Analysis of risk factors for atrial fibrillation in elderly Chinese patients with severe valvular heart disease / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To explore the risk factors for atrial fibrillation(AF)in elderly Chinese patients with severe valvular heart disease(VHD).Methods:This was a cross-sectional study and consecutively enrolled 978 elderly patients with severe VHD diagnosed in 18 Class A tertiary hospitals across the country from September 2021 to March 2022, including 322(32.9%)patients with concurrent AF.Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected to analyze the risk factors for AF.Results:Among VHD patients, compared with the non-AF group, the AF group was older, had a higher female ratio, higher diastolic blood pressure, higher proportions with cerebrovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, lower serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher serum creatinine, amino-terminal A-type natriuretion peptide and glycosylated hemoglobin.As for echocardiographic parameters, the left atrial diameter was larger, the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, interventricular septum thickness, and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were smaller in the AF group than in the non-AF group.All of the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the left atrial anteroposterior diameter increased( OR=1.166, P<0.01), the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased( OR=0.929, P<0.01), and advanced age( OR=1.051, P<0.05)was an independent risk factor for elderly VHD patients with concurrent AF. Conclusions:In elderly patients with severe VHD, advanced age, an increased left atrial anteroposterior diameter, and a decreased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter were independently associated with AF.Therefore, evaluation of cardiac structure and regular follow-up should be performed in elderly patients with severe VHD for early intervention to reduce the incidence of AF.

Association of cardiac structure and function with frailty in elderly inpatients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To assess whether cardiac structure and function are associated with frailty in elderly inpatients.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study.Inpatients aged 65 years or over, admitted to Beijing Hospital, Chinese PLA General Hospital and Beijing Tsinghua Changgeng Hospital, were consecutively recruited from September 2018 to April 2019.A total of 925 elderly inpatients were enrolled in the study, including 285 frailty patients and 640 non-frailty patients.Frailty was assessed with the Fried frailty phenotype.Clinical and echocardiographic data were collected.The association of cardiac structure and function with frailty was analyzed.Results:Compared with the non-frailty group, the frailty group was older, had lower body mass index, and had higher rates of heart failure, atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, history of stroke/transient ischemic attack, renal insufficiency, and history of falls.N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)levels were higher while creatinine clearance and hemoglobin levels were lower(all P<0.05); The frailty group had a larger anterior-posterior left atrial diameter[(37.8±7.1)mm vs.(36.3±5.1)mm, t=-3.134, P=0.002]and a higher proportion with the left atrial anterior posterior diameter ≥45 mm[15.8%(45/285) vs.6.1%(39/640), χ2=22.452, P<0.001], a lower left ventricular ejection fraction[(60.1±9.5)% vs.(61.9±7.5)%, t=2.817, P=0.005]and a faster peak mitral inflow velocity[(0.8±0.3)cm/s vs.(0.7±0.2)cm/s, t=-2.675, P=0.003]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the left atrial anterior posterior diameter ≥45 mm was an independent correlation factor for frailty( OR=2.249, P=0.015). Increased age( OR=1.099, P<0.001), heart failure( OR=1.786, P=0.049), history of stroke/transient ischemic attack( OR=1.960, P=0.001)and decreased hemoglobin( OR=0.984, P=0.008)were independently associated with frailty. Conclusions:The left atrial anterior posterior diameter ≥45 mm and heart failure were independently associated with frailty.Assessing cardiac structure and function and screening for cardiovascular diseases in frailty patients should be emphasized.

Prospective value of early postoperative PI-APD in children with ureteropelvic junction obstruction / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective· To investigate the prospective value of early postoperative PI-APD in children with hydronephrosis.Methods· Data of children with hydronephrosis who underwent pyeloplasty in Xinhua Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between Jan 2012 to Nov 2015 was collected.PI-APD was divided into 3 categories (≤ 19％,19％＜PI-APD＜40％ and ≥ 40％).The relationship between PI-APD value and the degree of renal function (DRF) and dilation recovery after surgery was analyzed.Results· There were 360 children with hydronephrosis.The median follow-up was 20 months.The PI-APD value (3 months after pyeloplasty) was positively correlated with the degree of DRF recovery (r=0.631,P=0.000).Five patients received redo-pyeloplasty.PI-APD of all these patients was ＜19％.Conclusion· PI-APD is a new feasible ultrasound parameter in pyeloplasty followup.PI-APD ≥ 40％ at the first post-operative visit predicts pyeloplasty success.PI-APD ≤ 19％ indicates close follow-up after operation.PI-APD can also help select children at high risk for repeat intervention after pyeloplasty.

