ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of different blood pressure control targets on hematoma enlargement and prognosis in patients within 48 h after hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (HCH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between January, 2013 and July, 2016, 102 patients with HCH were randomized into group A (51 cases) and group B (51 cases) with different systolic blood pressure (SBP) control targets within 48 h. The patients in group A were given early active antihypertensive treatment with SBP control target of 130-140 mm Hg; those in group B received standard antihypertensive treatment with SBP control target of 170-180 mm Hg. The changes in the volume of hematomas and the patients' prognosis were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 48 h of treatment, SBP, hematoma volume and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were significantly lower and Glasgou Coma Scale (GCS) score was significantly higher in group A than in group B (P<0.01 or 0.05). After 30 days of treatment, the patients in group A showed significantly better indicators of treatment efficacy than those in group B (Z=2.331, P=0.020). The mortality rate was lower in group A than in group B, but the difference was not statistically significant (Χ=2.772, P=0.096).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Early active antihypertensive treatment is safe and feasible in patients with HCH and can reduce the enlargement of the hematomas, alleviate deterioration of neurological function, and improve the prognosis of the patients.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the possible roles of probiotics in decreasing intestinal bacterial colonization rate and the incidence of enterogenic infections in premature infants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy premature infants were randomly assigned to two groups: probiotics and conventional treatment groups (control) (n=35 each). The probiotics treatment group was administered with oral Clostridium butyricum powder (250 mg, twice daily up to discharge) 24 hrs after birth except conventional treatment. Rectal swab cultures were done at admission, 5 and 12 days after admission, and before discharge. Clinical and laboratory findings were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The intestinal bacterial colonization rate in the probiotics treatment group was lower than that in the control group 12 days after admission (60% vs 83%; p<0.05) and before discharge (51% vs 80%; p<0.05). Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecium were common colonization bacteria in the two groups. Diarrhea occurred in 7 cases (20%) in the probiotics treatment group compared with 16 cases (46%) in the control group (p<0.05). Two infants (6%) developed sepsis in the probiotics treatment group compared with 9 cases (26%) in the control group (p<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Probiotics can decrease intestinal bacterial colonization rate and the incidence of diarrhea and sepsis in premature infants.</p>