Establishment and evaluation of early in-hospital death prediction model for patients with acute pancreatitis in intensive care unit / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the death risk prediction factors of acute pancreatitis (AP) patients in intensive care unit (ICU), and to establish a death prediction model and evaluate its efficacy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the data in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲ (MIMIC-Ⅲ). The clinical data of 285 AP patients admitted to the ICU in the database were collected, including age, gender, blood routine and blood biochemical indicators, comorbidities, simplified acute physiology score Ⅲ (SAPS Ⅲ) and hospital prognosis. By using univariate analysis, the differences in the clinical data of the patients were compared between the two groups. Binary multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen out independent predictors of in-hospital death in AP patients. A death prediction model was established, and the nomogram was drawn. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to test the discrimination of the prediction model. In addition, the prediction model was compared with the SAPSⅢ score in predicting in-hospital death. The calibration ability of the prediction model was evaluated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test, and a calibration map was drawn to show the calibration degree of the prediction model.Results:Among 285 patients with AP, 29 patients died in the hospital and 256 patients survived. Univariate analysis showed that the patients in the death group were older than those in the survival group (years old: 70±17 vs. 58±16), and had higher white blood cell count (WBC), total bilirubin (TBil), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW), proportion of congestive heart failure and SAPSⅢ score [WBC (×10 9/L): 18.5 (13.9, 24.3) vs. 13.2 (9.3, 17.9), TBil (μmol/L): 29.1 (15.4, 66.7) vs. 16.2 (10.3, 29.1), SCr (μmol/L): 114.9 (88.4, 300.6) vs. 79.6 (53.0, 114.9), BUN (mmol/L): 13.9 (9.3, 17.8) vs. 6.1 (3.7, 9.6), RDW: 0.152 (0.141, 0.165) vs. 0.141 (0.134, 0.150), congestive heart failure: 34.5% vs. 14.8%, SAPSⅢ score: 66 (52, 90) vs. 39 (30, 48), all P < 0.05]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.038, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.005-1.073], WBC ( OR = 1.103, 95% CI was 1.038-1.172), TBil ( OR = 1.247, 95% CI was 1.066-1.459), BUN ( OR = 1.034, 95% CI was 1.014-1.055) and RDW ( OR = 1.344, 95% CI was 1.024-1.764) were independent risk predictors of in-hospital death in patients with AP. Logistic regression model was established: Logit ( P) = 0.037×age+0.098×WBC+0.221×TBil+0.033×BUN+0.296×RDW-12.133. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC of the Logistic regression model for predicting the in-hospital death of patients with AP was 0.870 (95% CI was 0.794-0.946), the sensitivity was 86.2%, and the specificity was 78.5%, indicating that the model had good predictive performance, and it was superior to the SAPSⅢ score [AUC was 0.831 (95% CI was 0.754-0.907), the sensitivity was 82.8%, and the specificity was 75.4%]. A nomogram model was established based on the result of multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The calibration map showed that the calibration curve of the nomogram model was very close to the standard curve, with the goodness of fit test: χ 2 = 6.986, P = 0.538, indicating that the consistency between the predicted death risk of the nomogram model and the actual occurrence risk was relatively high. Conclusions:The older the AP patient is, the higher the WBC, TBil, BUN, and RDW, and the greater the risk of hospital death. The death prediction Logistic regression model and nomogram model constructed based on the above indicators have good discrimination ability and high accuracy for high-risk patients with hospital death, which can accurately predict the probability of death in AP patients and provide a basis for prognosis judgment and clinical treatment of AP patients.

Development and validation of a prognostic model for patients with sepsis in intensive care unit / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To analyze the risk factors related to the prognosis of patients with sepsis in intensive care unit (ICU), construct a nomogram model, and verify its predictive efficacy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ 0.4 [MIMIC-Ⅳ (version 2.0)]. The information of 6 500 patients with sepsis who meet the diagnostic criteria of Sepsis-3 were collected, including demography characteristics, complications, laboratory indicators within 24 hours after ICU admission, and final outcome. Using a simple random sampling method, the patients were divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 7∶3. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to explore whether there was a linear relationship between each variable and the prognosis, and the nonlinear variables were truncated into categorical variables. All variables were screened by LASSO regression and included in multivariate Cox regression analysis to analyze the death risk factors in ICU patients with sepsis, and construct a nomograph. The consistency index, calibration curve and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) were used to evaluate the prediction efficiency of nomogram model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to validate the clinical value of the model and its impact on actual decision-making.Results:Among 6 500 patients with sepsis, 4 551 were in the training set and 1 949 were in the validation set. The 28-day, 90-day and 1-year mortality in the training set were 27.73% (1?262/4?551), 34.76% (1?582/4?551), and 42.98% (1?956/4?551), respectively, those in the validation set were 27.24% (531/1?949), 33.91% (661/1?949), and 42.23% (823/1?949), respectively. Both in training set and the validation set, compared with the final survival patients, the death patients were older, and had higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and simplified acute physiology scoreⅡ (SAPSⅡ), more comorbidities, less urine output, and more use of vasoactive drugs, kidney replacement therapy, and mechanical ventilation. By RCS analysis, the variables with potential nonlinear correlation with the prognosis risk of septic patients were transformed into categorical variable. The variables screened by LASSO regression were enrolled in the multivariate Cox regression model. The results showed that age [hazard ratio ( HR) = 1.021, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.018-1.024], SOFA score ( HR = 1.020, 95% CI was 1.000-1.040), SAPSⅡ score > 44 ( HR = 1.480, 95% CI was 1.340-1.634), mean arterial pressure (MAP) ≤ 75 mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa; HR = 1.120, 95% CI was 1.026-1.222), respiratory rate (RR; HR = 1.044, 95% CI was 1.034-1.055), cerebrovascular disease ( HR = 1.620, 95% CI was 1.443-1.818), malignant tumor ( HR = 1.604, 95% CI was 1.447-1.778), severe liver disease ( HR = 1.330, 95% CI was 1.157-1.530), use of vasoactive drugs within 24 hours ( HR = 1.213, 95% CI was 1.101-1.336), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2; HR = 0.999, 95% CI was 0.998-1.000), blood lactic acid (Lac; HR = 1.066, 95% CI was 1.053-1.079), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) > 8.9 mmol/L ( HR = 1.257, 95% CI was 1.144-1.381), total bilirubin (TBil; HR = 1.023, 95% CI was 1.015-1.031), and prothrombin time (PT) > 14.5 s ( HR = 1.232, 95% CI was 1.127-1.347) were associated with the death of ICU patients with sepsis (all P < 0.05). Based on the above factors, a nomogram model was constructed, and the model validation results showed that the consistency index was 0.730. The calibration curve showed a good consistency between the predicted results of the nomogram model and observed results in the training and validation sets. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) predicted by the nomogram model in the training set and the validation set for 28-day, 90-day and 1-year death risk was 0.771 (95% CI was 0.756-0.786) and 0.761 (95% CI was 0.738-0.784), 0.777 (95% CI was 0.763-0.791) and 0.765 (95% CI was 0.744-0.787), 0.677 (95% CI was 0.648-0.707) and 0.685 (95% CI was 0.641-0.728), respectively. DCA analysis showed that the nomogram model had significant net benefits in predicting 28-day, 90-day, and 1-year death risk, verifying the clinical value of the model and its good impact on actual decision-making. Conclusions:The death risk factors related to ICU patients with sepsis include age, SOFA score, SAPSⅡ score > 44, MAP ≤ 75 mmHg, RR, cerebrovascular disease, malignant tumors, severe liver disease, use of vasoactive drugs within 24 hours, PaO 2, Lac, BUN, TBil, PT > 14.5 s. The nomogram model constructed based on this can predict the death risk of ICU patients with sepsis.

