ObjectiveTo explore the possible association between early injury assessment indexes and the length of stay (LOS) in first-line hospitals, in order to help the hospitals take advantage of resource effectively and transfer victims reasonably during earthquakes. MethodWe retrospectively analyzed the medical information of 3 576 traumatic patients injured in the Wenchuan Earthquake who were transferred to 242 first-line medical institutes between 14:28, May 12th and 14:30, May 19th in 2008. Three kinds of 15 variables were extracted for the analysis, including gender, age, heart or lung disease, pre-hospital time, head injury, trunk injury, open injury, crush injury, asphyxia, body temperature, heart rate, respiration, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and Glasgow coma score. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with LOS. ResultsThe multiple linear regression analysis showed that age as well as other six factors affected LOS significantly (P<0.05). The partial regression coefficients of age, pre-hospital time, head injury, trunk injury, crush injury, complication of cardiac or pulmonary disease, and Glasgow coma score were -0.062, 0.157, 3.703, 4.111, 12.602, 14.762 and -1.312, respectively. ConclusionsEarthquake trauma patients with older age, long pre-hospital time, head injury, trunk injury, heart or lung disease, crush injury, and lower Glasgow coma score are at increased risk for extended LOS.
The metacor, which is developed based on the classical frequentist theory, is a specified package for performing meta-analysis of correlation coefficients in R software. This package was officially launched in 2011. Based on the DerSimonian-Laird method and Olkin-Pratt method, correlation coefficients can be directly pooled by using this package. The metacor package also can be used to draw the forest plot and is easy to use; however, it still needs to be improved. This paper briefly introduced how to perform a meta-analysis of correlation coefficients using the metacor package in R software through an example.
ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in elderly patients.MethodsThe clinical data of 216 elderly patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis admitted from January 2015 to October of 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly was evaluated by bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) score. Meanwhile, 50 elderly people receiving qualified medical examination were collected as a healthy control group in the same period. The distributions of BSI score, RDW, procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil percentage (NEU%) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were described in the patients with different risk degree. The severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly was evaluated by BSI. The patients were divided into three groups by BSI score: a low risk group, a middle risk group, and a high risk group. The indexes were described including the distribution of stratified BSI score, RDW, PCT, NEU%, CRP at different risk levels. The correlation of each index was analyzed by Spearman correlation. The threshold value of RDW was calculated by general linear regression, and the influencing factors of BSI score were analyzed by multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsThe higher the risk stratification, the higher the BSI score, RDW, PCT, NEU% and CRP were. RDW was positively correlated with PCT, NEU% and CRP (r values were 0.425, 0.311, 0.177, respectively, P<0.05). BSI score was positively correlated with RDW, PCT, NEU%, and CRP (r values were 0.425, 0.394, 0.650, 0.578, respectively, P<0.05). RDW was positively correlated with PSI score (r=0.425, P<0.05). The thresholds of RDW were 11.45% and 14.03%. Multiple linear regression showed that RDW, PCT, NEU% and CRP were all influential factors of BSI score and explained 52.3% of the total mutation rate.ConclusionRDW is related to the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly, and can predict the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly.
Ultrasound guided percutaneous interventional therapy has been widely used in clinic. Aiming at the problem of soft tissue deformation caused by probe contact force in robot-assisted ultrasound-guided therapy, a real-time non-reference ultrasound image evaluation method considering soft tissue deformation is proposed. On the basis of ultrasound image brightness and sharpness, a multi-dimensional ultrasound image evaluation index was designed, which incorporated the aggregation characteristics of the organization. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, ultrasound images of four different models were collected for experiments, including prostate phantom, phantom with cyst, pig liver tissue, and pig liver tissue with cyst. In addition, the correlation between subjective and objective evaluations was analyzed based on Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Experimental results showed that the average evaluation time of a single image was 68.8 milliseconds. The evaluation time could satisfy real-time applications. The proposed method realizes the effective evaluation of real-time ultrasound image quality in robot-assisted therapy, and has good consistency with the evaluation of supervisors.
