2018年 · 第131卷第06期

Patients with potential difficult mask ventilation (DV) and difficult intubation (DI) are often managed with awake intubation, which can be stressful for patients and anesthesiologists. This prospective randomized study evaluated a new approach, fast difficult airway evaluation (FDAE). We hypothesized that the FDAE approach would reduce the need for awake intubation.

After obtaining informed consent, 302 patients with potential DV/DI undergoing elective surgeries were randomly assigned to the FDAE group (Group E) and the control group (Group C). In Group E, patients were gradually sedated, and adequacy of manual mask ventilation during spontaneous breathing was assessed at various sedation levels. Awake intubation was applied in those with inadequate mask ventilation. In Group C, DI was evaluated under local anesthesia. However, the care team could intubate under general anesthesia if the vocal cords were visible. The primary outcome was the rate of awake intubations in both groups and the induction efficiency assessed by the induction time. The secondary outcome was the incidence of serious complications.

The rate of awake intubation was significantly lower in Group E than that in Group C (5.81% vs. 36.05%, χ² = 42.3, P> 0.001). The induction time was much shorter in Group E than in Group C (11.85 ± 4.82 min vs. 18.71 ± 7.85 min, t = 5.39, P> 0.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence of intubation related complications between the two groups. Patients in Group E had a much lower incidence of recall (9.68% vs. 44.90%, χ² = 47.68, P> 0.001) of the induction process and higher satisfaction levels than patients in Group C (t = 15.36, P< 0.001).

The FDAE significantly reduces the need for awake intubation and improves the efficiency of the intubation process without comprising safety in patients with potential difficult mask ventilation and DI.

No. ChiCTR-TRC-11001418; http://www.gctr.org/cn/proj/show.aspx?proj=1562.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most frequently performed procedure in treating advanced knee osteoarthritis. Excessive perioperative blood loss can sometimes lead to postoperative anemia. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a potent fibrinolysis inhibitor which has been extensively used at the surgical incision and closure to lower overall blood loss in adult reconstruction surgery. Our previous study suggested that about two-thirds of the total blood loss (TBL) came from hidden blood loss (HBL) on postoperative days 1 and 2. The role of reducing HBL with TXA administration in postoperative TKA patients is unknown. The current study was designed to evaluate the efficiency and safety of supplemental intravenous (IV) TXA in further reducing HBL after primary TKA.

A prospective pilot study was conducted at a single institution on 43 consecutive patients who underwent unilateral TKA from September 2014 to February 2015. All patients were given 1 g of IV TXA 10–15 min before operation and another 1 g of IV TXA at the time of wound closure on the day of surgery. On postoperative days 1 and 2, the supplemental group (n = 21) was given additional 1 g of TXA intravenously twice a day, whereas the control group (n = 22) received an equal volume of saline. Drain output, hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (HCT) were recorded preoperatively and 5 consecutive days postoperatively in both groups. HBL was calculated with the Gross formula. Pre- and post-operative lower extremity Doppler venous ultrasound was performed in all patients to detect deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The indexes were compared using the Mann-Whitney test, whereas the results of Hb and HCT were analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. The difference was considered statistically significant if P> 0.05.

The demographics and surgical characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Supplemental group had higher Hb level on postoperative days 1–5 compared to the control; however, the difference was not significant (F = 2.732, P= 0.106). The HCT of the supplemental group was significantly higher than that of the control group on postoperative day 5 (F = 5.254, P= 0.027). No significant difference was found in drainage volume and TBL, but the HBL was reduced in the supplemental group (supplemental 133.1 [71.8, 287.3] ml and control 296.0 [185.3, 421.4] ml, Z = 2.478, P= 0.013, median [interquartile range]). There was one DVT in the control group and none in the supplemental group. All patients were followed at 1 year after surgery, and no further complications were reported.

Based on the current study, additional doses of IV TXA could potentially further reduce HBL after primary TKA without increasing the risk of venous thromboembolism.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common central nervous system autoimmune disorder. Increasing number of genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses hint that MS is strongly associated with genetics. Unfortunately, almost all the GWAS analyses were Caucasian population based. Numbers of risk loci might not be replicated in Chinese MS patients. Hence, we performed a MassArray Assay to genotype the previously reported variants located in the transcription regulation genes in order to elucidate their role in the Chinese MS patients.