A Case of Foreign Body Aspiration Mimicking Asthma in Adult

@#Foreign body aspiration is uncommon in adults who have no known risk factors such as mental retardation, poor dentition, or advanced age. Adults with foreign body aspiration are commonly misdiagnosed with bronchial asthma, however, does not respond to standard bronchodilator treatment. A thorough history-taking, focused physical examination and a high index of suspicion is crucial in making the correct diagnosis. This paper reports an interesting case of a 41- year-old woman with an undetected 10-year long foreign body aspiration which was misdiagnosed as bronchial asthma.

Choroidal ganglioneuromas in Francois variant neurofibromatosis-1: A rare retinoblastoma mimic

Neurofibromtosis-1 (NF-1) is the commonest oculo-neuro-cutaneous syndrome with multiple ocular manifestations. Reporting three children who presented with unilateral glaucoma (buphthalmos), ipsilateral facial hemihypertrophy, and eyelid plexiform neurofibroma: completing the triad of François syndrome, a rare NF1 variant. Two presented with leukocoria and were referred to as retinoblastoma suspects. Histopathology showed ganglioneuroma, a benign choroidal tumor, associated with NF-1, which does not need treatment. Knowledge of this rare condition avoids misdiagnosis of retinoblastoma, prevents aggressive management, and the associated psychological impact.

A cohort study of developing a death risk prediction model in patients with septic shock based on MIMIC-Ⅲ database / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To develop and validate a model for predicting death risk in septic shock patients using LASSO-Logistic methods.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Based on the open-source database Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲ v1.4 (MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4), the septic shock patients meeting the Sepsis-3 criteria were included, and the data on demographic characteristics, major signs, laboratory examinations, hospitalization, and outcomes were extracted. Predictive variables were selected by LASSO regression and predictive models were derived using Logistic regression. The calibration of the model was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and discrimination was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve).Results:A total of 693 patients with septic shock were enrolled, in which 445 patients survived and 248 patients dead within 30 days and the mortality was 35.8%. Logistic regression model was constructed according to nine predictive variables and outcome variables screened by LASSO regression method, which showed that advanced age, Elixhauser index, blood lactic acid (Lac), K + level and mechanical ventilation were associated with increased 30-day mortality [odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.023 (1.010-1.037), 1.047 (1.022-1.074), 1.213 (1.133-1.305), 2.241 (1.664-3.057), 2.165 (1.433-3.301), respectively, all P < 0.01], and reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), body temperature, and pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2) were also associated with increased 30-day mortality [ OR (95% CI) was 0.974 (0.957-0.990), 0.972 (0.950-0.994), 0.693 (0.556-0.857), 0.971 (0.949-0.992), respectively, all P < 0.05]. The calibration curve showed that the predicted risk of septic shock death risk prediction model had good agreement with the real situation. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the prediction model was 0.839 (95% CI was 0.803-0.876), which could distinguish patients at risk of death from those at risk of survival. Conclusions:The septic shock death risk prediction model has a good ability to identify the 30-day mortality risk of septic shock patients, including nine hospital readily variables (age, Elixhauser index, mechanical ventilation, Lac, K +, SBP, DBP, body temperature and SpO 2). The model could be used by clinicians to calculate the risk of death in septic shock individuals.

