Score-based prediction model for severe vitamin D deficiency in patients with critical illness: development and validation.

BACKGROUND: Severe vitamin D deficiency (SVDD) dramatically increases the risks of mortality, infections, and many other diseases. Studies have reported higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with critical illness than general population. This multicenter retrospective cohort study develops and validates a score-based model for predicting SVDD in patients with critical illness. METHODS: A total of 662 patients with critical illness were enrolled between October 2017 and July 2020. SVDD was defined as a serum 25(OH)D level of < 12 ng/mL (or 30 nmol/L). The data were divided into a derivation cohort and a validation cohort on the basis of date of enrollment. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) was performed on the derivation cohort to generate a predictive model for SVDD. Additionally, a score-based calculator (the SVDD score) was designed on the basis of the MLR model. The model's performance and calibration were tested using the validation cohort. RESULTS: The prevalence of SVDD was 16.3% and 21.7% in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The MLR model consisted of eight predictors that were then included in the SVDD score. The SVDD score had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.848 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.781-0.914] and an area under the precision recall curve of 0.619 (95% CI 0.577-0.669) in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study developed a simple score-based model for predicting SVDD in patients with critical illness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov protocol registration ID: NCT03639584. Date of registration: May 12, 2022.

Determining Carina and Clavicular Distance-Dependent Positioning of Endotracheal Tube in Critically Ill Patients: An Artificial Intelligence-Based Approach.

Early and accurate prediction of endotracheal tube (ETT) location is pivotal for critically ill patients. Automatic and timely detection of faulty ETT locations from chest X-ray images may avert patients' morbidity and mortality. Therefore, we designed convolutional neural network (CNN)-based algorithms to evaluate ETT position appropriateness relative to four detected key points, including tracheal tube end, carina, and left/right clavicular heads on chest radiographs. We estimated distances from the tube end to tracheal carina and the midpoint of clavicular heads. A DenseNet121 encoder transformed images into embedding features, and a CNN-based decoder generated the probability distributions. Based on four sets of tube-to-carina distance-dependent parameters (i.e., (i) 30-70 mm, (ii) 30-60 mm, (iii) 20-60 mm, and (iv) 20-55 mm), corresponding models were generated, and their accuracy was evaluated through the predicted L1 distance to ground-truth coordinates. Based on tube-to-carina and tube-to-clavicle distances, the highest sensitivity, and specificity of 92.85% and 84.62% respectively, were revealed for 20-55 mm. This implies that tube-to-carina distance between 20 and 55 mm is optimal for an AI-based key point appropriateness detection system and is empirically comparable to physicians' consensus.

Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Associated Factors in Critically Ill Patients: A Multicenter Observational Study.

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is common in the general population worldwide, and the prevalence and severity of vitamin D deficiency increase in critically ill patients. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a community-based cohort in Northern Taiwan was 22.4%. This multicenter cohort study investigated the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and associated factors in critically ill patients in Northern Taiwan. Methods: Critically ill patients were enrolled and divided into five groups according to their length of stay at intensive care units (ICUs) during enrolment as follows: group 1, <2 days with expected short ICU stay; group 2, <2 days with expected long ICU stay; group 3, 3-7 days; group 4, 8-14 days; and group 5, 15-28 days. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level < 20 ng/ml, and severe vitamin D deficiency was defined as a 25(OH)D level < 12 ng/ml. The primary analysis was the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. The exploratory analyses were serial follow-up vitamin D levels in group 2, associated factors for vitamin D deficiency, and the effect of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 59% [95% confidence interval (CI) 55-62%], and the prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency was 18% (95% CI 15-21%). The median vitamin D level for all enrolled critically ill patients was 18.3 (13.7-23.9) ng/ml. In group 2, the median vitamin D levels were <20 ng/ml during the serial follow-up. According to the multivariable analysis, young age, female gender, low albumin level, high parathyroid hormone (PTH) level, and high sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were significantly associated risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Patients with vitamin D deficiency had longer ventilator use duration and length of ICU stay. However, the 28- and 90-day mortality rate were not associated with vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in critically ill patients. Age, gender, albumin level, PTH level, and SOFA score were significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency in these patients.

