Reduced Viral Shedding Time in High-Risk COVID-19 Patients Infected by Omicron and Treated with Paxlovid: A Real-World Study from China

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to compare the viral shedding time in patients infected with the Omicron variant during Paxlovid therapy and conventional therapy and to analyze the effects of Paxlovid on patients infected with COVID-19.

Methods

In this study, the demographic and clinical characteristics and laboratory data of 3159 patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant treated at Jilin Province People's Hospital were collected and analyzed. A total of 362 patients received Paxlovid therapy, and 2797 patients received conventional therapy. After propensity score matching (PSM), 1086 patients were obtained.

Results

The difference in platelet (PLT) count between the two groups was statistically significant but within the normal range (P < 0.05). CT value revealed that the nucleic acid test results became negative more quickly in the Paxlovid therapy group. Analysis of the Paxlovid therapy group showed that IgG and IgM levels were increased after Paxlovid therapy administration.

Conclusion

The CT value of the Paxlovid therapy group became negative more quickly. This finding suggests that Paxlovid treatment after early diagnosis of the Omicron variant may achieve good therapeutic efficacy.

The Efficacy of Conservative Management in Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis - A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Background Acute appendicitis remains the most common cause of lower abdominal pain leading to emergency visits. Even though the standard treatment of acute appendicitis remains appendectomy, in recent times, multiple randomized control trials and meta-analyses have deduced conservative treatment as a successful alternative treatment. During the coronavirus disease (COVID) pandemic, with a shortage of staff and resources, treatment with conservative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis became very beneficial under certain circumstances and conditions. This study aimed to assess whether it is effective to manage patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis with antibiotic therapy. Methodology This was a single hospital based retrospective, cross-sectional study from Jan 2015 to May 2020. Patients with clinical and radiological features of uncomplicated acute appendicitis with Alvarado's score >6 were included in the study. Patients were kept on antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and analgesia as part of a conservative regime. Those who failed to respond to conservative therapy were managed surgically. The follow-up period was six months. Results One hundred eighty-two cases of uncomplicated acute appendicitis were included and managed conservatively, of which 52.2% were males while 47.8% were females. The median age of the patients was 26 years. Conservative treatment was successful in 26.2% of the patients, with a recurrence of 5.5% in the six-month follow-up period. The mean number of days of hospital stay was three days in patients treated with conservative or surgical treatment. Conclusion Conservative management is gaining popularity, and many centers are inclined towards non-operative management; however, appendectomy remains the gold standard treatment for appendicitis.

Crescents, an Independent Risk Factor for the Progression of Type 2 Diabetic Kidney Disease

CONTEXT

Crescents have been noticed in pathologic changes in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the clinical significance of crescents is still not well recognized.

OBJECTIVE

The main objective was to investigate the association between crescents and the prognoses of type 2 DKD (T2DKD) patients, and, secondly, to analyze the relationship between crescents and clinicopathologic features.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 155 patients with T2DKD diagnosed by renal biopsy was carried out in a single center. Clinicopathologic features of patients with or without crescents were analyzed. Cox regression models and meta-analysis were used to determine the prognostic values of crescents for T2DKD. A nomogram was constructed to provide a simple estimation method of 1, 3, and 5-year renal survival for patients with T2DKD.

RESULTS

Compared with T2DKD patients without crescents, patients with crescents had higher 24-hour proteinuria and serum creatinine levels, as well as more severe Kimmelstiel-Wilson (K-W) nodules, segmental sclerosis (SS), and mesangiolysis (all P < .05). Furthermore, the crescents were positively correlated with serum creatinine, 24-hour proteinuria, K-W nodules, SS, mesangiolysis, and complement 3 deposition. Multivariate Cox models showed that crescents were an independent prognostic risk factor for renal survival (hazard ratio [HR] 2.68, 95% CI 1.27-5.64). The meta-analyzed results of 4 studies on crescents in T2DKD confirmed that patients with crescents had a significantly higher HR for renal progression.

CONCLUSION

Patients with crescents in T2DKD have more severe clinicopathologic changes and worse prognoses. The crescent can serve as an independent risk factor for T2DKD progression.