The value of various severity assessment scoring systems in sepsis diagnosis and long-term prognosis prediction after cardiac surgery / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the diagnostic value of various severity assessment scoring systems for sepsis after cardiac surgery and the predictive value for long-term prognosis. Methods    The clinical data of patients who underwent cardiac sugeries including coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and (or) valve reconstruction/valve replacement were extracted from Medical Information Mark for Intensive Care-Ⅲ (MIMIC-Ⅲ). A total of 6 638 patients were enrolled in this study, including 4 558 males and 2 080 females, with an average age of 67.0±12.2 years. Discriminatory power was determined by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for each scoring system individually using the method of DeLong. An X-tile analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off point for each scoring system, and the patients were grouped by the cut-off point, and Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test were applied to analyze their long-term survival. Results    Compared with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, acute physiology score-Ⅲ (APS-Ⅲ, P<0.001), the simplified acute physiology score-Ⅱ (SAPS-Ⅱ, P<0.001) and logistic organ dysfunction score (LODS, P<0.001) were more accurate in distinguishing sepsis. Compared with the non-septic group, the 10-year overall survival rate of the septic group was lower (P<0.001). Except for the systemic inflammation response score (SIRS) system, the 10-year overall survival rates of patients in the high risk layers of SOFA (HR=2.50, 95%CI 2.23-2.80, P<0.001), SAPS (HR=2.93, 95%CI 2.64-3.26, P<0.001), SAPS-Ⅱ (HR=2.77, 95%CI 2.51-3.04, P<0.001), APS-Ⅲ (HR=2.90, 95%CI 2.63-3.20, P<0.001), LODS (HR=2.17, 95%CI 1.97-2.38, P<0.001), modified logistic organ dysfunction score (MLODS, HR=2.04, 95%CI 1.86-2.25, P<0.001) and the Oxford acute severity of illness score (OASIS, HR=2.37, 95%CI 2.16-2.60, P<0.001) systems were lower than those in the low risk layers. Conclusion    Compared with SOFA score, APS-Ⅲ score may have higher value in the diagnosis of sepsis in patients who undergo isolated CABG, a valve procedure or a combination of both. Except for SIRS scoring system, SOFA, APS-Ⅲ, SAPS, SAPS-Ⅱ, LODS, MLODS and OASIS scoring systems can be applied to predict the long-term outcome of patients after cardiac surgery.

Diagnostic value of mechanical power in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: an analysis using the data from MIMIC-Ⅲ / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of mechanical power (MP) in patients with moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲv1.4 (MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4).Methods:The information of ARDS patients undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation for no less than 48 hours who were hospitalized at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts from June 2001 to October 2012 in the MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4 were collected. The demographics of patients, disease severity scores, ARDS etiology, prognostic indicators, pre-ventilation arterial blood gas analysis and respiratory parameters within 48 hours of ventilation were extracted. According to the lowest oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2) before ventilation, the patients were divided into mild to moderate ARDS group (> 150 mmHg, 1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa) and moderate to severe ARDS group (≤ 150 mmHg), and the differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared. The independent predictors associated with the severity of ARDS were analyzed using Logistic regression. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic value of MP for moderate to severe ARDS. The Youden index was used to determine the diagnostic threshold of MP for moderate to severe ARDS. According to the cut-off value of MP based on Youden index, all ARDS patients were divided into high and low MP groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze the 28-day survival status of patients. Results:A total of 403 ARDS patients were enrolled in the study, including 107 subjects with mild to moderate ARDS and 296 with moderate to severe ARDS. There were significant differences in age, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, the lowest PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, the last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, 28-day mortality, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn) in the second 24 hours of ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), plateau pressure (Pplat), driving pressure (ΔP), respiratory rate (RR), lung static compliance (Cst), MP, inspired fraction of oxygen (FiO 2) within 48 hours of ventilation between the two groups. After adjusting variables such as age, SOFA score, the last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation, and related respiratory mechanics parameters, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that higher ΔP, PEEP and MP, and lower last PaO 2/FiO 2 before ventilation were independently associated with moderate to severe ARDS [odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.137 (1.032-1.252), 1.333 (1.139-1.561), 1.102 (1.030-1.179), and 0.996 (0.993-0.998), respectively, all P < 0.01]. The ROC curve analysis showed that the best cut-off value of MP for the diagnosis of moderate to severe ARDS was 18.1 J/min with sensitivity of 81.42% and specificity of 60.75%, and the AUC was 0.745 (95% CI was 0.690-0.799). According to the cut-off value of MP obtained by ROC curve, all ARDS patients were divided into high MP group (> 18.1 J/min) and low MP group (≤ 18.1 J/min). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day cumulative survival rate in the high MP group was significantly lower than that in the low MP group (73.8% vs. 85.1%; Log-Rank test: χ2 = 5.660, P = 0.017). Conclusion:MP is an independent predictor of the severity of ARDS, and it can be used to diagnose moderate to severe ARDS.

Invasive arterial blood pressure monitoring improves the prognosis of patients with sepsis / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the effect of invasive arterial blood pressure (IBP) monitoring on the prognosis of patients with sepsis.Methods:Patients with sepsis from the MIMIC-Ⅳ database were collected and divided into IBP and non-invasive blood pressure monitoring (NIBP) groups according to whether IBP monitoring was performed. Baseline variables that were considered clinically relevant or showed a univariate relationship with the outcome were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model as covariates.Propensity score matching(PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighing(IPTW) were used to adjust confounders to ensure the robustness of findings.Subgroup analysis were conducted to evaluate the effect of differences in IBP onset and duration on outcome.Results:The 28-day mortality is lower in IBP group compared with NIBP group( OR=0.54, 95% CI 0.46-0.62, P<0.001), the conclusion maintain robust after PSM and IPTW.Then we conducted a series of logistic regression regarding to different initial IBP time(<24 h,24 h-48 h,>48 h) and the initial IBP time within 24 h showed the same results compared to primary outcoms( OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.36-0.49, P<0.001). IBP duration varied (≤1day, ≤2days, ≤3days, ≤4days, >4days) all showed a statistically significant association with decreased 28-day mortality in the IBP group. Conclusions:IBP is associated with decreased 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis, and the optimal time of IBP is within 24 hours.