Using Transfer Learning Method to Develop an Artificial Intelligence Assisted Triaging for Endotracheal Tube Position on Chest X-ray.

Endotracheal tubes (ETTs) provide a vital connection between the ventilator and patient; however, improper placement can hinder ventilation efficiency or injure the patient. Chest X-ray (CXR) is the most common approach to confirming ETT placement; however, technicians require considerable expertise in the interpretation of CXRs, and formal reports are often delayed. In this study, we developed an artificial intelligence-based triage system to enable the automated assessment of ETT placement in CXRs. Three intensivists performed a review of 4293 CXRs obtained from 2568 ICU patients. The CXRs were labeled "CORRECT" or "INCORRECT" in accordance with ETT placement. A region of interest (ROI) was also cropped out, including the bilateral head of the clavicle, the carina, and the tip of the ETT. Transfer learning was used to train four pre-trained models (VGG16, INCEPTION_V3, RESNET, and DENSENET169) and two models developed in the current study (VGG16_Tensor Projection Layer and CNN_Tensor Projection Layer) with the aim of differentiating the placement of ETTs. Only VGG16 based on ROI images presented acceptable performance (AUROC = 92%, F1 score = 0.87). The results obtained in this study demonstrate the feasibility of using the transfer learning method in the development of AI models by which to assess the placement of ETTs in CXRs.

Incidence and management of metabolic acidosis with sodium bicarbonate in the ICU: An international observational study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic acidosis is a major complication of critical illness. However, its current epidemiology and its treatment with sodium bicarbonate given to correct metabolic acidosis in the ICU are poorly understood. METHOD: This was an international retrospective observational study in 18 ICUs in Australia, Japan, and Taiwan. Adult patients were consecutively screened, and those with early metabolic acidosis (pH < 7.3 and a Base Excess < -4 mEq/L, within 24-h of ICU admission) were included. Screening continued until 10 patients who received and 10 patients who did not receive sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h (early bicarbonate therapy) were included at each site. The primary outcome was ICU mortality, and the association between sodium bicarbonate and the clinical outcomes were assessed using regression analysis with generalized linear mixed model. RESULTS: We screened 9437 patients. Of these, 1292 had early metabolic acidosis (14.0%). Early sodium bicarbonate was given to 18.0% (233/1292) of these patients. Dosing, physiological, and clinical outcome data were assessed in 360 patients. The median dose of sodium bicarbonate in the first 24 h was 110 mmol, which was not correlated with bodyweight or the severity of metabolic acidosis. Patients who received early sodium bicarbonate had higher APACHE III scores, lower pH, lower base excess, lower PaCO2, and a higher lactate and received higher doses of vasopressors. After adjusting for confounders, the early administration of sodium bicarbonate was associated with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.44 to 1.62) for ICU mortality. In patients with vasopressor dependency, early sodium bicarbonate was associated with higher mean arterial pressure at 6 h and an aOR of 0.52 (95% CI, 0.22 to 1.19) for ICU mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Early metabolic acidosis is common in critically ill patients. Early sodium bicarbonate is administered by clinicians to more severely ill patients but without correction for weight or acidosis severity. Bicarbonate therapy in acidotic vasopressor-dependent patients may be beneficial and warrants further investigation.

Differences of liver CT perfusion of blunt trauma treated with therapeutic embolization and observation management.

