In the essential Oil of Ligusticum sinense Oliv cv.Chaxiong ,five phthalides with anticonvulsive activities were isolated and identified as butylidenephthalide(Ⅰ),ligustilide(Ⅱ),butylphthalide(Ⅲ),neocnidilide(Ⅳ),and senkyunolide(Ⅴ)on the basis of spectral data

Objective To strengthen the management of contaminated area of sterilization and supply center, increase the cleaning quality of instruments and control nosocomial infection. Methods We executed the following measures: paying attention to the decontamination work, changing concepts, refining regulations, establishing programmed decontamination process, specification of work, thinning pest responsibility, strengthening infection mangement of contaminated area, effect examination and training and checking. Results The bacteria removing rate reached 95.3%. Conclusions Refining management could result in perfect cleaning effect which was applicable in the management of contaminated area of sterilization and supply center.

Background The data on the prognostic values of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in patients with advanced symp-tomatic heart failure (HF) receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are scarce. The aim of present study was to investigate the association of serum hsCRP levels with left ventricle reverse remodeling after six months of CRT as well as long-term outcome. Methods A total of 232 CRT patients were included. The assessment of hsCRP values, clinical status and echocardiographic data were performed at baseline and after six months of CRT. Long-term follow-up included all-cause mortality and hospitalizations for HF. Results During the mean follow-up periods of 31.3 ± 31.5 months, elevated hsCRP (>3 mg/L) prior to CRT was associated with a significant 2.39-fold increase (P=0.006) in the risk of death or HF hospitalizations. At 6-month follow-up, patients who responded to CRT showed significant reductions or maintained low in hsCRP levels (–0.5 ± 4.1 mg/L reduction) compared with non-responders (1.7 ± 6.1 mg/L increase, P=0.018). Com-pared with patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were reduced or remained low, patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were increased or maintained high experienced a significantly higher risk of subsequent death or HF hospitalizations (Log-rank P<0.001). The echocardio-graphic improvement was also better among patients in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were reduced or remained low compared to those in whom 6-month hsCRP levels were raised or maintained high. Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that measurement of baseline and follow-up hsCRP levels may be useful as prognostic markers for timely potential risk stratification and subsequent appropriate treatment strategies in patients with advanced HF undergoing CRT.

Objective: To create and validate a scoring system for predicting clinical prognosis in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods: A cohort of 367 consecutive patients received CRT in our hospital from 2010-01 to 2015-12 were enrolled. The endpoint follow-up events were all-cause death including heart transplantation and heart failure re-admission. The patients were randomly categorized into 2 groups: Modeling group, to develop HEAL scoring system,n=300 and Veriifcation group, to validate HEAL model,n=67. HEAL system was established by Cox proportional hazards regression model, discrimination between HEAL and EARRN scoring systems was evaluated by AUC of ROC, HEAL calibration was assessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow test and clinical endpoint evaluation by 2 scoring systems were compared by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Modeling group analysis indicated that hs-CRP (HR=1.137, 95% CI 1.072-1.205,P<0.001), big endothelin-1 (HR=1.934, 95% CI 1.066-3.507,P=0.03), left atrial diameter (HR=1.045, 95% CI 1.007-1.084,P=0.02) and NYHA IV (HR=2.583, 95% CI 1.331-5.013,P=0.005) were the independent risk factors of adverse prognosis in CRT patients. Based on β partial regression coefifcient, HEAL scoring system was established to classify the patient's risk levels: low risk<4, moderate risk 4-10 and high risk>10. AUC for risk classification in Modeling group and Verification group were 0.719(95% CI 0.629-0.809) and 0.708 (95% CI 0.539-0.878), HEAL can well distinguish clinical prognosis in patients at different risk levels (log-rank test showed in Modeling groupP<0.001 and in Veriifcation groupP=0.002); Hosmer-Lemeshow test presented good calibration,P=0.952. All 367 patients were respectively evaluated by HEAL and EARRN scoring systems, HEAL had the better discrimination than EARRN as AUC 0.763 (95% CI 0.692-0.833) vs AUC 0.602 (95% CI 0.517-0.687). Conclusion: HEAL scoring system can effectively predict adverse prognosis in CRT patients, it had the better discrimination than EARRN system and was valuable to distinguish high risk patients in clinical practice.