Relationship between immune indexes and prognosis in patients with sepsis: data analysis based on MIMIC-Ⅳ database / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the changes of immune indexes and prognosis in patients with sepsis.Methods:Based on the hospitalization information from 2008 to 2019 in the American Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ v2.0 (MIMIC-Ⅳ v2.0), the hospitalized data including CD3 count, CD4 count, CD8 count, CD4/CD8 ratio, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) levels and lymphocyte counts, gender, age, body mass index (BMI), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and prognosis of patients with coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, underlying diseases, and 28-day prognosis were collected. The immunological indexes affecting the prognosis of patients with sepsis were compared and analyzed. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the value of immunological indexes in predicting the 28-day prognosis of patients with sepsis.Results:A total of 33 745 patients were enrolled in the study, including 1 509 cases of sepsis and 32 236 cases without sepsis. Among the patients with sepsis, there were 1 084 cases alive and 425 cases died within 28 days. BMI (kg/m 2: 33.25±28.71 vs. 28.90±15.28) and IgA levels within 3 days and 7 days after admission in sepsis group were significantly higher than those in the non-sepsis group [within 3 days after admission: (275.01±216.96) mg/L vs. (85.99±75.76) mg/L; within 7 days after admission: (275.01±216.96) mg/L vs. (85.99±75.76) mg/L, all P < 0.05]. CD3 count, CD8 count within 3 days and 7 days after admission in sepsis group were significantly lower than that in the non-sepsis group [within 3 days after admission: CD3 counts were (1 080.74±849.23)/μL vs. (1 242.91±889.24)/μL, CD8 counts were (558.07±368.77)/μL vs. (625.07±529.66)/μL; within 7 days after admission: CD3 counts were (1 079.69±850.61)/μL vs. (1 242.48±889.23)/μL, CD8 counts were (556.70±467.23)/μL vs. (624.93±429.78)/μL, all P < 0.05]. The proportion of patients with hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease were significantly higher than those in the non-sepsis group [hypertension: 10.07% (152/1 509) vs. 2.47% (796/32 236), diabetes: 50.10% (756/1 509) vs.15.18% (4 895/32 236), coronary heart disease: 31.21% (471/1 509) vs. 19.19% (6 186/32 236), all P < 0.05]. In the sepsis group, the CD3 count, CD4 count and CD4/CD8 ratio in the survival group were significantly higher than those in the death group within 3 days and 7 days after admission [within 3 days after admission: CD3 counts were (1 127.20±857.14)/μL vs. (938.26±810.50)/μL, CD4 counts were (559.76±507.18)/μL vs. (338.75±267.11)/μL, CD4/CD8 ratios were 1.87±0.80 vs. 1.02±0.12; within 7 days after admission: CD3 count were (1 124.01±810.53)/μL vs. (943.78±808.21)/μL, CD4 count were (559.56±507.36)/μL vs. (341.95±266.56)/μL, CD4/CD8 ratios were 1.88±0.79 vs. 1.03±0.13, all P < 0.05]. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of CD4/CD8 ratio within 3 days after admission in predicting the prognosis of septic patients at 28 days was 0.615 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.555-0.671], the sensitivity was 70.83%, and the specificity was 52.49%. Conclusions:Hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes are more likely to induce sepsis. The changes of immune indexes in patients with sepsis will occur in the early stage. Early CD4/CD8 index can predict the prognosis of patients with sepsis to a certain extent.

Predictive value of six critical illness scores for 28-day death risk in comprehensive and specialized intensive care unit patients based on MIMIC-Ⅳ database / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the basic characteristics of various types of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and the predictive value of six common disease severity scores in critically ill patients on the first day on the 28-day death risk.Methods:The general information, disease severity scores [acute physiology score Ⅲ (APSⅢ), Oxford acute disease severity (OASIS) score, Logistic organ dysfunction score (LODS), simplified acute physiology score Ⅱ (SAPSⅡ), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score], prognosis and other indicators of critically ill patients admitted from 2008 to 2019 were extracted from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ 2.0 (MIMIC-Ⅳ 2.0). The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) of six critical illness scores for 28-day death risk of patients in various ICU, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated, the optimal Youden index was used to determine the cut-off value, and the AUC of various ICU was verified by Delong method.Results:A total of 53 150 critically ill patients were enrolled, with medical ICU (MICU) accounted for the most (19.25%, n = 10 233), followed by cardiac vascular ICU (CVICU) with 17.78% ( n = 9 450), and neurological ICU (NICU) accounted for the least (6.25%, n = 3 320). The patients in coronary care unit (CCU) were the oldest [years old: 71.79 (60.27, 82.33)]. The length of ICU stay in NICU was the longest [days: 2.84 (1.51, 5.49)] and accounted for the highest proportion of total length of hospital stay [63.51% (34.61%, 97.07%)]. The patients in comprehensive ICU had the shortest length of ICU stay [days: 1.75 (0.99, 3.05)]. The patients in CVICU had the lowest proportion of length of ICU stay to total length of hospital stay [27.69% (18.68%, 45.18%)]. The six scores within the first day of ICU admission in NICU patients were lower than those in the other ICU, while APSⅢ, LODS, OASIS, and SOFA scores in MICU patients were higher than those in the other ICU. SAPⅡ and SIRS scores were both the highest in CVICU, respectively. In terms of prognosis, MICU patients had the highest 28-day mortality (14.14%, 1 447/10 233), while CVICU patients had the lowest (2.88%, 272/9 450). ROC curve analysis of the predictive value of each score on the 28-day death risk of various ICU patients showed that, the predictive value of APSⅢ, LODS, and SAPSⅡ in comprehensive ICU were higher [AUC and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were 0.84 (0.83-0.85), 0.82 (0.81-0.84), and 0.83 (0.82-0.84), respectively]. The predictive value of OASIS, LODS, and SAPSⅡ in surgical ICU (SICU) were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.80 (0.79-0.82), 0.79 (0.78-0.81), and 0.79 (0.77-0.80), respectively]. The predictive value of APSⅢ and SAPSⅡ in MICU were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.84 (0.82-0.85) and 0.82 (0.81-0.83), respectively]. The predictive value of APSⅢ and SAPSⅡ in CCU were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.86 (0.85-0.88) and 0.85 (0.83-0.86), respectively]. The predictive value of LODS and SAPSⅡ in trauma ICU (TICU) were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.83 (0.82-0.83) and 0.83 (0.82-0.84), respectively]. The predictive value of OASIS and SAPSⅡ in NICU were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.83 (0.80-0.85) and 0.81 (0.78-0.83), respectively]. The predictive value of APSⅢ, LODS, and SAPSⅡ in CVICU were higher [AUC and 95% CI were 0.84 (0.83-0.85), 0.81 (0.80-0.82), and 0.78 (0.77-0.78), respectively]. Conclusions:For the patients in comprehensive ICU, MICU, CCU, and CVICU, APSⅢ or SAPSⅡ can be applied for predicting 28-day death risk. For the patients in SICU and NICU, OASIS or SAPSⅡ can be applied to predict 28-day death risk. For the patients in TICU, SAPSⅡ or LODS can be applied for predicting 28-day death risk. For CVICU patients, APSⅢ or LODS can be applied to predict 28-day death risk.

