Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of small intestinal thioredoxin 2 (Trx2) during different periods after orthotopic liver autotransplantation (OLAT) in rats.Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 8-10 weeks,weighing 210-260 g,were randomly divided into 2 groups using a random number table:sham operation group (group S,n =8) and OLAT group (n =32).Intestinal tissues were removed at 4,8,16 and 24 h after OLAT for microscopic examination and for determination of the levels of superoxide anion (O2--),hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2),glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px),reduced glutathione (GSH) and Trx2.Intestinal damage was assessed and scored according to Chiu.Results Compared with S group,the Chiu's score and O2--activity at 4,8 and 16 h after OLAT and H2O2 content at 4 and 8 h after OLAT were significantly increased,and the levels of GSH-Px and GSH and expression of Trx2 at 4 and 8 h after OLAT were decreased in OLAT group (P ＜ 0.05).Chiu' s score at 4,16 and 24 h after OLAT and H2O2 content at 16 and 24 h after OLAT were significantly lower than those at 8 h in OLAT group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The rats undergo decreased antioxidant capacity in the early phase and recovery in the late phase mediated by small intestinal Trx2 after OLAT.

Objective:To study the efficacy and safety of early abdominal puncture drainage (APD) in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 189 patients with SAP who were managed at the Department of Intensive Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2013 to May 2020. According to whether ultrasound-guided APD was performed within one week after admission to ICU, these patients were divided into 2 groups: patients treated with APD (the APD group) and patients treated without APD (the non-APD group). Clinical data, including the acute physiological and chronic health status (APACHE) Ⅱ score, modified Marshall score, sequential organ failure evaluation (SOFA) score, and prognostic indicators including the retroperitoneal percutaneous drainage (PCD) rate and length of hospital stay, were compared between the two groups before and 1 week after surgery.Results:Of the 189 SAP patients in this study, there were 110 males and 79 females, aged (52.5±17.4) years old. On admission to ICU, the blood amylase, C-reactive protein, procalcalonin, interleukin-6, APACHE II score, modified Marshall score and SOFA score in the APD group were significantly higher than those in the non-APD group. After 1 week of treatment, most clinical indicators in the 2 groups were significantly improved, and there were no significant differences between these indicators (all P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the abdominal infection, retroperitoneal PCD and mortality rates between the APD group and the non-APD group ( P>0.05). The length of hospital stay [29 (18, 45) vs 21 (15, 32) d] and ICU stay [5 (3, 11) vs. 7 (5, 17) d] in the APD group were significantly higher than those in the non-APD group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:For patients with SAP with peritoneal effusion, early APD effectively improved the condition and prognosis without increasing the peritoneal infection and mortality rates.

Objective:To study the clinical characteristics and risk factors for hypertriglyceridemia-induced severe acute pancreatitis (HTG-SAP) complicated by acute kidney injury.Methods:The clinical data of HTG-SAP patients admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2014 to July 2022 were retrospectively collected, and divided into an AKI group and a non-AKI group according to whether AKI occurred. The general condition, laboratory data and clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. Factors with statistically significant differences were screened for logistic regression analysis and a predictive model was constructed. We plotted the receiver operating characteristic curve and used the area under the curve (AUC) to evaluate the predictive ability of each predictor for HTG-SAP complicated with AKI.Results:A total of 91 patients were included, including 37 (40.7%) with AKI and 54 (59.3%) without AKI. The proportions of extrapancreatic infection, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, requiring mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), retroperitoneal puncture, and surgical intervention were higher in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group (all P<0.05). The length of ICU stay, total length of hospitalization, and mortality rate in the AKI group were higher than those in the non-AKI group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that acute physiology and chronic health status scoreⅡ (APACHEⅡ) ( OR=2.069, 95% CI: 1.286-3.417, P=0.003), abdominal pressure ( OR=1.469, 95% CI: 1.108-1.958, P=0.007), and lactic acid ( OR=3.156, 95% CI: 1.013-9.831, P=0.047) were independent risk factors for AKI in HTG-SAP patients. The AUCs of the APACHEⅡ score, abdominal pressure, lactic acid level and combined prediction model were 0.951, 0.918, 0.837 and 0.986, respectively. Conclusions:Patients with HTG-SAP complicated with AKI were more likely to have complications related to extrapancreatic infection, sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction, and the proportion of mechanical ventilation, CRRT, retroperitoneal puncture and surgical intervention required during hospitalization was greater, the lengths of ICU stay and total hospital stay were longer, and the mortality rate was higher. APACHEⅡ score, abdominal pressure and lactic acid were independent risk factors for HTG-SAP concurrent AKI, and the prediction model established based on these three factors had higher value in predicting HGT-SAP concurrent AKI

