Clinical utility of characterizing intestinal flora in septic kidney injury.

The incidence of septic acute kidney injury (AKI) is increasing, it has become a major threat to human health because of its acute onset, poor prognosis, and high hospital costs. The most common cause of AKI in critical-care units is sepsis. Septic AKI is a complex and multi-factorial process; its pathogenesis is not fully understood. In sepsis, the destruction of mucosal barriers, intestinal flora disorders, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, use of antibiotics, and lack of intestinal nutrients lead to an inflammatory reactions that in turn affects the metabolism and immunity of the host. Such changes further influence the occurrence and development of AKI. New technology is enabling various detection methods for intestinal flora. Clinical application of these methods in septic renal injury is expected to clarify the relationship among pathogenesis, disease progression mechanism, and intestinal flora.

[Systematic review of ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation vs. early goal-directed therapy in patients with septic shock].

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the efficacy of ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation and early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) in patients with septic shock. METHODS: Multiple databases including Wanfang, CNKI, SinoMed, VIP, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched from initial to August 2019 for randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies about the comparison of ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation and EGDT on resuscitation effect in patients with septic shock. Language, country and region were unlimited. Data extraction and quality evaluation were carried out by means of independent review and cross check results by two researchers. RESULTS: Finally, only two English RCT studies were enrolled. In the two RCT studies, the ultrasound groups used inferior vena cava collapse index (VCCI) and ultrasound score to guide fluid resuscitation, which resulted in clinical heterogeneity. Because the results could not be pooled, only systematic review, not meta-analysis, could be done. There were measurement bias and selection bias in the two RCT studies, and the literature quality level was B and C respectively. System review results showed that using ultrasound would reduce 7-day mortality (15.0% vs. 35.0%, P = 0.039) and prescribe less of 24-hour intravenous fluids (mL: 900 vs. 1 850, P < 0.01) for patients with septic shock as compared with EGDT. Ultrasound was easy to assess the reactive capacity and cardiac function of patients with septic shock, so as to decrease the incidence of pulmonary edema, which was significantly lower than EGDT (15.0% vs. 37.5%, P = 0.022). However, there was no statistically significant difference in 28-day mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation or length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The ultrasound-guided fluid resuscitation may be useful and practical for septic shock patients within 7 days after admission as compared with EGDT, but it cannot reduce the 28-day mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation or length of ICU stay.