Objective:To analyze the clinical features of adult patients with extremely elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, ESR≥100 mm/1 h), so as improve the ability of clinicians to use erythrocyte sedimentation rate to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the clinical data of patients with ESR ≥ 100 mm/1 h admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 1st 2019 to December 31st 2019. The age, gender, clinical diagnosis, first ESR level after admission, blood routine, liver function, renal function, coagulation function and C-reactive protein (CRP) within 24 hours after admission were collected. Patient cohorts were divided into youth group (18-65 years old), middle-aged group (66-79 years old) and elderly group (≥80 years old) according to the new standards of human age classification of World Health Organization (WHO) 2019. Patient cohorts were also divided into infectious disease group, hematological disease group, autoimmune disease group, renal failure group and others according to their respective clinical diagnosis. The distribution of extremely elevated ESR in each group, and the correlation between ESR and various laboratory indicators were analyzed.Results:① Among 429 patients with ESR≥ 100 mm/1 h, there were 236 males and 193 females. There was no significant difference in ESR levels between males and females [mm/1 h: 108.00 (103.00, 119.75) vs. 117.00 (105.50, 140.00), P = 0.234]. ② The age of 429 patients ranged from 18 to 98 years old, the average age was (53.70±18.70) years old. There were 310 cases in the youth group, 87 cases in the middle-aged group and 32 cases in the elderly group. The ESR level of the young group was significantly lower than that of the middle-aged group and the elderly group [mm/1 h: 108.00 (103.00, 120.00) vs. 119.00 (107.00, 140.00), 120.00 (110.25, 140.00), both P < 0.01]. ③ The main diagnoses associated with extremely elevated ESR were infectious diseases [157 cases (36.6%)], hematological system diseases [127 cases (29.6%)], autoimmune diseases [74 cases (17.2%)]. Pulmonary infection accounted for 58.0% (91/157) of infectious diseases. Hematopoietic stem cell diseases accounted for 45.7% (58/127), lymphocyte and plasma cell diseases accounted for [37.0% (47/127)] and erythrocyte diseases accounted for [11.0% (14/127)] of the hematological system diseases. Diffuse connective tissue diseases accounted for 75.7% (56/74) of autoimmune diseases. ④ Spearman correlation analysis showed that the extremely elevated ESR in all patients was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (HB) and hematocrit (HCT) (ρvalue was -0.395, -0.381 and -0.383, respectively, all P < 0.01), the ESR was significantly positively correlated with the level of fibrinogen (FIB; ρ= 0.345, P < 0.01). A total of 266 patients were tested for both ESR and CRP, and there was no significantly correlation between ESR and CRP level (ρ= -0.019, P = 0.756). Conclusions:The extremely elevated ESR was more common in pulmonary infections diseases, hematopoietic stem cell diseases, lymphocyte and plasma cell diseases, erythrocyte diseases and diffuse connective tissue diseases. The extremely elevated ESR was significantly correlated with the levels of RBC, HB, HCT and FIB.

Objective:To analyze the clinical feature of adult patients with infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (IAHS), and to improve the ability of clinicians to diagnose and treat IAHS.Methods:A retrospectively study was performed. The clinical data of 32 adult patients with IAHS admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from July 2014 to November 2019 were analyzed. The general data, clinical manifestations, laboratory results, imaging findings, pathogen and clinical outcomes were collected, and the patients were divided into survival group and death group according to the 28-day prognosis. The clinical data between the two groups were compared, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis for 28-day prognosis of adult patients with IAHS.Results:Among 32 adult patients with IAHS, there were 17 males (53.1%) and 15 females (46.9%). Eighteen patients were bacterial infection, most of which were Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli; 14 patients were viral infection, mainly EB virus; and the overall 28-day mortality was 62.5% (20/32). ① Compared with the survival group ( n = 12), the levels of white blood cell (WBC), neutrocyte (NEU), lymphocyte (LYM), platelet (PLT) and oxygenation index (OI) in the death group ( n = 20) were lower, while the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), K +, serum ferritin (SF) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher [WBC (×10 9/L): 3.90±3.36 vs. 9.57±6.48, NEU (×10 9/L): 2.69±2.09 vs. 7.01±6.34, LYM (×10 9/L): 0.36 (0.23, 0.84) vs. 1.24 (0.61, 2.36), PLT (×10 9/L): 51.15±27.60 vs. 108.42±80.26, OI (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 134.0 (77.5, 192.0) vs. 292.0 (187.0, 329.0), AST (U/L): 254.00 (67.80, 452.50) vs. 85.50 (38.38, 111.25), K + (mmol/L): 4.06 (3.65, 4.51) vs. 3.52 (3.26, 3.76), SF (μg/L): 6 290.0 (1 851.0, 13 904.8) vs. 1 777.1 (1 228.5, 3 486.3), LDH (μmol·s -1·L -1): 19.3 (11.9, 27.0) vs. 9.8 (6.9, 11.1), all P < 0.05]. In death group, duration of having a fever after admission was prolonged [days: 13.5 (9.0, 17.2) vs. 6.0 (2.5, 8.0), P < 0.05] and the incidence of cyanosis was higher (40.0% vs. 0%, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in other indicators between the two groups. ② Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that low OI combined with high LDH were risk factors for 28-day mortality of adult patients with IAHS [odds ratio ( OR) was 0.967 and 1.007, respectively, both P < 0.05].③ It was shown by ROC curve analysis that WBC, NEU, AST, SF, LDH and OI had predictive value for 28-day prognosis of adult patients with IAHS (both P < 0.05), and the area under ROC curve (AUC) of OI and LDH was higher, that was both 0.847. When the best cut-off of OI was 145.5 mmHg, the sensitivity was 63.2%, and the specificity was 100%. When the best cut-off of LDH was 13.4 μmol·s -1·L -1, the sensitivity was 72.2%, and the specificity was 91.7%. Conclusion:OI < 145.5 mmHg, and LDH > 13.4 μmol·s -1·L -1 were significant predictors for poor 28-day prognosis of adult patients with IAHS.