Massive hepatic necrosis after therapeutic embolization has been reported. We employed a 320-detector CT scanner to compare liver perfusion differences between blunt liver trauma patients treated with embolization and observation. This prospective study with informed consent was approved by institution review board. From January 2013 to December 2016, we enrolled 16 major liver trauma patients (6 women, 10 men; mean age 34.9 ± 12.8 years) who fulfilled inclusion criteria. Liver CT perfusion parameters were calculated by a two-input maximum slope model. Of 16 patients, 9 received embolization and 7 received observation. Among 9 patients of embolization group, their arterial perfusion (78.1 ± 69.3 versus 163.1 ± 134.3 mL/min/100 mL, p = 0.011) and portal venous perfusion (74.4 ± 53.0 versus 160.9 ± 140.8 mL/min/100 mL, p = 0.008) were significantly lower at traumatic parenchyma than at non-traumatic parenchyma. Among 7 patients of observation group, only portal venous perfusion was significantly lower at traumatic parenchyma than non-traumatic parenchyma (132.1 ± 127.1 vs. 231.1 ± 174.4 mL/min/100 mL, p = 0.018). The perfusion index between groups did not differ. None had massive hepatic necrosis. They were not different in age, injury severity score and injury grades. Therefore, reduction of both arterial and portal venous perfusion can occur when therapeutic embolization was performed in preexisting major liver trauma, but hepatic perfusion index may not be compromised.

The development an artificial intelligence algorithm for early sepsis diagnosis in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Severe sepsis and septic shock are still the leading causes of death in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), and timely diagnosis is crucial for treatment outcomes. The progression of electronic medical records (EMR) offers the possibility of storing a large quantity of clinical data that can facilitate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. However, several difficulties, such as poor structure and heterogenicity of the raw EMR data, are encountered when introducing AI with ICU data. Labor-intensive work, including manual data entry, personal medical records sorting, and laboratory results interpretation may hinder the progress of AI. In this article, we introduce the developing of an AI algorithm designed for sepsis diagnosis using pre-selected features; and compare the performance of the AI algorithm with SOFA score based diagnostic method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a prospective open-label cohort study. A specialized EMR, named TED_ICU, was implemented for continuous data recording. One hundred six clinical features relevant to sepsis diagnosis were selected prospectively. A labeling work to allocate SEPSIS or NON_SEPSIS status for each ICU patient was performed by the in-charge intensivist according to SEPSIS-3 criteria, along with the automatic recording of selected features every day by TED_ICU. Afterward, we use de-identified data to develop the AI algorithm. Several machine learning methods were evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation, and XGBoost, a decision-tree based algorithm was adopted for our AI algorithm development due to best performance. RESULTS: The study was conducted between August 2018 and December 2018 for the first stage of analysis. We collected 1588 instances, including 444 SEPSIS and 1144 NON-SEPSIS, from 434 patients. The 434 patients included 259 (59.6%) male patients and 175 female patients. The mean age was 67.6-year-old, and the mean APACHE II score was 13.8. The SEPSIS cohort had a higher SOFA score and increased use of organ support treatment. The AI algorithm was developed with a shuffle method using 80% of the instances for training and 20% for testing. The established AI algorithm achieved the following: accuracy = 82% ± 1%; sensitivity = 65% ± 5%; specificity = 88% ± 2%; precision = 67% ± 3%; and F1 = 0.66 ± 0.02. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was approximately 0.89. The SOFA score was used on the same 1588 instances for sepsis diagnosis, and the result was inferior to our AI algorithm (AUROC = 0.596). CONCLUSION: Using real-time data, collected by EMR, from the ICU daily practice, our AI algorithm established with pre-selected features and XGBoost can provide a timely diagnosis of sepsis with an accuracy greater than 80%. AI algorithm also outperforms the SOFA score in sepsis diagnosis and exhibits practicality as clinicians can deploy appropriate treatment earlier. The early and precise response of this AI algorithm will result in cost reduction, outcome improvement, and benefit for healthcare systems, medical staff, and patients as well.

Iron and Advanced Glycation End Products: Emerging Role of Iron in Androgen Deficiency in Obesity.

