Development and external validation of a nomogram for the early prediction of acute kidney injury in septic patients: a multicenter retrospective clinical study.

Background and purpose: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common serious complication in sepsis patients with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for sepsis associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). Methods: In our study, we retrospectively constructed a development cohort comprising 733 septic patients admitted to eight Grade-A tertiary hospitals in Shanghai from January 2021 to October 2022. Additionally, we established an external validation cohort consisting of 336 septic patients admitted to our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Risk predictors were selected by LASSO regression, and a corresponding nomogram was constructed. We evaluated the model's discrimination, precision and clinical benefit through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, decision curve analysis (DCA) and clinical impact curves (CIC) in both internal and external validation. Results: AKI incidence was 53.2% in the development cohort and 48.2% in the external validation cohort. The model included five independent indicators: chronic kidney disease stages 1 to 3, blood urea nitrogen, procalcitonin, D-dimer and creatine kinase isoenzyme. The AUC of the model in the development and validation cohorts was 0.914 (95% CI, 0.894-0.934) and 0.923 (95% CI, 0.895-0.952), respectively. The calibration plot, DCA, and CIC demonstrated the model's favorable clinical applicability. Conclusion: We developed and validated a robust nomogram model, which might identify patients at risk of SA-AKI and promising for clinical applications.

[Meta-analysis of obesity on the outcome of rotator cuff repair].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate obesity on the outcome of rotator cuff repair. METHODS: Literatures on the relationship between obesity and outcomes after rotator cuff repair were searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China biology medicine(CBM), CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases from building database to August 1, 2022, and were screened independently by two authors according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Endnote X9 and Excel 2019 were used for literature extraction, management and data entry, and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate quality of the included literatures. STATA 16.0 and RevMan 5.4 softwares were used to evaluate postoperative retear rate, reoperation rate, complication rate, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, visual analogue scale (VAS), operative time and external rotation angle of shoulder joint pain were analyzed. RESULTS: Totally 13 literatures were included, including 6 retrospective studies, 5 case-control studies, 1 prospective cohort study, and 1 abstract of a study for which the full text was not available, with 85 503 patients (31 973 in obese group and 53 530 in non-obese group). Meta-analysis showed there were statistical differences between two groups in retear rate [OR=2.58, 95%CI(1.23, 5.41), P=0.01], reoperation rate[OR=1.31, 95%CI(1.21, 1.42), P<0.00], complication rate [OR=1.57, 95%CI(1.31, 1.87), P=0.00], ASES score[MD=-3.59, 95%CI(-5.45, -1.74), P=0.00], and VAS[MD=0.24, 95%CI(0.00, 0.49), P=0.05]. While there were no differences between two groups in operative time[MD=6.03, 95%CI(-7.63, 19.69), P=0.39], external rotation angle of shoulder joint[MD=-1.79, 95%CI(-5.30, 1.71), P=0.32]. CONCLUSION: Obesity is associated with higher rates of retear, resurgery, complications, poorer shoulder function and pain after rotator cuff repair.

[Research progress of optical motion capture technology in shoulder biomechanics].

The shoulder joint is the most flexible joint in the body with the largest range of motion, and the movement pattern is more complex. Accurate capture of three-dimensional motion data of the shoulder joint is crucial for biomechanical evaluation. Optical motion capture systems offer a non-invasive and radiation-free method to capture shoulder joint motion data during complex movements, enabling further biomechanical analysis of the shoulder joint. This review provides a comprehensive overview of optical motion capture technology in the context of shoulder joint movement, including measurement principles, data processing methods to reduce artifacts from skin and soft tissues, factors influencing measurement results, and applications in shoulder joint disorders.

[Progress in arthroscopic surgery for injury of superior labrum anterior posterior of shoulder joint].

Superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) injury is a major challenge for orthopedic surgeons, due to the poor healing ability of the injured labrum. Although arthroscopic surgery is the gold standard for the treatment of SLAP injury, there are still disputes about the adaptation of different surgical techniques, the choice of anchors during operation, knotted or knotless anchors, and fixation methods. The authors believe that arthroscopic repair of SLAP lesions is effective for young patients with intact glenoid labrum(<35 years old) or with extensive activity, where single and knotless anchor is preferred. For the older patients(≥35 years old) with degeneration and wear of glenoid labrum, biceps tenodesis is more preferable, and interference screw fixation technique is recommended. As for patients with failed SLAP repair, biceps tenodesis can achieve a high success rate as a revision surgery. By review of the relevant literature in recent years, this paper summarizes the adaptation of different surgical methods of arthroscopic treatment of SLAP injury, intraoperative anchoring techniques, fixation methods and other improved surgical techniques.