Trophic relationships among three species of ornamental fish from the region of Lake Amanã, Amazon / Relações tróficas entre três espécies de peixes ornamentais da região do lago de Amanã, Amazonas

The present study objectified to evaluate the trophic relationships and the possible aggressive mimicry involving Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae and Gnathocharax steindachneri, in lowland forest streams. Samplings occurred in November 2002, March and August 2003 in Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (ASDR). The total of 943 fish was caught, being 79.43% of C. marthae, 3.18% of C. strigata and 17.39% of G. steindachneri. Stomach contents, degree of stomach repletion, relative volume and frequency of occurrence of food items were evaluated. Thirteen food items were identified, and the presence of terrestrial and aquatic insects indicates the high dependence of these species and the flooded forest. Low feeding overlap was observed between Carnegiella strigata and C. marthae compared to Gnathocharax steindachneri. However, the overlap between the two Carnegiella species was relatively high, which could explain the low frequency of syntopic occurrence among these species, suggesting a possible case of competitive exclusion.

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as relações tróficas e a possível existência de uma relação de mimetismo agressivo envolvendo Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae e Gnathocharax steindachneri, em igarapés de terra firme. As coletas ocorreram em novembro de 2002, março e agosto de 2003 e foram realizadas na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável de Amanã (RDSA). Foram capturados 943 peixes, onde C. marthae representou 79,43%, C. strigata 3,18% e G. steindachneri 17,39%. Foram analisados os conteúdos estomacais e verificados grau de repleção, volume relativo e frequência de ocorrência dos alimentos. Foram identificados 13 itens alimentares, onde insetos terrestres e aquáticos denotaram alto grau de dependência destas espécies em relação à floresta alagada. Ocorreu baixa sobreposição alimentar das espécies Carnegiella strigata e C. marthae em relação a Gnathocharax steindachneri. Entretanto, a sobreposição entre as duas espécies de Carnegiella foi relativamente alta, o que poderia explicar a baixa frequência de ocorrência sintópica entre essas espécies, sugerindo um possível caso de exclusão competitiva.

Trophic relationships among three species of ornamental fish from the region of Lake Amanã, Amazon

Abstract The present study objectified to evaluate the trophic relationships and the possible aggressive mimicry involving Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae and Gnathocharax steindachneri, in lowland forest streams. Samplings occurred in November 2002, March and August 2003 in Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (ASDR). The total of 943 fish was caught, being 79.43% of C. marthae, 3.18% of C. strigata and 17.39% of G. steindachneri. Stomach contents, degree of stomach repletion, relative volume and frequency of occurrence of food items were evaluated. Thirteen food items were identified, and the presence of terrestrial and aquatic insects indicates the high dependence of these species and the flooded forest. Low feeding overlap was observed between Carnegiella strigata and C. marthae compared to Gnathocharax steindachneri. However, the overlap between the two Carnegiella species was relatively high, which could explain the low frequency of syntopic occurrence among these species, suggesting a possible case of competitive exclusion.

Resumo Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as relações tróficas e a possível existência de uma relação de mimetismo agressivo envolvendo Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae e Gnathocharax steindachneri, em igarapés de terra firme. As coletas ocorreram em novembro de 2002, março e agosto de 2003 e foram realizadas na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável de Amanã (RDSA). Foram capturados 943 peixes, onde C. marthae representou 79,43%, C. strigata 3,18% e G. steindachneri 17,39%. Foram analisados os conteúdos estomacais e verificados grau de repleção, volume relativo e frequência de ocorrência dos alimentos. Foram identificados 13 itens alimentares, onde insetos terrestres e aquáticos denotaram alto grau de dependência destas espécies em relação à floresta alagada. Ocorreu baixa sobreposição alimentar das espécies Carnegiella strigata e C. marthae em relação a Gnathocharax steindachneri. Entretanto, a sobreposição entre as duas espécies de Carnegiella foi relativamente alta, o que poderia explicar a baixa frequência de ocorrência sintópica entre essas espécies, sugerindo um possível caso de exclusão competitiva.

Trophic relationships among three species of ornamental fish from the region of Lake Amanã, Amazon / Relações tróficas entre três espécies de peixes ornamentais da região do lago de Amanã, Amazonas

The present study objectified to evaluate the trophic relationships and the possible aggressive mimicry involving Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae and Gnathocharax steindachneri, in lowland forest streams. Samplings occurred in November 2002, March and August 2003 in Amanã Sustainable Development Reserve (ASDR). The total of 943 fish was caught, being 79.43% of C. marthae, 3.18% of C. strigata and 17.39% of G. steindachneri. Stomach contents, degree of stomach repletion, relative volume and frequency of occurrence of food items were evaluated. Thirteen food items were identified, and the presence of terrestrial and aquatic insects indicates the high dependence of these species and the flooded forest. Low feeding overlap was observed between Carnegiella strigata and C. marthae compared to Gnathocharax steindachneri. However, the overlap between the two Carnegiella species was relatively high, which could explain the low frequency of syntopic occurrence among these species, suggesting a possible case of competitive exclusion.

Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as relações tróficas e a possível existência de uma relação de mimetismo agressivo envolvendo Carnegiella strigata, Carnegiella marthae e Gnathocharax steindachneri, em igarapés de terra firme. As coletas ocorreram em novembro de 2002, março e agosto de 2003 e foram realizadas na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável de Amanã (RDSA). Foram capturados 943 peixes, onde C. marthae representou 79,43%, C. strigata 3,18% e G. steindachneri 17,39%. Foram analisados os conteúdos estomacais e verificados grau de repleção, volume relativo e frequência de ocorrência dos alimentos. Foram identificados 13 itens alimentares, onde insetos terrestres e aquáticos denotaram alto grau de dependência destas espécies em relação à floresta alagada. Ocorreu baixa sobreposição alimentar das espécies Carnegiella strigata e C. marthae em relação a Gnathocharax steindachneri. Entretanto, a sobreposição entre as duas espécies de Carnegiella foi relativamente alta, o que poderia explicar a baixa frequência de ocorrência sintópica entre essas espécies, sugerindo um possível caso de exclusão competitiva.

