Objective To compare the clinical characteristics of chronic cough, and to establish the Modified Cough Assessment Test and the simple decision tree to improve the efficacy of etiologic diagnosis. Methods Patients with chronic cough consulted in Tongji Hospital between October 2021 and August 2023 were enrolled in our study. The patients with identified single cause were divided into 3 groups accordingly: corticosteroid-responsive cough (CRC), upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) and gastroesophageal reflux-related cough (GERC). And the characteristics of chronic cough in different causes were assessed and compared by cough questionnaires. Independent predictors of various causes were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis and used to establish the Modified Cough Assessment Test (MCET) and to construct the simple decision tree. Results A total of 358 patients were enrolled, including 201 with CRC (56.1%), 125 with UACS (34.9%) and 32 with GERC (8.94%). "Cough with wheezing or chest tightness" (OR=3.222, 95%CI 2.144 - 4.843, P<0.001), "Cough with daytime heaviness and nighttime lightness" (OR=1.755, 95%CI 1.264 - 2.435, P<0.001), and "Cough with acid reflux, heartburn or indigestion" (OR=15.580, 95%CI 5.894 - 41.184, P<0.001) were independent factors for each group, respectively. The area under ROC curve for classification of CRC, UACS and GERC were 0.871, 0.840 and 0.988 for MCET, which were better than those of Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) (0.792, 0.766 and 0.913) and Cough Evaluation Test (CET) (0.649, 0.691 and 0.580). The accuracy of the simple decision tree for the differential diagnosis of chronic cough was 77.4%. Conclusion The simple decision tree based on the Modified Cough Evaluation Test is a simple and effective method of etiologic diagnosis of chronic cough, which can be used as a tool to improve the efficacy of clinical diagnosis in outpatient settings.
ObjectiveTo analyze responsiveness of Chinese version of Neck Outcome Score (NOOS-C) and provide a reliable measure to assess intervention effect for patients with neck pain.MethodsCross-cultural adaptation of NOOS was performed according to the Beaton’s guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Eighty patients with neck pain were recruited between September 2016 and May 2017. Those patients were assessed using NOOS-C and Chinese version of Neck Disability Index (NDI) before and after intervention. And 71 patients completed those questionnaires. The statistic differences of the score of each subscale and the total scale before and after intervention were evaluated by paired-samples t test. Internal responsiveness was determined by effect size (ES) and standardized response mean (SRM) based on the calculated difference before and after intervention. External responsiveness was analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient.ResultsThe differences in symptom subscale, sleep disturbance subscale, participating in everyday life subscale, every day activity and pain subscale, and the scale between before and after intervention were significant (P<0.05) except for mobility subscale (P>0.05). The difference of NDI-C before and after intervention was –12.11%±17.45%, ES was 0.77, and SRM was 0.69. The difference of NOOS-C before and after intervention was 13.74±17.22, ES was 0.83, and SRM was 0.80. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that the relativity about NOOS-C and NDI-C before and after intervention were both negative (r=–0.914, P=0.000; r=–0.872, P=0.000).ConclusionNOOS-C’s responsiveness is good.
Objective To understand the current status of the preferences and opinions on the investigator-initiated trails (IIT) of the neurosurgeons participating in INTERACT3 in China, as well as the design preference for IIT projects, and to provide a basis for the design and organization of multi-center clinical studies in the future. Methods Neurosurgeons with different seniority and professional titles from 89 domestic research institutions participating in the INTERACT3 project were collected from September to October 2023. The questionnaires were collected by questionnaire star. Results A total of 56 valid questionnaires were collected from 29 units. Among the 56 respondents, 52 neurosurgeons (92.86%) were from teaching hospitals and 45 (80.36%) were from grade A tertiary hospitals. 30 neurosurgeons (53.57%) had experience in conducting various clinical studies, and 55 neurosurgeons (98.21%) had experience in participating in various clinical studies. The main purposes of presiding over or participating in clinical research focused on “accumulating relevant experience and preparing for future projects” and “standardizing clinical diagnosis and treatment”, which were 89.29% and 83.93%. Respectively, regarding the way the case report form completing, respondents preferred to use electronic data collection systems (83.93%). Conclusions The purpose of the neurosurgeons interviewed to host or participate in clinical research is mainly to assist clinical and scientific research. Economic reasons have little impact on whether to participate in clinical research. The rationality and ease of operation of the trail design are the keys to attracting respondents to participate in clinical researches, and the level of remuneration has little impact on the decision-making of the respondents. The safety of clinical studies and the difficulty of enrolling subjects are the key factors that hinder respondents’ participation in clinical studies.
