Journal of the Chinese Medical Association : JCMA
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an emerging viral infectious disease. We report our experience in treating SARS patients. ⋯ All patients with probable SARS who were admitted to hospital presented with fever and lymphopenia. While the efficacy of different treatments could not be evaluated from this retrospective study, a higher value of C-reactive protein was associated with the development of respiratory failure and subsequent intubation.
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Comparative Study
Detection of subarachnoid hemorrhage at acute and subacute/chronic stages: comparison of four magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequences and computed tomography.
Acute subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has traditionally been diagnosed by computed tomography (CT); however, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modality currently used to detect acute SAH. CT is insensitive in the detection of subacute or chronic SAH. The purpose of this study was to compare 4 MRI pulse sequences and CT in the detection of SAH in acute and subacute-to-chronic stages. ⋯ FLAIR and GE T2* MRI pulse sequences, and CT scans, are all statistically significant indicators of acute SAH. GE T2*-weighted images are statistically significant indicators of subacute-to-chronic SAH, whereas other MRI pulse sequences, and CT scans, are not.
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This study was designed to assess the diagnostic value and clinical benefits of lumbar zygapophyseal joint injections in patients with chronic lower back pain. ⋯ Lumbar zygapophyseal joint injections, as a useful diagnostic tool for facet joint syndrome, could also have useful palliative effects in the management of chronic lower back pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A randomized, controlled, clinical study of thymosin alpha-1 versus interferon-alpha in [corrected] patients with chronic hepatitis B lacking HBeAg in China [corrected].
This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of thymosin-alphal (T-alpha1) with that of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in patients with chronic hepatitis B who were positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis B envelope antibody (anti-HBe). ⋯ These results suggest that a 6-month course of T-alpha1 therapy is effective and safe in patients with anti-HBe-positive chronic hepatitis B; T-alpha1 can reduce HBV replication in such patients. Compared with IFN-alpha, T-alpha1 is better tolerated and seems to induce a gradual and more sustained normalization of ALT and loss of HBV DNA. Combination therapy with T-alpha1 and IFN-alpha or nucleoside analogs for hepatitis B warrants further study.