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Objective:To measure the skin thickness in patients with erysipelas by high-frequency ultrasonography (HF-USG), and to compare the clinical efficacy of systemic antibiotics alone versus their combination with glucocorticoids in the treatment of erysipelas.Methods:Hospitalized patients with erysipelas were enrolled from Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University from January to December in 2021, and randomly divided into the study group and control group according to the order of visits. The study group was treated with systemic cefathiamidine for 7 days followed by oral methylprednisolone at a dose of 0.4 mg·kg -1·d -1, while the control group was treated with cefathiamidine alone. Before and after the treatment for 10 days, the thicknesses of the epidermis-dermis layers and subcutaneous tissues were measured by HF-USG at the sites of the most severe skin lesions on the affected limbs and at the corresponding sites on the healthy limbs, and white blood cell (WBC) counts, neutrophil (NEU) counts, as well as C-reaction protein (CRP) levels were determined. The t test and non-parametric test were used to compare the efficacy between two groups. Results:A total of 23 patients with erysipelas were enrolled. Among the 12 patients in the study group, 8 were males and 4 were females, and their age was 71.4 ± 11.4 years. Among the 11 patients in the control group, 7 were males and 4 were females, and their age was 67.4 ± 11.1 years. Before treatment, the thicknesses of the epidermis-dermis layers (0.33 ± 0.12 cm) and subcutaneous tissues (1.08 ± 0.49 cm) in the study group were not significantly different from those in the control group (0.25 ± 0.09 cm, 0.98 ± 0.46 cm; t = -1.83, -0.49, P = 0.081, 0.626, respectively). After the 10-day treatment, the thicknesses of the epidermis-dermis layers and subcutaneous tissues of the skin lesions on the affected limbs significantly decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (both P < 0.05), and the decrease in the thicknesses of subcutaneous tissues was significantly stronger in the study group (0.32 ± 0.33 cm) than in the control group (0.10 ± 0.07 cm; t = 2.20, P = 0.039). Before treatment, the WBC counts ([11.16 ± 4.42] × 10 9/L), NEU counts ([8.26 ± 4.16] × 10 9/L) and CRP levels (median [ Q1, Q3]: 72.20 [19.28, 140.50] mg/L) in the study group were not significantly different from those in the control group ([10.10 ± 4.53] × 10 9/L, [7.21 ± 3.00] × 10 9/L, 34.40 [8.00, 74.20] mg/L, respectively; t or Z = 0.60, 0.71, -0.85, P = 0.578, 0.496, 0.196, respectively). After the 10-day treatment, the WBC counts, NEU counts, and CRP levels significantly decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:The combined treatment with systemic antibiotics and glucocorticoids could effectively alleviate skin inflammation, and more rapidly reduce the thicknesses of inflamed subcutaneous tissues in patients with erysipelas compared with systemic antibiotics alone.
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@#Objective To observe the effect of abdominal electrical stimulation combined with high-frequency chest wall oscillation on airway clearance ability in critical ill patients with tracheostomy. Methods From January to June, 2021, a total of 84 critical ill patients with tracheostomy in the department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, were randomly divided into control group (n = 28),experimental group A (n = 28) and experimental group B (n = 28). All the groups received routine therapy and early activities; while high-frequency chest wall oscillation was added to experimental group A, and abdominal electrical stimulation combined with high-frequency chest wall oscillation were added to experimental group B, for two weeks. Their involuntary cough peak flow (ICPF), Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score (CPIS), diaphragmatic excursion (DE), diaphragmatic thickness fraction (DTF) and thickness of abdominal muscle (Tab) were measured before and after treatment. Results The improvement of CPIS, ICPF and Tab were better in the experimental group B than in the other two groups (P < 0.05). The improvement of DE and DTF were slightly better in experimental group B, however, there was no significant difference among groups (FDE = 0.514, FDTF = 1.582, P > 0.05). The thickness d-values of rectus abdominis, musculi obliquus internus abdominis and musculus transversus abdominis were positively correlated with the d-value of ICPF in the exprimental group B (r > 0.415, P < 0.05). ICPF was highly negatively correlated with CPIS before treatment for all the patients (r = -0.702, P < 0.001). No adverse events occurred during the intervention period. Conclusion Abdominal electrical stimulation combined with high-frequency chest wall oscillation could improve airway clearance ability in critical ill patients with tracheostomy.
