International Journal of General Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Research Progress in Imaging Evaluation of Myocardial Microcirculation.","authors":"Chunlong Yan, Jinfeng Ma, Tingjun Yan, Yanqiu Sun","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S547970","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S547970","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The critical role of myocardial microcirculation in maintaining cardiac function has become increasingly recognized with advancements in cardiovascular disease research. Non-invasive imaging techniques, including transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE), myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE), computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI), are widely used to assess myocardial microcirculation. This review summarizes the principles, clinical applications, and recent research progress of these imaging modalities in evaluating myocardial microcirculation, highlighting their diagnostic value, limitations, and future directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"6055-6061"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12503186/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145250987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rubella Seropositivity and Associated Factors Among Young Female Adults in Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Md Nuruzzaman, Wit Wichaidit, Quazi Monirul Islam, Afzalun Nessa, Tippawan Liabsuetrakul","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S536793","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S536793","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted among young female adults aged 18 to 24 years in Bangladesh to assess rubella IgG seropositivity and associated factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected on participants' sociodemographic and family characteristics, residency and age during 2014 Measles-Rubella campaign, and rubella vaccination history. Blood samples were collected and tested for rubella virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies (rubella IgG) using chemiluminescence immunoassay.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 250 young female adults aged 18-24 years, 87.20% (95% CI: 83.06%-91.34%) were seropositive for rubella IgG: 89.47% among the vaccinated, 85.93% among the non-vaccinated, and 88.54% among those with unknown vaccination history. Seropositivity was not significantly associated with reported rubella vaccination history. Titer levels were significantly higher in seropositive participants without a vaccination history (Median 66.75 IU/mL; interquartile range (IQR): 42.53-98.47) than those with a history (Median 37.30 IU/mL; IQR: 29.70-65.60). Compared with those from rural locations, participants from urban locations had significantly lower odds of seropositivity (Odds Ratio 0.33; 95% CI: 0.12-0.92; p = 0.035).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>A relatively high prevalence of rubella IgG seropositivity was detected. However, approximately one in ten participants remained susceptible to rubella infection during pregnancy and at risk of related adverse outcomes, including congenital rubella syndrome. Seropositivity was not associated with rubella vaccination history suggesting endemic transmission of the rubella virus. The low proportion of participants with a known vaccination history indicates gaps in vaccination documentation. Therefore, well-recorded vaccination histories and strengthened surveillance systems should be developed.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"6043-6054"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12502957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145251082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined Analysis of Protein Induced by Prothrombin Induced by Vitamin K Absence (PIVKA) and Alpha-L-Fucosidase (AFU) with Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP) May Improve the Diagnostic Efficacy for Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B.","authors":"Haisong Hou, Ruiqiang Weng, Liu Liang, Wendao Han","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S547252","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S547252","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The aim of this study was to explore the value of biomarkers such as prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA), osteopontin (OPN), α-L-fucoidase (AFU), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) in the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), hepatitis B liver cirrhosis (HBV-LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 264 male patients were included in this study, including CHB (n=88), HBV-LC (n=88), and HCC (n=88). The levels of PIVKA, OPN, AFU, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), IL6, and GP73 of the subjects were detected respectively, and the differences in the levels of serum PIVKA, OPN, AFU, AFP, IL6 and GP73 among the groups were compared. The correlations among various indicators were analyzed, and the diagnostic value of these indicators for HBV-LC and HCC was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The levels of PIVKA, OPN, AFP, AFU, IL6, and GP73 in patients with HBV-LC, HCC were significantly higher than those in patients with CHB, respectively. In patients with HBV-LC and HCC, no significant correlation was shown between AFP and other markers, suggesting that AFP may have an independent mechanism of action different from other markers in HBV-LC and HCC. OPN had the highest diagnostic efficacy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.855 in diagnosis of HBV-LC, followed by GP73 and IL6. AFU had the highest diagnostic efficacy in diagnosis of HCC, followed by AFP and OPN. In terms of combined detection, the diagnostic efficacy of AFP+AFU (AUC=0.785, 95% CI: 0.714-0.855) and AFP+PIVKA (AUC=0.635, 95% CI: 0.553-0.718) were better than AFP in diagnosing HBV-LC; and the diagnostic efficacy of AFP+AFU (AUC=0.878, 95% CI: 0.822-0.934) was better than AFP in diagnosing HCC.