Objective To investigate the current development status of chest wall surgery at all levels of hospitals in Sichuan Province, as well as to provide evidence for the promotion of chest wall surgery. Methods We conducted a questionnaire study to investigate chest wall surgery at all levels of hospitals in Sichuan Province and to collect suggestions for chest wall surgery development from thoracic surgeons attending the meeting of the Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association from September 2021 to January 2022. Results A total of 128 questionnaires were issued, with 97 (75.8%) of them being valid. According to the survey results, hospitals with grade A secondary or higher in Sichuan Province performed chest wall surgery. Chest wall surgery accounted for 14.3% of thoracic surgery, with 70.4% being chest wall trauma surgeries, 11.6% being chest wall tumor surgeries, 10.5% being chest wall infection surgeries, and 7.5% being chest wall deformity surgeries. Chest wall surgery accounted for 9.3% of thoracic surgery in the grade A tertiary hospitals, primarily for chest wall trauma and tumor; 23.1% in grade B tertiary hospitals, primarily for chest wall trauma and tumor; and 50.7% in grade A secondary hospitals, primarily for chest wall trauma and infection. Totally 96.9% of hospitals supported the establishment of a subspecialty in chest wall surgery. Suggestions for advancing chest wall surgery included: enhancing communication and cooperation (e.g. holding academic conferences, training courses), the establishment of the chest wall surgery association or consortium, and the formulation of regulations and guidelines or consensus, etc. Conclusion Chest wall surgery has been performed at all levels of hospitals in Sichuan Province. The relevant guidelines can be made based on the related academic associations, thus boosting the development of chest wall surgery in the future.
Objective To investigate the free influenza vaccination of health care workers in major departments and explore the possible influencing factors of influenza vaccination of staff. Methods In November 2021, a questionnaire survey was conducted among health care workers who received free influenza vaccination in 19 major departments of West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and the un-vaccinated workers’ information was obtained from the registration system of staff information. Multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the possible influencing factors of free influenza vaccination. Results The coverage rate of centralized free influenza vaccination of staff in major departments was 32.7% (1101/3369). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that workers who were female [odds ratio (OR)=1.853, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.481, 2.318), P<0.001], with an educational background of high school or below [OR=4.304, 95%CI (2.484, 7.455), P<0.001], engaged in nursing work [OR=2.341, 95%CI (1.701, 3.221), P<0.001], and with 11 or more years of working experience [OR=2.410, 95%CI (1.657, 3.505), P<0.001] were more likely to inject influenza vaccine, and workers who had a bachelor’s degree were less likely to inject influenza vaccine. Conclusions The rate of free influenza vaccination among medical staff is low. In order to mobilize the enthusiasm of influenza vaccination among medical staff, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of the population and take targeted measures to improve the level of vaccination among medical staff.
Objective To investigate the validity of estimating American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade with a bowel-routine based self-administered questionnaire for assessment of sacral sparing after spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods The 5-item SCI sacral sparing self-report questionnaire was administrated to SCI inpatients from August 2014 to July 2016, followed by an standardized digital rectal examination. Question 1 (perceiving the tissue), Question 2 (identifying the water temperature as warm or cold), Question 3 (perceiving the inserted finger), and Question 4 (perceiving the inserted enema tube) tested the sensory sacral sparing, and Question 5 (holding the enema for more than 1 min) evaluated the voluntary anal sphincter contraction. Based on the answers from each participant, the sensory and motor sacral sparing was implied, and an estimated AIS grade (AIS A, AIS B, or AIS C/D) was recorded. Agreement of the estimated AIS grade and the actual AIS grade according to the physical examination was analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity, and Youden’s index of the questionnaire for estimating completeness of injury were calculated.ResultsA total of 102 SCI patients were enrolled. The general agreement of estimated and actual AIS grades was good (κ=0.681, P<0.001). For the estimation of a complete injury, both the sensitivity (87.10%) and the specificity (100.00%) of this questionnaire were high, with a Youden’s index of 0.87. For the estimation of a motor complete injury, the sensitivity increased (92.00%) while the specificity decreased slightly (75.00%), with a Youden’s index of 0.67.ConclusionsThe validity of this self-report questionnaire for estimation of AIS grade is good. In some situations, it could be considered as an alternative tool for the estimation of sacral sparing as well as the AIS grades within SCI individuals, especially when repeated anorectal examinations are not feasible.
With the increasing popularity of smart phones, the electronic test of clinical trials has become a common means of investigation research. The APP of REDCap system can quickly construct a multi-center questionnaire system and obtain a large quantity of reliable and complete questionnaire data, shortening the cost and cycle of research. This paper primarily introduces how to conduct research on electronic questionnaire based on mobile APPs of REDCap system.