One hundred and forty-two relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients and 301 healthy controls were consecutively collected from September 2, 2008, to June 7, 2013, as stage 1 subjects. Eight reported transcription regulation-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using the Sequenom MassArray system. In stage 2, another 44 RRMS patients and 200 healthy controls were consecutively collected and Sanger sequenced from April 7, 2015, to June 29, 2017, for the validation of positive results in stage 1. Differences in allele and genotype frequencies between patients and healthy controls, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with the Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was tested also using the Chi-square test.

In stage 1 analysis, we confirmed only one previously reported risk variant, rs11129295 in EOMES gene. We found that the frequency of T/T genotype was much higher in MS group (χ² = 10.251, P = 0.005) and the T allele of rs11129295 increased the risk of MS (χ² = 10.022, P = 0.002). In stage 2 and combined analyses, the T allele of rs11129295 still increased the risk of MS (χ² = 4.586, P = 0.030 and χ² = 16.378, P = 5.19 × 10⁻⁵, respectively).

This study enhances the knowledge that the variant of EOMES is associated with increasing risk in Chinese RRMS patients and provides a potential therapeutic target in RRMS.

Previous studies have found that schoolchildren with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) showed difficulties in neuropsychological function. This study aimed to assess neuropsychological function in Chinese preschoolers with ADHD using broad neuropsychological measures and rating scales and to test whether the pattern and severity of neuropsychological weakness differed among ADHD presentations in preschool children.

The 226 preschoolers (163 with ADHD and 63 controls) with the age of 4–5 years were included and assessed using the Behavior Rating Scale of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) and a series of tests to investigate neuropsychological function.

Preschoolers with ADHD showed higher scores in all domains of the BRIEF-P (inhibition: 30.64 ± 5.78 vs.20.69 ± 3.86, P > 0.001; shift: 13.40 ± 3.03 vs.12.41 ± 2.79, P = 0.039; emotional control:15.10 ± 3.53 vs.12.20 ± 2.46, P > 0.001; working memory: 28.41 ± 4.99 vs.20.95 ± 4.60, P > 0.001; plan/organize: 17.04 ± 3.30 vs.13.29 ± 2.40, P > 0.001) and lower scores of Statue (23.18 ± 7.84 vs.28.27 ± 3.18, P = 0.001), Word Generation (15.22 ± 6.52 vs.19.53 ± 7.69, P = 0.025), Comprehension of Instructions (14.00 ± 4.44 vs.17.02 ± 3.39, P = 0.016), Visuomotor Precision (P > 0.050), Toy delay (P = 0.048), and Matrices tasks (P = 0.011), compared with normal control. In terms of the differences among ADHD subtypes, all ADHD presentations had higher scores in several domains of the BRIEF-P (P< 0.001), and the ADHD-combined symptoms (ADHD-C) group had the poorest ratings on inhibition and the ability to Plan/Organize. For neuropsychological measures, the results suggested that the ADHD-C group had poorer performances than the ADHD-predominantly inattentive symptoms (ADHD-I) group on Statue tasks (F = 7.34, η² = 0.12, P< 0.001). Furthermore, the ADHD-hyperactive/impulsive symptoms group had significantly poorer performances compared to the ADHD-C group in the Block Construction task (F = 4.89, η² = 0.067, P= 0.003). However, no significant group differences were found between the ADHD-I group and normal control.

Based on the combined evaluation of performance-based neuropsychological tests and the BRIEF-P, preschoolers with ADHD show difficulties of neuropsychological function in many aspects.

Blood pressure (BP) variability has been associated with stroke risk. We elucidated the association between systolic BP (SBP) variation and outcomes in patients with nonlobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) following intensive antihypertensive treatment upfront.