Trends in Corneal Transplantation and Characteristics of Donors in the Chongqing Eye Bank, China: A Retrospective Study, 1999-2018

Aim: This study aimed to analyze corneal transplantation trends and voluntary donor characteristics at the Chongqing Eye Bank in China.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed data from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2018, covering 5,397 preregistered voluntary donors, 1,955 actual donors, 3,910 donated tissues, and 2,374 corneal transplantations.

Results: The 5,397 preregistered donors included 13 ethnic groups, with an overall mean age of 39.6 years (SD 21.5) and 3,010 were women (55.8%). The most prevalent education level was college and above (2,546, 47.2%), and the most common ethnic group was Han (5,335, 98.85%). Of the 1,955 actual donors, the male-to-female ratio was 3.3, and the mean age was 57.1 (SD 23.0 years). Based on population size in 2018, Jiangbei county was the most active in donation willingness, with ~60 × 10⁻⁶ per capita, and the Yuzhong county was the most active in cornea donations, with ~451 × 0⁻⁶ per capita. Of the 3,910 donated corneas, 2,540 (65.0%) were clinically used. Of those not used, 978 (71.4%) were rejected for poor corneal quality. The 2,374 (93.5%) corneal transplantation procedures were done at the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and the rest (n = 166, 6.5%) were performed in other centers. Of those 2,374 corneal transplantations, there were 1,671 penetrating keratoplasty (70.39%), 700 anterior lamellar keratoplasty (29.49%), and three corneal endothelial transplantations in our center (0.13%). The number of annual corneal transplantations increased by nearly 10 times, from 35 cases in 1999 to 327 cases in 2018. Among them, cases of penetrating keratoplasty and anterior lamellar keratoplasty increased from 27, and eight cases in 1999 to 230 and 94 cases in 2018, respectively. Infectious keratitis (37.0%) was the leading indication for keratoplasty, followed by corneal scar (19.8%). Over the study period, corneal scars dropped from the first (41.1% in 1999–2003) to the second indication (20.5% in 2014–2018), while infectious keratitis advanced to take the lead, ranging from 12.2% in 1999–2003 to 26.3% in 2014–2018.

Conclusion: Our study reports corneal donation and transplantation trends in Chongqing over 20 years, showing that infectious keratitis is a leading indication for keratoplasty and that penetrating keratoplasty and anterior lamellar keratoplasty show upward trends. The analysis further suggests that a potential preregistered cornea donor is a female Han, with a higher education level.

Establishment and Verification of a Perioperative Blood Transfusion Model After Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Retrospective Study Based on Data From a Local Hospital

Objective: We aimed to analyze the related risk factors for blood transfusion and establish a blood transfusion risk model during the per-ioperative period of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF). It could provide a reference for clinical prevention and reduction of the risk of blood transfusion during the peri-operative period. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 4,378 patients who underwent PLIF in our hospital. According to whether they were transfused blood or not, patients were divided into the non-blood transfusion group and the blood transfusion group. We collected variables of each patient, including age, sex, BMI, current medical history, past medical history, surgical indications, surgical information, and preoperative routine blood testing. We randomly divide the whole population into training group and test group according to the ratio of 4:1. We used the multivariate regression analyses get the independent predictors in the training set. The nomogram was established based on these independent predictors. Then, we used the AUC, calibration curve and DCA to evaluate the nomogram. Finally, we verified the performance of the nomogram in the validation set. Results: Three or more lumbar fusion segments, preoperative low hemoglobin, with hypertension, lower BMI, and elder people were risk factors for blood transfusion. For the training and validation sets, the AUCs of the nomogram were 0.881 (95% CI: 0.865-0.903) and 0.890 (95% CI: 0.773-0.905), respectively. The calibration curve shows that the nomogram is highly consistent with the actual observed results. The DCA shows that the nomogram has good clinical application value. The AUC of the nomogram is significantly larger than the AUCs of independent risk factors in the training and validation set. Conclusion: Three or more lumbar fusion segments, preoperative low hemoglobin, with hypertension, lower BMI, and elder people are associated with blood transfusion during the peri-operative period. Based on these factors, we established a blood transfusion nomogram and verified that it can be used to assess the risk of blood transfusion after PLIF. It could help clinicians to make clinical decisions and reduce the incidence of peri-operative blood transfusion.

