Objective:To investigate the effect of oxygen-driven nebulization inhalation combined with invasive mechanical ventilation on sputum viscosity and inflammatory indicators in patients with severe pneumonia complicated by respiratory failure.Methods:A total of 300 patients with severe pneumonia complicated by respiratory failure who received treatment at Lanxi Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were included in this prospective study. Using the random number table method, the patients were divided into a control group (conventional invasive mechanical ventilation, n = 150) and a treatment group (conventional invasive mechanical ventilation + oxygen-driven aerosol inhalation, n = 150). The sputum viscosity, inflammatory indicators, and blood gas analysis indicators were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, mechanical ventilation time, intensive care unit stay duration, and the length of hospital stay were recorded. Results:After treatment, the sputum viscosity grade of the treatment group was significantly different from that of the control group ( Z = 7.09, P < 0.05). The serum levels of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10 in the treatment group were significantly lower, with values of (8.19 ± 0.91) μg/L and (19.26 ± 2.17) μg/L, respectively, compared with (12.01 ± 1.34) μg/L and (32.57 ± 3.85) μg/L in the control group ( t = 28.88, 36.88, both P < 0.05). The arterial partial pressure of oxygen in the treatment group post-treatment was (95.75 ± 3.51) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa), which was significantly higher than (90.14 ± 3.64) mmHg in the control group ( t = 13.58, P < 0.001). The arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the treatment group was (40.65 ± 4.03) mmHg, which was significantly lower than (44.81 ± 4.12) mmHg in the control group ( t = 8.84, P < 0.001). The incidence of ventilator- associated pneumonia in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( χ2 = 14.00, P < 0.001). The mechanical ventilation time, intensive care unit stay duration, and the length of hospital stay in the treatment group were significantly shorter compared with the control group ( t = 25.82, 18.23, 15.28, all P < 0.001). Conclusion:Oxygen-driven aerosol inhalation combined with invasive mechanical ventilation can effectively dilute sputum, reduce the patient's inflammatory response, improve blood gas analysis indicators, lower the risk of ventilator- associated pneumonia, and thereby facilitate recovery from severe pneumonia complicated by respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the associated high risk factors of postoperative relapse and metastasis for patients with confined tumors (grade pT1b-4a) without lymph-node metastases (pN0) in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODSClinicopathological and follow up data of ESCC patients undergoing radical surgical resection as primary treatment in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital between January 2004 and December 2012 from Hospital Database were retrospectively collected. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) the first development of ESCC confirmed by histopathology without lymphatic and distant metastasis; (2) pathological stage of pT1bN0M0 to pT4aN0M0 according to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in 2009; (3) curative trans-thoracic esophagectomy with R0 (tumor-free surgical margin) resection, using the Ivor-Lewis or McKeown procedure; two-field lymphadenectomy or three-field lymph node dissection based on the positive results of preoperative cervical ultrasonography examination or CT scan; (4) without adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy before and after operation; (5) complete follow-up data. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the clinicopathological factors affecting the postoperative relapse and metastasis.

RESULTSA total of 112 patients were eligible, including 94 male cases and 18 female cases; age of (58.6±7.7) years; squamous carcinoma of upper thorax in 25 cases, of middle thorax in 67 cases and of lower thorax segment in 20 cases; 12 cases of high-differentiated ESCC, 49 cases of moderate-differentiated ESCC, poorly-differentiated ESCC in 48 cases; 4 cases of I(a stage, 9 cases of I(b, 24 cases of II(a, 62 cases of II(b, 13 cases of III(a; the tumor length >4 cm in 43 cases, ≤4 cm in 69 cases. Forty-three (38.4%) patients presented relapse or metastasis during the follow-up, including 24 (21.4%) of loco-regional relapse, 13 (11.6%) of distant metastasis, and 6(5.4%) of both above. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that poorly-differentiated tumor (OR=1.899, 95%CI:1.233-2.925, P=0.004), upper-middle location (OR=2.351, 95%CI:1.188-4.653, P=0.014), and tumor length >4 cm (OR=2.381, 95%CI:1.009-5.618, P=0.048) were independent risk factors of overall postoperative relapse and metastasis for thoracic ESCC with stage pT1b N0M0-T4aN0M0. Further stratified analysis identified that only poorly-differentiated tumor (OR=1.730, 95%CI:1.121-2.671, P=0.013) was an independent risk factor of loco-regional relapse, whereas pathological stage II(b-III(a (OR=3.372, 95%CI:1.206-9.428, P=0.021) was an independent risk factor of distant metastasis.

CONCLUSIONSPoorly-differentiated tumor, tumor length >4 cm, and upper-middle location may be regarded as high risk factors for predicting overall relapse and metastasis of pN0 thoracic ESCC patients after esophagectomy. Moreover, poorly-differentiated tumor is the only independent risk factor of postoperative loco-regional relapse, meanwhile it should be noted that pathological stage II(b-III(a is closely related to postoperative distant metastasis.