Objective To analyze the relationship between end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure (PETCO2) and arterial CO2 pressure (PaCO2) in invasive ventilated patients. Methods An observational study was conducted in adult patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) between June 2016 and March 2017. Samples were immediately analyzed for PaCO2 using a blood gas analyzer. At the same time the arterial to end-tidal CO2 gradient was determined. Relationship in different mechanical ventilation modes, disease categories and PaO2/FiO2 were analyzed in this study. Results A total of 225 arterial blood gases were obtained from the 104 patients. In each of these modes the PETCO2 was generally lower than the PaCO2. There was a positive correlation between PaCO2 and PETCO2 regardless of different mode (r=0.70, Y=11.08+0.77X). A positive correlation was found in SIMV and SPONT modes, but not in A/C mode. The relationship between PaCO2 and PETCO2 in COPD, trauma, cerebrovascular disease and severe pneumonia patients shown a positive correlation (r value was 0.76, 0.64, 0.53, and 0.56, respectively). There was a significant correlation whether PaCO2/FiO2<200 mm Hg (r=0.69, P<0.001) or ≥200 mm Hg (r=0.71, P<0.001). Conclusions The results of this study show that PETCO2 monitoring accurately reflects PaCO2 during mechanical ventilation. A positive correlation is found in different ventilation modes, regardless of disease categories or PaCO2/FiO2.
ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection. MethodsMedical examination data of healthy physical examination participates who underwent carbon 14 urea breath test for detection of HP and abdominal ultrasound examination between March and June 2015 were analyzed. Cross sectional analysis was carried out. Based on the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD, the subjects were divided into two groups: NAFLD group and normal control group. HP infection was compared between the two groups. Logistics regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between HP infection and NAFLD. ResultsThe proportion of men, age, weight, body mass index (BMI), waistline, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, glutamyl transferase, albumin, fasting blood-glucose (GLU), total cholesterol triacylglycerol (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and blood pressure were all significantly higher in the NAFLD group than the control group (P < 0.05), while height and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol were significantly lower in the NAFLD group (P < 0.05). The detection rate of NAFLD in males was higher than that in females. The detection rates of NAFLD in different age groups were significantly different, and the highest detection rate of NAFLD was in the age group of 50-59 years old (P < 0.05). The rate of HP infection was not significantly different in subjects of different ages and genders (P > 0.05). The rate of HP infection in the NAFLD group was significantly higher than those of the control group in age groups of 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 70-79 years old (P < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis revealed that age, HP infection, TG, ALT, BMI, GLU, and diastolic pressure were correlated with NAFLD (P < 0.05). ConclusionHP infection may be a risk factor in the development of NAFLD.
Objective To investigate the relationship between the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods The clinical data of 285 adult patients with CAP admitted from November 2014 to August of 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The severity of CAP was evaluated by pneumonia severity index (PSI) score. Meanwhile, 60 cases with qualified medical examination were collected as a healthy control group. The distributions of PSI score, RDW, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil percentage (NEU%) were described in the patients with different risk degree. The correlation analysis of various indicators were analyzed by Spearman correlation. The threshold of RDW(%) was calculated through the construction of the general linear regression equation. The risk factors of PSI score were analyzed with multiple linear regression. Results The higher the risk stratification, the higher the distribution of PSI scores, RDW, PCT, CRP and NEU% were. RDW was positively correlated with PCT, CRP, and NEU% (r values were 0.417, 0.252, 0.318, respectively, P<0.05). PSI score was positively correlated with RDW, PCT, CRP, and NEU% (r values were 0.537,0.598, 0.557, 0.482, respectively, P<0.05). RDW was positively correlated with PSI score (r=0.537, P<0.05). The thresholds of RDW(%) were 14.514 and 19.041. Multiple linear regression showed that RDW, PCT, CRP and NEU% were all influential factors of PSI scores and explained 46.9% of the total mutation rate. Conclusion RDW is correlated with the severity of CAP, and can predict the severity of CAP.
ObjectiveTo compare the performance of 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and World Health Organization quality of life-bref (WHOQOL-Bref) in assessing quality of life (QOL) in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). MethodsThe WHOQOL-Bref questionnaire and the SF-36 questionnaire were administered to patients with tuberculosis undergoing treatment from July to September 2013. The statistical methods of reliability analysis, factor analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis were used. ResultsIt showed that the WHOQOL-Bref and the SF-36 both had good reliability (Cronbach α=0.863 and 0.920, respectively). Constructive validity of the two instruments were checked by factor analysis and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, which indicated that both the two instruments had good validity. Among scales measuring similar concepts, many subscales of the SF-36 and the four domains of the WHOQOL-Bref unexpectedly had a fair correlation with one another. For example, the physical QOL, psychological QOL, and social relation QOL domains of the WHOQOL-Bref and physical functioning, mental health, and social functioning of the SF-36 were 0.482, 0.745, and 0.572, respectively. ConclusionThe WHOQOL-Bref and the SF-36 have an approximately equivalent practicability in assessing the quality of life in patients with TB.