A retrospective study on the effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence-based Clinical Decision Support System (AI-CDSS) to improve the incidence of hospital-related venous thromboembolism (VTE)

Background

Artificial intelligence technology is widely used in the medical industry. Our retrospective study evaluated the effectiveness of an AI-CDSS in improving the incidence of hospital-related VTE and the impact of anticoagulant drug use.

Methods

This study collected relevant data on adult patients over 18 years of age who are not discharged 24 hours, from January to July 2019 and from January to July 2020, the VTE high-risk department of Ruijin Hospital. Before and after using AI-CDSS, the incidence of hospital-related VTE and using anticoagulants were analyzed.

Results

Between January to July 2019 and January to July 2020, 3,565 and 4,423 adult patients over 18 years old were hospitalized in our hospital and were designed as a control group and intervention group, respectively (7,988 in total). Both groups had similar baseline characteristics. There were 4,716 (59.03%) male patients, the mean age was 60.43±13.09 years, and the mean stay was 7.56±7.76 days. More than half of the patients (4,605, 57.58%) came from the respiratory. VTE events during hospitalization occurred in 41 patients; overall, 5.13/1,000 (41 episodes in 7,988 patients). Compared with the control group, before implementing AI-CDSS, the rate of VTE during hospitalization was reduced from 5.89/1,000 (21 episodes in 3,565 patients) to 4.75/1,000 patients (20 episodes in 4,423 patients) (relative reduction of 19.35%) in the intervention group. The use rate of anticoagulant drugs was increased from 19.97% (712/3,565) in the control group to 22.88% (1,012/4,423) in intervention group [P<0.01, odds ratio (OR): 1.19, 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI) (1.07-1.32)], (relative 14.57% increase). Poisson's regression results showed that department, age ≥75 years [OR: 3.09, 95% Cl (1.45-6.33)], duration of hospitalization [OR: 1.04, 95% CI (1.03-1.05)], heart failure [OR: 5.13, 95% CI (1.74-13.54)] and renal failure [OR: 3.60, 95% CI (0.90-11.34)] were high-risk factors for VTE events.

Conclusions

Implementing AI-CDSS can help clinicians identify hospitalized patients at increased VTE risk, take effective preventive measures, and improve clinicians' compliance with the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines.

The Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension Among Maintenance Dialysis Patients With ESRD and Its Associated Factors: A Retrospective Study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its associated factors among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who underwent maintenance dialysis. Methods: A total of 491 patients received echocardiography examinations and underwent pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) assessments. A subgroup of 283 patients were subjected to plasma creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen concentration (BUN) tests, routine blood examinations and electrolyte analysis. First, we compared the differences in echocardiographic, Cr and BUN, blood routine and electrolyte parameters between PH and non-PH groups. The correlations between PASP and the parameters mentioned above were also analyzed. Furthermore, univariate and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent associated factors. Results: The incidence of PH among ESRD patients who were treated with maintenance dialysis was 34.6%. Most of the echocardiographic parameters, including end-diastolic internal diameters of the left atrium, left ventricle, right atrium, and pulmonary artery, as well as interventricular septum mobility, left ventricular posterior wall mobility, fractional shortening, stroke volume and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), were associated with PH. Furthermore, Mg²⁺ (p = 0.037) and Cl^- (p = 0.043) were significantly associated with PASP. However, after adjustments were made in the regression analysis, only internal diameters of the left atrium, right atrium, and LVEF were independently associated with PH. Conclusion: PH is prevalent, with a relatively high incidence among ESRD patients who undergo maintenance dialysis. The sizes of the left and right atria as well as LVEF were independently associated with PH, but further cohort and basic mechanistic studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Clinical study on electroacupuncture for obese patients with binge eating disorder: A retrospective study