The literature suggests a bidirectional relationship between testosterone (T) and iron, but mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. We investigated effects of iron on advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in obesity-related androgen deficiency. In total, 111 men were recruited, and iron biomarkers and N(ɛ)-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) were measured. In an animal study, rats were fed a 50% high-fat diet (HFD) with (0.25, 1, and 2 g ferric iron/kg diet) or without ferric citrate for 12 weeks. Obese rats supplemented with >1 g iron/kg diet had decreased testicular total T compared to HFD alone. Immunohistochemical staining showed that >1 g of ferric iron increased iron and AGE retention in testicular interstitial tissues, which is associated with increased expression of the receptor for AGEs (RAGE), tumor necrosis factor-α, and nitric oxide. Compared with normal weight, overweight/obese men had lower T levels and higher rates of hypogonadism (19% vs. 11.3%) and iron overload (29.8% vs.15.9%). A correlation analysis showed serum total T was positively correlated with transferrin saturation (r = 0.242, p = 0.007) and cathepsin D (r = 0.330, p = 0.001), but negatively correlated with red blood cell aggregation (r = -0.419, p<0.0001) and CML (r = -0.209, p < 0.05). In conclusion, AGEs may partially explain the underlying relationship between dysregulated iron and T deficiency.

Taiwanese consensus recommendations for acute pancreatitis.

The incidence of acute pancreatitis and related health care utilization are increasing. Acute pancreatitis may result in organ failure and various local complications with risks of morbidity and even mortality. Recent advances in research have provided novel insights into the assessment and management for acute pancreatitis. This consensus is developed by Taiwan Pancreas Society to provide an updated, evidence-based framework for managing acute pancreatitis.

Dysregulated Iron Metabolism-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts an Altered Body Composition and Metabolic Syndrome.

Diet plays an important role in the development of obesity and may contribute to dysregulated iron metabolism (DIM). A cross-sectional survey of 208 adults was conducted in Taipei Medical University Hospital (Taipei, Taiwan). A reduced-rank regression from 31 food groups was used for a dietary pattern analysis. DIM was defined as at least four of the following criteria: serum hepcidin (men >200 ng/mL and women >140 ng/mL), hyperferritinemia (serum ferritin of >300 ng/mL in men and >200 ng/mL in women), central obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and two or more abnormal metabolic profiles. Compared to non-DIM patients, DIM patients were associated with an altered body composition and had a 4.52-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): (1.95-10.49); p < 0.001) greater risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) after adjusting for covariates. A DIM-associated dietary pattern (high intake of deep-fried food, processed meats, chicken, pork, eating out, coffee, and animal fat/skin but low intake of steamed/boiled/raw foods and dairy products) independently predicted central obesity (odds ratio (OR): 1.57; 95% CI: 1.05-2.34; p < 0.05) and MetS (OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.07-3.35; p < 0.05). Individuals with the highest DIM pattern scores (tertile 3) had a higher visceral fat mass (%) (ß = 0.232; 95% CI: 0.011-0.453; p < 0.05) but lower skeletal muscle mass (%) (ß = -1.208; 95% CI: -2.177--0.239; p < 0.05) compared to those with the lowest DIM pattern scores (tertile 1). In conclusion, a high score for the identified DIM-associated dietary pattern was associated with an unhealthier body composition and a higher risk of MetS.

Open abdomen and entero-atmospheric fistulae: An interim analysis from the International Register of Open Abdomen (IROA).

INTRODUCTION: No definitive data describing associations between cases of Open Abdomen (OA) and Entero-atmospheric fistulae (EAF) exist. The World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the Panamerican Trauma Society (PTS) thus analyzed the International Register of Open Abdomen (IROA) to assess this question. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective analysis of adult patients enrolled in the IROA. RESULTS: Among 649 adult patients with OA 58 (8.9%) developed EAF. Indications for OA were peritonitis (51.2%) and traumatic-injury (16.8%). The most frequently utilized temporary abdominal closure techniques were Commercial-NPWT (46.8%) and Bogotà-bag (21.9%). Mean OA days were 7.9 ± 18.22. Overall mortality rate was 29.7%, with EAF having no impact on mortality. Multivariate analysis associated cancer (p = 0.018), days of OA (p = 0.003) and time to provision-of-nutrition (p = 0.016) with EAF occurrence. CONCLUSION: Entero-atmospheric fistulas are influenced by the duration of open abdomen treatment and by the nutritional status of the patient. Peritonitis, intestinal anastomosis, negative pressure and oral or enteral nutrition were not risk factors for EAF during OA treatment.