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Combined analysis of PIVKA and AFU with AFP may improve the diagnostic efficacy for HBV-LC and HCC in CHB.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"6031-6042"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12499579/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145244464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Serum Metallome Features and Their Effects on Chronic Kidney Disease: A Comparative Study.","authors":"Jiuyi Jiang, Lingxiao Hu, Chunmei Dai, Bin Zhang, Xi Chen, Yuwei Yang, Jiafu Feng","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S535508","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S535508","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Epidemiological evidence links exposure to certain metals with decreased kidney function and kidney disease progression. This study investigates the metallome profiles in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and their relationship to disease onset and progression.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 341 CKD patients (CKD group) and 60 healthy controls (HC group) were recruited. Renal function markers, including urea, creatinine (Creat), uric acid (UA), cystatin C (CysC), and complement component 1q (C1q), along with the levels of 26 metal elements, were assessed to examine the relationship between metal element concentrations and renal function markers.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to the HC group, serum concentrations of Li, Mg, Al, Ca, V, Mn, Ni, Cu, Ga, Se, Rb, Mo, Sn, Cs, and Pb were elevated in CKD patients (all <i>P</i><0.05), while Co, Hg, and U levels were reduced (all <i>P</i><0.05). Serum concentrations of Li, Al, V, Mo, Sn, Cs, and Hg correlated with renal function markers (Urea |r|=0.146 to 0.545, Creat |r|=0.120 to 0.584, CysC |r|=0.132 to 0.641; all P<0.05). Logistic regression identified Al, V, Co, Ga, Cs, and Pb as independent predictors of CKD onset (all P<0.05), while Li, V, Mo, and Cs were linked to disease progression (all P<0.05). Strong positive correlations were observed between Al and V (r=0.821), Al and Ga (r=0.717), and V and Ga (r=0.646), while Co negatively correlated with Al (r=-0.449), V (r=-0.410), and Ga (r=-0.288).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CKD patients exhibit altered serum levels of various metals. Al, V, Co, Ga, Cs, and Pb are linked to CKD onset, while Li, V, Mo, and Cs relate to its progression. These findings suggest that monitoring specific metal elements like V, Pb and Mo could aid in early CKD detection and progression assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5995-6014"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12497381/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145238595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hospital Pharmacists' Perspectives on Communicating with Hearing-Impaired Patients in Pharmacy Settings: A Qualitative Study.","authors":"Nasser M Alorfi, Fahad S Alshehri, Ahmed M Ashour, Saad M Wali, Ohood K Almuzaini, Bayan E Ainousah, Mohammed M Aldurdunji, Reem Hasaballah Alhasani, Beisan A Mohammad, Mashael A Alamri, Mohammed S Alharthi, Ghadah Khaled Yousuf, Mustfa Faisal Alkhanani, Nasser M Aldekhail","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S556005","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S556005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Effective communication between hospital pharmacists and patients with disability is essential to ensure proper usage of prescribed medication, medication safety, and therapeutic outcomes. However, patients with hearing impairments encounter unique challenges that are often overlooked in pharmacy practice. There is limited evidence regarding how hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia address communication barriers with this patient group.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the experiences, challenges, and suggestions of hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia regarding communication with hearing-impaired patients in pharmacy settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using an open-ended online survey distributed to hospital pharmacists across Saudi Arabia between April and May 2025. Twenty-six pharmacists responded to eight open-ended questions covering their experiences, training, communication barriers, and institutional support. Responses were analyzed thematically to identify key themes and insights.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Six major themes resulted from the analysis: (1) lack of formal training and preparedness, (2) limited direct experience with hearing-impaired patients, (3) communication barriers including time constraints and lack of tools, (4) suggestions for communication aids such as tablets and visual boards, (5) institutional responsibilities for training and infrastructure, and (6) pharmacists' recommendations for inclusive service improvement. The findings highlight a critical gap in pharmacist training and system-level policies to support disability-inclusive communication in hospital pharmacy practice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hospital pharmacists in Saudi Arabia reported limited preparedness and suggested various practical solutions, including written communication tools and visual aids. Findings indicate opportunities for structured training and institutional support to enhance inclusive communication.