Objective To investigate the difference in the effectiveness between proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA) and proximal femoral locking compression plate (PFLCP) for intertrochanteric fracture in elderly patients combined with hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction. Methods The clinical data of 67 cases of intertrochanteric femoral fractures combined with hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction between October 2013 and January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 32 cases were treated with PFNA internal fixation (PFNA group), and 35 cases were treated with PFLCP internal fixation (PFLCP group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injury side, modified Evans classification of fracture, preoperative medical disease, and interval from injury to operation between 2 groups (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative bed time, incidence of perioperative complications, time of fracture healing, and hip Harris score at 6 months and 1 year after operation were recorded and compared. Results Both groups were followed up 12-24 months with an average of 14 months. Compared with the PFLCP group, the PFNA group had shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, and shorter bed time, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). X-ray films showed that the fractures healed in both groups. The fracture healing time of the PFNA group was shorter than that of the PFLCP group, but the difference was not significant (t=0.743, P=0.460). During hospitalization, there were 3 cases of pulmonary infection, 2 cases of deep venous thrombosis of lower limbs, and 1 case of urinary tract infection in the PFNA group; and the incidence of perioperative complications was 18.8% (6/32). There were 4 cases of pulmonary infection, 6 cases of deep venous thrombosis of lower limbs, 1 case of recurrent cerebral infarction, and 1 case of stress ulcer in the PFLCP group; and the incidence of perioperative complications was 34.3% (12/35). There was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative complications between 2 groups (χ2=2.053, P=0.152). At 6 months after operation, the Harris total score and individual scores in the PFNA group were higher than those in the PFLCP group (P<0.05). At 1 year after operation, there was no significant difference in the Harris total score and pain score, life ability score, and walking ability score between the PFNA group and the PFLCP group (P>0.05); However, the joint deformity and activity score of the PFNA group was significantly better than that of the PFLCP group (t=4.112, P=0.000). Conclusion For intertrochanteric fracture in elderly patients with cerebral infarction hemiplegia, the PFNA has shorter operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter bed time after operation, and better short-term hip function when compared with the PFLCP.
ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence of anxiety symptoms and its related factors among the family caregivers of the disabled elderly. MethodsA cross-sectional survey based on convenience sampling was conducted among family caregivers between November and December, 2013 in Dongcheng district in Beijing. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to evaluate caregivers' anxious symptoms and social support status respectively. The degree of functional impairment of the elderly was measured by Barthel index. ResultsA total of 243 family caregivers took part in the study including 88 males and 155 females. The average age of the family caregivers was (60±1.7) years old, ranging from 25 to 85. The prevalence rate of anxiety was 29.2% reported by family caregivers. The average score of SAS was 35.6±8.6. The risk factors of caregivers' anxiety included Barthel index score ≤20 (OR=1.51), SSRS score ≤33 (OR=4.56), no time to relax (OR=1.57) and poor health status caregivers feeling (OR=3.48). ConclusionA relative high level of anxiety exists in family caregivers for the disabled elderly. Caregiver anxiety is a complex process, influenced by diverse care receiver and caregiver characteristics.
ObjectiveTo analyze the predictive value of thrombelastogram (TEG) on venous thromboembolism in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery.MethodsA total of 64 patients with venous thromboembolism after cardiac surgery in our hospital from March 2014 to March 2018 were selected as a pathogenesis group, including 38 males and 26 females, aged 61-73 (67.3±5.8) years. And 158 patients without venous thromboembolism who underwent cardiac surgery during the same period were selected as a control group, including 82 males and 76 females, aged 59-75 (65.9±7.1) years. Routine coagulation parameters such as plasma prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib), D-dimer (D-D), platelet count (PLT) and various indicators of TEG were measured in two groups. The correlation analysis was performed on the obtained results, and the specificity and sensitivity of conventional coagulation indicators and TEG indicators for venous thromboembolism were analyzed and compared.ResultsThere were significant differences between the two groups in routine coagulation parameters and TEG (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for each indicator was >0.5, which was of diagnostic significance. When the sensitivity>90%, the highest specificity value was also selected. The sensitivity and specificity of each indicator of TEG were greater than those of conventional coagulation indicators. The reaction time (R) was positively correlated with APTT in all indicators of TEG, and coagulation speed (K) was negatively correlated with Fib and PLT. Maximum thrombus intensity (MA) and Angle were positively correlated with Fib and PLT (all P<0.05). There was no correlation between TEG indicators and D-D.ConclusionThe TEG has higher predictive value for postoperative venous thromboembolism in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery than conventional coagulation tests. However, D-D level tests have unique diagnostic value in the diagnosis of venous thromboembolism.
Lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans, also known as peripheral artery disease (PAD), is a chronic arterial occlusive disease characterized by atherosclerosis affecting the arteries of the lower extremities, leading to luminal stenosis or occlusion, and consequently resulting in ischemia and necrosis of the lower limbs. PAD not only significantly reduces patients’ quality of life but also carries a non-negligible risk of amputation and mortality, imposing a heavy economic and health burden on both patients and society, especially among the elderly. Advanced age has been identified in multiple studies as a key risk factor for amputation and death in PAD patients. The prevalence of PAD in the elderly increases significantly with age, as they often have multiple coexisting conditions such as coronary artery disease, renal insufficiency, and tumors. Consequently, the pathophysiological characteristics, treatment options, and prognostic assessments are more complex compared to those of younger patients. Diagnostically, because comorbidities can often mask the symptoms of PAD in elderly patients, a comprehensive approach involving detailed medical history, physical examination, and auxiliary tests is required. In terms of treatment, the management of elderly patients with PAD is further complicated by issues such as poor adherence to therapy and difficulties in follow-up, which increase the challenges in clinical management. Currently, there is a lack of specific national or international guidelines or consensuses focused on the diagnosis and treatment of PAD in the elderly. To address this gap, the “Chinese expert consensus on management of peripheral arterial disease in the elderly” has been developed. This consensus integrates the latest evidence-based medical data and clinical experience, with a focus on key issues in elderly PAD patients, such as disease characteristics, comorbidity management, personalized treatment, and long-term follow-up. It aims to establish scientific and practical diagnostic and therapeutic standards to provide guidance for clinicians.
Aiming at the shortcomings in the theory and practice of integrated elderly care and medical services in China, using the methods of literature analysis and comparative analysis, we summarize four typical models of integrated elderly care and medical services, namely, the American commercial pension model, the British national tax financing system pension model, the Japanese national security transformation, and the German long-term care insurance system, and compare the four models systematically from the aspects of system overview, service principle, operation mode, financing supervision, etc. The enlightenment for the policy and practice development of integrated elderly care and medical services in China is obtained: firstly, the service concept should be innovated; secondly, it is important to improve the relevant legal protection and supporting measures; thirdly, the refinement of the integrated elderly care and medical service projects are supposed to be promoted; fourthly, a multi-party linkage mechanism ought to be establishd; and fifthly, community endowment model should be advocated.
ObjectiveTo detect the expressions of p27Kip1, RalA, and SPOCK1 in the cancer tissues of the elderly patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and explore the relations between their expressions and clinical pathological characteristics as well as prognosis. MethodsThe clinicopathologic data of elderly CRC patients treated and underwent surgical resection in the Kailuan General Hospital Linxi Hospital from May 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively collected. The immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of p27Kip1, RalA, and SPOCK1 proteins in the CRC tissues and the corresponding adjacent tissues. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to analyze the survival of CRC patients with p27Kip1, RalA, and SPOCK1 positive and negative expressions. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to analyze the influencing factors of prognosis in the patients with CRC. The test level was set as α=0.05. ResultsA total of 149 elderly CRC patients were enrolled. All patients were followed up for 2 years, and 45(30.2%) cases died during the follow-up period. The positive rate of p27Kip1 protein expression in the CRC tissues was lower than that in the corresponding adjacent tissues (P<0.05), while the positive rates of RalA and SPOCK1 protein expressions were higher than those in the corresponding adjacent tissues (P<0.05). The proportions of mucinous carcinoma, TNM stages Ⅲ–Ⅳ, low differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and T staging T2–T4 in the patients with negative p27Kip1 and positive RalA and SPOCK1 expressions were higher than those in the patients with positive p27Kip1 and negative RalA and SPOCK1 expressions (P<0.05). The proportions of patients with TNM stages Ⅲ–Ⅳ, negative p27Kip1 and positive RalA and SPOCK1 expressions in the death patients were higher than those in the survival patients (P<0.05). The survival curves plotted by the Kaplan-Meier method showed that the survival curves of patients with positive expression of p27Kip1 and negative expression of RalA and SPOCK1 in the cancer tissues were significantly better than those with positive expression of p27Kip1 and negative expression of RalA and SPOCK1 (respectively: log-rank χ2=11.678, P=0.001; log-rank χ2=10.836, P=0.001; log-rank χ2=10.792, P=0.001). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that the negative expression of p27Kip1 [HR (95%CI)=2.807 (1.490, 5.287), P=0.001], positive expressions of RalA and SPOCK1 [HR (95%CI)=2.769 (1.493, 5.134), P=0.001; HR (95%CI)=3.075 (1.610, 5.871), P=0.001] were the risk factors for postoperative mortality in the CRC patients. ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the positive rate of p27Kip1 protein expression is low in the cancer tissues of elderly CRC patients, while the positive rates of RalA and SPOCK1 proteins are high. In addition, the negative expression of p27Kip1 protein and the positive expression of RalA and SPOCK1 proteins in elderly CRC tissues are associated with clinical characteristics such as poor tissue type, late TNM staging, and low degree of differentiation. Moreover, the negative expression of p27Kip1 and the positive expressions of RalA and SPOCK1 are unfavorable for prognosis of elderly CRC patients.