ObjectiveThrough neuropsychological assessment, explore the factors that may cause cognitive impairment in patients with focal epilepsy.MethodsCollected 53 epilepsy patients in outpatients and inpatients of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from March 2016 to January 2020, including 25 males and 28 females, with an average age of (23.58±13.24) years old, and the course of disease (6.49±7.39), all met the 2017 ILEA diagnostic criteria for focal epilepsy, and there was no history of progressive brain disease or brain surgery. Carry out relevant cognitive assessments for the enrolled patients, use SPSS statistical software to conduct Spearman correlation analysis on the cognitive functions of the study subjects, and further analyze the related factors of cognition through Logistic regression analysis to clarify the factors related to cognition whether it may be a risk factor for cognitive impairment in patients with focal epilepsy.Results Spearman correlation analysis showed that the FIQ of patients with focal epilepsy was related to education level, age of onset, seizure pattern, total number of seizures, AEDs and EEG interval discharge side (P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis shows that among all cognitive-related factors, only the number of AEDs (P=0.003) and EEG interval discharge (P=0.013) are the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with focal epilepsy factor.ConclusionIn the clinical treatment of epilepsy, seizures should be actively controlled, but the types of drugs should be minimized. When there are more than 3 kinds of drugs, surgical treatment or other non-surgical treatments can be considered. At the same time, the EEG should be reviewed regularly to understand the changes in epileptiform discharges between episodes.
ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of retinal blood vessel density with blood pressure and retinal thickness in the macular region of glaucoma. MethodsA retrospective study. From March 2019 to March 2022, 100 glaucoma patients of 100 eyes (glaucoma group) and 100 healthy people of 100 eyes (control group) diagnosed in Department of Ophthalmology of Luoyang First People's Hospital were included in the study. The patients in the glaucoma group were subdivided into the early, intermediate, and late groups based on the average visual field defect value, which were 38, 32, and 30 cases, respectively. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to scan the macular area of the examined eyes in a 3 mm×3 mm area. The software automatically divided the retina within 3 mm of the macular central concavity into 2 concentric circles centered on the macular central concavity, which were the central concave area with a diameter of 1 mm and the paracentral concave area with a diameter of 1-3 mm. The blood flow density and retinal thickness of the superficial retinal capillary plexus in the nasal, temporal, inferior, and superior quadrants of the retina within 3 mm of the macula were measured. Blood pressure was measured at the brachial artery using an electronic sphygmomanometer. Comparisons between two groups were made by independent samples t test, and comparisons between multiple groups were made by one-way analysis of variance. Correlations between retinal blood flow density and blood pressure and retinal thickness were analyzed by Spearman's correlation analysis. ResultsThe retinal blood vessel density in the central fovea, parafoveal, inferior, and superior macular areas in the glaucoma group were lower than that in the control group, and with the aggravation of the disease, the retinal blood vessel density in the central fovea, parafoveal, inferior and superior macular areas gradually decreased; the retinal thicknesses in the foveal, parafoveal, inferior, and superior macular areas in the glaucoma group were lower than those in the control group, and with the aggravation of the disease, the retinal thicknesses in the foveal, parafoveal, inferior, and superior macular areas gradually decreased, the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.05). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were higher in the glaucoma group than in the control group, and they increased gradually as the disease worsened (P＜0.05). Spearman's correlation analyses showed that in glaucoma patients, the density of retinal blood vessels in the macular central plexus, paracentral plexus, and inferior and superior retinas was positively correlated with retinal thickness in the corresponding areas and negatively correlated with blood pressure (P＜0.05). ConclusionThe density of retinal blood vessels in the macular central plexus, paracentral plexus, and inferior and superior retinas are positively correlated with retinal thickness in the corresponding areas and negatively correlated with blood pressure.