Stroke-mimic and scleroderma in "coup de sabre": Case report / Stroke-mimic y esclerodermia en «coup de sabre¼: reporte de caso

ABSTRACT A case is presented of an atypical manifestation of localized scleroderma. The patient is a 30-year-old Caucasian women with localized facial scleroderma "coup de sabre", with clinical stability foryears. She was seen in the Emergency Department due to a sudden lack of sensitivity in her left side, and was treated as a stroke. Complementary tests showed intracranial parenchymal images that were finally attributed to the localized scleroderma. After a comprehensive literature review, this presentation was more frequent than expected. This is why neurological symptoms should be carefully evaluated in these patients. This is the first stroke-mimic case reported.

RESUMEN A continuación, presentamos el caso de una paciente con una manifestación atípica para esclerodermia localizada. Mujer de 30 an˜ os con esclerodermia localizada facial en sabré¼, con estabilidad clínica de las lesiones durante an˜ os. En el 2017 acude al servicio de urgencias por un cuadro de alteración sensitiva en hemicuerpo izquierdo que fue tratada como un ictus. En los estudios complementarios se objetivaron lesiones parenquimatosas finalmente atribuibles a la esclerodermia localizada. Tras revisar la literatura, este tipo de lesiones es más frecuente de lo esperado, por lo que parece obligatorio dedicar más atención a los síntomas neurológicos en los pacientes con esclerodermia localizada. Este es el primer caso de stroke-mimic reportado.

Overview of systematic reviews/meta analyses on traditional exercise for the improvement of cardiopulmonary function / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To evaluate the methodological quality and evidence quality of outcome of the systematic reviews/meta analyses on traditional exercise for the improvement of cardiopulmonary function.Methods:By searching for PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and CBM databases in Chinese or English, the Systematic Reviews/meta analysis of traditional exercises for improving cardiopulmonary function was conducted. The retrieval time was March 8th, 2020. The AMSTAR 2 scale was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the systematic review/meta-analysis that met the inclusion criteria. Since the included studies cannot reflect the overall effect of traditional exercises on improving cardiopulmonary function, and the methodological quality of systematic reviews was generally low, a secondary analysis of the RCT studies included in the systematic reviews was conducted. The methodological quality evaluation of the original RCT study adopted the Cochrane Reviewers’ Handbook Version 5.0.0 bias risk assessment method (Risk of Bias, ROB), and applied the Revman 5.3 software to merge the original RCT data. The GRADE system was used for evidence evaluation.Results:A total of 32 systematic reviews/meta analysis were included, and the AMSTAR2 scale indicated that only one of the 32 systematic reviews/meta included was of high-quality, 1 was of low-quality, and the others were of extremely low quality. A total of 57 RCTs were included in the 32 systematic reviews for bias risk assessment and data consolidation. GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed that 14 evidences were of medium quality, 26 evidences were of low quality, and 5 evidences were of extremely low quality.Conclusions:Traditional exercises can improve cardiopulmonary function, but with low evidence quality. Thus, clinicians should make clinical decisions based on conditions.

Analysis of clinical features and risk factors for mortality in patients with culture-negative sepsis: a single-center retrospective cohort study based on MIMIC-Ⅳ / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To compare the characteristics and outcomes of culture-positive sepsis (CPS) with culture-negative sepsis (CNS) patients in order to understand the impact of CNS on prognosis and explore the possible risk factors for mortality.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with sepsis were identified from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database-Ⅳ v0.4 (MIMIC-Ⅳ v0.4). Patients were divided into CPS and CNS groups according to the culture results within 24 hours before and after the diagnosis of sepsis. General information, baseline characteristics, and medical operation data between CNS and CPS groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the relationship between CNS and in-hospital mortality under three regression models. Chi-square analysis and mediation analysis were used to analyze the effect of initial antibiotic and prior antibiotic use within 90 days on the in-hospital mortality of CNS. Results:A total of 8 587 patients with sepsis were enrolled in the final analysis, including 5 483 patients in the CPS group and 3 104 patients in the CNS group. Compared with the CPS group, the patients in the CNS group were younger [years old: 68 (56, 79) vs. 70 (58, 81)], had higher sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and higher proportion of using mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy and vasopressin within 24 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission [SOFA score: 3 (2, 5) vs. 3 (2, 4), mechanical ventilation: 48.61% (1 509/3 104) vs. 39.25% (2 152/5 483), renal replacement therapy: 13.69% (425/3 104) vs. 9.68% (531/5 483), vasopressin: 15.79% (490/3 104) vs. 13.44% (737/5 483)], longer length of ICU stay [days: 5 (3, 10) vs. 3 (2, 6)] and higher in-hospital mortality [25.00% (776/3 104) vs. 18.53% (1 016/5 483)], with significant differences (all P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in gender, ICU type, simplified acute physiology score Ⅱ (SAPS Ⅱ), and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score between the two groups. After adjustment for multiple confounding factors, CNS was still a risk factor for in-hospital mortality [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.441, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.273-1.630, P < 0.001]. The results of Chi-square analysis and mediation analysis showed that the initial antibiotic had no significant effect on the higher in-hospital mortality of CNS, while the prior use of antibiotics within 90 days was related to higher in-hospital mortality of CNS ( OR = 1.683, 95% CI was 1.328-2.134, P < 0.05). The mediating effect of CNS in prior antibiotic use within 90 days and in-hospital death was significant ( Z = 5.302, P < 0.001), accounting for 7.58%. Conclusions:Compared with CPS, CNS was more severe and had a worse prognosis. Prior use of antibiotics within 90 days may be related to the higher in-hospital mortality of CNS patients, but it could not fully explain the high mortality of CNS.