Background Intrathoracic impedance monitoring has emerged as a promising new technique for the detection of impending heart failure (HF). Although false positive episodes have been reported in case reports and clinical trials, the efficacy and false positive rate in real-world practice remain unclear. Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the utility and reliability of the OptiVol alert feature in clinical practice. Methods We continuously recruited patients who underwent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or cardiac re-synchronization therapy with defibrillator (CRT-D) implantation with feature of intrathoracic impedance monitoring system in our center from Sep. 2010 to Oct. 2012. Regular in-office follow-up were required of all patients and the following information was collected at each visit: medical history, device interrogation, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) measurement and an echocardiogram. Worsening HF was defined as hospitalization or the presentation of signs or symptoms of HF. Results Forty three patients (male:76.7%, mean age:57 ± 15 years, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF):33%± 14%) were included in this observational study. Fifty four alert events and 14 adjudicated worsening HF were detected within 288 ±163 days follow-up. Eleven (20.4%) alert episodes were associated with acute cardiac decompensation in 9 patients with a positive predictive value of 78.6%. Forty three audible alerts showed no connection to worsening HF. The unexplained alerts rate was 79.6%and 1.27 per person-year. Thirty seven alarm alerts were detected in patients with EF<45%, among which 9 accompanied with HF, 17 alerts detected in patients with LVEF≥45%and 2 associated with HF. There was no sig-nificant difference between the two groups (9/37 vs. 2/17;P=0.47). Conclusions Patients with normal or nearly normal left ventricular systolic function also exhibited considerable alert events. The OptiVol fluid index predicted worsening cardiac events with a high unex-plained detection rate, and any alert must therefore be analyzed with great caution. Efforts to improve the specificity of this monitoring sys-tem represent a significant aspect of future studies.

Objective: To assess the relationship between serum albumin level and clinical outcome in heart failure (HF) patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 357 consecutive chronic heart failure patients receiving CRT between January 2010 and December 2015 were enrolled and divided into two groups based on pre-CRT serum albumin (albumin≥40 g/L, n=244; albumin<40 g/L, n=113). Clinical outcomes were defined as all-cause mortality (including heart transplantation) and rehospitalization due to worsening HF.Baseline characteristics were compared and all-cause mortality (including heart transplantation) and rehospitalization due to worsening heart failure (HF) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves.Prognostic value of albumin level was evaluated in Cox proportional-hazards regression models. Results: Over a median follow-up time of 21 months, 45 patients (12.6%) died, 4 patients (1.1%) underwent heart transplantation and 100 patients (28.0%) were rehospitalized due to worsening HF. HF patients with pre-CRT albumin<40 g/L were related with worse NYHA function class, lower HDL-C level and ACEI/ARB use compared to HF patients with pre-CRT albumin≥40 g/L. Kaplan-Meier analyses evidenced lower survival rate in HF patients (log-rank test: P=0.000 4, χ²=12.60) and higher rehospitalization rate due to worsening HF (log-rank test: P=0.009, χ²=6.82) in HF patients with pre-CRT albumin<40 g/L.Multivariate Cox analyses indicated that serum pre-CRT albumin <40 g/L was an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (HR=2.019, 95%CI 1.125-3.622, P=0.018) and HF rehospitalization (HR=1.517, 95%CI 1.014-2.270, P=0.043). Conclusion Pre-CRT serum albumin level is associated with the severity of heart failure in CRT recipients.Patients with lower pre-CRT albumin level face increased risk of all-cause mortality and HF rehospitalization in chronic heart failure patients receiving cardiac resynchronization.

BACKGROUNDRenal insufficiency (RI) is significantly associated with clinical prognosis in patients with heart failure (HF), but direct evidences on the relation between renal function and clinical outcome in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are limited. The aim of the current study was to systematically evaluate the association of baseline and 6-month renal function with cardiac reverse remodeling and long-term outcome after CRT.

METHODSWe retrospectively evaluated 190 consecutive patients who underwent CRT at Fuwai Hospital from January 2008 to April 2013. Renal function tests, echocardiographic measurement, and clinical parameters at baseline and after 6 months of CRT were performed. Primary endpoint events included all-cause mortality, cardiac transplantation, and unplanned hospitalizations for HF.

RESULTSAt baseline, compared with normal renal function or mild RI (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2)), moderate-to-severe RI (eGFR <60 ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2)) exerted a negative influence on cardiac reverse remodeling parameters. At 6-month follow-up, 114 (60.0%) patients were classified as responders and showed significant renal function improvement, whereas renal function deteriorated in non-responders and subsequently 41 (25.6%) patients developed worsening renal function (WRF). During the mean follow-up of (24.3±17.1) months, both patients with baseline eGFR <60 ml×min(-1)×1.73 m(-2) and those with WRF experienced worse event-free survival (P < 0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSThis analysis identified that baseline eGFR as well as WRF after CRT were found to be independent determinants of the combined endpoints of all-cause mortality and HF-related hospitalizations in CRT recipients.

Aged ; Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy ; adverse effects ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Heart Failure ; etiology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; physiopathology ; Kidney Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies