Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Amlodipine/valsartan fixed-dose combination treatment in the management of hypertension: A double-blind, randomized trial.
To compare the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of amlodipine/valsartan 5/80 mg with valsartan 160 mg monotherapy for efficacy and safety in hypertensive patients. ⋯ Efficacy of amlodipine/valsartan 5/80 mg FDC was superior to that of valsartan 160 mg monotherapy while both treatments were well-tolerated.
-
Due to the potential consequences of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) exacerbating secondary injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI), the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is an accepted option for seizure prophylaxis. However, there is only a paucity of data that can be found regarding outcomes surrounding the use of AEDs. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate whether the prophylactic administration of AEDs significantly decreased the incidence of PTE, when considering the severity of TBI. ⋯ In our cohort analysis, AED prophylaxis was ineffective in preventing seizures, as the rate of seizures was similar whether patients had been receiving the drugs or not. We therefore concluded that the benefits of routine prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy in patients with TBI need to be re-evaluated.
-
Review Comparative Study
New COVID-19 saliva-based test: How good is it compared to the current nasopharyngeal or throat swab test?
As of April 15, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization to a first saliva test for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, the device developed by RUCDR Infinite Biologics laboratory, Rutgers University. A key feature that distinguishes the saliva-based test from nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal (throat) swabs is that this kit allows self-collection and can spare healthcare professionals to be at risk during collecting nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal samples, thereby preserving personal protective equipment for use in patient care rather than sampling and testing. ⋯ Nonetheless, a comparison of saliva-based assay with current swab test is needed to understand what and how we can benefit from this newly developed assay. Therefore, in this mini-review article, we aimed to summarize the current and emerging tools, focusing on diagnostic power of different clinical sampling and specimens.
-
To surgically remove osteoma and to keep an optimal cosmetic profile would be very challenging. To solve the difficulty, we utilized the three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies in generating a patient-specific instrument guide (PSIG) for the safe removal of a skull bone tumor. ⋯ The PSIG was able to guide the surgeon in the safe removal of the skull osteoma, as well as in maintaining the cosmetic skull profile.
-
Thyroid tumors are the most frequent neoplasm of the endocrine system. The major treatment is surgical intervention followed by radioiodine therapy. The sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) has positive expression in thyroid carcinomas with good prognoses and plays a critical role in radioiodine therapy response. Low expression of NIS always leads to tumor recurrence or treatment failure. Redifferentiation therapy is more tumor specific than chemotherapy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists and retinoids are two types of redifferentiating agents. In this study, we examined whether the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone and retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist bexarotene could increase NIS expression and exhibit anticancer activity in human thyroid cancer cells. ⋯ Our results suggest that the combination of PPARγ and RXR agonists has potential as a chemotherapeutic strategy for thyroid cancer.