[Rapid location of nasointestinal tube by bedside ultrasound for critical patients in emergency intensive care unit].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of method of bedside ultrasound to confirm correct nasointestinal tube placement of critical patients. METHODS: From June 2015 to February 2016 , a total of 70 patients admitted to Emergency Intensive Care Unit, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, 37 males and 33 females, using bedside ultrasound(vessels signe) to confirm the location of nasointestinal tube at different site of digestive tract, and then comparing with the traditional methods, the point-of-care systems. RESULTS: Auscultatory method and aspirates from tube method have lower sensitivity(78.6%, 72.7%) and specificity (25.0%, 75.0%) ; bedside ultrasound(vessels signe) method sensitivity (100%), accuracy (100%) , positive predictive value(100%), negative predictive value(100%) and precision ratio are all higher than auscultatory method and aspirates from tube method, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The bedside ultrasound vessels signe method has more advantages in confirming the location of the tubes at sensitivity , accuracy , specificity and positive predictive value than the traditional methods.

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone treatment on hormone levels and antioxidant parameters in aged rats.

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of chronic dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) administration on steroid hormones and antioxidant parameters in aged rats. To this end, three groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were compared: young (3 months of age) untreated; aged (19 months old) untreated; and aged rats treated with 20 mg/kg DHEA for 8 weeks. Major organs of aged rats in the untreated group demonstrated physiological atrophy, compared to those of young rats; this effect appeared to have been partially reversed by DHEA treatment. Testosterone and estradiol contents were significantly decreased and aldosterone significantly increased in aged untreated, compared to young untreated rats. Steroid hormone levels were obviously reversed, however, in aged rats treated with DHEA. Additionally, superoxide dismutase activity in serum, brain, heart, and liver was decreased, and maleic dialdehyde content in heart was markedly increased in untreated aged, compared to young, rats. Importantly, these changes in brain and heart of aged rats were reversed by DHEA treatment. Heme oxygenase mRNA levels were increased and inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels decreased in aged, compared to young, rats; DHEA treatment appeared to reverse these changes. These results indicate that chronic DHEA administration may have effects on steroid hormone levels and antioxidant parameters in aged rats and result in postponement of the aging process.