Intrathecal or Intraventricular Tigecycline Therapy for Central Nervous System Infection Associated with Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Purpose: Infection with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a great challenge. Central nervous system (CNS) infection caused by CRKP is rarely reported, and effective treatment is limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess intrathecal (IT) or intraventricular (IVT) injection of tigecycline for clearing infection with CRKP in CNS. Patients and Methods: Two patients who had intracranial infection with CRKP after craniotomy were treated in our institution and analyzed retrospectively, summarizing their therapeutic schedules. Results: They all had a fever with the positive results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test, and CSF culture showed positive for CPKP, which was sensitive only to tigecycline. In addition, the MIC of polymyxin B was not tested due to the limited laboratory conditions. After IT or IVT injection of tigecycline treatment, the temperature of the patients became normal in 3 days, with normal levels of white blood cells, protein, glucose and chlorine concentrations in the CSF. Crucially, twice CSF cultures also became negative with no clinical symptoms of intracranial infection after IT or IVT injection of tigecycline treatment. Moreover, there were no adverse drug reactions observed. Conclusion: IT or IVT injection of tigecycline may be a bright choice to control intracranial infection with CRKP.

[Progress on arthroscopic surgery for massive rotator cuff tears].

The surgical treatment of massive rotator cuff tears is a clinical challenge for orthopaedic surgeons. Moreover, tendon retraction, adhesions and fatty infiltration after rotator cuff tear will further increase the difficulty of surgical repair. Therefore, it has become a hotspot and difficulty to repair massive rotator cuff tears with a better way in current research. In recent years, with the continuous development of arthroscopic techniques, shoulder arthroscopic surgery has become the gold standard for the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears, but the adaptations, effects and combined application of different surgical methods are still controversial. The author believes that arthroscopic debridement of shoulder joint and acromioplasty or tuberoplasty could relieve shoulder pain in the short-term for elderly patients with lower functional requirements;long biceps tenotomy or tenodesis is effective for patients with biceps long head tendon injury; complete repair is still the first line treatment for massive rotator cuff tears, but partial repair is possible for massive rotator cuff tears that could not be completely repaired;patch augmentation technology could bring good results for young patients with high functional requirements;for patients with limited internal and external rotation of the shoulder joint and high functional requirements, tendon transfers surgery is recommended;superior capsular reconstruction is more advantageous for young patients with no obvious glenohumeral arthritis, better deltoid muscle strength and higher functional requirements. In addition, subacromial spacer implantation has become a current research hotspot due to its advantages of small trauma, low cost and relative safety, and its long-term effect still needs to be further confirmed.

[Arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation for the treatment of recurrent dislocation of shoulder with severe glenoid injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the method and clinical effects of the treatment of recurrent shoulder dislocation with severe glenoid injury by arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation. METHODS: From March 2019 to August 2020, 16 patients with recurrent dislocation of shoulder with severe glenoid injury underwent arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation, including 10 males and 6 females, aged from 18 to 50 years old with an average of (29.06±10.54) years old, 4 cases of left shoulder and 12 cases of right shoulder.Visual analogue scale (VAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and Rowe score were used to evaluate shoulder function and stability before and after operation. RESULTS: All the 16 patients were followed up from 12 to 29 months, with an average of (18.75±7.26) months. VAS score decreased from 5.25±1.13 before operation to 1.37±0.65 at the final follow-up;ASES score increased from 59.44±9.93 before surgery to 90.88±4.00 at the final follow-up; Rowe score of shoulder increased from 51.56±8.89 before surgery to 92.19±7.06 at the final follow-up, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). No dislocation was observed during follow-up. No clinical complications such as incision infection, vascular and nerve injury occurred in all patients after operation. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic subscapularis augmentation in the treatment of recurrent dislocation of shoulder with severe glenoid injury is satisfactory. It is an effective treatment method of recurrent dislocation of shoulder joint with severe glenoid injury, and external rotation function in patients with almost unaffected.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict anastomotic leakage in colorectal cancer based on CT body composition.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most serious postoperative complications. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of preoperative body composition for AL in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: We first reviewed data from 3,681 patients who underwent radical CRC resection 2013-2021 in our hospital, and 60 patients were diagnosed with AL after surgery. We designed a nested case-control study and two controls were randomly selected for each case according to the time and position of surgery. Body composition was measured at the level of the third lumbar vertebra based on computed tomography (CT) images. The risk factors of AL were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis. Nomogram was built using binary regression analysis and assessed for clinical usefulness, calibration, and discrimination. Results: In the multivariate analysis, gender, blood glucose, nutrition risk screening (NRS), skeletal muscle area (SMA) and visceral fat area (VFA) were independent risk factors for developing anastomotic leakage after surgery. The prognostic model had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.848 (95% CI, 0.781-0.914). The calibration curve showed good consistency between the predicted and observed outcomes. Decision curve analysis indicated that patients with colorectal cancer can benefit from the prediction model. Conclusions: The nomogram that combined with gender, blood glucose, NRS, SMA, and VFA had good predictive accuracy and reliability to AL. It may be conveniently for clinicians to predict AL preoperatively and be useful for guiding treatment decisions.

Mucin 1 Inhibits Ferroptosis and Sensitizes Vitamin E to Alleviate Sepsis-Induced Acute Lung Injury through GSK3ß/Keap1-Nrf2-GPX4 Pathway.

Background: Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of programmed cell death, which may be related to the occurrence and development of sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)/acute lung injury (ALI). Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a kind of macromolecule transmembrane glycoprotein. Previous studies have shown that MUC1 could relieve ALI in sepsis and predict whether sepsis patients would develop into ARDS. However, the role of MUC1 in the ferroptosis of sepsis-induced ALI/ARDS remains unclear. Materials and Methods: Sera samples from 50 patients with sepsis/septic shock were used to detect iron metabolism-related markers. Western blot and qRT-PCR were conducted to detect the expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to evaluate inflammatory factors. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to assess morphological changes of cells. Results: The results showed that the iron metabolism-related indicators in sepsis-induced ARDS patients changed significantly, suggesting the iron metabolism disorder. The expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes in lung tissues of sepsis had marked changes, and the lipid peroxidation levels increased, while Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) could reverse the above results, which confirmed the occurrence of ferroptosis. In terms of mechanism studies, inhibition of MUC1 dimerization could increase the expression level of Keap1, reduce the phosphorylation level of GSK3ß, inhibit the entry of Nrf2 into the nucleus, further inhibit the expression level of GPX4, enhance the lipid peroxidation level of lung tissues, trigger ferroptosis, and aggravate lung injury. Besides, inhibiting MUC1 reversed the alleviating effect of vitamin E on ALI caused by sepsis, increased the aggregation of inflammatory cells in lung tissues, and aggravated alveolar injury and edema. Conclusions: Our study was the first to explore the changes of iron metabolism indicators in ALI/ARDS of sepsis, clarify the important role of ferroptosis in ALI/ARDS induced by sepsis, and reveal the effects and specific mechanisms of MUC1 in regulating ferroptosis, as well as the sensitization on vitamin E.

Establishment of a novel risk score for in-hospital mortality in adult sepsis patients.

Background: Existing scoring systems have limitations in predicting the in-hospital mortality of adult sepsis patients. We aimed to develop and validate a novel risk score for predicting the in-hospital mortality of adult sepsis patients. Methods: The clinical data of 1,335 adult sepsis inpatients were retrospectively analyzed. Enrolled patients were randomly divided into a modeling group and a validation group at a 3:2 ratio. The modeling group (n=801) was used to develop the risk score by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The score's performance was validated in the validation group (n=534). We classified patients into four risk levels according to the novel risk score. Results: Age, central vein catheterization, mechanical ventilation, vasopressin, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, platelet (PLT), hematocrit (HCT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and activated partial thrombin time (APTT) were independent risk factors for in-hospital death in adult sepsis patients. Continuous variables were converted into classified variables to develop the risk score, with a total score of 39 points. Adult sepsis patients with low, lower medium, higher medium, and high risk levels had in-hospital mortality rates of 9.8%, 24.7%, 55.8%, and 83.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Compared with the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scoring system (APACHE II) and the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), the novel risk score showed good predictive performance for in-hospital mortality in adult sepsis patients.