ObjectiveTo compare the mid-term effectiveness of arthroscopy versus conservative treatment on symptomatic discoid lateral meniscus (SDLM) in middle-aged and elderly patients. Methods The clinical data of 118 middle-aged and elderly patients (154 knees) with SDLM who received arthroscopy or conservative treatment between June 2014 and May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, including 76 patients (96 knees) in the arthroscopy group (group A) and 42 patients (58 knees) in the conservative treatment group (group B). There was no significant difference in age, gender, and body mass index between the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with group B, the symptoms duration in group A was longer, the incidences of discoid lateral meniscus injury and mechanical symptoms were higher, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Lysholm score before treatment were worse, with significant differences (P<0.05). VAS score and Lysholm score before and after treatment were recorded and compared. ResultsThe patients in both groups were followed up 60-74 months, with an average of 66.3 months. The follow-up time of group A and group B was (65.9±3.5) months and (67.0±4.0) months respectively, with no significant difference (t=–1.615, P=0.109). At last follow-up, in either group A or group B, the VAS score and Lysholm score significantly improved when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The differences of VAS score and Lysholm score in group A before and after treatment were significantly better than those in group B (P<0.05). ConclusionArthroscopy and conservative treatment have a satisfactory mid-term effectiveness on SDLM in middle-aged and elderly patients. However, the improvement of symptoms and function of arthroscopy was significantly better than that of conservative treatment. For middle-aged and elderly SDLM patients with invalidated conventional treatment for 6 months, severe clinical symptoms, long duration of symptoms, and combined with mechanical symptoms, arthroscopy should be given priority even if they are complicated with early osteoarthritis.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of early preoperative mobilization on the rehabilitation of the elderly patients with hip fractures after operation.MethodsThe clinical data of 16 elderly patients with hip fractures between February 2017 and April 2018 who met the selection criteria was retrospectively analyzed. There were 8 males and 8 females, with an average age of 80.3 years (range, 69-90 years). There were 8 cases of intertrochanteric fracture and 8 cases of femoral neck fracture. The preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scored 2.94±0.43. There were 3 cases of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, 6 cases of essential hypertension, 5 cases of respiratory diseases, 3 cases of diabetes, and 2 cases of other system diseases. The time from injury to admission was 4 hours to 14 days with an average of 39.5 hours. On the day of admission or on the first day after admission, the patient started to exercise on the floor underwent analgesia treatment. And the patients were treated with closed reduction (9 cases) or artificial hip arthroplasty (7 cases). The time from admission to operation was 4 to 25 days, with an average of 7.4 days. At the time of admission, after the first ground movement before operation, on the second day after operation, and at last follow-up, the Barthel Index was used to assess the patients’ self-care ability, and Barthel effectiveness (BE) was calculated. The complications were observed and recorded during follow-up.ResultsAll 16 patients underwent operation successfully. The hospital stay was 8 to 24 days, with an average of 14.1 days. All patients were followed up 2.5-16.0 months with an average of 6.5 months. One patient developed postoperative pulmonary infection; the remaining patients had no surgical-related complications. No patient died during the follow-up. The Barthel Index scored 30.63±5.56 at admission, 53.13±9.50 after the first ground movement before operation, 60.63±6.09 on the second day after operation, and 96.25±4.84 at last follow-up. There were significant differences in Barthel Index scores between different time points (P<0.05). The BE was 0.23±0.06 after the first ground movement before operation, 0.30±0.04 on the second day after operation, and 0.66±0.06 at last follow-up. There were significant differences in BE between different time points (P<0.05).ConclusionFor elderly patients with hip fractures who have long waiting time before operation, early preoperative mobilization has a positive impact on patients’ activities of daily living.