Objective:To investigate and evaluate if pulse oxygen saturation/fraction of inhaled oxygen (SpO 2/FiO 2) can be used, as replacement of arterial partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inhaled oxygen (PaO 2/FiO 2), to assess oxygenation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients at different high altitudes in Yunnan Province, and to find a rapid and non-invasive method for the diagnosis of ARDS at different altitudes. Methods:Patients with ARDS at different high altitudes in Yunnan Province from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled. The patients were divided into three groups according to different altitudes, and received different oxygen therapies according to their respective medical conditions. Group 1 consisted of patients with moderate to severe ARDS from the department of critical care medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (average altitude approximately 1 800 m), and received mechanical ventilation to maintain SpO 2 of 0.90-0.96 with a low FiO 2 for more than 30 minutes, and SpO 2, FiO 2, PaO 2 were recorded. Group 2 consisted of patients with moderate to severe ARDS at the department of critical care medicine of People's Hospital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (mean altitude about 3 200 m), and received oxygen with an attached reservoir mask to maintain SpO 2 of 0.90-0.96 for 10 minutes, and then SpO 2, FiO 2, and PaO 2 were recorded. Group 3 consisted of patients with mild to moderate-severe ARDS who admitted to the emergency department of the People's Hospital of Lijiang (average altitude approximately 2 200 m); when SpO 2 < 0.90, patients received oxygen with the oxygen storage mask, and the FiO 2 required to maintain SpO 2 ≥ 0.90 was recorded, and SpO 2, FiO 2, PaO 2 were recorded after oxygen inhalation for 10 minutes. Spearman coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between SpO 2/FiO 2 and PaO 2/FiO 2 in each group. Linear analysis was used to derive the linear equation between SpO 2/FiO 2 and PaO 2/FiO 2, and to evaluate arterial pH, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2), FiO 2, tidal volume (VT), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and other related factors which would change the correlation between SpO 2/FiO 2 and PaO 2/FiO 2. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of using SpO 2/FiO 2 instead of PaO 2/FiO 2 to assess oxygenation of ARDS patients. Results:Group 1 consisted of 24 ARDS patients from whom 271 blood gas analysis results were collected; group 2 consisted of 14 ARDS patients from whom a total of 47 blood gas analysis results were collected; group 3 consisted of 76 ARDS patients, and a total of 76 blood gas analysis results were collected. The PaO 2/FiO 2 (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) in groups 1, 2 and 3 were 103 (79, 130), 168 (98, 195) and 232 (146, 271) respectively, while SpO 2/FiO 2 were 157 (128, 190), 419 (190, 445) and 319 (228, 446) respectively. Among the three groups, patients in group 1 had the lowest PaO 2/FiO 2 and SpO 2/FiO 2, while patients in group 3 had the highest. Spearman correlation analysis showed that PaO 2/FiO 2 was highly correlated with SpO 2/FiO 2 in groups 1, 2 and 3 ( r values were 0.830, 0.951, 0.828, all P < 0.05). Regression equation was fitted according to linear analysis: in group 1 SpO 2/FiO 2 = 58+0.97×PaO 2/FiO 2 ( R2 = 0.548, P < 0.001) ; in group 2 SpO 2/FiO 2 = 6+2.13×PaO 2/FiO 2 ( R2 = 0.938, P < 0.001); in group 3 SpO 2/FiO 2 = 53+1.33×PaO 2/FiO 2 ( R2 = 0.828, P < 0.001). Further analysis revealed that PEEP, FiO 2, and arterial blood pH could affect the correlation between SpO 2/FiO 2 and PaO 2/FiO 2. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.848 and 0.916 in group 1 with moderate to severe ARDS; based on the regression equation, the corresponding SpO 2/FiO 2 cut-off values at a PaO 2/FiO 2 of 100 mmHg and 200 mmHg were 155, 252 with a sensitivity of 84.9% and 100%, specificity of 87.2% and 70.6%, respectively. Patients with moderate to severe ARDS in group 2 (AUC was 0.945 and 0.977), the corresponding SpO 2/FiO 2 cut-off values at PaO 2/FiO 2 of 100 mmHg and 200 mmHg were 219 and 432 with the sensitivity of 100% and 85.2%, specificity of 82.5% and 100%, respectively. Patients with mild to moderate-severe ARDS in group 3 (AUC was 0.903 and 0.936), the corresponding SpO 2/FiO 2 cut-off values at a PaO 2/FiO 2 of 200 mmHg and 300 mmHg were 319 and 452 with the sensitivity of 100% and 100%, specificity of 80.9% and 86.2%, respectively. Conclusion:SpO 2/FiO 2 and PaO 2/FiO 2 in ARDS patients at different high altitudes in Yunnan Province have a good correlation, and non-invasive SpO 2/FiO 2 can be used to replace PaO 2/FiO 2 to assess the oxygenation in ARDS patients.