[Comparative study on arthroscopic double posterior medial approach versus open surgery for acute simple posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To compare difference in clnical efficacy between arthroscopic double posterior internal approach and incisional surgery for acute simple posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fractures. METHODS: Totally 52 patients with acute simple posterior cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fractures treated from June 2016 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups according to different surgical protocols, 27 patients in arthroscopic group were treated with arthroscopic double posterior internal approach, including 16 males and 11 females, aged from 19 to 52 years old, with an average age of (34.9±9.2) years old;25 patients in open reduction group were treated with posterior medial knee incision, including 14 males and 11 females, aged from 18 to 54 years old , with an average age of(33.7±8.4) years old. Operation time, incision length, intraoperative bleeding, hospitalization days, hospitalization cost, fracture healing, complications, postoperative Lysholm score and IKDC score at 12 months were observed and compared between two groups. RESULTS: All patients in both groups were completed opertaion successfully without vascular or nerve injury, and 52 patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months with an average of (15.0±1.7) months. Operation time and hospitalization cost in arthroscopic group were significantly greater than those in open reduction group(P<0.05);intraoperative bleeding, incision length, and hospitalization days in arthroscopic group were less than those in open reduction group(P<0.05);preoperative Lysholm score in arthroscopic group and open reduction group were 49.1±2.3 and 48.9±1.1 respectively, and improved to 95.9±1.7 and 86.4±1.2 at 12 months after operation respectively(P<0.05);preoperative IKDC scores in arthroscopic group and open reduction group were 47.6±4.1 and 48.1±3.9 respectively, and improved to 96.9±1.5 and 87.1±1.4 at 12 months after operation(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic double posterior internal approach for acute simple posterior cruciate ligament tibial stop avulsion fracture has satisfactory early results and better efficacy than traditional open surgery, which has advantages of less trauma, faster recovery and easier operation.

[Early efficacy analysis on arthroscopic autologous osteochondral grafting in the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early efficacy of arthroscopic autologous osteochondral grafting in the treatment of recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation. METHODS: From January 2019 to January 2021, 17 patients with recurrent anterior dislocation of shoulder who underwent arthroscopic autologous osteochondral grafting were selected, including 12 males and 5 females, ranging in age from 17 to 55 years old, with a mean of (32.88±12.33) years old. Rowes rating system for Bankart repair(Rowe), Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OSIS) and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) were compared before operation, 6 months after operation and at the latest follow-up. OSIS and SST used to evaluate shoulder function were recorded before surgery and at the latest follow-up. The shoulder mobility and intraoperative and postoperative complications were also recorded. RESULTS: All 17 patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 7 to 25 months, with a mean of (18.4±5.4) months. During the follow-up period, there was no re-dislocation, no vascular or nerve injury. Rowe score increased from 26.2±6.0 before operation to 74.4±4.0 and 82.4±3.1 after 6 months and the latest follow-up. There was significant difference in Rowe score between different time points after operation and before operation (P<0.05). The OSIS increased from 37.0±3.6 before operation to 47.4±2.6 and 52.7±2.6 after 6 months and the latest follow-up. There was significant difference in OSIS between different time points after operation and before operation (P<0.05). The SST score increased from 6.8±0.7 before operation to 9.8±0.8, 11.6±2.6 after 6 months and the latest follow-up. There was significant difference in SST score between different time points after operation and before operation (P<0.05). At the latest follow-up, the lateral external rotation and abduction external rotation activities of the patient were significantly improved compared with those before operation. CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary evidence that arthroscopic autologous osteochondral grafting can achieve satisfactory early clinical outcomes and stability in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation with glenoid fracture and defect less than <20%, which is a reliable and effective procedure.

A CT-based radiomics nomogram for differentiation of squamous cell carcinoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the palatine tonsil.