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a common dietary disorder among obese people. Obesity and eating disorders are related to mental health and physical health. At present, there is no definite and effective method for treatment in clinic. The curative effect of electroacupuncture on obesity is definite. Although there is no conclusive evidence to support its long-term benefits, electroacupuncture has been increasingly used in clinic. This retrospective study determined the prognosis and outcome of electro-acupuncture on obese patients with BED.One hundred forty-three patients with BED and obesity were found from 658 people who participated in the scientific experiment of obesity treatment in Nanjing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Nanjing Brain Hospital from March 2015 to June 2018, and 84 patients (aged 18-40 years old) with valid data and uninterrupted treatment were found to be eligible for this retrospective study. According to the intervention methods, the patients were divided into electro-acupuncture combined with cognitive group (n = 32), cognitive therapy group (n = 28), and control group (n = 24). In this study, the 5th edition of Diagnosis and Statistics Manual of Mental Diseases, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, body fat rate, muscle mass, visceral index grade, nutrient intake (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate), body weight, and weight changes before and after treatment were observed.Compared with the cognitive therapy group, negative emotion score, TC, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, waist circumference, BW, BMI, body fat percentage of the electroacupuncture combined with cognitive group were lower, while positive emotional scores were higher, and there were significant differences in negative emotional scores, TC, waist circumference and BMI (P < .05). The dietary energy and three major nutrients in the electroacupuncture combined with cognitive group were lower than those in the cognitive group and the blank group (P < .05).The current results suggest that electroacupuncture combined with cognitive therapy is more effective than cognitive therapy alone in treating obese patients with BED. Future prospective studies are necessary to further study the mechanism of electroacupuncture on the obese with BED.

How do we treat psoriasis patients with hepatitis C infections in real-world situations? A retrospective analysis of 34 patients

BACKGROUND

There is still relatively limited data on psoriasis and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the clinical characteristics and treatment of psoriasis patients with HCV infections in real-world practice.

METHODS

Medical records of all psoriasis patients with HCV infections who attended the outpatient clinic at Siriraj Hospital over a 10-year period were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Of 34 patients, 26 and 8 patients were men and women, respectively with a mean age of 57.0 ± 8.7 (range, 42.2-77.2) years. The median age of psoriasis onset was 42.7 ± 12.7 (range, 8-67.25) years. With a median follow-up period of 13.6 years, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma were found in 67.6% and 29.4% of the patients, respectively. The interferon used for HCV treatment exacerbated the psoriasis in 20% of those patients. Conventional treatments and anti-tumor necrosis factors (anti-TNFs) were used in strict collaboration with hepatologists. No patients experienced a worsening of their HCV infection.

CONCLUSION

Despite a limited number of patients, a male predominance and late-onset psoriasis were frequently observed. Although, interferon therapy for HCV can exacerbate psoriasis, it is not contraindicated. All conventional treatments and anti-TNFs can be used, provided that there is strict collaboration with hepatologists.

Patterns of statin utilisation for new users and market dynamics in South Korea: a 13-year retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

This study analysed utilisation of statins for new statin users and assessed market dynamics of statins in South Korea.

DESIGN

This study is a retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

The yearly claims data for statins were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

We are interested in new statin users during 2003-2015 in Korea. Information on prescribed statins, including intensity of statins and entry of new and follow-on statins in the market, and healthcare institutions that prescribed the statins were also collected. In time series analysis, we estimated the effect of introduction of generics in the market, specifically for newly prescribed statin users.

RESULTS

This 13-year longitudinal study of a sample cohort provided by the National Health Insurance Service found that the incidence of new statin user increase from 838.1/100 000 persons in 2003 to 1626.9/100 000 persons in 2015. Most new users were initiated on a monotherapy that was prescribed at primary healthcare institutions. However, the statin market for new users were quite dynamic in Korea. First, the most commonly prescribed statin changed several times during the study period. Second, the use of moderate-intensity statins increased from 57% in 2003 to 92% in 2015. In line with this result, we could not observe substantial differences in prescription of statins in groups having selected diseases history. Lastly, we found market invasion or switch of statins among new statin users, specifically at primary healthcare institutions.

CONCLUSION

Similar to other countries, the incidence of new statin users has been increased in Korea. However, the statin market in Korea is quite dynamic compared with other countries. Interestingly, discounted price of originals after the introduction of generics immediately expand markets or substitute the market particularly in primary healthcare institutions in Korea.