were extracted and maxillary dentition had been aligned and leveled. A finite element model including maxillary teeth-periodontal ligament (PDL)-alveolar bone-clear aligner was established by using Mimics 17.0, SolidWorks 2016 and Geomagic Studio 2015 software packages. The process of 0.2 mm en-mass retraction of anterior teeth using clear aligner was simulated by using non-linear contact method of Abaqus 6.14. The trend and displacement of maxillary teeth, the stress distribution of PDL and alveolar fossae, and the deformation trend of clear aligner were obtained and analyzed. Results: Under the experimental condition, lingual crown tipping and distal tipping movement of anterior teeth were observed, and all of them had the tendency of overbite increasing.The maximum displacement of the central incisor, lateral incisor and canine were 25.16, 50.34 and 24.98 μm, respectively. Meanwhile, the second premolar, first molar and second molar had the tendency of mesial tipping movement, and the maximum displacement of them were 33.04, 2.90 and 16.63 μm, respectively. The stress distribution both at the PDL and alveolar fossae were consistent with tooth movement pattern. It was noted that the stress in the PDL of the canine and second premolar were comparatively big, and the corresponding apical areas of alveolar fossae appeared stress concentration. Concurrently, it was found that the clear aligner showed stress concentration at the junction of adjacent teeth with a tendency of crown directional dislocation. Conclusions: During en-mass retraction of anterior teeth with clear aligner, attention should be paid to the overbite and torque in anterior teeth, and the anchorage protection of posterior teeth. At the same time, we should be careful of root resorption of the teeth on both sides of the extraction space.

[Observation on the efficacy of consolidation chemotherapy combined with allogeneic natural killer cell infusion in the treatment of low and moderate risk acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of consolidation chemotherapy combined with allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell infusion in the treatment of low or intermediate-risk (LIR) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) . Methods: A cohort of 23 LIR AML patients at hematologic complete remission (CR) received NK cell transfusion combined with consolidation chemotherapy after 3 consolidation courses from January 2014 to June 2019 were reviewed. Control group cases were concurrent patients from Department of Hematology, and their gender, age, diagnosis, risk stratification of prognosis, CR and the number of courses of consolidate chemotherapy before NK cell transfusion were matched with LIR AML patients. Results: A total of 45 times of NK cells were injected into 23 LIR AML patients during 4 to 7 courses of chemotherapy. The median NK cell infusion quantity was 7.5 (6.6-8.6) ×10(9)/L, and the median survival rate of NK cells was 95.4% (93.9%-96.9%) . Among them, the median CD3(-)CD56(+) cell number was 5.0 (1.4-6.4) ×10(9)/L, accounting for 76.8% (30.8%-82.9%) ; The number of CD3(+) CD56(+) cells was 0.55 (0.24-1.74) ×10(9)/L, accounting for 8.8% (4.9%-20.9%) . Before NK cell infusion, the number of patients with positive MRD in the treatment and control groups were 9/23 (39.1%) and 19/46 (41.3%) (χ(2)=0.030, P=0.862) respectively. After NK infusion, There was no significant difference in terms of MRD that went from negative to positive between the treatment and the control groups (14.3% vs 22.2%, χ(2)=0.037, P=0.847) . In the treatment group, 66.7% (6/9) of the MRD were converted from positive to negative, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (10.5%, 2/19) (χ(2)=6.811, P=0.009) . Morphological recurrence occurred in 1 case of MRD negative in the treatment group and 2 cases of MRD positive in the control group. By the end of follow-up, the median follow-up was 35 (10-59) months, the number of patients with morphological recurrence in the treatment group was 30.4% (7/23) , which was significantly lower than that in the control group (50.2%, 24/46) (χ(2)=2.929, P=0.087) , although there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference on MRD-negative between the treatment and the control groups (43.5% vs 43.5%, χ(2)=1.045, P=0.307) . The 3-year leukemia-free survival was better in the treatment group [ (65.1±11.1) %] than that in the control group [ (50.0±7.4) %] (P=0.047) . The 3-year overall survival in the treatment and control groups were (78.1±10.2) % and (65.8±8.0) % (P=0.212) , respectively. Conclusion: The consolidation of chemotherapy combined with allogeneic NK cell infusion contributed to the further remission of patients with LMR AML and the reduction of long-term recurrence.

Renal Dysfunction and In-Hospital Outcomes in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke After Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy

Background

The impact of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on clinical short‐term outcomes after stroke thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator remains controversial.

Methods and Results

We analyzed 18 320 ischemic stroke patients who received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator at participating hospitals in the Chinese Stroke Center Alliance between June 2015 and November 2017. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between eGFR (<45, 45–59, 60–89, and ≥90 mL/min per 1.73 m²) and in‐hospital mortality and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics and the hospital clustering effect. Of the 18 320 patients receiving tissue plasminogen activator, 601 (3.3%) had an eGFR <45, 625 (3.4%) had an eGFR 45 to 59, 3679 (20.1%) had an eGFR 60 to 89, and 13 415 (73.2%) had an eGFR ≥90. As compared with eGFR ≥90, eGFR values <45 (6.7% versus 0.9%, adjusted odds ratio, 3.59; 95% CI, 2.18–5.91), 45 to 59 (4.0% versus 0.9%, adjusted odds ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.18–3.38), and 60 to 89 (2.5% versus 0.9%, adjusted odds ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.20–2.34) were independently associated with increased odds of in‐hospital mortality. However, there was no statistically significant association between eGFR and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

Conclusions

eGFR was associated with an increased risk of in‐hospital mortality in acute ischemic stroke patients after treatment with tissue plasminogen activator. eGFR is an important predictor of poststroke short‐term death but not of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage.

