British journal of hospital medicine最新文献

Aims/Background Dapagliflozin is a sodium-glucose cotransporter inhibitor that functions to lower blood sugar by promoting glucose excretion. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the therapeutic efficacy of dapagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by coronary heart disease. The objective of this analysis is to provide additional clarity on dapagliflozin's effectiveness in this specific patient population. Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed by searching China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Wip Chinese Science, Technology Journals, China Biomedicine, Pubmed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Related literature regarding the effectiveness of dapagliflozin, published since the inception of databases until October 2023, was searched and selected. Subsequent to the screening process, the Jadad scale was used to assess the quality of the gathered literature. The NoteExpress3.2 software (Beijing Aegean Music Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China) was utilized to manage the literature. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan5.4.1 software (The Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK). The p-value of the Q test determined the heterogeneity of the studies, guiding the choice between fixed or random effect models for establishing the combined effect. Forest plots were used to visualize dapagliflozin's efficacy in treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. A funnel plot was plotted to assess potential publication bias. Results Twenty-three studies were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. The results revealed that dapagliflozin has better clinical efficacy (odds ratio [OR] = 3.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.59 to 5.82), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (OR = 5.43, 95% CI 4.02 to 6.84). The values of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were lower in the experimental group (OR: -4.03 and -84.65, 95% CI -5.08 to -2.98 and -127.05 to -42.25, respectively). In addition, further analysis showed that the experimental group experienced a lower incidence of adverse reactions (OR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.57). Conclusion Dapagliflozin is more effective in controlling type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by coronary heart disease.

Palliative Care is the symptom management of any patient who has an irreversible, progressive, life-limiting condition and is not solely cancer patients. It aims to enhance quality of life, utilizing a holistic, multidisciplinary approach. Good symptom management of palliative patients is what every clinician should be able to deliver. This short article addresses the practical management of how to commence strong opioids, palliative surgical interventions, palliative emergencies and lastly, when do you stop treating a patient who is clinically deteriorating.

Heart failure (HF) is a common and malignant condition. Disease-modifying therapies are available, with early diagnosis being crucial as these therapies modify risk within weeks of commencement. A higher proportion of patients are now being diagnosed with HF during a hospital admission, rather than in the community, with an associated poorer prognosis. There is a need to reduce the time spent to diagnosis and treatment in the community. Advances in the diagnostic tools deployed in HF diagnostics, in particular the use of artificial intelligence, hold promise to deliver this.

Aims/Background Improved life expectancy has led to an increased recognition of kidney dysfunction as a common complication in adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, data on renal impairment with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) especially in pediatric populations, and remains scarce. Case Presentation We present the case of a 5-year-old male with a two-month history of foamy urine. Laboratory investigations revealed nephrotic-range proteinuria and elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. A subsequent muscle biopsy and genetic analysis confirmed the diagnosis of BMD. Results The patient accepted oral deflazacort for two months. Surprisingly, this targeted treatment at BMD not only led to a reduction in CK levels, but also resolved proteinuria during the two-year follow-up. Conclusion This clinical presentation of nephrotic-range proteinuria in pediatric BMD patients is novel and highlights a rare renal manifestation. Chronic kidney impairment in pediatric BMD warrants attention, and the role of kidney biopsy in characterizing DMD/BMD-associated nephropathy should be explored. Given the lifelong and heterogeneous nature of BMD, multicenter study and long-term follow-up are required to better understand the progression, underlying mechanisms, and clinical outcomes of renal complications in these patients.

