Objective To discuss the application value in increasing the frequency of monitoring and ensuring the safety of anticoagulation therapy in patient self-monitoring (PST) and self-management (PSM) of portable coagulometer. Method This non-randomized prospective controlled study was conducted in 100 patients receiving oral warfarin anticoagulation therapy after heart valve replacement and met the inclusion criteria in our hospital between March 2013 and April 2014 year. All the patients were divided into three groups including an outpatient follow-up group(outpatient group), a self-monitoring group and a self-management group. Meanwhile, the patients in the outpatient group visited professional institutions, performed international normalized ratio (INR) testing with central lab and adjusted the dosage of orally administered warfarin by the doctors. And the other two groups performed INR testing with CoaguChek XS portable coagulometer by themselves, and the patients in the self-management group performed management by themselves. The follow-up time was 6 months. The dates of time in therapeutic range (TTR), fraction of time in therapeutic range (FTTR) and anticoagulation complications in the three groups were analyzed and compared. Results There was no significant difference in the INR results obtained from the follow-up time among the three groups (P=0.845) . TTR value of INR of the outpatient group, the self-monitoring group, and the self-management group was 45.9% (4368.0 days/9517.0 days), 61.2% (6057.0 days/9897.0 days), and 65.4% (2833.8 days/4333.0 days), respectively with a statistical difference among the three groups (P<0.001) . FTTR value of INR obtained from the outpatient group, the self-monitoring group, and the self-management group was 48.3% (99 times/205 times), 60.7% (164 times/270 times), and 64.9% (100 times/154 times) respectively. There was a statistical difference in the FTTR between the outpatient group and the self-monitoring group (P=0.007) , and also between the outpatient group and the self-monitoring group (P=0.002) . But there was no statistical difference between the self-monitoring group and the self-management group (P=0.392) . There were not any major bleeding and thrombosis complications in all study. And there was no statistical difference in the total complications, thrombosis, and bleeding complications rates between the outpatient group and the self-monitoring group, and also between the outpatient group and the self-management group (P>0.05) . Conclusions The patients receiving oral anticoagulation after heart valve replacement or their care providers were able to perform PST and PSM. The use of portable coagulometer for self-monitoring and self-management can increase the frequency of anticoagulation monitoring and achieve better INR target value control. PST and PSM could achieve higher quality of anticoagulation management and life and without increasing the risk of oral anticoagulation than the traditional monitoring method. The monitoring frequency of once a month is reasonable for the patients receiving oral anticoagulation more than half a year after heart valve replacement.
ObjectiveTo analyze the surgical efficacy and influencing factors of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients with thymic atrophy after thymectomy. MethodsThe clinical data of MG patients with thymic atrophy undergoing thymectomy between October 2014 and May 2018 in Daping Hospital of Army Medical University and Shijiazhuang People Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsA total of 71 patients were collected, including 40 males and 31 females with a mean age of 45.17±12.42 years. All patients received the surgery successfully. After the surgery, 20 (28.17%) patients were stable remission, 12 (16.90%) patients were minimal manifestation status,19 (26.76%) patients were improved, 5 (7.04%) patients showed no change, 3 (4.23%) patients were worsened, 10 (14.08%) patients were exacerbated and 2 (2.82%) patients were dead. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the preoperative illness duration (OR=4.61, 95%CI 1.13-18.85, P=0.03), and postoperative pyridostigmine combined with immunosuppressive (OR=0.12, 95%CI 0.03-0.45, P=0.00) were independent risk factors for long-term efficacy of thymectomy for MG patients with thymic atrophy. ConclusionEarly surgery after diagnosis of MG and postoperative pyridostigmine combined with immunosuppressive treatment is beneficial to the prognosis of MG patients with thymic atrophy.