Objective To investigate the perioperative changes in serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in elderly male patients with intertrochanteric fractures, and provide evidence for inflammatory control in this patient population. Methods The clinical data of 40 male patients aged more than 60 years with intertrochanteric fractures who met the selection criteria between January 2021 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 25 non-osteoporosis patients (T value>?2.5, group A) and 15 osteoporosis patients (T value≤?2.5, group B). In addition, 40 healthy men aged more than 60 years old were included as controls (group C) according to the age matching rule. There was no significant difference in age, smoking history, drinking history, body mass index, complications (hypertension and diabetes), alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and total protein among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Serum samples were collected from group C subjects and from groups A and B patients preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7. IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA assay. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between IL-6 levels and T values at various time points in groups A and B. Postoperative complications during hospitalization and 1-year mortality rates were recorded for groups A and B. Results Preoperative IL-6 levels were significantly higher in groups A and B than in group C (P<0.05), with group B being significantly higher than group A (P<0.05). In groups A and B, IL-6 levels increased significantly on postoperative day 1 compared to preoperative levels and then gradually decreased, approaching preoperative levels by postoperative day 7. IL-6 levels in group B were significantly higher than those in group A at all postoperative time points (P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that IL-6 levels were negatively correlated with T values at all perioperative time points in all patients from groups A and B (P<0.05). Complications occurred in 4 patients (16.0%) in group A, including 2 cases of pulmonary infection, 1 case of urinary tract infection, and 1 case of heart failure, and in 3 patients (20.0%) in group B, including 2 cases of pulmonary infection and 1 case of gastrointestinal bleeding. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (χ2=0.104, P=0.747). There were 2 cases (8.0%) and 4 cases (26.7%) died within 1 year after operation in groups A and B, respectively, and there was no significant difference in 1-year mortality rates between the two groups (χ2=2.562, P=0.109). Conclusion Serum IL-6 levels significantly increase in the early postoperative period in elderly male patients with intertrochanteric fractures, especially in those with osteoporosis. Monitoring the inflammatory state and promptly controlling the inflammatory response during the perioperative period, may reduce complications and improve postoperative survival in this patient population.
ObjectiveTo explore the influence of sentinel lymph node (SLN) status on the prognosis of elderly breast cancer patients ≥70 years old, and to screen patients who may be exempted from sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), so as to guide clinical individualized treatment for such patients. MethodsA retrospective analysis was made on 270 breast cancer patients aged ≥70 years old who underwent SLNB in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from 2012 to 2021. The clinicopathological characteristics of the total cases were compared according to the status of SLN. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the survival curve, and the influence of SLN status on the overall survival (OS) time, local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM) of patients were analyzed, and used log-rank to compare between groups. At the same time, the patients with hormone receptor (HR) positive were analyzed by subgroup. The differences between groups were compared by single factor χ2 test, and multivariate Cox regression model was used to analyze and determine the factors affecting OS, LR and DM of patients. ResultsThe age of 270 patients ranged from 70 to 95 years, with a median age of 74 years. One hundred and sixty-nine (62.6%) patients’ tumor were T2 stage. Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 83.0%, histological gradeⅡ accounted for 74.4%, estrogen receptor positive accounted for 78.1%, progesterone receptor positive accounted for 71.9%, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative accounted for 83.3%. The number of SLNs obtained by SLNB were 1-9, and the median was 3. SLN was negative in 202 cases (74.8%) and positive in 68 cases (25.2%). Thirty-five patients (13.0%) received axillary lymph node dissection. There was no significant difference in LR between the SLN positive group and the SLN negative group (P>0.05), but the SLN negative group had fewer occurrences of DM (P=0.001) and longer OS time (P=0.009) compared to the SLN positive group. The results of univariate and multivariate analysis suggest that the older the patient, the shorter the OS time and the greater the risk of DM. Analysis of HR positive subgroups showed that SLN status did not affect patient survival and prognosis, but age was still associated with poor OS time and DM. ConclusionsFor patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast in T1-T2 stage, HR positive, clinical axillary lymph nodes negative, and age ≥70 years old, SLNB may be exempted. According to the patient’s performance or tumor biological characteristics, patients who need systemic adjuvant chemotherapy may still consider SLNB.