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5989-5994"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12497382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145238524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Recurrence Prevention Among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Qiong Deng, Xueyan Huang, Youtian Liu, Minghui Song","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S542432","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S542432","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on recurrence prevention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross sectional study was conducted between 20 July, 2023 and 25 September, 2023 to collect demographic information and KAP scores of patients with RA by distributing questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 416 participants were enrolled in the statistical analyses. The median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 11 (8, 13), 33 (32, 36), and 71 (63, 80), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that graduating from junior college or undergraduate and above and longer duration of RA were independently associated with good knowledge. Knowledge score was independently associated with positive attitude. Patients who paid their medical expenses entirely out of pocket exhibited a more negative attitude compared with those receiving partial reimbursement. Furthermore, having a junior college or higher degree, and unemployed/retired were independently associated with proactive practice. However, it is interesting to note that patients with a monthly per capita household income of 4,000-6,000 yuan had less active practices than those with that of less than or equal to 2,000 yuan. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) showed that knowledge directly affects attitude (β = 0.438) and attitude directly affects practice (β = 0.647).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Patients demonstrated adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and passive practices toward RA recurrence prevention. To optimize clinical practice in preventing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) recurrence, targeted educational initiatives are crucial, especially for patients with lower education levels and shorter RA durations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"6015-6029"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12497379/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145238529","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Analysis of Risk Factors of Lymphedema After Surgical Treatment in Cervical Cancer: A Case-Control Retrospective Study.","authors":"Xiufen Gu, Yu Luo, Cuiwei Lai, Yun Liu","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S537679","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S537679","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Cervical cancer is a common malignant tumor in the female reproductive system, surgery is the main radical treatment methods. Lymphedema, as a postoperative complication of cervical cancer, affects the prognosis of patients. Identifying the risk factors for lymphedema after surgery is of great clinical significance for reducing its incidence. This study aims to systematically analyze the related risk factors for lymphedema after cervical cancer surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Clinical medical data of 701 cervical cancer patients at Meizhou People's Hospital from December 2018 to December 2023 were collected, including age, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, induced abortion, menopause, clinical stage, number of dissected lymph nodes, lymph node metastasis, postoperative complications, postoperative chemotherapy, postoperative radiotherapy, postoperative living habits, and lymphedema. The relationship between lymphedema and clinical features in cervical cancer was analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 220 (31.4%) patients developed lymphedema and 481 (68.6%) did not. The cervical cancer patients with lymphedema had higher proportions of advanced age, hypertension, menopause, number of dissected lymph nodes≥30, postoperative radiotherapy, and sitting quietly> 1 hour every day than patients without lymphedema. Logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age (odds ratio (OR): 2.713, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.560-4.717, <i>p</i><0.001), menopause (OR: 1.954, 95% CI: 1.091-3.501, <i>p</i>=0.024), pelvic lymph nodes plus para-aortic lymph nodes plus inguinal lymph nodes were dissected (OR: 2.039, 95% CI: 1.297-3.207, <i>p</i>=0.002), number of dissected lymph nodes (≥30 vs <30, OR: 1.666, 95% CI: 1.105-2.514, <i>p</i>=0.015), postoperative radiotherapy (OR: 3.775, 95% CI: 2.348-6.069, <i>p</i><0.001), and sitting quietly>1 hour every day (OR: 14.782, 95% CI: 7.926-27.567, <i>p</i><0.001) were associated with lymphedema in cervical cancer.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Advanced age, menopause, pelvic lymph nodes plus para-aortic lymph nodes plus inguinal lymph nodes were dissected, number of dissected lymph nodes, postoperative complications, postoperative radiotherapy, and sitting quietly every day were independently associated with lymphedema in cervical cancer patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5927-5938"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495922/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endoscopic Treatment and Outcome Analysis of Biliary Stricture After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Single Center Retrospective Study.","authors":"Decai Kong, Xiaojing Zhang, Yangguang Yuan, Haoyu Duan, Junfeng Ye","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S513603","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S513603","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The incidence of biliary stricture (BS) after liver transplantation (LT) significantly increases the risks of retransplantation and mortality. Although various endoscopic treatment strategies are available, a consensus is lacking in certain aspects, and the impact of endoscopic treatment on overall survival has yet to be studied. This retrospective study aims to explore factors influencing the efficacy of initial endoscopic treatment for BS after deceased donor orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and to analyze outcomes.