Objective:To explore the relevance between secondary retroperitoneal infection, as well as the outcomes, and the approach of intensive care unit (ICU) admission for the patients suffered from acute pancreatitis.Methods:Patients with acute pancreatitis admitted to the ICU of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2013 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to ICU admission approaches, the patients were divided into the emergency group (first admission or transferred from the emergency department) and the delayed group (transferred from the general wards due to disease evolution). Patients were also divided into retroperitoneal infection group and non-retroperitoneal infection group according to whether retroperitoneal infection was accompanied. Patients' baseline data including gender, age, underlying diseases, laboratory test indicators, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ score (APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), computed tomography severity index (CTSI), bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP), and acute complications were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of retroperitoneal infection in patients with acute pancreatitis.Results:A total of 271 patients with acute pancreatitis were enrolled, including 95 cases in the emergency group and 176 cases in the delayed group. The cohort included 71 cases with and 200 cases without retroperitoneal infection development. The incidence of retroperitoneal infection and the 30-day mortality of patients in the delayed group, which was observed with a significantly longer ICU stay (days), [(15.4±21.3) vs. (8.6±10.8), P<0.05], were significantly higher than those in the emergency group [retroperitoneal infection incidence rate: 31.82% (56/176) vs.15.79%(15/95), 30-day mortality: 13.64%(24/176) vs. 4.21%(4/95), both P<0.05]. Univariate Logistic analysis showed significant differences in diabetes, APACHEⅡ, SOFA, CTSI and BISAP score, urea nitrogen, creatinine, blood calcium, D-D dimer, peritoneal puncture catheter drainage and ICU transferred from general wards due to disease evolution between the retroperitoneal infection group and the non-retroperitoneal infection group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes, SOFA score, CTSI score, peritoneal puncture catheter drainage and transfered from general wards to ICU due to disease evolution were independent risk factor for retroperitoneal infection in acute pancreatitis patients[odds ratio were 3.379, 1.150, 1.358, 3.855, 2.285, respectively]. Conclusions:Acute pancreatitis patients in ICU transferred from general wards are more likely to develop retroperitoneal infection, and have a higher risk of mortality and a longer ICU stay. Delayed admission to ICU, diabetes, SOFA score, CTSI score and peritoneal puncture catheter drainage are independent risk factors for retroperitoneal infection in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Objective:To study the clinical effect of different application times of antibiotics in patients with hypertriglyceridemic severe acute pancreatitis(HTG-SAP).Methods:The clinical data of 92 patients with HTG-SAP who were treated at the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2016 to February 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 65 males and 27 females, aged (40.82±10.55) years old. These patients were divided into three groups based on the time of prophylactic use of antibiotics: the early prevention group (used within 72 h after admission, n=39), the delayed prevention group (used after 72 h after admission, n=30) and the nonprevention group ( n=23). The clinical data such as the general data, length of stay and all cause mortality rate of the three groups of patients were analyzed. Results:Compared with patients in the nonprevention group, the incidence rate of pancreatic/peripancreatic infection [10.0%(3/30) vs. 39.1%(9/23)] and the incidence rate of bloodstream infection [6.7%(2/30) vs. 34.8%(8/23)] in the delayed prevention group were significantly decreased (pancreas/peripancreatic infection: χ 2=6.31, P=0.012; bloodstream infection: χ 2=6.72, P=0.010). The infection rate of multiple/pan resistant bacteria in the early prevention group [23.1%(9/39)] was significantly higher than the nonprevention group [4.3%(1/23)] (χ 2=4.49, P=0.034). There were no significant differences in the all cause mortality rate, length of stay, duration of intensive care, hospitalization cost, incidence of intestinal fistula and retroperitoneal hemorrhage, and the proportion of patients requiring surgery among the 3 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Pophylactic use of antibiotics within 72 h of hospital admission significantly reduced the incidence of pancreatic/peripancreatic infection and bloodstream infection in patients with HTG-SAP. There were no significant differences in the final prognosis among these patients with HTG-SAP treated with antibiotics at different times.

