Objective To investigate the decision-making situation of doctors in the township hospitals in Gaolan, Gansu province, and to discuss its scientificity and rationality. Methods Self-designed questionnaire was adopted to investigate the clinical decision-making situation of 108 doctors from 7 township hospitals in Gaolan county. The investigation contained three parts as follows: basic information of respondents, general information of clinical decision-making evidence, and comparison between respondents’ decision-making situation and current best clinical evidence. Results Among the total 108 questionnaires distributed, 89 valid were retrieved. The feedback showed that 79% of the doctors diagnosed and treated patients in accordance with medical textbooks; 53% took curative effect into consideration in the first place; 33% failed to consider patients’ willingness properly when making clinical decisions; and 52% made clinical therapy regimen for common diseases based on the evidence which was different from that in BMJ published Clinical Evidence. Conclusion While making clinical decisions, doctors in the township hospitals do not adequately refer to the best clinical evidence as their decision-making basis, and fail to take patients’ value and willingness into consideration properly. It is necessary to promote the concept of evidence-based medicine and spread the best evidence in the township health departments.
ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of misplaced subclavian vein (SCV) catheter into the ipsilateral internal jugular vein (IJV) on transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) measurements and explore the possible mechanisms preliminarily.MethodsIn this prospective study, 408 patients in whom an SCV catheterization was indicated for TPTD monitoring were enrolled. A first set of TPTD measurements was collected at baseline in all patients (group 1, SCV catheters were correctly placed; group 2, SCV catheters were misplaced into the ipsilateral IJV). The parameters included mean transit time (MTt), downslope time (DSt), cardiac index (CI), global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) and extra-vascular lung water index (EVLWI). A second set of TPTD measurements was performed only in those with catheter misplacement immediately after the misplaced SCV catheters being corrected (Group 3). The differences in MTt, DSt, GEDVI and EVLWI between group 2 and 3 were recorded as ΔMTt, ΔDSt, ΔGEDVI and ΔEVLWI, respectively.ResultsGEDVI and EVLWI were significantly higher (all P<0.001) in group 2 than those in group 1, while CI was not significantly different (P>0.05) between these two groups. Multivariate logistic regression identified PaO2/FiO2 [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.492/10 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.180 - 1.884; P<0.001], GEDVI (OR=1.307/10 mL/m2, 95% CI 1.131 - 1.511; P<0.001) and EVLWI (OR=3.05; 95%CI 1.593 - 5.840; P<0.001) as the 3 independent factors associated with the misplacement of SCV catheter into the ipsilateral IJV. In group 2, GEDVI [(1041±122)mL/m2 vs. (790±102)mL/m2, P<0.001], EVLWI [(20.3±4.0)mL/kg vs. (10.3±2.3)mL/kg, P<0.001], CI [(3.6±1.2)L·min–1·m–2 vs. (2.9±1.0)L·min–1·m–2, P<0.001], MTt [(38.2±13.3)s vs. (30.8±9.4)s, P<0.001] and DSt [(18.9±7.2)s vs. (13.2±4.9)s, P<0.001)] were significantly higher than those in Group 3. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that ΔEVLWI (R2=0.86, P<0.001) was negatively correlated with ΔMTt (coefficient±SE, –0.52±0.12; P<0.001) and positively correlated with ΔDSt (coefficient±SE, 1.45±0.17; P<0.001).ConclusionsDuring TPTD measurements, indicator injection through an SCV catheter misplaced into the ipsilateral IJV results in an overestimation of CI, GEDVI and EVLWI. The increase in DSt might be a key factor in explaining the overestimation of EVLWI in patients with misplaced SCV catheters. Given that the accurate measurements of GEDVI and EVLWI are of utmost importance for guiding resuscitation and decision-making regarding fluids administration, immediate repositioning is required if a misplacement is suspected and confirmed by the chest X-ray.