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Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of salvianolate injection in preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) following total hip replacement. Methods: A total of 114 patients who underwent total hip replacement at Department of Trauma, Fengfeng General Hospital of North China Medical and Health Group, Handan City, China from March 2019 to March 2022 were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into study group (n = 57) and control group (n = 57). The control group received conventional treatment (low molecular weight heparin) while the study group was administered salvianolate injection combined with conventional treatment. Incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at 7 and 14 days after surgery, platelet function indices, including platelet count, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GP IIb/IIIa), and CD62P, coagulation function indices (prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB) and D-dimer), and hemodynamics indices, viz, peak blood flow velocity (Vp) and average velocity (Va) were investigated and compared. Results: Incidence of DVT was 1.75 % (1/57) at 7 days and 5.26 % (3/57) at 14 days in the study group, and 5.26 % (3/57) at 7 days and 17.54 % (10/57) at 14 days in control group. Incidence of DVT in the study group was significantly reduced compared to control group 14 days after surgery (p < 0.05). Also, the study group had significantly lower visual analog scale (VAS) scores at 7 days and 1 month after surgery compared to control group (p < 0.05). Platelet count, GPIIb/IIIa, and CD62P in the study group were significantly lower than in control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Salvianolate injection significantly prevents DVT after total hip replacement, improves hemodynamics, and coagulation function, and thus contributes to recovery of hip function. Further clinical trials are, however, required to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the optimal vascular diameter and blood flow measured by ultrasound to predict fistula maturity in Chinese patients.Materials and Methods: One hundred and thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study. The blood flow and the diameters of the brachial artery, radial artery, and cephalic vein were analysed according to clinical outcomes. The performances of blood flow, cephalic vein diameter, and the two factors combined in predicting fistula maturity were evaluated and the optimal cut-off values for Chinese patients were determined.Results: During a 6 month follow-up, 113 fistulas were classified as mature and 19 fistulas were classified as failure. In both groups, the diameters of the brachial and radial arteries increased gradually within 2 weeks post-surgery (p<0.05), and cephalic vein diameter and blood flow increased within 4 weeks post-surgery (p<0.05). The blood flow of the failure group was significantly lower than that of the mature group from the first day after creation. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.95 (529 ml/min, the optimal cut-off value) for blood flow, 0.83 (5.2 mm) for cephalic vein diameter, and 0.96 for the two factors combined in predicting fistula maturity.Conclusions: For Chinese patients, blood flow >529 ml/min could be used to predict fistula maturity and cephalic vein diameter >5.2 mm could be a supplement when necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hemodynamic changes in response to the hypoxic environment of high altitude are vascular bed-specific. The aim of the present study was to investigate diameter and blood flow changes in conduit vessels in response to hypobaric hypoxia. Methods: Eleven healthy subjects ascending Mount Everest to base camp participated in this study. Vessel diameter and blood velocity for brachial, carotid, common femoral, superficial femoral, and deep femoral arteries were measured by portable Doppler ultrasound. Blood flow was calculated from these values. Measurements were taken at sea level, at increasing altitudes on ascent to base camp (1310 m, 3470 m, 5330 m), and repeated on descent to lower altitude (1310 m). Results: For all vessels except carotids, both vessel diameter and blood flow decreased between sea level and initial ascent to altitude, with subsequent persistence of these decreased values; there was no further significant change with continued ascent to higher altitude. Blood flow for all arteries (except carotids) increased significantly on descent to lower altitude, with an associated nonsignificant increase in velocity and decrease in diameter. Conclusions: This study showed that there is vasoconstriction of limb conduit vessels at altitude, which persists upon descent to lower altitude. Blood flow in these vessels also decreases with initial exposure to high altitude, yet increases when returning to lower altitude, reflecting variations in blood velocity. Carotid arteries responded differently to the stimulus of hypobaria than limb conduit vessels; there was no change in diameter seen on ascent or descent, but there was a progressive decrease in blood flow on ascent, with no change on subsequent descent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Myocardial dysfunction leading to low cardiac output syndrome is a common clinical pathophysiological state. Currently, the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is an essential aspect of the treatment of patients with cardiac failure. Several groups in China are engaged in the design and development of MCS devices. These devices can be classified as pulsatile, rotary, and total artificial heart (TAH). There are two types of pulsatile pump, which are driven by air (pneumatic). One of these pumps, the Luo-Ye pump, has been used clinically for short-term support since 1998. The other is a push-plate left ventricular device, which has a variable rate mode. Various rotary devices are classified into axial and centrifugal pumps, depending on the impeller geometry. Most rotary pumps are based on the maglev principle, and some types have been used clinically. Others are still being studied in the laboratory or in animal experiments. Furthermore, certain types of total implantable pump, such as the UJS-III axial pump and the UJS-IV aortic valvo-pump, have been developed. Only one type of TAH has been developed in China. The main constituents of this artificial heart are two axial pumps, two reservoir tanks mimicking the right and left atria, flow meters, two pressure gauges, and a resistance adaptor. Although the development of mechanical assist devices in China is still in a nascent stage, a number of different types of MCS devices are currently being studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first direct observations of deranged microcirculatory blood flow at high altitude, using sidestream dark-field imaging. Images of the sublingual microcirculation were obtained from a group of 12 volunteers during a climbing expedition to Cho Oyu (8,201 m) in the Himalayas. Microcirculatory flow index (MFI) was calculated from the moving images of microcirculatory red blood cell flow, and comparison was made between the baseline and high altitude measurements. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and Lake Louise scores (LLS) were recorded along with MFI. Our data demonstrate that there was a significant reduction in MFI from baseline to 4,900 m in small (less than 25 microm) and medium (26-50 microm) sized blood vessels (P = 0.025 and P = 0.046, respectively). There was no significant correlation between MFI and SpO(2) or MFI and LLS. Disruption of blood flow within microcirculatory may explain persistent abnormal oxygen flux to tissues following the normalisation of systemic oxygen delivery that accompanies acclimatisation to high altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ocular Blood Flow (OBF) Tonometer is an objective instrument to measure the Pulsatile Ocular Blood Flow (POBF), Pulse Amplitude (PA) and Pulse Rate (PR). It also provides the minimum intraocular pressure (lOPmin) simultaneously. This preliminary study applied the OBF Tonometer on 74 Hong Kong Chinese. They had their POBF measured followed by the Goldmann Applanation Tonometer (GAT). The OBF tonometer overestimates the lOP slightly. The average POBF result was smaller (661.2 μl/min) than the previous studies. The effect of myopia of our sample (mean spherical equivalent -4.27 D) could be one of the contributing factors. Other factors include age and racial difference. Twenty-two subjects had their POBF measured again by the same practitioner and different practitioner for the reproducibility variation assessments. The POBF, PA and lOPmin were found to be repeatable between sessions. The POBF "norm" in Hong Kong Chinese needs to be established from a larger sample size and from a comparison on an age and refraction matched Caucasian group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]