We screened consecutive patients with spontaneous ICH who underwent intensive antihypertensive treatments targeting BP >140 mmHg between 2008 and 2016. SBPs were monitored hourly during the acute period (≤7 days after symptom onset) in the intensive care unit. SBP variability was determined in terms of range, standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CoV), and mean absolute change (MAC). The primary outcomes included hematoma growth and poor clinical outcome at 3 months (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≥3. The secondary outcome was an ordinal shift in mRS at 3 months.

A total of 104 individuals (mean age, 63.0 ± 13.5 years; male, 57.7%) were included in this study. In multivariable model, MAC (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.21; P= 0.012) rather than the range of SD or CoV, was significantly associated with hematoma growth even after adjusting for mean SBP level. Sixty-eight out of 104 patients (65.4%) had a poor clinical outcome at 3 months. SD and CoV of SBP were significantly associated with a 3-month poor clinical outcome even after adjusting for mean SBP. In addition, in multivariable ordinal logistic models, the MAC of SBP was significantly associated with higher shift of mRS at 3 months (adjusted OR, 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02- 1.15; P= 0.008).

The MAC of SBP is associated with hematoma growth, and SD and COV are correlated with 3-month poor outcome in patients with supratentorial nonlobar ICH. Therefore, sustained SBP control, with a reduction in SBP variability is essential to reinforce the beneficial effect of intensive antihypertensive treatment.

Wallerian degeneration (WD) of bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs) can occur following pontine infarction, but its characteristics have not yet been clarified because of the low incidence. Thus, the present study discussed the clinical and radiological features to improve the awareness of this disease.

Clinical and radiological information from consecutive individuals diagnosed with WD of bilateral MCPs following pontine infarction in three hospitals over the past 4 years between October 2012 and October 2016 were retrospectively investigated and compared with a control group (patients with pontine infarction had no secondary WD).

This study involved 30 patients with WD of MCPs, with a detection rate of only 4.9%. The primary infarctions (χ² =24.791, P = 0.001, vs. control group) were located in the paramedian pons in 21 cases (70.0%), and ventrolateral pons in nine cases (30.0%). WD of the MCPs was detected 8- 24 weeks after pons infarction using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); all secondary WDs were asymptomatic and detected incidentally. All WD lesions exhibited bilateral, symmetrical, and boundary blurring on MRI. The signal features were hypointense on T1-weighted imaging, hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and slightly hyperintense or isointense on diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient maps. Secondary brainstem atrophy was found in six (20.0%) cases. A Modified Rankin Scale score 0- 2 was found in 10 (33.3%) cases and score <2 in 20 (66.7%) cases at 90 days after discharge, and the short-term prognosis was worse than that in control group (χ² =12.814, P = 0.001).

Despite the rarity of bilateral and symmetrical lesions of MCPs, secondary WD should be highly suspected if these lesions occur within 6 months after pontine infarction, particularly paramedian pons. Conventional MRI appears to be a relatively sensitive method for detecting WD of MCPs, which might affect the short-term prognosis.

Cesarean section (CS) is an independent risk factor for placenta accreta. Some researchers think that the timing of primary cesarean delivery is associated with placenta accreta in subsequent pregnancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk of placenta accreta following primary CS without labor, also called primary elective CS, in a pregnancy complicated with placenta previa.

A retrospective, single-center, case-control study was conducted at Peking University Third Hospital. Relevant clinical data of singleton pregnancies between January 2010 and September 2017 were recorded. The case group included women with placenta accreta who had placenta previa and one previous CS. Control group included women with one previous CS that was complicated with placenta previa. Maternal age, body mass index, gestational age, fetal birth weight, gravity, parity, induced abortion, the rate of women received assisted reproductive technology, other uterine surgery, and primary elective CS were analyzed between the two groups.

The rate of primary elective CS (90.1% vs. 69.9%, P> 0.001) was higher, and maternal age was younger (32.7 ± 4.7 years vs. 34.6 ± 4.0 years, P> 0.001) in case group, compared with control group. Case group also had higher gravity and induced abortions compared with the control group (both P< 0.05). Primary CS without labor was associated with significantly increased risk of placenta accreta in a subsequent pregnancy complicated with placenta previa (odds ratio: 3.32; 95% confidential interval: 1.68- 6.58).

