The diagnosis of coronary plaque stability by multi-slice computed tomography coronary angiography.

Background: Coronary computed tomographic angiography is a robust non-invasive method to assess coronary artery disease (CAD) and analyze coronary plaque stability, especially for the non-calcified plaques. The aim of this study was to investigate the differential characteristics between the unstable coronary plaques and the stable coronary plaques using multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT).

Methods: Sixty patients with coronary heart disease (37 unstable plaques and 31 stable plaques) were included.

Effect of pre-emptive analgesia by continuous femoral nerve block on early postoperative cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty in elderly patients.

To the best of our knowledge, the effect of pre-emptively blocking pain transmission on acute postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) has not yet been assessed. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of pre-emptive analgesia via a continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB) on postoperative pain and early cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery in elderly patients. CFNB was performed prior to TKA surgery in the pre-emptive analgesia group (n=30) and following TKA surgery in the control group (n=30).

Bedside chest radiography of novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infections and follow-up findings after short-time treatment.

Background: Influenza A (H7N9) virus infections were first observed in China in March 2013. This type virus can cause severe illness and deaths, the situation raises many urgent questions and global public health concerns. Our purpose was to investigate bedside chest radiography findings for patients with novel influenza A (H7N9) virus infections and the followup appearances after short-time treatment.