OBJECTIVES: Accurate preoperative differentiation between squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in the palatine tonsil is crucial because of their different treatment. This study aimed to construct and validate a contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)-based radiomics nomogram for preoperative differentiation of SCC and NHL in the palatine tonsil. METHODS: This study enrolled 135 patients with a pathological diagnosis of SCC or NHL from two clinical centers, who were divided into training (n = 94; SCC = 50, NHL = 44) and external validation sets (n = 41; SCC = 22, NHL = 19). A radiomics signature was constructed from radiomics features extracted from routine CECT images and a radiomics score (Rad-score) was calculated. A clinical model was established using demographic features and CT findings. The independent clinical factors and Rad-score were combined to construct a radiomics nomogram. Performance of the clinical model, radiomics signature, and nomogram was assessed using receiver operating characteristics analysis and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Eleven features were finally selected to construct the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram incorporating gender, mean CECT value, and radiomics signature showed better predictive value for differentiating SCC from NHL than the clinical model for training (AUC, 0.919 vs. 0.801, p = 0.004) and validation (AUC, 0.876 vs. 0.703, p = 0.029) sets. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the radiomics nomogram was more clinically useful than the clinical model. CONCLUSIONS: A CECT-based radiomics nomogram was constructed incorporating gender, mean CECT value, and radiomics signature. This nomogram showed favorable predictive efficacy for differentiating SCC from NHL in the palatine tonsil, and might be useful for clinical decision-making. KEY POINTS: • Differential diagnosis between SCC and NHL in the palatine tonsil is difficult by conventional imaging modalities. • A radiomics nomogram integrated with the radiomics signature, gender, and mean contrast-enhanced CT value facilitates differentiation of SCC from NHL with improved diagnostic efficacy.

Free fatty acids-induced neutrophil extracellular traps lead to dendritic cells activation and T cell differentiation in acute lung injury.

This study aimed to investigate whether free fatty acids (FFAs) could induce the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), as well as the mechanism of FFAs-induced NETs in acute lung injury (ALI). FFAs were used to induce NETs production. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was detected after FFA and NADPH oxidase inhibitor treatments. The association between FFAs-induced NETs and the activation of p38, ERK, and JNK pathways was investigated. The effect of FFAs-induced NETs on the dendritic cells (DCs) activation and T cell differentiation was investigated. FFAs could induce neutrophils to produce NETs. FFAs significantly promoted ROS production and increased the expression of ERK, p38 and JNK, and treatment of the inhibitors of NAPDH oxidase (DPI), p38 (SB202190), ERK1/2 (U0126) and JNK (SP600125) inhibited FAAs-induced NETs production. FFAs induced NETs could promote DCs activation and consequently led to the differentiation of primary CD4+ T cells into Th1 and Th17 cells and the release of IL-1ß, IL-12 and TNF-α. FFAs are capable of inducing NETs via NOX, ERK, p38 and JNK pathways. FFA-induced NETs further lead to DCs activation and T cell differentiation, which can well explain the mechanism of ALI caused by FFAs.

Giant cell tumors of the mobile spine with invasion of adjacent vertebrae: an unusual imaging finding.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumors of the mobile spine invasion of the adjacent vertebrae are an ignored imaging finding. METHODS: Nine patients with giant cell tumors of the mobile spine with invasion of the adjacent vertebrae confirmed by pathology were enrolled. Eight patients had pure giant cell tumors (GCTs), while one patient also had an aneurysmal bone cyst. All patients underwent conventional computed tomography, three-dimensional reconstruction, and conventional magnetic resonance imaging, while seven patients also underwent post-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: All patients showed GCTs of the mobile spine that arose from the vertebral body and extended to the vertebral arch. The tumors showed soft-tissue attenuation with no evidence of a mineralized matrix. Pathological fracture was seen in five patients. The margin of the original tumor showed partial sclerosis in four patients and involved an adjacent vertebral body with a sclerotic rim in two patients. The tumors showed a homogeneous and similar signal intensity to the normal spinal cord on T1WI (T1-weighted image) in five patients. The cystic area of the tumors was hyperintense on T2WI in the remaining four patients, while one patient showed hemorrhage that was hyperintense on T1WI. The solid components of the GCTs show marked enhancement in all cases, while the cystic area of the tumors was observed without enhancement on contrast-enhanced images in four patients. Bone destruction of the adjacent vertebral body showed a homogeneous signal on T1WI and T2WI and marked enhancement on contrast-enhanced images. CONCLUSIONS: Giant cell tumors of the mobile spine with invasion into adjacent vertebrae are an unusual imaging finding. Radiologists should be familiar with this imaging characteristic.