Objective To investigate the prevalence and related factors of primary palmar hyperhidrosis in adolescents in Yangzhou. Methods On-site questionnaire survey was performed on students selected by cluster random sampling from the two colleges and two high or middle schools, with each class as a unit. Data were collected through the questionnaire to make the diagnosis and severity grading. Results A total of 3 487 copies of the questionnaire were distributed in the survey and 3 299 were finished, among which 3 083 were effective with an effective rate of 88.41%. Among them, 1 358 respondents were males and 1 725 were females; 933 were middle school students, 809 high school students, and the remaining 1 341 college students. According to the diagnostic criteria, 104 respondents were diagnosed with palmar hyperhidrosis with an overall prevalence of 3.37%. There were 60 (4.41%) males and 44 (2.55%) females. Although the prevalence of palmar hyperhidrosis in males was higher than that of females (χ2=8.130, P<0.05), severe palmar hyperhidrosis was more often to be observed in females than in males, and females were also more likely to have hyperhidrosis in other parts of the body. In addition, the age of the first onset of the disease was mainly 10 to 20 years old and 36.54% of the patients had a family history. Conclusion The prevalence of palmar hyperhidrosis in adolescents in Yangzhou was 3.37%, and there is a significant difference in the gender. The palmar hyperhidros is often accompanied by hyperhidrosis symptoms of other parts of body, and the disease shows an obvious genetic predisposition.
Objective To analyze the nurses' current view and perceptions of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) by a questionnaire and to promote the clinical application of ERAS. Methods We conducted a questionnaire study for nurses who attended the First West China Forum on Chest ERAS in Chengdu during September 26-27, 2016 and 259 questionnaires were collected for descriptive analysis. Results (1) The application status of ERAS: There were 13.5% responders whose hospital took a wait-an-see attitude, while the others' hospital took different actions for ERAS; 85.7% of nurses believed that ERAS in all surgeries should be used; 58.7% of nurses believed that the concept of ERAS was more in theory than in the practice; 40.2% of nurses thought that all patients were suitable for the application of ERAS; (2) 81.9% of nurses believed that the evaluation criteria of ERAS should be a combination of the average hospital stay, patients’ comprehensive feelings and social satisfaction; (3) 70.7% of nurses thought that the combination of subjects integration, surgery orientation and surgeon-nurse teamwork was the best model of ERAS; 44.8% of nurses thought the hospital administration was the best way to promote ERAS applications; (4) 69.1% of responders believed that immature plan, no consensus and norms and insecurity for doctors were the reasons for poor compliance of ERAS; 79.5% of nurses thought that the ERAS meeting should include the publicity of norms and consensus, analysis and implementation of projects and the status and progress of ERAS. Conclusion ERAS concept has been recognized by most nurses. Multidisciplinary collaboration and hospital promotion is the best way to achieve clinical applications.
Objective To understand the new characteristics of clinical symptoms of patients with mild COVID-19 during the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, and provide basis for better prevention and treatment of COVID-19.Methods A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted with WeChat questionnaire among medical staff with COVID-19 recently, who come from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University.Results A total of 630 valid questionnaires was received. 99.2% of infected people had been vaccinated against COVID-19. 2.4% of infected persons developed pneumonia and 2.1% were hospitalized. The most common symptoms after infection were coughing (89.7%), fever (83.0%), fatigue (84.1%), headache and dizziness (75.7%), muscle soreness (72.7%), sore throat (62.1%), nasal congestion and runny nose (60.6%), expectoration (71.6%), anorexia (58.0%) and taste loss (40.2%). The incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiovascular symptoms was relatively low (17.8% and 31.0% respectively). The severity of self-reported symptoms of most infected persons was moderate or severe. The proportion of serious symptoms reported was coughing (23.8%), sore throat (27.0%), headache and dizziness (17.9%). The severity of symptoms reported by young group (<35 years old) was significantly higher than that of older group (>35 years old). Fever was the highest at 38 to 39 ℃ (52.4%). 77.0% of fever sustained for 1 to 3 days. At the time of investigation, the viral detection turned negative in 60.6% of infected people, and the time of turning negative was mostly 7 to 10 days. More than half of the infected persons still had different symptoms, among which cough (43.7%) and fatigue (23.8%) were the most common.Conclusions Most subjects with mild COVID-19 infection have obvious upper respiratory tract and systemic symptoms, the most prominent is the high incidence of cough, which has become a new feature of omicron infection. And most of the infected people have moderate to severe symptoms, and the younger ones have more severer symptoms.