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Objective: To investigate the use of antibiotics in children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in multiple regions of China, and to provide a reference for CAP standard treatment and rational antibiotic use in children., Methods: The medical data of 1 383 children with CAP who were hospitalized in the department of pediatrics in 10 grade A tertiary hospitals from 9 cities between April 14, 2014 and January 1, 2016 were reviewed, to analyze the status of antibiotic use in hospitalized children in North China, Northeast China, East China, and South China., Results: The overall rate of antibiotic use in children with CAP was 89.08%, with 88.7% in North China, 95.5% in Northeast China, 83.3% in East China, and 86.6% in South China. The main types of antibiotics used were cephalosporins, macrolides, compound preparations of β-lactam antibiotics, polyphosphoric broad-spectrum antibiotics and other β-lactam antibiotics. The selection of antibiotics was generally rational, but antibiotics were still used in some patients with viral infection alone or a combined use of ≥2 kinds of antibiotics were noted in some patients with infection caused by one kind of pathogen. Irrational antibiotic use was observed in 131 children (10.63%)., Conclusions: There are high rates of antibiotic use and irrational use of antibiotics among children with CAP. Standard management of antibiotic use in children with CAP should be strengthened.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of constitution types of Chinese medicine (CM) in the elderly living at home in Beijing downtown, and to explore its relationship with life habits., Methods: A total of 3894 senile more than 60 years old were enrolled in this study. Their constitution types of CM were typed using CM constitution questionnaire. Meanwhile, their demographic features, disease condition, diet habits, exercise habits, sleep habits, and so on were investigated. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between life habits and constitution types of CM., Results: The number of mild type constitution senile was 1111 (28.53%) and the number of biased constitutions 2783 (71.47%). Biased constitutions of the top three were qi deficiency constitution (662, 17.00%), yang deficiency constitution (445, 11.43%), and blood stasis constitution (363, 9.32%). Univariate analysis showed that different habits of diet, exercise, and sleep exist among the senile of different constitutions (P < 0.05). By taking mild type constitution, multivariate Logistic regression analysis (except demographic indices and chronic history) showed that significantly positive correlation existed between qi deficiency constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.349, P = 0.015), yang deficiency constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 2.448, P < 0.01), phlegm-wetness constitution and favor for barbecue food (OR = 2.144, P = 0.003), wet-heat constitution and favor for sweet food (OR = 1.355, P = 0.032), wet-heat constitution and favor for tea (OR = 1.359, P = 0.047), blood stasis constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.422, P = 0.017), and qi depression constitution and favor for hot food (OR = 1.446, P = 0.031). Regular exercise had negative correlation with qi deficiency constitution (OR = 0.397, P < 0.01), yang deficiency constitution (OR = 0.522, P < 0.01) , phlegm-wetness constitution (OR = 0.475, P < 0.01), wet-heat constitution (OR = 0.647, P = 0.015), blood stasis constitution (OR = 0.608, P = 0.001), qi depression constitution (OR = 0.541, P = 0.001), and special diathesis constitution (OR = 0.466, P < 0.01). Early sleep and rise habit had negative with phlegm-wetness constitution (OR = 0.414, P < 0.01), wet-heat constitution (OR = 0.536, P = 0.015), blood stasis constitution (OR = 0.515, P = 0.004), and special diathesis constitution (OR = 0.526, P = 0.039)., Conclusions: Different constitution types of CM might be highly related to specific life habits. Cultivating better life habits can improve biased constitutions of CM.

Objective: A nested case-control study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of Chinese medicines in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy, so as to explore the feasibility of using nested case-control study on effect assessment of Chinese medicine., Methods: Nested case-control study was applied and the participants were enrolled from the subjects recruited in a cohort study. The cases and the controls were matched by 1 to 4 in age, gender, nationality and the stage of diabetic nephropathy when recruited in the cohort study. The EpiData 3.1 software was used for inputting data and SAS system was used for data analysis. Conditional logistic regress was applied to analyze the relationship between treatment and the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The study power was estimated and the sample sizes for case-control study and cohort study were recalculated based on the data from the cohort study., Results: Eight cases and 32 controls were recruited in this study. The education level, ratio of drug withdrawal, change of therapy, syndrome differentiation and treatment were not significantly different in case and control groups. The progression of diabetic nephropathy was not significantly related with the treatment and the odds ratio (OR) value was 0.725 with a 95% confidence interval from 0.174 to 3.030. The statistical power of the study was 5%. To achieve the statistical power of 80%, 1 350 (270:1 080) participants were needed for 1:4 matched case-control study, 880 (440:440) for 1:1 paired case-control study, and 1 020 (510:510) for 1:1 control study., Conclusion: The treatment method is not significantly related with the progress of diabetic nephropathy. The nested case-control study is applicable in the therapeutic effect evaluation of Chinese medicine. Basic studies such as cross-sectional studies should be carried out to supply fundamental information for other types of studies including case-control study, cohort study and randomized clinical trials. Large sample size studies were needed to appraise the effect of Chinese medicine.

