ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic performance of parameters of arterial enhancement fraction (AEF) based on enhanced CT with histogram analysis in the severity of liver cirrhosis.MethodsThe patients with liver cirrhosis clinically confirmed and met the inclusion criteria were included from January 2016 to December 2018 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, then them were divided into grade A, B, and C according to the Child-Pugh score. Meanwhile, the patients without liver disease were selected as the control group. All patients underwent the upper abdomen enhanced CT scan with three-phase and the biochemical examination of liver function. The parameters of AEF histogram were obtained by using the CT Kinetics software, and the aspartic aminotransferase and platelet ratio index (APRI) was calculated. The differences of parameters of AEF histogram and APRI among these patients with liver cirrhosis and without liver disease were analyzed. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by using the area under curve (AUC) of receivers operating characteristic curve.ResultsEighty-five patients with liver cirrhosis were included in this study, including 25, 41, and 19 patients with grade A, B, and C of Child-Pugh score, respectively, and there were 20 patients in the control group. The consistencies in measuring the parameters of AEF histogram twice for the same observer and between the two observers were good (intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.938 and 0.907, respectively). The mean, median, and kurtosis of AEF histogram and the APRI among the grade A, B, C of Child-Pugh score, and control group had significant differences (all P<0.001) and these indexes were positively correlated with the severity of liver cirrhosis (rs=0.811, P<0.001; rs=0.827, P<0.001; rs=0.731, P<0.001; rs=0.711, P<0.001). The AUC of the mean, median, kurtosis, and APRI in diagnosing grade A of liver cirrhosis was 0.829, 0.841, 0.747, and 0.718, respectively; which in diagnosing grade B of liver cirrhosis was 0.847, 0.734, 0.704, and 0.736, respectively; in diagnosing grade C of liver cirrhosis was 0.646, 0.825, 0.782, and 0.853, respectively.ConclusionThe mean and median of AEF histogram parameters based on enhanced CT with three-phase and serological APRI are useful in diagnosis of grage A, B, and C of liver cirrhosis, respectively.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Huo Xiang Zhengqi dropping pill in treating wind cold and dampness stagnation pattern of common cold. Methods A multicenter, randomlyized, double blind, double dummy, controlled trial was conducted. A total of 480 patients with common cold were randomly divided into two groups: a trial group (360 patients) were treated with Huo Xiang Zhengqi Dropping Pill and Huo Xiang Summer-heat Eliminating Soft Capsule analogue, while a control group (120 patients) were treated with Huo Xiang Summer-heat Eliminating Soft Capsule and Huo Xiang Zhengqi Dropping Pill analogue. The therapeutic course of both groups was 3 days. Results The therapeutic effectiveness of diarrhea as the main symptom: the marked effective rate and total effective rate of the trial group were 86.1% and 96.1%, respectively, while those of the control group were 69.2% and 84.6%, respectively; the therapeutic effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pattern: the marked effective rate and total effective rate of the trial group were 87.5% and 98.5%, respectively, while those of the control group were 69.2% and 91.5%, respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the above two indicators (Plt;0.05), which indicated Huo Xiang Zhengqi Dropping Pill was superior to Huo Xiang Summer-heat Eliminating Soft Capsule in treating wind cold and dampness stagnation pattern of common cold. No adverse effects were found in the trial group. Conclusion Huo Xiang Zhengqi Dropping Pill is effective and safe in treating wind cold and dampness stagnation pattern of common cold.