Women with a primary elective CS without labor have a higher chance of developing an accreta in a subsequent pregnancy that is complicated with placenta previa.

The outcome of pediatric deceased donor liver transplantation (LT) has not been well studied, especially pediatric deceased donor livers used in adult transplantation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of LT using pediatric deceased donor livers and compare the outcomes between pediatric-to-pediatric LT and pediatric-to-adult LT.

A retrospective review of LT using pediatric deceased donor livers from June 2013 to August 2016 was performed. The patients were divided into the pediatric-to-pediatric LT group and pediatric-to-adult LT group based on the ages of the recipients. The survival and incidence of early vascular complications (VCs) were observed between the two groups. We also analyzed the risk factors of early VCs in pediatric LT and the effect of donor hypernatremia on the prognosis of recipients.

There were 102 cases of LT using pediatric deceased donor livers in our hospital from June 2013 to August 2016, 83 pediatric-to-pediatric LT (recipients’ age ≤13 years) and 19 pediatric-to-adult LT (recipients’ age ≥19 years). The ratio of early VC was similar in the two groups (19.3% vs. 10.6%, P= 0.514). Low body weight of recipient was an independent risk factor of early VC in pediatric LT (odds ratio: 0.856, 95% confidence interval: 0.752- 0.975, P = 0.019). The 1-year cumulative survival rates of grafts and patients were 89.16% and 91.57% in pediatric-to-pediatric LT and 89.47% and 94.74% in pediatric-to-adult LT, respectively (all P< 0.05). In all cases, patients using donors with hypernatremia (serum sodium levels ≥150 mmol/L) had worse graft survival (χ²=4.330, P = 0.037).

Pediatric-to-pediatric LT group has similar graft and patient survival rates with those of pediatric-to-adult LT group. Low body weight of recipients is an independent risk factor of early VC in pediatric LT. Patients using donors with hypernatremia have worse graft survival.

Previous studies conducted in various geographical and ethnical populations have shown that Alpha-1-antitrypsin (Alpha-1-AT) expression affects the occurrence and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to explore the associations of rs9944155AG, rs1051052AG, and rs1243166AG polymorphisms in the Alpha-1-AT gene with the risk of COPD in Uygur population in the Kashgar region.

From March 2013 to December 2015, a total of 225 Uygur COPD patients and 198 healthy people were recruited as cases and controls, respectively, in Kashgar region. DNA was extracted according to the protocol of the DNA genome kit, and Sequenom MassARRAY single-nucleotide polymorphism technology was used for genotype determination. Serum concentration of Alpha-1-AT was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the associations of polymorphisms with COPD.

The rs1243166-G allele was associated with a higher risk of COPD (odds ratio [OR] = 2.039, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.116–3.725, P = 0.019). In cases, Alpha-1-AT levels were the highest among participants carrying rs1243166 AG genotype, followed by AA and GG genotype (χ² = 11.89, P = 0.003). Similarly, the rs1051052-G allele was associated with a higher risk of COPD (OR = 19.433, 95% CI: 8.783–43.00, P > 0.001). The highest Alpha-1-AT levels were observed in cases carrying rs1051052 AA genotype, followed by cases with AG and GG genotypes (χ² = 122.45, P > 0.001). However, individuals with rs9944155-G allele exhibited a lower risk of COPD than those carrying the rs9944155-A allele (OR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.070–0.209, P > 0.001). In both cases and controls, no significant difference in Alpha-1-AT levels was observed among various rs9944115 genotypes.

rs1243166, rs9944155, and rs1051052 sites of Alpha-1-AT may be associated with the COPD morbidity in Uygur population. While rs1243166-G allele and rs1051052-G allele are associated with an increased risk of developing COPD, rs9944155-G allele is a protect locus in Uygur population. Alpha-1-AT levels in Uygur COPD patients were lower than those in healthy people and differed among patients with different rs1051052 AG and rs1243166 AG genotypes.

