ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid pathogens in elderly patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: This was a retrospective observational epidemiological study using that elderly cases diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia receiving treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Technology, Tangshan Hongci Hospital and Tangshan Fengnan District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 92 cases were divided into two groups according to age. There were 44 patients over 75-year-old and 48 patients between 65 and 74-year-old. RESULTS: Compared with the elderly 65 to 74-year-old, the elderly over 75-year-old with diabetes are more likely to suffer from CAP (35.42% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.007) and are more likely to have mixed infections (6.25% vs. 22.73%, p = 0.023) or larger lesions (45.83% vs. 68.18%, p = 0.031). Their hospital stays will also be extended (39.58% vs. 63.64%, p = 0.020), and the albumin level (37.51 ± 8.92 vs. 30.93 ± 6.58, p = 0.000), the neutrophils level (9.09(6.26-10.63) vs. 7.18(5.35-9.17),p = 0.026) is significantly lower and the d-dimer (505.42 ± 197.12 vs. 611.82 ± 195.85, p = 0.011), PCT (0.08 ± 0.04 vs. 0.12 ± 0.07, p = 0.001) levels are significantly higher. CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms and signs of elderly CAP patients are not so typical, and the infection is more serious. Attention should therefore be paid to elderly patients. Hypoalbuminemia and high d-dimer can predict the prognosis of patients.
Subject(s)
Community-Acquired Infections , Pneumonia , Humans , Aged , Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid , Pneumonia/diagnosis , Pneumonia/epidemiology , Community-Acquired Infections/diagnosis , Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy , Prognosis , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Striae distensae (SD) are a common dermatologic problem that plagues many people. Although there are many therapeutic modalities have been used to treat SD, effective method has been disappointing for striae Alba. AIMS: To evaluate the clinical and histopathologic efficacy and safety of the 2940-nm erbium yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) ablative fractional laser (AFL) with recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF) and light-emitting diode-red light (LED-RL) for the treatment of striae alba. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty volunteers with striae distensae alba were enrolled. The subjects completed treatments with the 2940-nm Er:YAG AFL 6 times at 4-week intervals. Following this treatment, the subjects were required to spray rb-BFGF for 1 week at home. They then received LED-RL once every 7 days for three sessions between the two laser treatments. Two independent investigators evaluated clinical improvement at pretreatment and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment, patients also provided self-assessments of clinical improvement. Two biopsies were obtained from two subjects, both of the same sites of striae alba, one before the first treatment and one 6 months after the last session. RESULTS: All 30 subjects demonstrated clinical improvement after treatment. Skin biopsies after treatment showed an increase in epidermal thickness, dermal thickness, and collagen and elastin density when compared to that at the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the 2940-nm Er:YAG laser with rb-bFGF and LED-RL for the treatment of striae alba was a safe and effective approach for improving the appearance of striae alba.