X-ray-guided and ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty to treat arteriovenous fistula dysfunction in hemodialysis patients: A retrospective controlled study.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of X-ray-guided and ultrasound-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in treating arteriovenous fistula dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data for 219 patients with arteriovenous fistula dysfunction between January 2016 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoints were technical success, clinical success, and primary patency rates. The secondary endpoints were complications and secondary patency rates. Procedure outcomes and both endpoints were evaluated by propensity score analysis. RESULTS: After the propensity score matching, 73 matched pairs of cases were created with 34 pairs of autogenous arteriovenous fistula cases and 39 pairs of prosthetic arteriovenous graft cases. There was no significant difference between the X-ray-guided and ultrasound-guided group, respectively, regarding the technical success rate (84.9% vs 87.7%, p = 0.630), clinical success rate (98.6% vs 97.3%, p = 0.999), and complications (10.9% vs 5.5%, p = 0.228). Although the 6- and 12-month secondary patency rates for the dialysis access between the two groups had significant difference (p < 0.05), there was no significant difference in primary and secondary patency curves between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The overall efficacy of ultrasound-guided versus X-ray-guided percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in treating arteriovenous fistula dysfunction might be comparable.

[Procalcitonin impact analysis, respiratory function and blood gas analysis on Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with non-invasive ventilation in treatment of AECOPD patients].

To observe the effect of Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with noninvasive ventilation on procalcitonin (PCT), blood gas analysis and respiratory functions in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the elderly (AECOPD), and investigate its correlation and clinical significance. Eighty-four elderly AECOPD patients with respiratory failure in our hospital from January 2015 to October 2017, were randomly divided into control group and observation group, 42 cases in each group. The control group received western medicine combined with noninvasive ventilator therapy, and the patients in observation group additionally received Xiaoqinglong decoction on the basis of the treatment in control group. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The clinical effects of two groups were observed and their PCT, blood gas analysis outcomes [arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), respiratory function, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC], TCM syndrome score and other indexes and adverse reactions were compared before and after treatment. The total efficiency was 95.24% (40/42) in observation group, higher than 76.19% (32/42) in control group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in PCT, PaO2, PaCO2, FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEV1, and TCM syndrome scores between two groups before treatment. But after treatment, PCT and PaCO2 levels in the observation group were lower and PaO2, FVC, FEV1/FVC, FEV1 levels was higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); TCM syndrome scores were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); both groups had no obvious adverse reactions. The results showed that Xiaoqinglong decoction combined with noninvasive ventilator could significantly reduce the procalcitonin level, effectively improve the respiratory function and blood gas analysis indexes, and significantly reduce the clinical symptoms in AECOPD patients, so it is worthy of promotion.

[Research on polarized three-dimensional fluorescence spectra of milk solution].

Polarized three-dimensional fluorescence spectra of different kinds of milk were measured, including pure milk, milk with high calcium, and milk with high calcium but low fat produced by YiLi and MengNiu. It was found that the fluorescence intensity is stronger when excitation and emission polarizer orientation is parallel. The angle between excitation dipole and emission dipole of all kinds of milk equivalent chromophore was estimated by a simple model, indicating that they all less than 40 degrees. The angle for milk with high calcium but low fat is less than that of pure milk and milk with high calcium. And in the experiment, the polarized fluorescence intensity of milk with high calcium but low fat is significantly greater than the others, which fitted with the model estimation.