New therapeutic strategy of hinokitiol in haemorrhagic shock-induced liver injury.

Haemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R) may cause global ischaemia-reperfusion injury, which can result in systemic inflammation, multiorgan failure (particularly liver failure) and high mortality. Hinokitiol, a bioactive tropolone-related compound, exhibits antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory activities. Targeting inflammatory responses is a potential strategy for ameliorating hepatic injury during HS/R. Whether hinokitiol prevents hepatic injury during HS/R remains unclear. In the present study, we determined the role of hinokitiol following HS/R. The in vivo assays revealed that hinokitiol markedly attenuated HS/R-induced hepatic injury. Hinokitiol could inhibited NF-κB activation and IL-6 and TNF-α upregulation in liver tissues. Moreover, hinokitiol reduced caspase-3 activation, upregulated Bax and downregulated Bcl-2. These findings suggest that hinokitiol can ameliorate liver injury following HS/R, partly through suppression of inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore, the in vitro data revealed that hinokitiol significantly reversed hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cell death and apoptosis in the primary hepatocytes. Hinokitiol prevented H/R-induced caspase-3 activation, PPAR cleavage, Bax overexpression and Bcl-2 downregulation. Moreover, hinokitiol attenuated H/R-stimulated NF-κB activation and reduced the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α mRNAs, suggesting that hinokitiol can protect hepatocytes from H/R injury. Collectively, our data suggest that hinokitiol attenuates liver injury following HS/R, partly through the inhibition of NF-κB activation.

Testosterone-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts Low Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadism.

Obesity and low serum testosterone (T) levels are interrelated and strongly influenced by dietary factors, and their alteration entails a great risk of hypogonadism. Substantial evidence suggests a bidirectional relationship between nutrient metabolism (e.g., glucose, lipids, and iron) and T levels in men; however, T-related dietary patterns remain unclear. This study investigated the dietary patterns associated with serum total T levels and its predictive effect on hypogonadism and the body composition. Anthropometry, blood biochemistry, and food frequency questionnaires were collected for 125 adult men. Dietary patterns were derived using a reduced rank regression from 32 food groups. Overall prevalence rates of central obesity and hypogonadism were 48.0% and 15.7%, respectively. An adjusted linear regression showed that age, insulin, red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, and transferrin saturation independently predicted serum total T levels (all p < 0.01). The total T-related dietary pattern (a high consumption of bread and pastries, dairy products, and desserts, eating out, and a low intake of homemade foods, noodles, and dark green vegetables) independently predicted hypogonadism (odds ratio: 5.72; 95% confidence interval: 1.11‒29.51, p < 0.05) for those with the highest dietary pattern scores (Q4) compared to those with the lowest (Q1). Scores were also negatively correlated with the skeletal muscle mass (p for trend = 0.002) but positively correlated with the total body fat mass (p for trend = 0.002), visceral fat mass (p for trend = 0.001), and to a lesser extent, subcutaneous fat mass (p for trend = 0.035) after adjusting for age. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm that improvement in dietary pattern can improve T levels and reduce hypogonadism.

Detection and characterization of traumatic bile leaks using Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography.