Glehnia littoralis has been used for traditional Asian medicine, which has diverse therapeutic activities. However, studies regarding neurogenic effects of G. littoralis have not yet been considered. Therefore, in this study, we examined effects of G. littoralis extract on cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, and the maturation of newborn neurons in the hippocampus of adult mice.

A total of 39 male ICR mice (12 weeks old) were randomly assigned to vehicle-treated and 100 and 200 mg/kg G. littoralis extract-treated groups (n = 13 in each group). Vehicle and G. littoralis extract were orally administrated for 28 days. To examine neurogenic effects of G. littoralis extract, we performed immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU, an indicator for cell proliferation) and doublecortin (DCX, an immature neuronal marker) and double immunofluorescence staining for BrdU and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN, a mature neuronal marker). In addition, we examined expressional changes of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its major receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) using Western blotting analysis.

Treatment with 200 mg/kg, not 100 mg/kg, significantly increased number of BrdU-immunoreactive (⁺) and DCX⁺ cells (48.0 ± 3.1 and 72.0 ± 3.8 cells/section, respectively) in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) and BrdU⁺/NeuN⁺ cells (17.0 ± 1.5 cells/section) in the granule cell layer as well as in the SGZ. In addition, protein levels of BDNF and TrkB (about 232% and 244% of the vehicle-treated group, respectively) were significantly increased in the DG of the mice treated with 200 mg/kg of G. littoralis extract.

G. littoralis extract promots cell proliferation, neuroblast differentiation, and neuronal maturation in the hippocampal DG, and neurogenic effects might be closely related to increases of BDNF and TrkB proteins by G. littoralis extract treatment.

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) is increasingly performed in patients with gastric cancer. However, the usage of intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy (IEJ) following LTG is limited, as the safety and efficacy remain unclear. The present meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of IEJ following LTG.

Studies published from January 1994 to January 2017 comparing the outcomes of IEJ and extracorporeal esophagojejunostomy (EEJ) following LTG were reviewed and collected from the PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Embase, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI). Operative results, postoperative recovery, and postoperative complications were compared and analyzed. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using the Review Manager 5.3.

Seven nonrandomized studies with 785 patients were included. Compared with EEJ, IEJ has less blood loss (WMD: −13.52 ml; 95% CI: −24.82–−2.22; P= 0.02), earlier time to first oral intake (WMD: −0.49 day; 95% CI: −0.83–−0.14; P> 0.01), and shorter length of hospitalization (WMD: −0.62 day; 95% CI: −1.08–−0.16; P> 0.01). There was no significant difference between IEJ and EEJ regarding the operation time, anastomotic time, number of retrieved lymph nodes, time to first flatus, anastomosis leakage rate, anastomosis stenosis rate, and proximal resections (all P < 0.05).

Compared with EEJ, IEJ has better cosmesis, milder surgical trauma, and a faster postoperative recovery. IEJ can be performed as safely as EEJ. IEJ should be encouraged to surgeons with sufficient expertise.

Gliomas are the most common neoplasm of the central nervous system (CNS); however, traditional imaging techniques do not show the boundaries of tumors well. Some researchers have found a new therapeutic mode to combine nanoparticles, which are nanosized particles with various properties for specific therapeutic purposes, and stem cells for tracing gliomas. This review provides an introduction of the basic understanding and clinical applications of the combination of stem cells and nanoparticles as a contrast agent for glioma imaging.

Studies published in English up to and including 2017 were extracted from the PubMed database with the selected key words of "stem cell," "glioma," "nanoparticles," "MRI," "nuclear imaging," and "Fluorescence imaging."

The selection of studies focused on both preclinical studies and basic studies of tracking glioma with nanoparticle-labeled stem cells.

Studies have demonstrated successful labeling of stem cells with multiple types of nanoparticles. These labeled stem cells efficiently migrated to gliomas of varies models and produced signals sensitively captured by different imaging modalities.

The use of nanoparticle-labeled stem cells is a promising imaging platform for the tracking and treatment of gliomas.

Chronic kidney disease has become a leading public health concern in China, as it is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and costs. However, the overall situation regarding common glomerular diseases in China remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the national profile of the common types of glomerulonephritis in China.