Epidemiology, species distribution, and outcome of nosocomial Candida spp. bloodstream infection in Shanghai: an 11-year retrospective analysis in a tertiary care hospital.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of Candida bloodstream infections (BSIs), has increased over time. In this study, we aimed to describe the current epidemiology of Candida BSI in a large tertiary care hospital in Shanghai and to determine the risk factors of 28-day mortality and the impact of antifungal therapy on clinical outcomes. METHODS: All consecutive adult inpatients with Candida BSI at Ruijin Hospital between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, were enrolled. Underlying diseases, clinical severity, species distribution, antifungal therapy, and their impact on the outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 370 inpatients with 393 consecutive episodes of Candida BSI, the incidence of nosocomial Candida BSI was 0.39 episodes/1000 hospitalized patients. Of the 393 cases, 299 (76.1%) were treated with antifungal therapy (247 and 52 were treated with early appropriate and targeted antifungal therapy, respectively). The overall 28-day mortality rate was 28.5%, which was significantly lower in those who received early appropriate (25.5%) or targeted (23.1%) antifungal therapy than in those who did not (39.4%; P = 0.012 and P = 0.046, respectively). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, age, chronic renal failure, mechanical ventilation, and severe neutropenia were found to be independent risk factors of the 28-day mortality rate. Patients who received antifungal therapy had a lower mortality risk than did those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of Candida BSI has increased steadily in the past 11 years at our tertiary care hospital in Shanghai. Antifungal therapy influenced short-term survival, but no significant difference in mortality was observed between patients who received early appropriate and targeted antifungal therapy.

Low fluid intake volume during the first 24 h and persistent negative fluid balance from the second day are associated with favorable prognosis for patients with sepsis.

For patients with sepsis and septic shock, it remains controversial when to restrict fluid intake and achieve a negative fluid balance. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the fluid intake volume during the first 24 h as well as fluid balance for 7 days on the prognosis of sepsis or septic shock. A total of 337 patients diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock at Ruijin Hospital (Shanghai, China) were enrolled in the present retrospective study. Patients with a low fluid intake volume during the first 24 h (fluid intake, 28.1±10.6 ml/kg) had lower in-hospital mortality rates (18.0 vs. 27.3%, P=0.043) and a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation [0 (0-6) vs. 3 (0-11), P=0.025] than the high-fluid volume intake group (62.6±17.6 ml/kg). Furthermore, survivors exhibited a daily negative net fluid balance from the second day (48 h), whereas non-survivors had a daily positive net fluid balance for 7 days, where fluid balance volumes were significantly lower in survivors compared with those in non-survivors. Finally, binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether the mean daily fluid balance (P<0.001) and the Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (P=0.048) were independent prognostic factors for patients with sepsis or septic shock. It was indicated that a low fluid intake volume during the first 24 h and a persistent negative fluid balance from the second day were associated with favorable outcomes. The mean daily fluid balance was an independent prognostic factor or patients with sepsis or septic shock.

A higher dose of vancomycin is needed in critically ill patients with augmented renal clearance.

