Introduction: A number of indices have been proposed as accurate predictors of weaning, but several studies have questioned the accuracy of these weaning indices in predicting the capability of independent breathing. The purpose of the study was to assess six standard bedside weaning criteria of mechanically ventilated patients in Surgical intensive care unit (SICM). METHOD: : The study was performed on 72 SICU patients who were mechanically ventilated. According to the outcome of weaning, they were divided into two groups, weaning success (n=62) and weaning failure (n=10) group. All subjects should have PaO2 above 60 mm Hg at an FIO2 of 0.4 and PEEP of 3~5 cm H2O in the extubated patients and no PEEP in the tracheostomy patients. Six bedside weaning criteria were tidal volume above 5 ml/kg, respiratory rate below 25/min, vital capacity above 10 ml/kg, maximum inspiratory pressure below -20 cm H2O, minute volume below 10 L/min and PaO2/FIO2 above 200. Weaning failure was regarded as follows; changes of systolic blood pressure 20 mm Hg or diastolic pressure 10 mm Hg, changes of pulse rate 20 beat per minute, respiratory rate above 30 per minute or increased respiratory rate above 10 per minute, PaO2 below 60 mm Hg or PaCO2 above 55 mm Hg, and presence of paradoxical respiratory pattern. RESULTS: PaO2/FIO2 and minute volume (VE) were showed statistically significant difference between two groups (P=0.048, P=0.003 respectively). Linear discriminant function was D=-1.422-0.005-xPaO2/FIO2+0.336xVE. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that PaO2/FIO2 and minute volume accurately predicts the weaning outcome in the surgical patients with mechanical support.
Blood Pressure ; Discriminant Analysis ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Critical Care ; Respiration ; Respiration, Artificial ; Respiratory Rate ; Tidal Volume ; Tracheostomy ; Vital Capacity ; Weaning*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Magnetocardiography (MCG) is a noninvasive method for the registration of the magnetic component of electromagnetic fields in the heart that arise from electrical activity during the cardiac cycle. It has a theoretical advantage, over ECG, for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), mainly due to its higher sensitivity for local currents and better spatial resolution. However, its clinical value in the diagnosis of CAD, compared to other diagnostic tools, remains untested. The feasibility of MCG for detecting myocardial ischemia was studied. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Ninety three patients (54 male, 39 female) with chest pain were enrolled in this study. Patients with a pacemaker or other metal implants, as well as those in unstable conditions, were excluded. Coronary angiography was performed on all the patients, following ECG and MCG measurements, on the same day. Coronary artery disease was diagnosed when intraluminal narrowing was greater than 70%. The ECG and MCG findings were compared to those of the coronary angiography, which was used as the gold standard. RESULTS: Forty two patients were diagnosed with CAD by the coronary angiography. The sensitivities and specificities of MCG and ECG for detecting a CAD were 76.2 and 47.1%, and 38.1 and 86.3%, respectively. Seventy patients showed non-diagnostic ECG for CAD. The sensitivity and specificity of MCG for detecting a CAD in this group of patients were 69.2 and 52.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MCG is a novel noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, but further investigation for the optimization of the efficacy of this technology will be required.
Chest Pain ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular ; Electrocardiography* ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Heart ; Humans ; Magnetocardiography* ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Little is known about epigenetic silencing of genes by promoter hypermethylation in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The aim of this study was to identify prognostic methylation markers in surgically treated clear cell RCC (ccRCC). METHODS: Methylation patterns were assayed using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array on pairs of ccRCC and normal tissue from 12 patients. Using quantitative PSQ analysis, tumor-specific hypermethylated genes were validated in 25 independent cohorts and their clinical relevance was also verified in 152 independent cohorts. RESULTS: Using genome-wide methylation array, Zinc finger protein 278 (ZNF278), Family with sequence similarity 155 member A (FAM155A) and Dipeptidyl peptidase 6 (DPP6) were selected for tumor-specific hypermethylated genes in primary ccRCC. The promoter methylation of these genes occurred more frequently in ccRCC than normal kidney in independent validation cohort. The hypermethylation of three genes were associated with advanced tumor stage and high grade tumor in ccRCC. During median follow-up of 39.2 (interquartile range, 15.4–79.1) months, 22 (14.5%) patients experienced distant metastasis. Multivariate analysis identified the methylation status of these three genes, either alone, or in a combined risk score as an independent predictor of distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: The promoter methylation of ZNF278, FAM155A and DPP6 genes are associated with aggressive tumor phenotype and early development of distant metastasis in patients with surgically treated ccRCC. These potential methylation markers, either alone, or in combination, could provide novel targets for development of individualized therapeutic and prevention regimens.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Epigenomics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kidney ; Methylation ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Phenotype ; Zinc Fingers