Aims/Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is the common acute, self-limiting vasculitis in children, often affecting coronary arteries, which may lead to coronary artery dilation, stenosis, or in severe cases, myocardial infarction. This study aimed to identify new approaches for reducing or preventing coronary artery lesions (CAL) in KD patients by analyzing specific serological markers across various paediatric groups. Methods Clinical data were collected from 100 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease (KD) admitted at First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University between May 2023 and June 2024. These children were divided into two groups based on coronary artery injury status: Occurrence group (n = 31) and Non-occurrence group (n = 69). Additionally, data from 100 children with acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and 100 healthy children who underwent routine physical examination during the same period (Healthy group) were included for comparison. Serum levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), D-dimer (D-D), albumin (ALB), and T-cell subsets were measured and compared across groups to evaluate their clinical utility in diagnosing coronary artery damage in KD. Results NT-proBNP and D-D levels were highest in KD children with coronary artery injury and lowest in the healthy group, while ALB levels were lowest in KD children with coronary artery injury and highest in the healthy group, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Analysis of T-cell subsets revealed that cluster of differentiation (CD)3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ levels were highest in the Healthy group, while CD8⁺ levels were highest in the Occurrence group, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). The combined diagnostic model demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.885 (95% CI: 0.829-0.941), showing higher specificity and AUC value compared to each marker individually. Conclusion The combination of serum NT-proBNP, D-D, ALB, and T-cell subsets offers valuable predictive insights for coronary artery damage in KD children and may serve as an auxiliary diagnostic tool.

Aims/Background Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare thyroid malignancy with a high mortality rate. Early detection of cervical lymph node metastasis (LNM) is critical for improving prognosis for patients with MTC. This study aimed to investigate the predictive utility of ultrasound-based radiomics for preoperative prediction of cervical LNM in MTC patients. Methods The clinical, ultrasound, and pathological information of 193 patients with MTC were retrospectively examined. Radiomics features were obtained from the ultrasound images using PyRadiomics. The selected patients were randomly divided into training (n = 135) and validation (n = 58) cohorts. In the training dataset, radiomics features were selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the univariate and multivariate logistic regression tests were employed to identify the clinical independent predictors of cervical LNM. Three models were created: radiomics, clinical, and combined models, with the latter presented as a nomogram. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the models' predictive performance. The differences in AUCs between the combined and approach-specific models were compared using the DeLong test. The clinical usefulness of the models was evaluated using decision curve analysis (DCA). Results Nineteen radiomics features were chosen, and the AUCs of the developed radiomics model in the training and validation datasets were 0.881 and 0.859, respectively. Tumour diameter, calcitonin (Ctn) level, tumour margin, and sonographers' suspicion of cervical LNM based on ultrasound findings were clinical independent predictors for cervical LNM. The AUCs of the clinical model built using these predictors were 0.800 and 0.805 in the training and validation datasets, whereas the combined model had much-improved AUCs, measuring 0.925 for the training dataset and 0.918 for the validation test. The DeLong test indicated a significant AUC difference between the combined and clinical models (training dataset p < 0.001, validation dataset p = 0.027), but the difference between the combined and radiomics models was significant only in the training dataset (training dataset p = 0.021, validation dataset p = 0.066). Furthermore, based on the DCA results, the combined model features the largest clinical net benefit. Conclusion The nomogram, the combined model merging the ultrasound-based radiomics with clinical independent predictors, effectively predicts preoperative cervical LNM in MTC patients, outperforming the radiomics and clinical models.

Aims/Background The primary goal in evaluating gallbladder polypoid lesions (GPLs) is to identify neoplastic polyps (NP). Numerous studies have investigated risk factors for NP. This study aimed to develop a practical preoperative prediction model for NP using simple and easily accessible clinical variables. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data from patients with GPLs who underwent cholecystectomy at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between January 2018 and September 2022. A total of 621 cases were included and randomly assigned into a training set (70%) and an internal validation set (30%). An external validation set was established using data from 117 patients treated at other centers between January and December 2023. Univariate logistic analyses were performed, followed by backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis for variables with p< 0.2 to identify significant variables associated with NP. These predictors were included in the final logistic regression model and visualized as a nomogram model. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the model were evaluated. Results Age (odd ratio (OR) = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.03-1.09, p= 0.0001), polyp size (OR = 19.01, 95% CI = 6.48-55.79, p < 0.0001), polyp number (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.12-0.56, p = 0.0006), gallbladder wall thickness (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.02-2.41, p= 0.0385), and polyp echo characteristics (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.19-0.85, p = 0.0169) were identified as independent influencing factors for NP. The area under the curve (AUC) of the nomogram model in the training, internal validation, and external validation sets were 0.886 (95% CI, 0.841-0.930), 0.836 (95% CI, 0.753-0.919), and 0.867 (95% CI, 0.743-0.978), respectively. Calibration curves for the three datasets showed Brier scores of 0.079, 0.092, and 0.070, all below 0.25, indicating good calibration. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curve (CIC) analysis suggested that a threshold probability of 0.6 provided the most significant clinical benefit. Conclusion This prediction model, incorporating easily accessible variables, demonstrated excellent performance in the identification of NP and contributed to clinical decision-making in GPL management.

