Ultrasound-Guided Dry Needling for Trigger Point Inactivation in the Treatment of Postherpetic Neuralgia Mixed with Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Prospective and Controlled Clinical Study.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided dry needling for trigger point inactivation in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) mixed with myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). Methods: A prospective and controlled clinical study was conducted. From January 2020 to December 2020, among the 100 patients who received PHN treatment in the pain department, 54 patients complicated with MPS were randomly divided into the dry needling group D (n = 28) and pharmacotherapeutic group P (n = 26). Visual analogue score (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) were taken as primary indicators. Ultrasound-guided inactivation of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) with dry needling and intradermal needling combined with press needling were applied on group D and pharmacotherapeutic only treatment on group P respectively. The VAS score <3 and/or the MPQ score <2 represents effective treatment. The VAS score >3 and/or the MPQ score >2 represents recurrent in follow-up study three months after the treatment. Results: After four weeks treatment, the effective rate of one month later of the group D was 92.9% and the effective rate of group P was 38.5%, respectively. The recurrent rate of group D was 7.1% and 34.6% for group P, respectively, for follow-up three months later. The satisfactory rate of group D was higher than that of group P. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided dry needling and intradermal needling combined with press needling were more effective than only pharmacotherapeutic treatment for PHN mixed with MPS, with lower recurrent rate and higher patient's satisfactory rate.

Dexmedetomidine Improves Lung Function by Promoting Inflammation Resolution in Patients Undergoing Totally Thoracoscopic Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Totally thoracoscopic cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass combined with one-lung ventilation has been identified as the trend in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the selective α 2 adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine on the pulmonary function of patients who underwent mitral valve surgery using the totally thoracoscopic technique. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients who underwent thoracoscopic mitral valve surgery between July 2019 and December 2019 were selected. The patients were randomly divided into the control (Con) group (n = 28) and the dexmedetomidine (DEX) group (n = 29) using the random number table method. Arterial blood gas analyses were performed, and the oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2) and respiratory indexes (P(A-a)O/PaO2) were calculated 5 min after tracheal intubation (T1), 2 h after operation (T2), 6 h after operation (T3), and 24 h after operation (T4). Moreover, the serum cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were detected using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent method at all time points. Chest radiography was performed 24 h after surgery. Peripheral blood samples were collected before and after the operation for a complete hemogram. Additionally, the procalcitonin concentration was measured and recorded when the patients were transported to the intensive care unit (ICU). The postoperative extubation time, length of ICU stay, and pulmonary infection rate were also recorded. RESULTS: Inflammatory reaction after surgery was evident. However, the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and ICAM-1 in the DEX group were lower than those in the Con group after surgery (T2 to T4; P < 0.05). Neutrophil counts and procalcitonin concentration were higher in the Con group than in the DEX group (P < 0.05). In addition, in the DEX group, pulmonary exudation on chest radiography was lower, and pulmonary function, as shown by an increase in oxidation index and decrease in the respiratory index, improved after surgery (P < 0.05). Moreover, the duration of mechanical ventilation in the Con group was 3.4 h longer than that in the DEX group. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine has a protective effect on pulmonary function in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery using a totally video-assisted thoracoscopic technique, which may be related to a reduction in the concentration of inflammatory cytokines in the early perioperative period.