Efficiency and safety of acupuncture for women with premature ovarian insufficiency: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Acupuncture has been widely used as an alternative and complementary therapy for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in China. However, research to date has not shown that acupuncture is effective for POI compared with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). We will conduct a randomized, controlled, and outcome assessor-blind trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on POI. Seventy-six patients with POI will be randomly assigned to two groups. The treatment group will receive twenty-eight one-hour sessions of acupuncture treatments, and the control group will receive 12-week HRT. The whole study will consist of a 12-week treatment plan and a 12-week follow-up session. The primary outcome is measured by changes in serum anti-Müllerian hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels at weeks 12 and 24. Secondary outcome measures include estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), LH/FSH ratio, Kupperman index, and menstrual condition. This trial is expected to clarify whether or not acupuncture is effective and safe for POI compared with HRT.

Influence of different packaging methods on the volume of low-dose suspended leucocyte depleted RBCs / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the influence of different packaging methods on the volume of low-dose(0.5 U) suspended leucocyte depleted red blood cells(SLD RBC) and provide reference for accurate labeling. 【Methods】 Bags of SLD RBC in 1.5 U and 2 U were randomly sampled to measure the weight and specific gravity of each bag, so as to estimate the blood volume.The relationship between the weight and volume of 0.5 U blood, split from different parent bags, was analyzed and the linear regression equation was put forward.The regression equation was used to calculate and analyze the difference in the volume of 0.5 U SLD RBC prepared by three different packaging methods (A: manual multi-bag average packing; B: instrument multi-bag average packing; C: manual single-bag packing) in actual work. 【Results】 The specific gravity of 1.5 U (38 bags) and 2 U SLD RBC (39 bags) were (1.090±0.011) g/mL and (1.097±0.013) g/mL, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). After the 0.5 U subsidiary bags were split from the parent bags(1.5 U or 2 U), the regression equations for the volume (Y) of 0.5 U and gross weight (X) of the whole bag were respectively: Y1.5 U packing=0.902 7X-12.52 (P<0.05) and Y2 U packing=0.905 6X-13.15(P<0.05). In actual blood packaging, the average blood volume of 0.5 U subsidiary bags split from 1.5 U bag, using method A and B, were smaller than those split from 2 U bag [(62.12±5.38) mL and (62.50±6.77) mL vs (67.72±3.81) mL and(68.39±6.44)mL] (P<0.05), with the deviation of low-dose blood volume from 5.593 mL to 5.887 mL.The volume deviation by method B (10.84% and 9.42%) were greater than that by method A (8.67% and 5.63%). The average volume of 0.5 U subsidiary bags split from 1.5 U and 2 U by method C were (65.49±1.72) mL and (64.99±1.91) mL (P>0.05), with volume deviation at 2.63% and 2.94%, respectively.The mean volume value of overall 0.5 U blood (n=483) was (65.35±5.34) mL. 【Conclusion】 For packaging 0.5 U subsidiary bags, the instrument multi-bag packaging showed the largest volume deviation, followed by the manual multi-bag packaging and the single-bag packaging.The volume labeling of low-dose SLD RBC should be established, according to the specifications of parent bags and specific gravity.