Expanding bile leaks after blunt liver trauma require more aggressive treatment than contained bile leaks. In this retrospective study approved by institution review board, we analyzed if non-invasive contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiography (CEMRC) using hepatocyte-specific contrast agent (gadoxetic acid disodium) could detect and characterize traumatic bile leaks. Between March 2012 and December 2014, written informed consents from 22 included patients (17 men, 5 women) with a median age of 24.5 years (IQR 21.8, 36.0 years) were obtained. Biliary tree visualization and bile leak detection on CEMRC acquired at 10, 20, 30, 90 minutes time points were independently graded by three radiologists on a 5-point Likert scale. Intraclass Correlation (ICC) was computed as estimates of interrater reliability. Accuracy was measured by area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC). Biliary tree visualization was the best on CEMRC at 90 minutes (score 4.30) with excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.930). Of 22 CEMRC, 15 had bile leak (8 expanding, 7 contained). The largest AUROC of bile leak detection by three radiologists were 0.824, 0.914, 0.929 respectively on CEMRC at 90 minutes with ICC of 0.816. In conclusion, bile leaks of blunt liver trauma can be accurately detected and characterized on CEMRC.

Red Blood Cell Aggregation-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts Hyperlipidemia and Metabolic Syndrome.

Red blood cell (RBC) aggregation and iron status are interrelated and strongly influenced by dietary factors, and their alterations pose a great risk of dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Currently, RBC aggregation-related dietary patterns remain unclear. This study investigated the dietary patterns that were associated with RBC aggregation and their predictive effects on hyperlipidemia and MetS. Anthropometric and blood biochemical data and food frequency questionnaires were collected from 212 adults. Dietary patterns were derived using reduced rank regression from 32 food groups. Adjusted linear regression showed that hepcidin, soluble CD163, and serum transferrin saturation (%TS) independently predicted RBC aggregation (all p < 0.01). Age-, sex-, and log-transformed body mass index (BMI)-adjusted prevalence rate ratio (PRR) showed a significant positive correlation between RBC aggregation and hyperlipidemia (p-trend < 0.05). RBC aggregation and iron-related dietary pattern scores (high consumption of noodles and deep-fried foods and low intake of steamed, boiled, and raw food, dairy products, orange, red, and purple vegetables, white and light-green vegetables, seafood, and rice) were also significantly associated with hyperlipidemia (p-trend < 0.05) and MetS (p-trend = 0.01) after adjusting for age, sex, and log-transformed BMI. Our results may help dieticians develop dietary strategies for preventing dyslipidemia and MetS.

Analysis for Patient Survival after Open Abdomen for Torso Trauma and the Impact of Achieving Primary Fascial Closure: A Single-Center Experience.

Open abdomen indicates the abdominal fascia is unclosed to abbreviate surgery and to reduce physiological stress. However, complications and difficulties in patient care are often encountered after operation. During May 2008 to March 2013, we performed a prospective protocol-directed observation study regarding open abdomen use in trauma patients. Bogota bag is the temporary abdomen closure initially but negative pressure dressing is used later. A goal-directed ICU care is applied and primary fascial closure is the primary endpoint. There were 242 patients received laparotomy after torso trauma and 84 (34.7%) had open abdomen. Twenty patients soon died within one day and were excluded. Among the included 64 patients, there were 49 (76.6%) males and the mean Injury Severity Score was 31.7. Uncontrolled bleeding was the major indication for open abdomen (64.1%) and the average duration of open abdomen was about 4.2 ± 2.2 days. After treatment, 53(82.8%) had primary fascia closure, which is significant for patient survival (odds ratio 21.6; 95% confidence interval: 3.27-142, p = 0.0014). Factors related to failed primary fascia closure are profound shock during operation, high Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score in ICU and inadequate urine amount at first 48 hours admission.

Distal embolization versus combined embolization techniques for blunt splenic injuries: comparison of the efficacy and complications.

