Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common type of valvular heart disease. Mitral valve repair/replacement can improve the prognosis of patients with severe MR, but a large proportion of patients cannot tolerate surgical procedures due to comorbidities and surgical risks. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is a kind of treatment for mitral valve disease in which an artificial valve is delivered to the mitral valve annulus through a catheter and released into place, with the advantages of no thorax opening, less trauma and high safety. Early clinical studies of TMVR have shown good results, but still face many challenges. Strict indications are effective measures to reduce surgical risks and postoperative complications. This article explores the relevant indications of TMVR by analyzing several studies at home and abroad.
Patients with brain metastases are more prone to developing life-threatening neurological symptoms. Initial therapies include surgery, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and stereotactic radiotherapy. With the progress of stereotactic radiotherapy, the indication of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is gradually expanding, and the indications for surgery and WBRT gradually narrowed. The existing studies have shown that SRS can significantly benefit patients who are <50 years old with single brain metastasis, but the specific scope of the application with SRS is still controversial, and a large number of the phase Ⅲ randomized multicenter trials designed around the controversies are also developing. This review summarizes the results of clinical research and came to the conclusion. Firstly, postoperative adjuvant SRS in the treatment of brain metastases is superior to postoperative adjuvant WBRT. Secondly, using SRS in the elderly patients with multiple brain metastases are safe and effective. Thirdly, the use of targeted therapy in patients with brain metastases thereby delaying SRS may lead to poor prognosis. The focus of future research include selection of optimal timing for adjuvant targeted therapy after SRS and the appropriate patient population, as well as prevention of recurrence and metastasis after lacal treatment.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of levetiracetam (LEV) added on to usual care, in treating children refractory partial seizure epilepsy.MethodsWe searched the Cochrane library, EMBASE and PubMed between January 1998-January 2017, We systematically searched CNKI database and Wanfang data, Chinese biology medline and the manual retrieval related magazines.RevMan 5.3 statistical software for Meta analysis.ResultsAccording to the enrollment criteria, fourtrials were included involving 498 participants according to the intent-to-treat, 268 for LEV, and 230 for placebo groups.We assessed the following outcomes: 50% or greater seizure reduction, seizure freedom, adverse effects, proportion of dropouts and quality of life. There was no evidence of statistical heterogeneity between trials.We assessed outcomes by using a meta-analysis to calculate odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). For the 50% or greater reduction in focal seizure frequency outcome, the OR was significantly in favour of LEV [OR=2.94, 95% CI(1.99, 4.34)].Participants were significantly more likely in LEV groups than placebo groups to get seizure free[OR=5.31, 95% CI(2.49, 11.32)]. There was no significance between LEV groups and placebo groupsin the rate of Treatment withdrawal[OR=0.76, 95% CI(1.32, 1.82)]. Somnolence[OR=2.57, 95% CI(1.36, 4.86)]and changes in behaviour [OR=2.54, 95% CI(1.56, 4.14)] were significantly associated with LEV. Other adverse effects were not significantly associated with LEV in children.ConclusionThe existing evidence suggests that LEV add in treatment of children refractory epilepsy have definite curative effect, LEV long-term treatment effect is stable, good security, retention rate is higher, can be used in clinical further promotion.
Science is a system of knowledge that reflects the essential connections and laws of the objective world. Classification of disciplines is a subsystem of science, which involves the development of human cognition which evolved from the scientific category to the department of higher education, and then formation of a complex management system. Nowadays with the rapid development of science and technology which triggering numerous complex social problems, an increasing trend of scientific integration calls for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education. In the 1990s, evidence-based medicine was emerged in the self-doubting of medical science, and extended to other fields of medicine, health policy and social sciences, forming an interdisciplinary evidence-based science system. Evidence-based science is an embodiment of scientific integration, and also the carrier and mechanism of cross-disciplinary convergence. It attempts to break through barriers of disciplines and management, and promotes interdisciplinary research, during which it has encountered many difficulties due to limitations of traditional disciplines. Evidence-based science does not provide an intrusion or transformation of thinking paradigm into other disciplines, but rather an equal dialogue to promote broader discipline collaboration and a new round of self-improvement, so as to constantly explore novel methods and theories to solve emerging problems, achieve continuous improvement, and pursue excellence.
Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of iris-registration in wavefront-guided LASIK (IR+WG LASIK) versus conventional LASIK for correction of myopia accompanied with astigmatism. Methods Such databases as PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane library (Issue 2, 2012), CBM, CNKI, VIP, and WangFang Data were searched to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs about IR+WG LASIK versus conventional LASIK for correction of myopia accompanied with astigmatism. The retrieval time was from inception to February 2012, and the language was in both Chinese and English. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted the data and assessed the quality of the included studies. Then the meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.1 software. Results A total of 9 studies involving 3 903 eyes were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, compared with the conventional LASIK group, the IR+WG LASIK group had a higher ratio in patients with postoperative uncorrected visual acuity no less than 1.0 (RR=1.03, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.05, P=0.002), as well as in patients with best-corrected visual acuity gained over 1 line (RR=1.75, 95%CI 1.49 to 2.16, Plt;0.000 01); it was smaller in the postoperative high order aberration RMS (WMD=−0.16, 95%CI −0.21 to −0.11, Plt;0.000 01), coma-like RMS (WMD=−0.05, 95%CI −0.11 to 0.00, P=0.07), spherical-like RMS (WMD=−0.15, 95%CI −0.23 to −0.07, P=0.000 2), and residual astigmatism (WMD=0.14, 95%CI 0.10 to 0.18, Plt;0.000 01); moreover, it was lower in the incidence of postoperative glare (RR=0.27, 95%CI 0.15 to 0.50, Plt;0.000 1), and it was higher in the subjective satisfaction of patients (RR=1.08, 95%CI 1.04 to 1.13, P=0.000 3). Conclusion Compared with conventional LASIK, IR+WG LASIK can more effectively reduce astigmatism, postoperative high order aberration RMS and spherical-like RMS. It can also get visual function including uncorrected visual acuity and best-corrected visual acuity, consequently increase patient’s satisfaction. But further studies are still required for its long-term effect.
Objective To systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of disodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection plus chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone, in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The Cochrane Library (Issue 1, 2011), MEDLINE (1966 to November 2011), EMbase (1984 to November 2011), CBM (1978 to November 2011), CNKI (1995 to November 2011) and VIP (1989 to November 2011) were searched electronically, and the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about disodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection plus chemotherapy for NSCLC were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed and crosschecked by two reviewers independently, and meta-analyses were performed for homogeneous studies by using Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 5.1 software. Results Eight RCTs involving 539 patients met inclusion criteria were included in meta-analyses. The quality of all studies was in Grade B. The results of meta-analyses showed that disodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection plus chemotherapy, compared with chemotherapy alone, could increase effective rate (RR=1.32, 95%CI 1.07 to 1.62) and clinical benefit rate (RR=1.24, 95%CI 1.12 to 1.37), improve quality of life (RR=2.23, 95%CI 1.55 to 3.19) and clinical symptoms (RR=1.55, 95%CI 1.24 to 1.95), increase body weight (RR=2.72, 95%CI 1.74 to 4.25), and decrease bone marrow suppression (leucocyte reduction rate) (RR=0.36, 95%CI 0.21 to 0.61). Conclusion The evidence available indicates that the treatment regimen of disodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection plus chemotherapy is superior to chemotherapy alone in increasing effects and decreasing toxicity for the patients with NSCLC. More high-quality and multi-center RCTs with larger sample and longer follow-up are proposed.
The primary principle of evidence-based medicine is that the best clinical decision-making is derived from clinical problems with combination of patient’s preferences with clinical experience and the best evidence. Evidence-based medicine by its nature, is a specific application on the evaluation of medical hypothesis. It also emphasize the importance of humanism in clinical practice. Our study explored the scientific and humanistic characteristics of evidence-based medicine from the prospective of philosophy, so as to facilitate the extensive application of evidence based practice paradigm in other fields.
The majority of problems are comprehensive and complex in the modern society, which leads to the increasing contradictions in the specialization and comprehensiveness of knowledge. Interdisciplinary cooperation is one approach to improve the effectiveness and transferability. The primary principle of evidence-based medicine is its scientific and transparent procedures. It combines the patient’s preferences with clinical experience and the best evidence. Meanwhile, evidence-based medicine is focused on how to transfer research outcomes into practice and the re-evaluation of the result of practice in order to striving for perfections. Combining this practical pattern of evidence-based medicine with other disciplines can have a significant improvement on scientific methods and thinking patterns, and become an effective way to improve the quality of scientific research and promote the transformation.
The increasing deteriorative trend of doctor-patient relationship (DPR) have destroyed patient safety, doctor safety and social stability in China. DPR is a complicated social problem related to multidisciplinary and multi-factor interactions. A series of researches providing different views on how to improve DPR in China have been published in recently years. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) aims to deal with massive information by producing, synthesizing and disseminating evidence from complex interventions. We tried to explore the trait of DPR by EBM methods. We provided evidence on research trends, topics and methods by systematic database retrieval, classification by screening, and quality assessment. Through dissection, attribution, and visualization of interactions and relationships between factors, we provided an evidence-supported framework for improvement of DPR. We identified gaps, defects or deficiencies in existing research, and promoted further research. We continued to follow up the research and faced a challenge: Reflection and frustration in the process of establishing the quality evaluation system of qualitative research. We found that the study of complex humanities and social sciences by reference to evidence-based methodology might be: providing a structured, panoramic perspective for complex social problems on " de-fragmentation”, providing a framework for social governance through classification and hierarchy, and calling for a more tolerant attitude and more comprehensive application of methodologies.