Objective To systematically review the clinical effectiveness and safety of programmable valves (PV) vs. standard valves (SV) for hydrocephalus. Methods Literature search was conducted in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, CBM, VIP and WanFang Data to collect both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized concurrent controlled trials on hydrocephalus treated by PV and SV published from January 1992 to January 2012. According to the inclusion criteria, two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and evaluated and cross-checked the quality of the included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. Results A total of 11 non-randomized concurrent controlled trials involving 1,485 participants were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with SV, PV was superior in overall effective rate (RR=1.14, 95%CI 1.03 to 1.27, P=0.01), 2-year survival rate (RR=1.25, 95%CI 1.04 to 1.51, P=0.02), secondary surgery rate (RR=0.53, 95%CI 0.39 to 0.73, Plt;0.001), overall complications rate (RR=0.62, 95%CI 0.51 to 0.76, Plt;0.001), and over-drainage/ under-drainage rates (RR=0.42, 95%CI 0.21 to 0.83, P=0.01). But there were no significant differences in 1-year survival rate (RR=1.04, 95%CI 0.91 to 1.19, P=0.55), postoperative infection rate (RR=1.08, 95%CI 0.73 to 1.60, P=0.71) and valve related complication rate (RR=0.80, 95%CI 0.56 to 1.21, P=0.20) between the two groups. Conclusion Current evidence suggests that PV is superior to SV in increasing the effective rate, decreasing complications, and prolonging the long-term survival rate. Because of the limitation of quantity and quality of the included studies, more high quality, multicenter and double-blind RCTs are needed to prove whether PV can be clinically recommended as a preferred drainage surgery or not.
Objective To explore the incidence, age distribution and change tendency of female breast cancer in urban Shenyang from 2000 to 2009. Methods The incidence data of female breast cancer recorded in Shenyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2000 to 2009 were collected, and the incidence and standardized incidence of breast cancer were analyzed by using SPSS 16.0 software. The incidence trend was analyzed by means of χ2 trend test and linear regression. Results The annual average crude incidence rate of female breast cancer in urban Shenyang from 2000 to 2009 was 46.03/100 000, while the annual average standardized incidence rate was 35.63/100 000, increased by 160.41% and 109.39% respectively during past 10 years, and the annual average increase was 11.22% and 8.56%, respectively. Both crude incidence rate and standardized incidence rate were in increasing trends with statistical significance (Plt;0.001). The crude incidence rate of the female at age of 50-64 showed a perpendicular rise trend, increased by 271.97%, and the annual average increase was 15.72%. The χ2 trend test and linear regression showed a significant difference (χ2=276.743, P=0.000; y= –22 355.560+11.205x, P=0.000). Conclusion The incidence of female breast cancer in urban Shenyang tends to rise with a younger-aged trend, and the female at age of 50-64 are commonly affected.
Objective To study the current situation of doctor-patient communication education for medical undergraduates, and meanwhile to analyze the students’ satisfactory degree to communication education and its influencing factors, so as to provide sound suggestions to promote the students’ clinical communication abilities. Methods Using simple sampling, 50% of the students who majored in clinical medicine in grade 2006-2009 in West China Medical School of Sichuan University were selected as respondents. The investigation was conducted by face to face talk with a self-designed questionnaire. The data were input using EpiData 3.0 software and the results were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 software. Results A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed, and 404 were validly retrieved (89.78%). Among the respondents, 74.3% of them were satisfied with the current situation of doctor-patient communication education; 75.7% of them begun to know doctor-patient communication education since the stage of learning basic knowledge; 49.8% of them were trained by means of problem-based-learning (PBL); and 65.5% of them were trained with auxiliary standardized patient (SP). “Grade”, “Gender”, “SP used” and “PBL used” were the main factors affecting the satisfactory degree to current doctor-patient communication education (P=0.029, 0.023, 0.012, and 0.029, respectively). Conclusion The medical undergraduates’ satisfactory degree to current doctor-patient communication education is generally high, but it is also affected by various factors. Although doctor-patient communication education has started early, the training system is still problematic and the teaching resources coverage is limited. So in order to make a further systematic, standardized, overall designed education for students’ cognition and communication skills, the medical colleges should open integrated doctor-patient communication curriculum that combines with both PBL and SP auxiliary teaching methods, and covers all the undergraduate learning stage.