Artificial intelligence forecasting mortality at an intensive care unit and comparison to a logistic regression system / Inteligência artificial que prevê a mortalidade em uma unidade de terapia intensiva e comparação com um sistema de regressão logística

ABSTRACT Objective To explore an artificial intelligence approach based on gradient-boosted decision trees for prediction of all-cause mortality at an intensive care unit, comparing its performance to a recent logistic regression system in the literature, and a logistic regression model built on the same platform. Methods A gradient-boosted decision trees model and a logistic regression model were trained and tested with the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database. The 1-hour resolution physiological measurements of adult patients, collected during 5 hours in the intensive care unit, consisted of eight routine clinical parameters. The study addressed how the models learn to categorize patients to predict intensive care unit mortality or survival within 12 hours. The performance was evaluated with accuracy statistics and the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. Results The gradient-boosted trees yielded an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve of 0.89, compared to 0.806 for the logistic regression. The accuracy was 0.814 for the gradient-boosted trees, compared to 0.782 for the logistic regression. The diagnostic odds ratio was 17.823 for the gradient-boosted trees, compared to 9.254 for the logistic regression. The Cohen's kappa, F-measure, Matthews correlation coefficient, and markedness were higher for the gradient-boosted trees. Conclusion The discriminatory power of the gradient-boosted trees was excellent. The gradient-boosted trees outperformed the logistic regression regarding intensive care unit mortality prediction. The high diagnostic odds ratio and markedness values for the gradient-boosted trees are important in the context of the studied unbalanced dataset.

RESUMO Objetivo Explorar uma abordagem de inteligência artificial baseada em árvores de decisão impulsionadas por gradiente para previsão de mortalidade por todas as causas em unidade de terapia intensiva, comparando seu desempenho com um sistema de regressão logística recente na literatura e um modelo de regressão logística construído na mesma plataforma. Métodos Foram desenvolvidos um modelo de árvores impulsionadas por gradiente e um modelo de regressão logística, treinados e testados com o banco de dados Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care. As medidas fisiológicas de pacientes adultos com resolução de 1 hora, coletadas durante 5 horas na unidade de terapia intensiva, consistiram em oito parâmetros clínicos de rotina. Estudou-se como os modelos aprendem a categorizar os pacientes para prever a mortalidade ou a sobrevida, em unidades de terapia intensiva, em 12 horas. O desempenho foi avaliado por meio de estatísticas de acurácia e pela área sob a curva Característica de Operação do Receptor. Resultados As árvores impulsionadas por gradiente produziram área sob a curva Característica de Operação do Receptor de 0,89, em comparação com 0,806 para a regressão logística. A acurácia foi de 0,814 para as árvores impulsionadas por gradiente, em comparação com 0,782 para a regressão logística. A razão de chances de diagnóstico foi de 17,823 para as árvores impulsionadas por gradiente, em comparação a 9,254 para a regressão logística. O kappa de Cohen, a medida F, o coeficiente de correlação de Matthews e a marcação foram maiores para as árvores impulsionadas por gradiente. Conclusão O poder discriminatório das árvores impulsionadas por gradiente foi excelente. As árvores impulsionadas por gradiente superaram a regressão logística em relação à previsão de mortalidade em unidade de terapia intensiva. A alta razão de chances de diagnóstico e os valores de marcação para as árvores impulsionadas por gradiente são importantes no contexto do conjunto de dados não balanceados estudado.

Association between early central venous pressure measurement and mortality in patients with sepsis: a data analysis of MIMIC-Ⅲ database / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the association between early central venous pressure (CVP) measurement and mortality in patients with sepsis.Methods:The adult patients with sepsis were identified from the health data of Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅲ v1.4 (MIMIC-Ⅲ v1.4). Data of all adult patients with sepsis were collected, including gender, age, comorbidities, length of survival, total length of hospital stay and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, vital signs, laboratory test results on the first day, vasoactive agents usage, fluid input, urine output and fluid balance on the first day, need for renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation, diagnosis of sepsis, and the time and value of the first CVP measurement in the ICU. Patients were divided into early measurement and control groups based on whether or not they had a CVP measurement within the first 6 hours of ICU stay. According to the time of the first CVP measurement, the patients were subdivided into four subgroups: ≤ 3 hours, 4-6 hours, 7-12 hours and no measurement within 12 hours. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. The relationship between initial CVP and mortality was analyzed by Lowess smoothing method. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-Rank test were performed for univariate analysis. Cox regression analysis was performed for multivariate analysis to estimate the relationship between timeliness of CVP measurement and mortality.Results:A total of 4 733 sepsis patients were enrolled, 1 673 of whom had CVP measured within 6 hours of admission to the ICU, and the other 3 060 patients served as the control group. There were no differences in demographic characteristics and underlying diseases between the two groups, except that the early CVP measurement group had less underlying renal failure compared with control group. The early CVP measurement group had higher lactic acid (Lac) levels and SOFA scores, indicating worse severity of disease as compared with control group. The 28-day mortality in the early CVP measurement group was significantly lower than that in the control group (34.2% vs. 40.7%, P < 0.01). The early CVP measurement group had shorter length of total hospitalization and longer length of ICU stay, higher rate of mechanical ventilation and vasoactive agents dependent, and more fluid input and fluid balanced in the first day of ICU stay compared with control group. Lowess smoothing analysis showed that a "U"-shaped relationship between initial CVP and mortality was identified, suggesting that too high or too low initial CVP was associated with worse survival. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that compared with the patients without early CVP measurement within 12 hours, the cumulative survival rate of patients with CVP measured within 3 hours was significantly higher (66.7% vs. 59.1%; Log-Rank test: χ2 = 15.810, adjusted P < 0.001); while no significant difference was found in patients with CVP measured between 4 hours and 6 hours and between 7 hours and 12 hours compared with the patients without early CVP measurement within 12 hours (64.4%, 60.3% vs. 59.1%; Log-Rank test: χ2 values were 5.630 and 0.100, and adjusted P values were 0.053 and > 0.999, respectively). Cox multivariate analysis showed that the Cox proportional risk model was established by taking patients without CVP measurement within 12 hours as reference, timely CVP measurement after ICU admission was associated with reduced 28-day mortality of patients with sepsis [≤3 hours: hazard ratio ( HR) = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.55-0.77, P < 0.001; 4-6 hours: HR = 0.72, 95% CI was 0.60-0.87, P = 0.001; 7-12 hours: HR = 0.80, 95% CI was 0.66-0.98, P = 0.032] after the confounding variables (gender, age, SOFA score, initial Lac, renal failure, maximal blood glucose and white blood cell count, and minimal platelet count within 24 hours) were adjusted. Conclusions:Early CVP measurement is associated with decreased 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. CVP should be considered as a valuable and easily accessible safety parameter during early fluid resuscitation.

