Synovial fluid α defensin has comparable accuracy to synovial fluid white blood cell count and polymorphonuclear percentage for periprosthetic joint infection diagnosis.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of α defensin (AD) lateral flow assay (LFA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in comparison to conventional synovial white blood cell (WBC) count and polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage (PMN%) analysis.

Methods: Patients undergoing joint aspiration for evaluation of pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) were considered for inclusion. Synovial fluids from 99 patients (25 THA and 74 TKA) were analyzed by WBC count and PMN% analysis, AD LFA, and AD ELISA.

Comparative analysis of 23 synovial fluid biomarkers for hip and knee periprosthetic joint infection detection.

There is interest in novel synovial fluid biomarkers for the detection of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Here, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of 23 simple or sophisticated synovial fluid biomarkers for periprosthetic hip or knee infection detection. One hundred seven subjects were studied, 57 of whom had aseptic failure (AF) and 50 PJI.

Direct Detection and Identification of Prosthetic Joint Infection Pathogens in Synovial Fluid by Metagenomic Shotgun Sequencing.

Metagenomic shotgun sequencing has the potential to transform how serious infections are diagnosed by offering universal, culture-free pathogen detection. This may be especially advantageous for microbial diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) by synovial fluid analysis since synovial fluid cultures are not universally positive and since synovial fluid is easily obtained preoperatively. We applied a metagenomics-based approach to synovial fluid in an attempt to detect microorganisms in 168 failed total knee arthroplasties.

Positive impact of integrating histology and physiology teaching at a medical school in China.

To modernize its stagnant, traditional curriculum and pedagogy, the Medical School of Wuhan University in China adopted (with modifications) the University of Chicago's medical curriculum model. The reform effort in basic sciences was integrating histology and physiology into one course, increasing the two subjects' connection to clinical medicine, and applying new pedagogies and assessment methods. This study assessed the results of the reform by comparing the attitudes and academic achievements of students in the reform curriculum (n = 41) and their traditional curriculum peers (n = 182).

Attitudes toward neurosciences in medical students in Wuhan, China: a survey study.

Background: Neurophobia is a well-described phenomenon among medical students in many countries. Little is reported concerning the perceptions of neurosciences among medical students in China.

Methods: We surveyed senior medical students in Wuhan, China, on their perceptions of neuroscience.

Medical education reform in wuhan university, china: a preliminary report of an international collaboration.

Background: In 2008 Wuhan University Medical School in China proposed to reform its curriculum by adapting the curriculum of the University of Chicago Medical School.

Description: An assessment of Wuhan University Medical School's traditional curriculum conducted in 2009 informed the reform directions, which included course integration, use of clinical cases, improved relevance of basic sciences to clinical medicine, reduction of lecture time, increase in group and independent learning, and the use of formative assessments. Fifty student volunteers per year were chosen to participate in the reform, and the rest remained in the traditional curriculum.

Positive attitudes towards psychiatry among Chinese medical students.

Background And Aims: Increasingly positive attitudes have been reported among young people in China towards mental illness, but little is known about Chinese medical students' attitudes towards psychiatry, psychiatric services and patients.

Methods: We administered a bilingual survey to Wuhan University medical students in the final years of their clinical training. Primary outcomes were composite scores on a 21-item attitudes toward psychiatry (ATP) survey and the number of correct responses to diagnostic questions following a series of three clinical case vignettes.