BACKGROUND: Using standard vancomycin dosage in critically ill patients might lead to therapy failure and worse patient outcomes, augmented renal clearance (ARC) may be the leading risk factor. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) of vancomycin in critically ill patients with ARC, hoping to explore the precise and accurate dose adjustment method for vancomycin. METHODS: All critically ill patients tested for steady-state trough vancomycin serum concentrations during the recent 6 years in a tertiary level hospital were collected retrospectively and divided into ARC and non-ARC groups, respectively, according to creatinine clearance (CLcr). Serum vancomycin concentrations were measured by the fluorescence polarization immunoassay method. PK-PD parameters of vancomycin were recorded or calculated. The desired daily dose successful in achieving the lower target trough levels (10 mg/L) of vancomycin were investigated correspondingly. RESULTS: A total of 280 vancomycin concentrations were eligible for analysis. The ARC group (n=139) contained more male patients (64.7%) with average age and CLcr of 40 years old (P<0.05) and 180.8 mL/min (P<0.001), respectively. Those patients exhibited higher clearance (CL) and lower trough serum concentrations than the non-ARC patients under comparable daily doses of vancomycin. All the ICU patients demonstrated lower AUC24h values than the target level of 400 µg·h/mL, and this value showed a lower trend in the ARC group than the non-ARC group (232.9 vs. 316.2 µg·h/mL). Subtherapeutic trough concentrations of vancomycin (<10.0 mg/L) were observed in 77.7% and 68.8% of the ARC and non-ARC patients (P<0.05). The proportion of patients with a trough concentration of 10-15 and 15-20 mg/L was 17.9% and 4.3%, respectively, in the ARC group and 24.8% and 2.8%, respectively, in the non-ARC group., a daily dose of 46.0 and 35.5 mg/kg of vancomycin is needed, respectively, in the ARC and non-ARC group to achieve a target trough concentration of 10 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: A higher dose of vancomycin is needed in critically ill patients, especially those with ARC, and appropriate TDM-guided dose adjustment should be considered to achieve the targeted therapeutic range and to provide dosing guidance for this: patient population.

Identification of Potential Biomarkers and Immune Features of Sepsis Using Bioinformatics Analysis.

Sepsis remains a major global concern and is associated with high mortality and morbidity despite improvements in its management. Markers currently in use have shortcomings such as a lack of specificity and failures in the early detection of sepsis. In this study, we aimed to identify key genes involved in the molecular mechanisms of sepsis and search for potential new biomarkers and treatment targets for sepsis using bioinformatics analyses. Three datasets (GSE95233, GSE57065, and GSE28750) associated with sepsis were downloaded from the public functional genomics data repository Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using R packages (Affy and limma). Functional enrichment of the DEGs was analyzed with the DAVID database. Protein-protein interaction networks were derived using the STRING database and visualized using Cytoscape software. Potential biomarker genes were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in the R package (pROC). The three datasets included 156 whole blood RNA samples from 89 sepsis patients and 67 healthy controls. Between the two groups, 568 DEGs were identified, among which 315 were upregulated and 253 were downregulated in the septic group. These genes were enriched for pathways mainly involved in the innate immune response, T-cell biology, antigen presentation, and natural killer cell function. ROC analyses identified nine genes-LRG1, ELANE, TP53, LCK, TBX21, ZAP70, CD247, ITK, and FYN-as potential new biomarkers for sepsis. Real-time PCR confirmed that the expression of seven of these genes was in accordance with the microarray results. This study revealed imbalanced immune responses at the transcriptomic level during early sepsis and identified nine genes as potential biomarkers for sepsis.

Effects of fluid balance on prognosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome patients secondary to sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Fluid management is crucial to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to sepsis. However, choices of fluid resuscitation strategies and fluid input volumes remain a thorny problem. Our study aimed to elucidate the relationship between fluid balance and prognosis of ARDS patients secondary to sepsis. METHODS: Our study included 322 sepsis patients from Ruijin Hospital between 2014 and 2018, and 84 patients were diagnosed as ARDS within 72 hours after onset of sepsis according to Berlin ARDS Definition. RESULTS: Among the 322 sepsis patients, 84 (26.1%) were complicated with ARDS within 72 hours. ARDS patients had a lower oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2 166.4±71.0 vs. 255.0±91.2, P<0.05), longer duration of mechanical ventilation (11 [6-24] days vs. 0 [0-0] days, P<0.05) than those without ARDS. Sepsis patients with ARDS showed daily positive net fluid balance during seven days compared with those without ARDS who showed daily negative net fluid balance since the second day with significant statistical differences. Among the 84 sepsis patients with ARDS, 58 (69.0%) died. Mean daily fluid input volumes were much lower in survivors than in non-survivors (43.2±16.7 mL/kg vs. 51.0±25.2 mL/kg, P<0.05) while output volumes were much higher in survivors (45.2±19.8 mL/kg vs. 40.2±22.7 mL/kg, P<0.05). Using binary logistic regression analysis, we found that the mean daily fluid balance was independently associated with mortality of sepsis patients complicating with ARDS (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early negative fluid balance is independently associated with a better prognosis of sepsis patients complicated with ARDS.