Stroke-mimics in stroke-units. Evaluation after changes imposed by randomized trials / Imitadores de AVC em unidades de AVC. Avaliação após alterações impostas por ensaios randomizados

Abstract A larger therapeutic window for stroke treatment requires a significant change in the organization of emergency services, avoiding the increase in number of imaging exams and indirectly the time to treatment. Objective: To highlight the relation between faster clinical evaluation and stroke over-suspicion and consequently excessive imaging acquisition. To identify predictors of ischemic stroke and stroke mimics (SM), aiming for better patient selection for comprehensive neuroimaging and reperfusion therapies. Methods: Retrospective, cohort, observational, single-center study that reviewed all consecutive files of patients presenting with acute neurological symptoms who underwent CT scan or MRI from July 1, 2016 to July 1, 2017. Results: 736 patient files were reviewed. 385 patients (52.3%) presented with confirmed acute ischemic infarct, 93 (12.6%) had another brain lesion mimicking acute ischemia, and 258 (35.1%) had normal imaging. Acute stroke was more frequent in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, or dysarthria or right motor impairment. Stroke mimic was associated with female patients with low vascular risk factors, low NIHSS, and patients with decreased level of consciousness or symptoms suggestive of posterior circulation. Discussion: 47.7% of all patients seen at the stroke unit did not have acute stroke lesions. Clinical assessment data have been used to provide indicators of acute stroke and stroke mimic patients, and symptoms corresponding to acute stroke and stroke mimic seem to be similar in the literature. Conclusion: Considering that the number of patients admitted for stroke treatment will increase even further with a larger therapeutic window for mechanical thrombectomy and for thrombolysis, a diagnostic decision-making algorithm for stroke patients is required in order to reinforce the suspicion of stroke indicating an urgent MRI.

Resumo Uma janela terapêutica maior para o tratamento do AVC exige uma mudança significativa na organização dos serviços de emergência, para evitar o aumento do número de exames de imagem e indiretamente o tempo de tratamento. Objetivo: destacar a relação entre avaliação clínica mais rápida e suspeita de acidente vascular cerebral e, consequentemente, aquisição de imagem excessiva, e identificar preditores de acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico e imitações de acidente vascular cerebral (SM), visando uma melhor seleção de pacientes para terapias abrangentes de neuroimagem e reperfusão. Métodos: estudo observacional de coorte retrospectivo, em centro único, que revisou todos os arquivos consecutivos de pacientes com sintomas neurológicos agudos submetidos à tomografia computadorizada ou ressonância magnética de 1 de julho de 2016 a 1 de julho de 2017. Resultados: Foram revisados 736 prontuários. 385 pacientes (52,3%) apresentaram infarto isquêmico agudo confirmado, 93 (12,6%) apresentaram outra lesão cerebral imitando isquemia aguda e 258 (35,1%) apresentaram imagem normal. O AVC agudo foi mais frequente em pacientes idosos com fibrilação atrial, hipertensão arterial, ou disartria ou comprometimento motor direito. A imitação de acidente vascular cerebral foi associada a pacientes do sexo feminino com baixos fatores de risco vascular, NIHSS baixo e pacientes com diminuição do nível de consciência ou sintomas sugestivos de circulação posterior. Discussão: 47,7% de todos os pacientes atendidos na unidade de AVC não apresentaram lesões agudas de AVC. Conclusão: Considerando que o número de pacientes admitidos para tratamento de AVC aumentará ainda mais com uma janela terapêutica maior para trombectomia e trombólise IV, é necessário um algoritmo de tomada de decisão diagnóstica para pacientes com AVC, a fim de reforçar a suspeita de AVC indicando uma imagem cerebral urgente.

Protective effect and mechanism of manganese superoxide dismutase mimic on ulcerative colitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid in rats / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To investigate the effects of manganese superoxide dismutase mimic (MnSODm) on 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats and to probe into its underlying mechanism. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, sulfasalazine (SASP, 500 mg/kg) group, and different doses of MnSODm (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) groups. Ulcerative colitis was induced in rats by rectal administration of 100 mg/kg TNBS dissolved in 50% ethanol. Rats were killed after SASP and different doses of MnSODm treatment 7 days. The disease activity index (DAI) was recorded, and then the colonic injury and inflammation were assessed by the colon weight/length ratio and microscopic damage scores. The serum and colon tissues activities myeloperoxidase (MPO) were detected by biochemistry method. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and the levels of glutathione (GSH) and NO in colon tissues were also detected. The levels of TNF-α, IL-4 and IL-10 in the colon tissues were measure by ELISA. Western blot was undertaken to determine the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the colonic weight/length ratios, microscopic damage scores and colon tissues and serum MPO activity were significantly decreased in MnSODm groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). INOS, NO, TNF-α, PI3K, p-AKT levels in colon tissues were also significantly decreased in MnSODm treatment groups; while the activity of GSH-Px and the concentration of GSH, IL-4 and IL-10 obviously increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: MnSODm is protective against colitis via antioxidant activity and by inhibiting inflammatory mediators and then down-regulating PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.