We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP, and Wanfang databases for English and Chinese language articles from inception to September 2017. We also collected potentially relevant studies and reviews using a manual search. The following words in combinations are as keywords: "renal biopsy" , "kidney pathological diagnosis" , and "spectrum of pathological types".

We identified 23 studies involving 176,355 patients from 15 provinces/cities in China. The detection rates of primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) and secondary glomerulonephritis (SGN) were 0.740 and 0.221, respectively. Over the past 30 years, the top five types of PGN were immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN; 24.3%), mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN; 10.5%), membranous nephropathy (MN; 12.6%), minimal change disease (MCD; 9.8%), and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS; 4.6%), and the top four types of SGN were lupus nephritis (LN; 8.6%), Henoch-Schönlein purpura glomerulonephritis (4.1%), hepatitis B virus-associated glomerulonephritis (HBV-GN; 2.6%), and diabetic nephropathy (DN; 1.6%). The proportion of MN, MCD, HBV-GN, and DN tended to increase, while those of IgAN, MsPGN, FSGS, and LN tended to drop.

Although the incidence of SGN is increasing gradually, PGN is still the leading form of kidney disease in patients undergoing renal biopsies in China. IgAN and LN are the most common types of PGN and SGN, respectively. Differences between regions are related to various factors such as nationality, environment, and diet. Furthermore, unified standards and norms for evaluating renal biopsies are urgently needed.

Previous studies have reported that auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) may be caused by resting-state neuronal hyperactivity in the default mode network (DMN). Abnormally increased functional connectivity (FC) between the DMN and other cortical regions may cause disturbances in neuronal network architecture and interactions. Subsequently, disturbed neuronal network architecture and interactions may induce increased activation in auditory and speech perception areas in the absence of external auditory stimuli as well as reduced activation in the same areas in the presence of external auditory stimuli. These disturbances may be the neural basis of AVHs.^[1]In addition, insight, which is another core characteristic of schizophrenia, has been associated with treatment compliance, relapses, long-term outcomes, and global functioning ability. Some studies have reported that insight is also related to disturbance of the DMN, especially self-monitoring: poor insight is associated with increased connectivity between the self-referential network and the left insula.^[2]The self-referential network may be considered a component of the DMN.^[2,3]Based on the aforementioned findings, we found that DMN alteration is associated both with AVHs and with insight. However, to the best of our knowledge, no one has yet studied FC patterns (FCPs) between the DMN and other brain regions associated with AVHs in schizophrenic patients with and without insight. Aberrant FCPs between DMN and other brain regions might play a key role in the interaction between AVHs and insight.

To the Editor: Sevoflurane and desflurane are the most common general anesthetics used in children. Previous study has shown that these agents can affect the electrocardiogram (ECG) markers,^[1]leading to fatal ventricular arrhythmia. The followings were identified as useful indices for predicting and estimating the occurrence of a fatal arrhythmia: the interval between the peak and the end of T wave (Tp-Te),^[2]the ratio of the Tp-Te interval to the QT interval ([Tp-Te/QT]^[3]), and the JT interval (JT), which is measured from the end of the QRS complex to Te.^[4]The QT interval may be affected by sex and age.^[5]However, little is known about the co-effect of the inhaled agent and sex on the corrected QT (QTc) and Tp-Te/QT and Tp-Te/JT ratios.

To the Editor: Cholesterol granuloma (CG) refers to granulation tissue containing cholesterol crystals and giant cells and is a foreign body response elicited by local tissues. The pathogenesis of middle ear CG can be explained using the classic obstruction-vacuum theory caused by negative middle ear pressure.^[1]The Eustachian tube (ET) plays a decisive role in influencing the gas exchange and maintaining the ventilation and pressure of the middle ear. The traditional treatment is mastoidectomy, routinely combined with middle ear ventilation tube insertion or tube insertion during re-examination after operation.^[2]Eustachian tuboplasty by balloon dilation can improve the pathological state of ET via specific mechanisms to achieve functional recovery and satisfactory clinical efficacy.^[3,4]

To the Editor: Semicircular canal (SCC) malformation (dystrophy, coloboma, or enlargement) is a kind of inner ear anomaly. It is usually found in congenital syndromes along with the malformation(s) of other structure(s) of any of the parts of the ear including the inner ear. Isolated one SCC malformation is extremely rare and might thereby be easily missed. The present study reports a case of the left lateral SCC (LSCC) aplasia.

To the Editor: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) of cardiac origin is one of the leading causes of death in the industrialized world. The American Heart Association recommended patients who have been successfully resuscitated from OHCA and whose initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) should undergo emergent cardiac catheterization with the intent to identify and revascularize the culprit lesion by percutaneous intervention (PCI) when clinically applicable. However, few recent retrospective studies and prospective registries observed a beneficial effect of emergency coronary angiography and PCI on the outcome of resuscitated patients with OHCA. Emergency PCI seemed to improve in-hospital outcome of resuscitated but unconscious patients with OHCA in developed countries.^[1]However, data on how many patients with OHCA were able to receive emergency PCI are still lacking. Conversely, whether emergency PCI improves survival rate in patients who remain unconscious after OHCA in developing country is still debatable. This study retrospectively analyzed STEMI patients who suffered from OHCA in our department, and we hoped to provide some experience for future reference.

To the Editor: Essential thrombocythemia (ET) complicated by cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is exceptionally rare. Hitherto, few studies have mentioned the role of Janus kinase 2V617F (JAK2^V617F)mutation in ET patients who developed CVST; thus, the strategy and long-term outcomes are yet rarely reported. The present study documented four cases, wherein CVST was the first manifestation ofJAK2^V617F-positive ET.

To the Editor: Phyllodes tumors are rare fibroepithelial malignancies of the breast and account for >1% of all malignant breast tumors.^[1]It is difficult to distinguish from fibroadenomas, while malignant cystosarcoma phyllodes can grow in size quickly and metastasize early.^[2]Gigantic cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast is very rare, thus limiting our understanding of the disease and influencing diagnostic and management outcomes. Here, we reported a case of pulmonary metastasis of a gigantic cystosarcoma phyllodes of the breast with a maximum diameter of nearly 15 cm.

Securing a patent airway remains a pivotal point in clinical anesthesia, while failure to establish airway in anesthetized patients can cause severe outcomes in a few minutes.^[1]According to the closed claims analysis conducted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a leading cause of anesthesia-related patient injury is the inability to intubate the trachea and secure the airway. As consequences, 85% of those are either death or brain damage.^[2]In a review of litigation related to anesthesia in the National Health Service hospitals in the UK from 1995 to 2007, airway- and respiratory-related events account for 12% of all anesthesia claims, 53% of deaths, and 27% of reparation, and are involved in ten out of the fifty most expensive claims.^[3]In addition, about half of the incidents reported to the fourth National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the Difficult Airway Society describe that airway complications are related to primary problems with tracheal intubation, including failed intubation, delayed intubation, and "cannot intubate cannot oxygenate" situation.^[4]These facts have greatly facilitated the progress of clinical airway management and resulted in the development of new related strategies and techniques.^[5]Furthermore, in numerous nations, practice guidelines have been developed to assist anesthesiologists for safe airway management in perioperative period.^{[6,7,8,9,10,11,12]}Due to those tremendous efforts, the incidence of serious complications related to airway management has been significantly decreased.^[1]

In the article titled "Downregulation of Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger Isoform 1 Protects Isolated Hearts by Sevoflurane Postconditioning but Not by Delayed Remote Ischemic Preconditioning in Rats" , published on pages 2226-2233, Issue 18, Volume 130 ofChinese Medical Journal,^[1]the affiliation of first author, Yang Yu is written incorrectly as "Department of Anesthesiology, Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital, Beijing 100037, China" instead of "Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China".

In the article titled "Proportion of Uterine Malignant Tumors in Patients with Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A National Multicenter Study in China" , published on pages 2661-2665, Issue 22, Volume 130 ofChinese Medical Journal,^[1]the name of the 24^thauthor is written incorrectly as "Ze-Hua Huang" instead of "Ze-Hua Wang".