Objective To get known the existing problems in rural primary physicians training in Gansu province, so as to explore an appropriate training mode for Gansu province. Methods This study conducted a comprehensive analysis by combining literature analysis, on-site survey and interview. Such databases as CNKI, VIP and CBM were searched to include literature published before November 2011, and the references of the included literature were also retrieved. The qualitative analysis was performed after assessing the methodological quality of the included literature according to self-designed criteria. Additionally, the rural primary hospitals in Gansu province were classified according to their geographical position and economic development level, total 10 township hospitals were randomly selected by cluster sampling, and the following stuffs participated various trainings in past 3 years were on-site-investigated: clinical doctors, nurses, medical technicians, and medical administrators, in aspects of training time, place, contents, modes, and effects. Results The existing problems in primary physicians training modes in Gansu were as follows: uneven training levels, lack of targeted contents, neglect of skill training and process management, and absence of quality assessment of training processes and effects. Conclusion The training modes require that: a) specific plans and schemes; b) unified organization to integrate educational resources effectively; c) reasonable arrangement of implementation process, and d) innovation of training methods and contents to fully play the role of general hospitals and universities; and well control and feedback to promote the integration and perfection of training modes.
Objective To investigate the patient’s psychological anticipation and occurrence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV), and to assess the influence of CINV on quality of life, so as to provide evidence for clinical doctors to recognize and pay attention to CINV. Methods The patients in the Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology who took either moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) or highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) were randomly sampled with a questionnaire for two circles. Patients were asked to record the following indexes before chemotherapy, on the second day and the sixth day of chemotherapy: acute and delayed nausea and vomiting, independently taking antiemetics, and functional living index-emesis (FLIE). Then, descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted for the outcomes of investigation. Results A total of 344 patients were investigated, of which 303 fulfilled the questionnaire finally. For the single-day chemotherapy, the acute nausea and vomiting, delayed nausea vomiting and overall complete remission in the MEC group were 86.1%, 76.6%, and 71.5%, respectively; while those of the HEC group were 84.1%, 71.0%, and 66.7%, respectively. For the multi-day chemotherapy, the acute nausea and vomiting, delayed nausea vomiting and overall complete remission were 93.8%, 64.9%, and 64.9%, respectively. Patients’ expectation of nausea and anticipatory anxiety was closely related to the delayed nausea in their prior circle of chemotherapy. Based on the FLIE assessment, about 30% of all patients reported reduced daily living function. Conclusion CINV remains a significant problem among patients in China, especially in controlling the reaction during delayed phase and nausea as well. It requires that more attention should be paid to CINV and more effective prophylaxis should be adopted in clinical practice.
Objective To get known about the employment intentions to primary health service organizations (PHSO) among medical students in North Sichuan Medical College, and to assess its main influencing factors, so as to provide scientific evidence for occupational guidance in medical colleges, as well as talent introduction and retention in PHSO. Methods By cluster sampling method, medical undergraduates and college students in North Sichuan Medical College were investigated using a self-designed questionnaire from April to October, 2010. EpiData 3.1 and SPSS 16.0 software were used for inputting data and analyzing respectively. Results a) Among 900 questionnaires distributed, 870 were reclaimed (response rate 96.7%). b) Nearly 60% of medical students thought their own professional development was “average”, with following intentions after graduation in order: employment first and then postgraduate entrance exam, employment, postgraduate entrance exam; and 85% of medical students were more willing to work in medical institutions above level-2 in city or county. c) More than 70% of medical students’ employment intentions to PHSO were “average”, and “unwilling”, etc.; the main influencing factors were personal development space, salary and welfare, and comprehensive strength of hospital, etc. d) More than 90% of medical students “Do not know” or “generally” understood the related national preferential policies. Conclusion Government, PHSO and universities should take measures together and increase policy advocacy and infrastructure investment, so as to encourage medical students to work in PHSO.
Objective To investigate pre-hypertension in aspects of its incidence, accompanied cardiovascular risk factors, and difference between urban and rural areas in Chengdu. Methods By cluster random sampling method, a total of 2 011 patients aged 35-70 years from urban and rural communities in Chengdu were selected as respondents. The investigation was conducted through questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests, so as to find out the main cardiovascular risk factors of pre-hypertension. All data were dual input into computer by a specially-assigned person. SPSS 13.0 software was used for analysis, Chi-square test was adopted for categorical data, and Plt;0.05 was taken as an index for significant difference. Results a) The incidence rate of pre-hypertensive in Chengdu was 33.6%, and it was 45.67% and 46.31% in urban and rural areas, respectively. In rural area, more male (51.04%) were affected than female (42.83%). b) The smoking population with pre-hypertension were mainly the male, and the ratio of rural male was 60% (132/220), far higher than that of urban male which was 32.6% (59/181). c) The pre-hypertensive population accompanied with diabetes was higher in urban (27.97%) than rural (14.01%). d) The pre-hypertensive population accompanied with hypercholesterolemia or low HDL was 33.04% (150/454) in urban, as twice as that in rural which was 16.41% (76/471). e) The pre-hypertensive population accompanied with abdominal obesity was far higher in urban (28.41%) than rural (12.74%). Conclusion Smoking is the risk factor which needs to be primarily intervened for male hypertensive patients in rural area. Impaired glucose tolerance is the common risk factor for both urban and rural residents, and hyperlipidemia is the most primarily risk factor for urban pre-hypertensive patients, followed by diabetes, and abdominal obesity.
