Objective To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of compound glycyrrhizin combined with acitretin for psoriasis. Methods The databases such as PubMed, The Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and CBM were searched to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about compound glycyrrhizin combined with acitretin vs. acitretin alone for psoriasis. Meanwhile, The Chinese Journal of Dermatovenereology, China Journal of Leprosy and Skin Diseases and the grey literature were also searched. The retrieval time was from January 2000 to March 2012. According to the Cochrane Reviewer’s Handbook, two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Then the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.0 software. Results A total of 17 RCTs involving 1 365 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, the regimen of compound glycyrrhizin combined with acitretin was superior to acitretin alone; there were significant differences in the total effective rate (OR=3.39, 95%CI 2.55 to 4.52, Plt;0.000 01) and in the incidence of skin and mucous membrane dryness (OR=0.54, 95%CI 0.32 to 0.98, P=0.04), skin erythema (OR=0.43, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.76, P=0.004), elevated AST and ALT (OR=0.13, 95%CI 0.04 to 0.41, P=0.000 5) and elevated blood lipid (OR=0.48, 95%CI 0.30 to 0.77, P=0.002). But no significant difference was found in the incidence of dry and cracked lips (OR=0.50, 95%CI 0.10 to 2.50, P=0.40). There was publication bias shown by funnel plot analysis. Conclusion The compound glycyrrhizin combined with acitretin for psoriasis can obviously increase the cure rate and effective rate, and reduce the incidence of adverse reaction, such as dryness of skin and mucous membrane, skin erythema, elevated AST and ALT, and elevated blood lipid. For the limitation of quality and quantity of included studies, this conclusion still needs to be proved by conducting more high quality researches.
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese angelica decoction (CAD) versus conventional treatment (CT) for chronic urticaria (CU). Methods Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, SCI, EMbase, VIP, CNKI and CBM to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on CAD treating CU from inception to July 2011. Two reviewers independently screened articles according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and evaluated the quality of the included studies. Then meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0.2. Results A total of 11 RCTs involving 1081 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis demonstrated that compared with the CT group (antihistamine therapy), CAD seemed higher in the cure rate (OR=2.36, 95%CI 1.80 to 3.10, I2=22%, Plt;0.000 01), improvement rate (OR=4.56, 95%CI 2.65 to 7.87, I2=0%, Plt;0.000 01), and lower in the relapse rate at the third month after the treatment (OR=0.43, 95%CI 0.22 to 0.82, I2=0%, P=0.01). No study reported the quality of life and severe adverse reactions after CAD treatment. Conclusion Current evidence shows CAD may be superior to CT in treating CU patients. However, due to lack of enough high-quality studies, CAD has to be further studied by conducting more strictly-designed, multicenter, large-scale and double-blind RCTs.
Objective?To investigate the current status of new clinical medical postgraduate students on their learning goals and expectation of employment, and to provide the evidence and suggestions for improving the management of medical postgraduates’ training. Methods?We designed the questionnaire to investigate the current status of learning goals and expectation of employment of new clinical medical postgraduate students of Lanzhou University. We issued 164 questionnaires and took back 164 ones, among which 157 were effective, with the effective rate of 95.7%. Results?(1) The proportion of the postgraduates with working experience was less than 50%, and most of these worked in the municipal and county hospitals. (2) The 78.3% of them considered that clinical and research abilities were of the same importance. (3) The 65.6% of them expected to get Medical Science Degree; (4) The 96.8% of them wanted, after graduation, to engage in clinical work or the work in which clinical affairs and research were equally important, and only 3.2% hoped to engage in research-oriented work; (5) Although clinical skills and research capabilities of the first-year medical postgraduates were very poor at their entrance to the graduate school, their expectations of employment were very high. Conclusion?(1) The improvement and innovation of medical postgraduates’ clinical and research training are urgently needed. (2) The publicity and supporting policies should be enhanced for Clinical Medicine Degrees, and the postgraduates should be guided to comply their own expectations with social needs properly.