Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on treatment outcomes in severe COVID-19 patients: a single-centre study / 中国天然药物

As the search for effective treatments for COVID-19 continues, the high mortality rate among critically ill patients in Intensive Care Units (ICU) presents a profound challenge. This study explores the potential benefits of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a supplementary treatment for severe COVID-19. A total of 110 critically ill COVID-19 patients at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Vulcan Hill Hospital between Feb., 2020, and April, 2020 (Wuhan, China) participated in this observational study. All patients received standard supportive care protocols, with a subset of 81 also receiving TCM as an adjunct treatment. Clinical characteristics during the treatment period and the clinical outcome of each patient were closely monitored and analysed. Our findings indicated that the TCM group exhibited a significantly lower mortality rate compared with the non-TCM group (16 of 81 vs 24 of 29; 0.3 vs 2.3 person/month). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, TCM treatment was associated with improved survival odds (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the analysis also revealed that TCM treatment could partially mitigate inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and contribute to the recovery of multiple organic functions, thereby potentially increasing the survival rate of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Comparison of Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Antecourt Isolation Ablation and Stepwise Linear Ablation for Treating the Patients With Atrial Fibrillation / 中国循环杂志

Objective: To compare the efifcacy and safety of circumferential pulmonary vein antecourt isolation (CPVAI) ablation and stepwise linear (SL) ablation in treating the patients with atrial ifbrillation (AF) Methods: A total of 136 AF patients with catheter ablation under EnSite 3000 guidance in our hospital were retrospectively summarized. The patients included 93 paroxysmal AF and 43 persistent AF and divided into 4 groups. Paroxysmal AF with CPVAI ablation,n=45, Paroxysmal AF with SL ablation,n=48 and persistent AF with CPVAI ablation, n=18, persistent AF with SL ablation,n=25. The differences of left atrium diameter, ablation time, X-ray exposure time, the success rate and complication were compared among different groups. Results: For 12 months follow-up study, the success rate and complication were similar between 2 ablation methods for treating both Paroxysmal AF and persistent AF patients. For Paroxysmal AF patients, both ablation methods could effectively reduce left atrium diameter,P<0.01. The SL ablation had less procedural time than CPVAI ablation,P<0.01, while the X-ray exposure time was similar between 2 ablation methods. Conclusion: Both CPVAI and SL ablation methods were effective and safe for treating AF patients.