Normal Glenoid Size of the Korean in 7th and 8th Decades

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the normal glenoid size of Koreans in their 7th and 8th decades by conducting Computed tomographic (CT) studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CT images were obtained from the normal scapulae of the patients (mean age: 68.8) who had humeral fracture. A display workstation version 2.0.73.315 was used to measure the scans to determine the maximal superoinferior (SI) and anteroposterior (AP) diameters of the glenoid vault. RESULTS: The average diameters of curvature of the glenoid were 31.2 mm (range: 27 to 34 mm) in the superior-inferior direction and 26.1mm (range: 22 to 31mm) in the anterior-posterior direction. CONCLUSION: This study showed the normal glenoid size of Koreans and it is different from the size that the international literature reported. It should be an important factor for the treatment of fracture or in designing arthroplasty implants.

Prediction of the Development of Neurogenic Bladder in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To predict the development of a neurogenic bladder based on an analysis of the clinical and radiological findings in patients with lumbar disc herniations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients, who were suspected of having neurogenic bladders, underwent urodynamic testing. The anteroposterior diameters and the cross-sectional areas of the dural sacs at the herniated disc levels were measured by magnetic resonance imaging. Clinically, we evaluated lower back pain, radiating pain, saddle anesthesia, bladder function, motor weakness of the lower limbs, and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. RESULTS: Thirteen (50%) of the 26 patients were diagnosed with positive neurogenic bladders. The average anteroposterior diameters of the dural sacs in group I (13 cases) with positive neurogenic bladders and in group II (13 cases) with negative neurogenic bladders, were 6.8 (range, 4-9) mm and 9.0 (range, 8-10) mm, respectively (p<0.001). When an anteroposterior diameter of 7 mm was used as the threshold value for differentiation between the anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac and a neurogenic bladder, the sensitivity and specificity were 61.5% and 100%, respectively. The average cross-sectional areas of the dural sacs in group I and group II were 74.9 (range 50-96) mm(2) and 86.2 (range 60-103) mm(2), respectively (p=0.069). When a cross-sectional area of 77 mm2 was used as the threshold value for differentiation between the cross-sectional area of the dural sac and a neurogenic bladder, the sensitivity and specificity were 61.5% and 84.6%, respectively. All 9 patients who had saddle anesthesia were diagnosed with positive neurogenic bladders. However, there was no statistical significance between the preoperative JOA score and the development of a neurogenic bladder. CONCLUSION: The anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac and saddle anesthesia might be important factors in predicting the presence of a neurogenic bladder in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

Abnormal Spontaneous Activities According to Type of Herniated Lumbar Disc and Anteroposterior Diameter of Dural Sac in MRI

OBJECTIVE: To assess the abnormal spontaneous activities in needle electromyography (EMG) according to the type of herniated lumbar disc and anteroposterior the diameter of dural sac in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHOD: We performed the MRI on 120 patients with low back pain (LBP) and measured the midline anteroposterior diameter of dural sac in a MRI axial view. Fifty patients with a disc protrusion or extrusion in MRI were reviewed for the clinical findings on physical examination and assessed for the abnormal spontaneous activities (ASA) in needle EMG. RESULTS: Seventy cases with a normal finding in MRI did not have differences in a dural sac diameter regardless their age or sex. Fifty cases with a protrusion or extrusion in MRI showed that the dural sac size decreased more in an extrusion than in a protrusion, and more in a paracentral type than in a central type. The incidence of ASA in a needle EMG increased more in an extrusion than in a protrusion, and more in a paracentral type than in a central type. The incidence also increased according to the decrement of a dural sac diameter. The incidence of ASA were 100% in a group with both motor and sensory signs, 94% in a group with a motor sign, 86% in a group with a sensory sign, 26% in a group without motor or sensory sign. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the abnormalities in needle EMG must be correlated with the direction of herniated lumbar disc and anteroposterior diameter of the dural sac in MRI as well as clinical findings.