Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in the treatment of spinal metastases / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effectiveness of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in the treatment of patients with spinal metastases.@*METHODS@#In the study, 12 patients of spinal metastases treated with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed between June 2017 and October 2019. Among the 12 patients, 9 were males and 3 were females; the median age was 62.5 years [(65.1±2.9) years]. The decompression segment of 7 patients was located at the lower thoracic spine (including 1 patient with incomplete paraplegia) and the decompression segment of 5 patients was located at the lumbar spine; Tomita score was 6.0±0.6. Perioperative data of the patients were reviewed. Visual analog scale (VAS score), Karnofsky score, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score were compared before and after surgery. The patient's survival, adjuvant treatment, and internal fixation failure were observed in the follow-up period.@*RESULTS@#All the 12 patients had a successful operation with percuta-neous pedicle screw fixation combined expandable tubular retractor. The average operative time, blood loss, and blood transfused of the patients were (247.0±14.6) min, (804.2±222.3) mL and (500.0±100.0) mL, respectively. The average amount of drainage was (240.8±79.3) mL. Drainage tubes were pulled out early postoperative [(3.2±0.3) d], allowing early mobilization. The patients discharged (7.8±0.8) d postoperative. All the patients were followed up for 6-30 months, and the average overall survival time was (13.6±2.4) months. During the follow-up period, 2 patients experienced screw displacement, the internal fixation was stable after conservative treatment and no revision surgery was performed. The VAS of the patients was 7.1±0.2 before surgery, which decreased to 2.3±0.1 and 2.8±0.4 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). The Karnofsky score of the patients was 59.2±1.9 before surgery, which increased to 75.0±1.9 and 74.2±3.1 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05). The ECOG of the patients was 2.3±0.2 before surgery, which decreased to 1.7±0.1 and 1.7±0.2 at 3 and 6 months after surgery (P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#For selected patients with spinal metastases, minimally invasive surgical treatment of spinal metastases (percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation combined with expandable tubular retractor) can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms and improve the quality of life, with satisfactory clinical outcome.

Analysis of influencing factors for pathogen culture result in patients with pyogenic spondylitis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of clinical factors on the pathogen culture results in the patients with pyogenic spondylitis, and to find out clinical controllable factors which could increase the positive rate of the pathogen culture.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study reviewed 40 patients who were diagnosed with pyogenic spondylitis in Peking University First Hospital from January 2011 to July 2017. The patients were divided into two groups depending on the culture results, culture negative or culture positive. The influence of clinical uncontrollable factors [the patient's age, gender, predisposing factors, infection site except spine, visual analogue score (VAS), course of disease, spinal segment, white blood cell (WBC), (neutrophilic granulocyte)% (NE%), the incidence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), the incidence of paravertebral abscess] and controllable factors (prior antibiotics exposure within 2 weeks, tissue homogenate, surgical approach) on pathogen culture results were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Of the 40 patients, 18 patients were female and 22 patients were male. Causative germ was identified in 24/40 patients (60.00%) and dominant by gram positive cocci (68.00%). For clinical uncontrollable factors, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the patient's age, gender, predisposing factors, infection site except spine, VAS, course of disease, spinal segment, WBC, NE% and the incidence of SIRS. ESR [(94.38±6.91) mm/h, P=0.023)], CRP [(64.74±13.51) mg/L, P=0.040], and the incidence of paravertebral abscess (75%, P=0.018) in culture negative group were lower in contrast to culture positive group. For clinical controllable factors, prior antibiotics exposure within 2 weeks (P=0.058, OR=4.030, 95%CI: 0.956-16.993) and tissue homogenate (P=0.014, OR=0.171, 95%CI: 0.042-0.695) were significantly associated with the pathogen culture result. Surgical approach was not significantly associated with pathogen culture result.@*CONCLUSION@#Patients with high level of ESR, CRP, and paravertebral abscess, would have high positive rate of pathogenic culture. Prior antibiotics exposure was associated with lower positive pathogen culture rate. Culture with tissue homogenate was more likely to find the causative germ, especially for patients without paravertebral abscess who had low level of ESR, CRP and prior antibiotics exposure.

