Objective To analyze the magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) appearances of spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome ( SIHS) ,in order to improve the understanding of this disease .Methods The clini-cal data of 7 patients with SIHS confirmed by lumbar puncture were retrospectively analyzed .MRI was performed in all cases,in which there were 6 cases with contrast-enhanced MRI.Results All of them showed diffusely thickening of dural.6 cases with brain contrast-enhanced MRI demonstrated linear ,non-nodular and diffusely dural enhancement . The dilation of sinus and great vein were observed in 5 cases,subdural hydroma in 2 cases,brain sagging in 3 cases, pituitary gland plumpness in 2 cases,subdural hematoma in 1 case and 1 case with linear spinal dural enhancement . Conclusion The MRI manifestations of SIHS are characteristic ,and it will be helpful for the diagnosis by combining clinical data.

Objective To investigate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on hemodynamics and intra-abdominal pressure in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with normal intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) during mechanical ventilation under a incremental PEEP.Methods Eighteen ARDS patients with normal IAP or IAH treated in intensive care unit of Anhui Provincial Hospital were enrolled for study.At different PEEP levels (5,10,15,20 cmH2O),hemodynamic parameters including extravascular lung water index (EVLWI),intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI),stroke volume variation (SVV) and IAP were measured with PICCO technology.Results Compared with ARDS patients with normal IAP,the ARDS patients with IAH were characterized by:(1) EVLWI was decreasing under the increment of PEEP,but there was no significant difference between 15 cmH2O and 20 cmH2O (t =0.593,P =0.572).As PEEP was gradually escalated,EWLVI had no significant changes in patients with normal IAP.(2) SVV increased as PEEP was being titrated to higher level in both groups but in normal IAP group such effect was observed till PEEP above 10cmH2O (PEEP5 vs.PEEP10,t=0.326,P=0.752; PEEP,10 vs.PEEP 15,t=-20.032,P＜ 0.01).(3) There was no statistical difference in ITBVI between two groups at varied levels of PEEP.(4) PEEP could increase IAP levels and had much more profound effects on patients with IAH.Conclusions PEEP is a contributing factor changing IAP.It is necessary to take the level of PEEP into account as IAP variation is interpreted in patients under mechanical ventilation.Different PEEP levels can significantly affect the EVLWI in patients with IAH but not do not in ones with nomal IAP.

Objective To investigate the effect of serum calcium level on the prognosis of patients with sepsis. Methods Clinical data of 119 patients with sepsis admitted to intensive care medicine (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China from January 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Gender, age, and C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), serum calcium levels, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure score (SOFA) within 24 hours of diagnosis, and 28-day mortality were collected. The patients were divided into the normal serum calcium group (serum calcium 2.00-2.67 mmol/L) and the hypocalcemia group (serum calcium < 2.00 mmol/L) according to their serum calcium level. The patients were divided into survival group and death group according to 28-day prognosis. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between serum calcium level and clinical indicators. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of serum calcium level on prognosis. Results A total of 119 patients with sepsis were included, including 50 patients with normal serum calcium, with serum calcium level of (2.14±0.10) mmol/L; and 69 patients of hypocalcemia, and the incidence of hypocalcemia was 57.98%, with serum calcium level of (1.81±0.14) mmol/L. In the hypocalcemia group, except that the APACHEⅡ score was significantly higher than that of the normal serum calcium group (25.59±5.52 vs. 22.28±4.89, P < 0.01), there was no significant difference in gender, age, CRP, PCT and SOFA score between the two groups. The 28-day mortality rate of the hypocalcemia group was significantly higher than that of the normal serum calcium group [78.26% (54/69) vs. 48.00% (24/50), χ2 = 10.45, P < 0.01]. The level of serum calcium in the death group was significantly lower than that in the survival group (mmol/L: 1.90±0.20 vs. 2.04±0.19), while the APACHEⅡ score was significantly higher than the survival group (25.78±5.25 vs. 21.20±4.68), with statistically significant differences (both P < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between serum calcium level and PCT, APACHEⅡ scores in patients with sepsis (r1 = -2.10, P1 = 0.04;r2 = -3.91, P2 < 0.01), but no correlation with CRP and SOFA score (r1 = 0.75, P1 = 0.46; r2 = -1.21, P2 = 0.23). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients with serum calcium level was 0.70 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.602-0.798], and the best cut-off value was 1.92 mmol/L, with the sensitivity was 52.56%, and the specificity was 82.93%. Conclusions The prognosis of sepsis patients with hypocalcemia is poor. Serum calcium level can be used as a predictor of prognosis in patients with sepsis.