Following the development of clinical trials, the methodology of clinical trials has developed a great deal, including randomization method and blinding method, etc. The method of randomization includes simple randomization, stratification randomization, etc. Dynamic randomization is also considered as a method of randomization. Two dynamic randomization methods are introduced in this paper, including a method considering the balance of numbers in each group and a method considering prognostic factors. This paper also demonstrates the procedure of dynamic randomization of the above two methods by simulations and actual examples.

Objective: To explore the impact of chronic complications of type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) on quality of life (QOL) among T2DM outpatients in urban China., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 1524 T2DM outpatients recruited from 15 hospitals in 4 major cities of China. Questionnaire interviews were used to collect data on general characters and complications of T2DM. SF-36 questionnaire (version 1) was used and self-completed by patients under the help from interviewers for those having difficulties in reading. T test, one-way ANOVA and generalized linear model were used to explore the association between complications of T2DM and quality of life., Results: Complication was a significant predictor leading to poorer SF-36 subscale scores (decreased by 4.68 - 16.06 scores) and two summary scores (PCS, MCS). The scores of role-physical subscale (decreased by 22.45%) and role-emotional subscale (decreased by 16.28%) decreased much more than the other subscales in patients with complication. Overall, QOL was reduced by 11.02% in patients with complication. The QOL had a gradual decrease with the increasing number of complications. The average scores descended from 2.82 to 10.33 in the eight subscales with the increase of one complication., Conclusion: Having complication or multiple complications seemed to be predictors of poor QOL among T2DM outpatients.

Objective: Using 'diabetes treatment satisfaction questionnaire status version (DTSQs)' to evaluate the reliability, validity and responsiveness, among Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) outpatients., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 749 T2DM outpatients from seven hospitals in Guangzhou and Shanghai, China. The DTSQs was self-administered by patients, under the help from interviewers for those having difficulties in reading. Split-half reliability correlation coefficient, Cronbach alpha and Spearman' were used to test the reliability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed separately to examine the construct validity of the scale. The responsiveness of the scale was appraised by the multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA)., Results: The split-half correlation coefficient was 0.807 and the Cronbach alpha was 0.717 of the six items on satisfaction of treatment. The three factors extracted by EFA explained 67.656% of the overall variance. The relative chi2 was 4.95 and DK was 0.18 in the goodness of test by CFA. The vector of treatment satisfaction, perceived hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia were different in males versus females and in poor versus good blood glucose controlled groups. The DTSQs showed good reliability and validity among T2DM outpatients., Conclusion: DTSQs was applicable to Chinese T2DM patients.

Objective: To assess the association between G894T (Glu298Asp) mutation in exon 7 of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and premature coronary heart disease (P-CHD)., Methods: Hospital-based case-control study was conducted. Newly-diagnosed CHD patients were recruited as study subjects. 132 CHD patients diagnosed at/before age 55 for males and 65 for females were assigned to P-CHD case group with other 172 CHD patients as the control group. Polymerase chain reaction with Ban II restriction enzyme digestion was performed to detect the G894T mutation., Results: G894T mutant genotypes in P-CHD group (TT, GT and GG frequencies were 6.06%, 20.45% and 73.48%, respectively) were significant higher than those in control group (TT, GT and GG frequencies were 1.74%, 11.63% and 86.63%, respectively) (P = 0.01). Mutant T allele frequency in P-CHD group was also significantly higher than that in control group (16.29% versus 7.56%, P = 0.001, OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.38 - 4.16). Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis at 0.05 significant level with sex, smoking, alcohol drinking, and overweight covariates indicated that G894T mutation also having significant effect on P-CHD (P = 0.01, OR = 2.25, 95% CI: 1.19 - 4.26)., Conclusion: This study suggested that G894T mutation in endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene might serve as a major risk factor to the pathogenesis of P-CHD in this study population.