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Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy ( G-POEM) for postsurgical gastroparesis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on data of 47 patients with gastroparesis after subtotal gastrectomy, who underwent G-POEM at Zhongda Hospital Southeast University form August 2016 to June 2018. G-POEM procedure, complications related to G-POEM, and improvement of symptoms and gastric emptying function were observed. Results All patients underwent G-POEM successfully. No serious G-POEM-related complications were observed. During a follow-up period of 9. 8±5. 8 months (range 3-18 months), the scores of gastroparesis cardinal symptoms index (GCSI) were 1. 6±0. 5, 1. 2±0. 4, 1. 1±0. 6, 1. 4±0. 3 and 1. 7±0. 3 respectively at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 12th, and 18th months after G-POEM, and all scores were lower than that before G-POEM (3. 8±1. 1, all P<0. 01). The results showed the symptoms of gastroparesis were improved significantly. Gastric emptying imaging showed the hemi-emptying time was 23. 8±8. 8 min, 21. 2±9. 5 min, 20. 9±8. 3 min and 26. 4±7. 8 min at the 1st, 6th, 12th and 18th months after G-POEM, respectively, significantly shorter than that before G-POEM (67. 8±12. 5 min, all P<0. 01). Three-dimensional ultrasonography results of gastric antrum volume showed that the hemi-emptying time was 26. 4 (21. 8, 40. 3) min, 22. 6 (13. 9, 32. 7) min, 24. 3 (18. 2, 36. 5) min and 26. 8 (16. 4, 38. 5) min at the 1st, 6th, 12th and 18th months after G-POEM, respectively, which were all significantly shorter than that before G-POEM [ 72. 5 ( 48. 3, 108. 6 ) min, all P<0. 01 ] . Conclusion G-POEM has a satisfactory long-term efficacy on the treatment of gastroparesis after subtotal gastrectomy with good safety.
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Objective To evaluate the effect of lumbar multifidus muscle training on muscle thickness.Methods The morphological changes in volunteers' lumbar multifidus muscles were observed in response to 11 kinds of training.Muscle thickness was measured at rest and during contraction using ultrasonography and two examiners.The rate of change in muscle thickness and the contraction rate were calculated.Results There was no significant difference in the contraction rates determined by the two examiners using ultrasound imaging.There was no significant difference in average contraction rate between the males and females.Pairwise,there was no significant difference among contralateral leg-raising,ipsilateral leg-raising,contralateral hand-raising,ipsilateral hand-raising and contralateral leg-lifting.Pairwise,there was no significant difference among ipsilateral leg-lifting and ipsilateral arm-lifting compared with contralateral leg-lifting,contralateral arm-lifting or contralaleral lower limb-lifting.There was no significant difference between contralateral arm-lifting and ipsilateral arm-lifting.There was no significant difference between ipsilateral arm-lifting with contralateral leg-lifting and contralateral arm-lifting with ipsilateral leg-lifting.Pairwise,there was a significant difference in lumbar multifidus muscle contraction rates among these actions.Conclusion Lumbar multifidus muscle training has various effects.Muscle thickness as measured using ultrasonography can provide a basis for formulating a rehabilitation training plan.
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Objective To evaluate the reliability of transversus abdominis muscles measure with ultrasonography. Methods The thick-ness of bilateral transversus abdominis muscles of 20 volunteers at rest and during different postures for training was measured with ultraso-nography by 2 examiners. The rate of contraction was calculated. Results The measurement was correlated strongly between examiners (r>0.7). There was significant difference in variety of thickness among postures except head rise to contralateral leg rise (P<0.01). Conclusion Ultrasonography is reliable in measuring transversus abdominis muscles.
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@#ObjectiveTo evaluate the usefulness of an ultrasonography-based method to examine quadriceps femoris contracting. MethodsThe thickness of bilateral rectus femoris (RF) and vastus intermedius (VI) and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of RF was measured in 10 healthy subjects （n=20） in a relaxed position and 3 isometric contraction states using ultrasonography by two examiners. The date was compared with paired t test. Half of these subjects （n=10） were also measured with MRI at rest. The date was also compared with paired t test. ResultsThere was no significant difference between MRI and static compound ultrasonography, nor between two examiners. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in thickness of RF and VI between relaxed and isometric contraction conditions. There was no significant difference among isometric contraction conditions. There was no significant difference among measurements of RF-CSA. Conclusionultrasonography shows good validity and reliability in measuring quadriceps shape.