Comparable failure rates of distal or proximal transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) techniques for blunt splenic injuries have been reported. This study is to investigate the efficacy and complication of combining both TAE techniques. We included 26 patients of blunt splenic injuries for TAE therapy and randomized them into distal TAE and combined TAE groups. A prospective study was performed to compare their demographics, clinical parameters, hemograms, post-TAE splenic infarct volumes, splenic abscess and pancreatitis between the two groups. Of 26 patients, 17 received distal TAE, 9 received combined TAE. Their basic demographics, clinical parameters and hemograms did not differ. Mean systolic blood pressure of all patients was significantly elevated after TAE at 24 hours later. Three patients of distal TAE group had residual pseudoaneurysms in follow up. They were considered failures in distal TAE group as opposed to all successes in combined TAE group. The risk difference of failure of distal TAE was 17.6%. None developed post-TAE splenic abscess, massive splenic infarct or pancreatitis. The mean splenic infarct volume of distal TAE (10.9%) versus combined TAE groups (6.6%) was not significant (p = 0.481). Combined TAE is effective and safe to decrease the failure rates of non-operative management for blunt splenic injuries.

Erratum to: IROA: International Register of Open Abdomen, preliminary results.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13017-017-0123-8.].

IROA: International Register of Open Abdomen, preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: No definitive data about open abdomen (OA) epidemiology and outcomes exist. The World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the Panamerican Trauma Society (PTS) promoted the International Register of Open Abdomen (IROA). METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study including patients with an OA treatment. Data were recorded on a web platform (Clinical Registers®) through a dedicated website: www.clinicalregisters.org. RESULTS: Four hundred two patients enrolled. Adult patients: 369 patients; Mean age: 57.39±18.37; 56% male; Mean BMI: 36±5.6. OA indication: Peritonitis (48.7%), Trauma (20.5%), Vascular Emergencies/Hemorrhage (9.4%), Ischemia (9.1%), Pancreatitis (4.2%),Post-operative abdominal-compartment-syndrome (3.9%), Others (4.2%). The most adopted Temporary-abdominal-closure systems were the commercial negative pressure ones (44.2%). During OA 38% of patients had complications; among them 10.5% had fistula. Definitive closure: 82.8%; Mortality during treatment: 17.2%. Mean duration of OA: 5.39(±4.83) days; Mean number of dressing changes: 0.88(±0.88). After-closure complications: (49.5%) and Mortality: (9%). No significant associations among TACT, indications, mortality, complications and fistula. A linear correlationexists between days of OA and complications (Pearson linear correlation = 0.326 p<0.0001) and with the fistula development (Pearson = 0.146 p= 0.016). Pediatric patients: 33 patients. Mean age: 5.91±(3.68) years; 60% male. Mortality: 3.4%; Complications: 44.8%; Fistula: 3.4%. Mean duration of OA: 3.22(±3.09) days. CONCLUSION: Temporary abdominal closure is reliable and safe. The different techniques account for different results according to the different indications. In peritonitis commercial negative pressure temporary closure seems to improve results. In trauma skin-closure and Bogotà-bag seem to improve results. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02382770.

Efficacy of postoperative polymyxin B hemoperfusion in secondary peritonitis patients with septic shock: a propensity-matched analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Severe sepsis and septic shock is still a challenge. Polymyxin B hemoperfusion (PMX) is a device designed to remove circulating endotoxin by adsorption, which is reported to improve treatment outcomes. This study aimed to further verify the efficacy of PMX on postoperative, peritonitis, septic shock patients. METHODS: This study prospectively analyzed 20 of 155 patients who presented with postoperative septic shock and were treated with PMX in a single institute during the period March 2013 to September 2014 (Clinical Trial Protocol number: ChiCTR-ONC-16008160). A control group (53 patients) was recruited from our own 2012 database using the propensity-matching score method. The data collection includes demographic data, postoperative organ dysfunction status, disease severity and treatment result. RESULTS: The 2 groups (treatment vs. control) were similar in demographic data, organ dysfunction status and disease severity. PMX use provides benefits for recovery of hemodynamic status and many other aspects, including better survival, but is not statistically significant. For survival factor analysis, PMX use is also not significant for patient survival in our study. CONCLUSIONS: PMX provided some benefits to patients in the treatment for peritonitis septic shock. An improvement in hemodynamic status was mostly observed. Our study also supports the finding that PMX used as an auxiliary treatment provides improved survival but is not statistically significant, possibly due to the small sample size with multiple comorbidities.