Objective To investigate the orthopaedic inpatients’ disease and cost constitution of the Third People’s Hospital of Chengdu during 2008-2010, so as to provide detailed baseline data for further research on the factorial analysis of disease burden and effective intervention. Methods The medical records of inpatients in orthopaedic department of the hospital during 2008-2010 were collected, and the diseases based on the first diagnosis on discharge records were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Results During 2008 to 2010, the total number of inpatients increased year by year. Most of the male inpatients were the young and middle-aged, while the female were the old. The rank order of top 5 systematic diseases didn’t change, while there were 6 single diseases kept ranking as top 10 in those 3 years. The average cost per capita averagely grew by 8.97%. The top 3 constitution of hospitalization cost remained the same, which were material cost, drug cost, and treatment cost; while the top 3 payment modes of hospitalization cost were patient’s own expense, social security, and public expense. Among those payment modes, social security rose obviously, and patient’s own expense reduced generally. Conclusion a) The total number of inpatients increases yearly during 2008-2010, and the gender and age distribution of inpatients are tending towards stability. b) The spectrum of disease and single diseases classified according to the one-level code of ICD-10 are relatively stable in those 3 years; of which the top ranked disease is lumbar disc herniation, and the disease with most obviously rising trend is intertrochanteric fracturethe. c) The hospitalization cost per capita rises year by year, of which the constituent ratio of both material and examination costs grow obviously, but the operation, treatment and bed costs are still lower. It requires a multi-pronged approach to control the increase of hospitalization cost as well as the rationalization of cost constitution. d) Among all payment modes of hospitalization cost, the constituent ratio of patient’s own expense reduces year by year, while social security rises, indicating the medical security in national social security has been further expanded.
Objective To investigate the association between costs of hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus and their complications in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods We extracted the hospitalization case data of hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus who were discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism, or discharged after being transferred to other departments for treatment from January 2011 to December 2012, using the hospital information system (HIS) of the West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The data included baseline of hospital patients, discharge diagnosis, hospitalization costs, and if their medical insurance had been registered in hospital. Then, we classified the diseases according to ICD-10 based on discharge diagnosis, coped the data using Excel 2010 software, and conducted statistical analysis using SPSS 13.0. Results a) In 2011, acute and chronic diabetes complication in diabetes inpatients were 11.9% (166/1 396) and 67.1% (930/1 396), respectively. Most of them had peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. b) The most frequently-occurred complications were hypertension, followed by dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis. c) The median hospital stay was 13 days (7 to 9 days), and the median total cost of hospital/person-time was 6 578.88 yuan (4 186.93 to 10 953.89 yuan). d) The total cost and duration of hospitalization increased along with the increasing number of the chronic complications of diabetes. e) The diabetic foot patients were 255 person-times, the median duration of hospitalization was 18 days (13 to 29 days), and the median total cost of hospital/person-time was 16 672.19 yuan (10 903.93 to 28 530.37 yuan). Diabetes patients with foot complication had higher total costs and longer duration of hospitalization than those without foot complication. Conclusion Diabetes mellitus is one of the most important diseases in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, which is heavy disease burden. The costs of hospitalization and chronic complications are closely associated. Among these complications, diabetic foot is the heaviest disease burden.
Objective To investigate the financial burden of in-patients with thyroid diseases in the West China Hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province, from January 2011 to December 2012, so as to provide baseline data for further research. Methods The data of in-patients (who had been discharged from the department of endocrinology and metabolism or discharged after being transferred to other departments for diagnosis and treatment in the West China Hospital in 2011) were collected from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the West China Hospital, including basic information, initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged, hospital costs, the information about whether the patients had been registered the insurance in hospital, etc. We classified diseases according to ICD-10 based on the initial diagnosis when the patients were discharged on the first page of case reports. The data were input using Excel 2010 software, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results The results showed that: a) in 2011, 205 person-times were hospitalized in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, 84 were male and 121 were female, with mean age of 45.3±15.7 years; b) for patients with thyroid diseases, median hospital stay was 10 days, the average cost of hospital stay for each patient was RMB 2 881.43 yuan, most of which was for lab tests and examination; c) the person-times of patients with hyperthyroidism was 162, accounting for 79.5% of the total of thyroid diseases, median hospital stay was 10 days, and the average cost of hospital stay was RMB 2 958.36 yuan; and d) there was no association between the number of hyperthyroidism complications and hospital stay and costs. Conclusion Thyroid diseases are a commonly-seen disease in the department of endocrinology and metabolism, of which, hyperthyroidism accounts for the most. There is no association between the number of hyperthyroidism complications and hospital stay/costs.