Clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for a critical case of novel coronavirus pneumonia treated with glucocorticoids and non-invasive ventilator treatment

Abstract The novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak occurred in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. Here, we report the clinical characteristics and therapeutic procedure for a case of severe NCP. The patient was started on glucocorticoids and non-invasive ventilator treatment. After treatment, the patient's symptoms improved, and the status was confirmed as NCP negative. Our results may provide clues for the treatment of NCP.

The diagnostic value of narrow-band imaging for early and invasive lung cancer: a meta-analysis

This study aimed to compare the ability of narrow-band imaging to detect early and invasive lung cancer with that of conventional pathological analysis and white-light bronchoscopy. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Sinomed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for relevant studies. Meta-disc software was used to perform data analysis, meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis, and heterogeneity testing, and STATA software was used to determine if publication bias was present, as well as to calculate the relative risks for the sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging vs those of white-light bronchoscopy for the detection of early and invasive lung cancer. A random-effects model was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the above modalities in cases in which a high degree of between-study heterogeneity was noted with respect to their diagnostic efficacies. The database search identified six studies including 578 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging were 86% (95% confidence interval: 83-88%) and 81% (95% confidence interval: 77-84%), respectively, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity of white-light bronchoscopy were 70% (95% confidence interval: 66-74%) and 66% (95% confidence interval: 62-70%), respectively. The pooled relative risks for the sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging vs the sensitivity and specificity of white-light bronchoscopy for the detection of early and invasive lung cancer were 1.33 (95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.67) and 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 0.84-1.42), respectively, and sensitivity analysis showed that narrow-band imaging exhibited good diagnostic efficacy with respect to detecting early and invasive lung cancer and that the results of the study were stable. Narrow-band imaging was superior to white light bronchoscopy with respect to detecting early and invasive lung cancer; however, the specificities of the two modalities did not differ significantly.

Therapeutical effect of Radix Aconiti and Astragalus extracts on models of experimental bradycardia animal

The antibradycardia effect of extract of RAE [Radix Aconiti and Astragalus] on bradycardia animal models were evaluated. Bradycardia rat model was induced by amiodarone or propranolol, and sick sinus syndrome [SSS] rabbit model was induced by chemical stimulation on surface of sinus node. The heart rates of the animal models were calculated according to ECG recording. The value of sino-atrial conduction time [SACT] and correcting sinus node recovery time [CSNRT] of SSS rabbit model were measured by multi-channel physiological recorder. The blood flow of aorta and coronary the diabolic pressure of normal rat hearts in vitro were measured. Treatment with RAE could increase the heart rate of bradycardia animals induced by amiodarone, propranolol, or SSS rabbit model significantly. Treatment with RAE could decrease in the value of SACT and CSNRT of SSS rabbit model. Moreover, treatment with RAE could increase the blood flow of aorta and coronary and could decrease diabolic pressure of normal rat hearts in vitro. RAE has heart-rate-increasing effect, which might be related to its ameliorating the autorhythmicity of sinus node and improving the sino-atrial conductive function. Moreover, RAE could ameliorate cardiac blood supply and enhance cardiac function.