</p><p><strong>Patients and methods: </strong>This research conducted a retrospective analysis of 89 patients who developed BS after OLT at The First Hospital of Jilin University between 01/01/2014 and 01/01/2022. Patients were categorized into a successful group (59 patients) and a failed group (30 patients) based on the success or failure of initial endoscopic treatment. Risk factor analysis for initial endoscopic treatment failure in patients with BS after OLT was performed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The survival analysis for patients with BS after OLT was conducted using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The failure rate of initial endoscopic treatment was 33.7%. Independent risk factors for failure included the proximal and distal bile duct angle≤145 (<i>OR</i>=16.667, 95% <i>CI</i>: 3.279-83.333, <i>P</i>=0.001), severe stricture (<i>OR</i>=9.009, 95% <i>CI</i>: 1.590-50.000, <i>P</i>=0.013), and non-anastomotic stricture (NABS) type (<i>OR</i>=20.049, 95% <i>CI</i>: 2.663-150.953, <i>P</i>=0.004). Furthermore, failed initial endoscopic treatment (<i>HR</i>=3.205, 95% <i>CI</i>: 1.350-7.634, <i>P</i>=0.008) emerged as an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with BS after OLT.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Initial endoscopic treatment for BS in patients after OLT is effective, safe, and has a high success rate. However, patients with the proximal and distal bile duct angle≤145, NABS, and severe strictures exhibit poorer initial endoscopic treatment effect. Those whose initial endoscopic treatment fails demonstrate significantly worse prognoses.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5883-5895"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232525","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Validation of a Dynamic Nomogram for Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy in Elderly ICU Patients with Sepsis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.","authors":"Simeng Zhu, Lianmin Ye, Jie Chen","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S527691","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S527691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) in elderly patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective study at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was employed to identify characteristic predictors for SAE, and a nomogram was subsequently developed. The nomogram's performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, the Brier score, and decision curve analysis (DCA) to assess discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility. Internal validation was performed using the bootstrap resampling method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 231 elderly sepsis patients were included in the study, among whom 66 were diagnosed with SAE. The study identified invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), platelet count, white blood cell (WBC) count, glucose levels, lactate levels, and calcium levels as significant risk factors for SAE. The nomogram demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.81, outperforming other predictive factors. The corrected C-index, determined through 500 bootstrap validations, was 0.842. Additionally, the calibration curve indicated strong agreement between predicted outcomes and actual observations. The Brier score of the prediction model was 0.139. Finally, DCA revealed that the nomogram had high clinical applicability.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The prediction nomogram and online website demonstrated strong predictive performance for the occurrence of SAE in elderly patients with sepsis, which made the evaluation process of SAE more convenient and efficient.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5977-5987"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12495937/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential Diagnostic Value of Gastrointestinal Ultrasound Contrast Filling Method in Differentiating Gastric Tumors and Ulcers in the Elderly.","authors":"Yuanyuan Sun, Yujie Deng, Lin Sang, Qian Zhang","doi":"10.2147/IJGM.S534027","DOIUrl":"10.2147/IJGM.S534027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the differential diagnostic value of the gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling method in distinguishing gastric tumors from gastric ulcers in elderly patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed 274 elderly patients diagnosed with gastric diseases between January 2022 and October 2024, confirmed by endoscopic pathology as gastric tumors (n=82) or gastric ulcers (n=192). All underwent gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling. Differences in conventional ultrasound features (internal echo, calcification, morphology, classification) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters [enhancement intensity (EI), time to peak (TTP), area under curve (AUC), arrival time (AT)] were compared. Spearman correlation assessed parameter-tumor relationships. ROC curves evaluated diagnostic performance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The tumor group showed higher rates of low internal echo, calcification, irregular morphology, and type II classification than the ulcer group (P<0.05). EI, TTP, AUC, and AT were significantly elevated in tumors (P<0.05), correlating positively with tumor occurrence (r=0.524-0.597, P<0.05). ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.947, with sensitivity 96.72% and specificity 98.91%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling effectively demonstrates both conventional and enhancement features of gastric lesions in the elderly, providing high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating gastric tumors from gastric ulcers.</p>","PeriodicalId":14131,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of General Medicine","volume":"18 ","pages":"5939-5947"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12493100/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145232592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}