Aims/Background Sepsis is a prevalent critical condition associated with acute kidney injury (AKI). Nafamostat mesylate (NM), a serine protease inhibitor, has anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NM combined with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) on clinical efficacy, immune function, and oxidative stress markers in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). Methods A total of 98 patients diagnosed with SA-AKI and treated at The People's Hospital of Pingyang between January 2022 and January 2024 were included. Patients were divided into two groups based on their treatment regimen: a CRRT group (n = 48) and a NM+CRRT group (n = 50). Clinical outcomes, including length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, were analyzed. Changes in clinical efficacy, immune function, renal function, and oxidative stress markers were assessed before and after treatment. Adverse reactions were also compared between the groups. Results The total effective rate in the NM+CRRT group was significantly higher than in the CRRT group (p < 0.05). Patients in the NM+CRRT group had significantly shorter ICU stays and lower APACHE II scores compared to those in the CRRT group (p < 0.05). Baseline levels of renal function markers, serum creatinine (SCr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were similar between the groups (p > 0.05). SCr and BUN levels improved significantly in the two groups post-treatment, with significant reductions observed in the NM+CRRT group (p < 0.05). Immune function markers, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) showed no significant differences between groups at baseline (p > 0.05), but were significantly higher in the NM+CRRT group after treatment (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress markers, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) also showed no significant baseline differences (p > 0.05). After treatment, MDA levels decreased, and GSH-Px levels improved in the two groups, with more significant improvements in the NM+CRRT group. The incidence of adverse reactions was 26.00% in the NM+CRRT group and 16.67% in the CRRT group, with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion NM combined with CRRT significantly enhances clinical efficacy, immune function, and renal function in patients with SA-AKI and reduces oxidative stress. The therapy demonstrates an acceptable safety profile and is suitable for clinical application.

The classification and treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) have evolved significantly over the past few decades, with the ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)/non-STEMI (NSTEMI) paradigm dominating clinical practice. While STEMI, identified by ST-segment elevation (STE) on electrocardiogram (ECG), has been the hallmark for urgent reperfusion therapy, this model misses a substantial number of patients with occlusive myocardial infarction (OMI) who do not exhibit STE. Recent evidence reveals that up to 25% of NSTEMI patients have OMI, leading to higher mortality due to delayed reperfusion. The emerging OMI/NOMI (Occlusive vs. Non-Occlusive MI) paradigm offers a more nuanced approach, incorporating advanced ECG interpretation and tools like point-of-care echocardiography and artificial intelligence (AI). AI has shown promise in detecting subtle ECG changes indicative of OMI, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing misdiagnosis. This paradigm shift has important implications for clinical practice, calling for earlier identification of OMI and more inclusive treatment strategies to enhance patient outcomes.

Duty of candour has emerged as the key expectation in health care at the ongoing judge-led statutory inquiries, including those conducted by Thirlwall and Lampard. Despite legal requirements in Health and Social Care legislation, backed up by the General Medical Council (GMC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), both clinicians and National Health Service (NHS) managers have been reluctant to comply with this obligation. This article examines the pressures not to avoid transparency following avoidable harm, and suggests a more preventative approach through ongoing dialogue during care delivery including consulting on potential risks pre-treatment and providing feedback following interventions which have been less than successful.