Objective. To establish consensus for potential remission criteria to use in clinical trials of gout. Methods. Experts (n 5 88) in gout from multiple countries were invited to participate in a web-based questionnaire study. Three rounds of Delphi consensus exercises were conducted using SurveyMonkey, followed by a discretechoice experiment using 1000Minds software. The exercises focused on identifying domains, definitions for each domain, and the timeframe over which remission should be defined.Results. There were 49 respondents (56% response) to the initial survey, with subsequent response rates ranging from 57% to 90%. Consensus was reached for the inclusion of serum urate (98% agreement), flares (96%), tophi (92%), pain (83%), and patient global assessment of disease activity (93%) as measurement domains in remission criteria. Consensus was also reached for domain definitions, including serum urate (<0.36 mm), pain (<2 on a 10-point scale), and patient global assessment (<2 on a 10-point scale), all of which should be measured at least twice over a set time interval. Consensus was not achieved in the Delphi exercise for the timeframe for remission, with equal responses for 6 months (51%) and 1 year (49%). In the discrete-choice experiment, there was a preference towards 12 months as a timeframe for remission. Conclusion. These consensus exercises have identified domains and provisional definitions for gout remission criteria. Based on the results of these exercises, preliminary remission criteria are proposed with domains of serum urate, acute flares, tophus, pain, and patient global assessment. These preliminary criteria now require testing in clinical data sets.

We propose definitions for a disease flare based on self-reported items in patients previously diagnosed as having gout. Patient-reported flare, joint pain at rest, warm joints, and swollen joints were most strongly associated with presence of a gout flare. These provisional definitions will next be validated in clinical trials.

Hyperuricemia is common in China and the relevance of hyperuricemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been highlighted, but to date there has been rarely nation-wide study in China. Here, we aim to estimate the current prevalence of hyperuricemia and evaluate the associations between hyperuricemia and cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs) clustering in a large sample of China adults including a plurality of ethnic minorities. Generally, a nationally representative sample of 22983 adults aged ≥18 years was recruited from 2007 to 2011. Questionnaire data and information on anthropometric characteristics, and laboratory measurements were collected. We define hyperuricemia as SUA ≥416 mmol/L for men and SUA ≥357 mmol/L for women. We found that the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 13.0% (18.5% in men and 8.0% in women). To our estimation, hyperuricemic subjects had higher prevalence rates of CRFs clustering than non-hyperuricemic subjects. Furthermore, there was a dose-response association between the number of CVD risk factors clustering and hyperuricemia. Our study revealed a high prevalence of hyperuricemia and CVD risk factors clustering among Chinese adults, and hyperuricemia was significantly associated with coexistence of more CVD risk factors. Therefore, guidance and effective lifestyle intervention are required to prevent hyperuricemia and CVD risk factors in China.

Our results suggest that PCP is an uncommon and fatal opportunistic infection in patients with CTD. When patients with CTD who are receiving immunosuppressive therapy have low lymphocyte counts and/or CD4 lymphocyte counts less than 250/microL develop fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and chest radiography shows diffuse interstitial infiltrate, the diagnosis of PCP should be highly suspected. Induced sputum or BAL must be quickly performed to confirm diagnosis. Further study is needed as to whether earlier treatment will improve prognoses or whether patients with CTD with low CD4 counts should receive PCP prophylaxis.