Disparities in outcomes associated with rural-urban insurance status in China among inpatient women with stroke: a registry-based cohort study

Background

Despite a few studies have demonstrated sex differences in stroke care and outcomes, limited research has explored insurance-related disparities in outcomes, particularly among women stroke patients. The aim was to determine whether rural-urban health insurance status affect the stroke treatment, process of care, and 1-year clinical outcomes for inpatient ischemic stroke in women.

Methods

Women patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) covered by New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS) and urban resident/employee-based basic medical insurance scheme (URBMI/UEBMI) were abstracted from the China National Stroke Registry II (CNSR II). Shared frailty model in the Cox model or generalized estimating equation with consideration of the hospital's cluster effect were used to assess the associations between rural-urban insurance status and quality of care during hospitalization and 1-year stroke outcomes including all-cause death, 1-year recurrence, and 1-year disability.

Results

A total of 5,707 women patients enrolled from 219 hospitals in CNSR II were analyzed. Compared with 2,880 women patients covered by URBMI/UEBMI, 2,827 women patients covered by NRCMS were younger (65.7 versus 68.9 years), less likely to have vascular risk factors, awareness and treatment of hypertension and dyslipidemia prior to stroke. Women covered by NRCMS were more likely to receive early antithrombotics, discharge antithrombotics, lipid-lowering drugs, but less likely to receive antihypertensive medication than those covered by URBMI/UEBMI. One-year all-cause mortality and stroke recurrence were both significantly higher in women patients with NRCMS than those with URBMI/UEBMI [adjusted hazard ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.40 (1.06-1.84) and 1.38 (1.04-1.83), separately].

Conclusions

AIS women patients with rural-urban insurance status demonstrated remarkable differences in age, stroke risk factors, awareness and treatment, the process of care, and 1-year stroke recurrence and mortality. Healthcare policymakers need to focus their attention on these disparities and take proper steps to improve primary healthcare service in rural areas.

[Comparative analysis of the correlation between axillary treatment and upper limb lymphedema]

In the surgical treatment of breast cancer, "de-escalating" is becoming more popular, especially in the treatment of axilla. Axillary sentinel lymph node biopsy has become a routine treatment for axillary-negative breast cancer patients because it can effectively reduce the occurrence of upper limb lymphedema, so that some patients with sentinel lymph node negative can be exempted from axillary lymph node dissection. However, in recent years, several international clinical studies, such as AMAROS trial, explored the use of radiotherapy instead of dissection when 1 to 2 sentinel lymph nodes were positive. The results showed that radiotherapy can reduce the incidence of upper limb edema by nearly 50% compared with dissection. How to interpret the results of such non-inferiority studies, and how to treat the impact of axillary dissection and axillary radiotherapy on the occurrence of lymphedema? Based on the review of literature in recent 10 years, the incidence and hazard ratio of edema related to the two axillary treatments were compared. The conclusion is the hazard ratios are close to each other, around 3 for both arms. The results of clinical studies such as radiotherapy instead of axillary dissection need to be carefully interpreted. At the same time, axillary dissection is still suitable for some patients at current stage, and the corresponding prevention of upper limb lymphedema still needs attention.

Telehealth requires expansion of physicians' communication competencies training

We are in the midst of transformation of health systems where remote consulting (via video, telephone, email, and mobile messaging) is soon to become the dominant mode of consultation. Most of the literature on telehealth omits mentioning the need for telehealth communication competencies. Yet evidence base has been growing about how critical this training is - whether from clinical communication research or litigation claims analysis. In this article, we are calling for an urgent expansion of communication skills curricula to encompass these new telehealth domains from medical schools, specialty trainings to CMEs.

[Discussion on the indications of internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy in breast cancer in the era of precision medicine]

Objective: To determine the clinical benefits of internal mammary sentinel lymph node biopsy (IM-SLNB) acquired by breast cancer patients with clinically positive axillary lymph node (ALN), and further optimize the IM-SLNB indications. Methods: All primary breast cancer patients with clinically positive ALN from February 2014 to September 2017 were prospectively recruited in this study. IM-SLNB was performed under the guidance of the modified injection technique. The success rate and visualization rate of IM-SLNB, metastatic rate of internal mammary sentinel lymph node (IMSLN) and its related factors were analyzed, and the clinical benefits were accessed according to the current guidelines. Results: Among 126 patients, all of 94 patients (74.6%) who showed internal mammary drainage successfully underwent IM-SLNB. The incidence of internal mammary artery bleeding and pleural lesion were 4.3%(4/94) and 9.6%(9/94), respectively. The metastatic rate of IMSLN was 38.3% (36/94), which was significantly associated with the number of positive ALN (P<0.001) and tumor size (P=0.024). The lymph node staging of 94 patients who underwent IM-SLNB was more accurate. Among them, 36 cases with positive IMSLN underwent internal mammary radiotherapy (IMRT), while the other 58 cases with negative IMSLN avoided radiotherapy. Conclusions: IM-SLNB should be routinely performed in patients with positive ALN. IM-SLNB can provide more accurate staging and guide tailored IMRT to benefit more breast cancer patients.

[Advances in the role of exosome-derived long non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma]

Exosomes are one kind of microvesicles secreted by living cells. It contains some small non-coding RNAs (microRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, etc.) which play an important role in signal transduction. In addition, they transfer information through circulating small vesicles, regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition, tumor microenvironment, promote microangiogenesis, regulate tumor immunity, chemoradiation resistance, and regulate cellular energy metabolism pathways, thereby promoting the occurrence, development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. This article reviews the mechanism of lncRNA in exogenous and in vivo in relation to the occurrence, development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.