Perioperative clinical characteristics of patients with pathological fracture of proximal femur / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the perioperative clinical characteristics of patients with pathological fracture of proximal femur.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study reviewed 28 patients who received proximal resection and tumor hemiarthroplasty for malignant proximal femoral tumor in Peking University First Hospital from January 2011 to February 2017. According to the fracture, the patients were divided into two groups: pathological fracture group and non-pathological fracture group. We investigated the clinical characteristics during perioperative period between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Of the 28 patients, 14 (50.0%) patients suffered pathological fracture, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in the patient's age, gender, limb involvement, and tumor source (P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups in hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (Hct), and lower extremity thrombosis. The albumin (ALB) of pathological fracture group were lower in contrast to non-pathological fracture group (P=0.031). There was no significant difference between the two groups in decline of HGB and Hct on postoperation day 1, operative time, bleeding during operation, time for walking with help of ambulation aid postoperative, and postoperative hospital stay (P>0.05). On post-operation day 7, HGB (P=0.025) and Hct (P=0.039) of pathological fracture group were significant lower in contrast to non-pathological fracture group. Whereas, the total blood loss calculated by Gross equation of pathological fracture group was significant higher in contrast to non-pathological fracture group [(2 066.3±419.8) mL vs. (786.0±152.6) mL, P=0.039]. The patient needed blood transfusion during operation (7/14 vs. 1/14, P=0.033) and postoperative (8/14 vs. 1/14, P=0.013) in pathological fracture group were more than in non-pathological fracture group. At last, Barthel daily life ability score (P=0.009) of pathological fracture group was lower in contrast to non-pathological fracture group, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score was higher (P<0.001). They were almost equal when the patients were discharged (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Patients with pathological fracture had lower ALB during perioperative period. Pathological fracture had no effect on operative time, bleeding during operation and function outcomes. However, the patients with pathological fracture had more total blood loss and lower HGB, Hct in contrast to the patients without pathological fracture. Blood transfusion was more needed in pathological fracture patients.

Pharmacokinetics and extended-release characteristics of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets in healthy volunteers / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pharmacokinetics of single and multiple oral doses of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets and evaluate its extended-release characteristics by comparing with ordinary tablets. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers received a single oral dose of 45, 90 and 135 mg minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets respectively with a 10-day washout period. After the single-dose study, the volunteers participated in the multiple dose study in which each volunteer received 90 mg per day for 10 consecutive days. The ordinary tablets were administered by single and multiple doses as reference preparation in the end. The concentrations of minocycline in human plasma were determined by LC-MS method. RESULTS: The main pharmacokinetic parameters of a single dose of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets of 45, 90 and 135 mg in 12 healthy volunteers were as follows: pmax (0.4770±0.1280), (1.011±0.191) and (1.500±0.281) μg · mL-1, tmax(3.3±1.1),(3.6±0.8) and (3.4±0.7) h, t1/2 (17.1±5.4), (18.3±4.9) and (17.9±3.4) h, AUC0-t (9.391±3.019), (20.01±3.07) and (31.81±6.80) μg · h · mL-1, respectively. And those of multiple-dose of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets of 90 mg were as follows: pav(0.8440±0.2250) μg · mL-1, DF(1.1±0.2), pmax(1.438±0.383) μg · mL-1, tmax(3.5±0.8) h, t1/2 (19.3±4.4) h, AUC0-t(31.18±9.39) μg · h · mL-1. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of a single dose of ordinary minocycline hydrochloride tablets of 100 mg were as follows: pmax(1.418±0.427) μg · mL-1, tmax (2.6±0.7) h, t1/2 (16.9±3.9) h, AUC0-t(25.35±5.80) μg · h · mL-1, and those of multiple-dose of ordinary minocycline hydrochloride tablets at 100 mg were as follows: pav(1.229±0.377) μg · mL-1, DF(1.3±0.2), pmax(2.188±0.652) μg · mL-1, tmax(2.3±0.7) h, t1/2 (17.7±2.4) h, AUC0-t(44.83±16.29) μg · h · mL-1, respectively. CONCLUSION: In the range of 45-135 mg, the AUC0-t and pmax of minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets increased in a dose-dependent manner after single-dose administration, indicating linear pharmacokinetics. No significant gender differences were found. An accumulation of 50% in AUC0-t occurred after multiple-dose administration. The minocycline hydrochloride extended-release tablets have extended-release character comparing with ordinary tablets.