The study aimed to investigate the clinical features and prognoses of patients with tuberculosis (TB) who had secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).Patients first presenting with fever of unknown origin, who were ultimately diagnosed with TB-associated secondary HLH, were assessed retrospectively. We summarized and analyzed clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, diagnoses, treatments, and prognoses of patients using clinical data, outpatient follow-up, and telephone follow-up in combination with literature review.Among patients admitted to the hospital with fever of unknown origin in the past 10 years, 371 patients were diagnosed with TB. Among them, 8 cases were diagnosed as tuberculosis-associated HLH (TB-HLH). The proportion of females among TB-HLH patients was higher than the proportion of females among TB patients. Within the same time period, 227 cases met the diagnostic criteria for HLH, among which TB-HLH patients accounted for 3.52% of the cases. None of the 8 TB-HLH patients had underlying diseases, and a majority of them had short symptom durations, rapid progression, along with multisystem and multiorgan dysfunctions. Their clinical manifestations were inconsistent with the typical clinical manifestations and imaging results characteristic of TB. Compared with patients with TB in our hospital during the same period, the 8 TB-HLH patients had a higher proportion of blood-disseminated TB and tuberculous meningitis. Apart from this, the hematological damage in these patients was higher than the common clinical manifestations of TB, and they also had a high proportion of respiratory failure. All 8 TB-HLH patients received antitubercular therapy, and 6 of them were also treated for HLH. However, their morbidity and mortality were significantly higher than that for reported cases of TB-HLH cases, both domestically and abroad, which may be attributed to the fever of unknown origin.Patients with TB-HLH had poor prognoses and no specific clinical manifestations. Therefore, cases of atypical TB and severe TB should be carefully monitored to achieve early diagnosis and early intervention.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a worldwide public health emergency that has put great pressure on medical workers and the medical system. General Practitioners (GPs) played an important role in controlling the epidemic, and GP trainees also took an active part in this approach. This study was to explore Chinese GP trainees’ career perspectives after COVID-19. Methods We conducted a qualitative research study which included 12 GP trainees from three teaching hospitals in China. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Grounded theory and thematic analysis were used to code the data and identify categories and factors. Results Eleven participants chose to continue a GP career after COVID-19, and nearly half of the participants strengthened their determination to dedicate themselves to this career. Only one participant decided to change the career choice because of interest in another specialty. Four main themes influencing GP trainees’ perceptions of career development after COVID-19 emerged from the interviews: changes of GPs’ work content in COVID-19, challenges of being a GP, psychological changes of the career, how to provide better primary care. Although some negative psychological changes existed, most of participants were inspired by role models and medical colleagues. They had more in-depth understanding of GPs’ role and responsibility during COVID-19, and exhibited intensions for self-improvement in career development, especially in public health education and self-protection in preventing infectious diseases. In addition, the wide use of telemedicine provided a new work way for GP trainees. However, challenges, such as increased workloads, low income, lack of resources in primary medical institutions, and distrust of GPs are faced by trainees during the outbreak. Conclusions Overall, no substantial changes were seen in the career choice of GP trainees after COVID-19 outbreak. However, they were inspired and had an in-depth understanding about the GP’s work and responsibility during an epidemic. Owing to the challenges faced by the GPs, measures are needed to improve the GP education and work environment in the training phase.

Background The history of standardized residency training programs (SRTP) in China is not long. As one of the top medical colleges in China, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) has the history and experience of the oldest SRTP in the country. Understanding the job status of PUMCH residents would be conducive to a better development of the national resident training in the future. Methods This study analyzed the demographic information, job burnout scale, working time, and job status of postgraduate year 1–3 residents that took part in the SRTP of the Department of Internal Medicine of PUMCH in August 2017. Results The survey data of 159 residents (including PUMCH residents, local-resident-trainees, and clinical postgraduates) were collected. The average working time was 11.38 ± 1.55 h per day and 83.28 ± 8.80 h per week. The average night shift frequency was 4.74 ± 0.59 days. There were 100 residents (62.2%) with symptoms of job burnout, which had a certain correlation with working time ( p < 0.05). The self-evaluation of the clinical postgraduates about their working quality of life was lower than that of other residents ( p < 0.05). There were various reasons for long working-time, great work pressure, and job burnout. Job burnout was independently associated with the average working time per day (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.47–3.75, P < 0.001) and average length of duty period (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.26–1.84, P < 0.001). Conclusion The job burnout of residents that took part in SRTP at the PUMCH could not be ignored, which had a certain correlation with work time and early training background. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-019-1718-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To evaluate job burnout and its impacts on mental health among clinical residents in a 3-year standardized residency training program in China.This cross-sectional study was conducted among all residents in the Department of Internal Medicine of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in August 2017. Job burnout and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and the Center for Epidemiological Survey, Depression, respectively.Among the 159 residents who completed the survey, comprising 69 who had graduated from 8-year medical schools and 90 from 5-year schools, the rate of job burnout was 62.2% (100/159) and the rate of depression was 28.3% (45/159). Rates of job burnout and depression in residents completed different years of training showed no significant difference. Rate of job burnout was significantly higher among graduates of 5-year medical schools (76.7%) than among those of 8-year schools (44.9%, P < .001). Pearson chi-squared test revealed a significant correlation between depression and job burnout (P < .001). Multiple logistic regression revealed a significant correlation between job burnout and attendance at 5- or 8-year medical schools (P = .044).Job burnout may be more frequent among graduates from 5-year medical schools than among those from 8-year schools.