Objective:To explore the value of ultrasonic measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in predicting the risk of death in patients with severe brain injury.Methods:This was a prospective observational study based on 84 postoperative patients with severe brain injury from January 2020 to September 2020 in our department. The patients were divided into two groups: the survival group and the deceased group. The clinical features between the two groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ONSD, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and the combination of the two in predicting death in patients with severe brain injury. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for death. A prediction model for the risk of death was constructed.Results:There were 61 cases (72.6%) in the survival group and 23 cases (27.4%) in the deceased group. There were significant differences in age, Glasgow coma score (GCS), ONSD and NSE at 12 h after surgery between the two groups. According to the ROC curve, the optimal cutoff levels of ONSD and NSE for predicting death were 5.5 mm and 21.75 ng/mL, respectively. When the two indicators were combined, the area under the curve was 0.897 ( P<0.01). At this threshold, the sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 70.5%, respectively. ONSD ( OR=9.713; 95% CI: 1.192-79.147) and GCS scores ( OR=0.492; 95% CI: 0.318-0.763) at 12 h after surgery were independent risk factors for death in patients with severe brain injury (both P<0.05). Conclusions:Early postoperative ONSD is an independent risk factor for death in patients with severe brain injury. The combination of ONSD and NSE has the best predictive effect.

Objective:To study the risk factors for the failure of retroperitoneal percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) for infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN).Methods:The clinical data of 68 patients with IPN treated with PCD in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2019 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 43 males and 25 females, aged (49.0±16.3) years old. Patients were divided into the PCD success group ( n=26) and PCD failure group ( n=42). The score of disease severity and laboratory indices before PCD and the vital organ function scores and enteral nutrition tolerance 48 hours after PCD were collected and accessed by univariate analysis, and factors with P<0.05 were included in the logistic multivariate regression analysis for the risk factors of PCD failure. Results:There were statistical significance in the acute physiological and chronic health status (APACHE Ⅱ) score within 24 hours of admission; the modified CT severity index (MCTSI) score, time of enhanced CT scan, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and the total amount of noradrenaline before first PCD; the APACHE II score and sequential organ failure (SOFA) score within 48 hours after first PCD; and the culture results of drainage and start of enteral nutrition in the two groups (all P<0.05). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of ARDS before first PCD ( OR=4.682, 95% CI: 1.010-21.692, P=0.048), the delayed start of enteral nutrition ( OR=1.286, 95% CI: 1.020-1.622, P=0.033), the high MCTSI score before first PCD ( OR=2.125, 95% CI: 1.198-3.767, P=0.010), and high SOFA score within 48 hours after first PCD ( OR=1.579, 95% CI: 1.142-2.183, P=0.006) were independent risk factors for the failure of PCD. Conclusion:Patients with ARDS before first PCD, high MCTSI score before first PCD, high SOFA score within 48 hours after first PCD, and the delayed start of enteral nutrition were risk factors for the failure of PCD for IPN.