Objective:To investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of diaphragmatic excursion (DE) measurements through hepato-renal/spleno-renal section as a novel method for assessing diaphragmatic function.Methods:Twelve healthy participants were recruited. Each participant underwent DE measurements performed by four operators with varying levels of experience using traditional methods (liver/spleen section) and novel methods (hepato-renal/spleno-renal section), respectively. Among them, two experienced operators were critical care clinicians, and diaphragmatic ultrasound was performed in more than 50 cases. The other two inexperienced operators were respiratory therapists, with less than 10 cases of diaphragmatic ultrasound operations, who received a 2-hour theoretical and operational training before the study. Operators initially used the conventional method with a 1.5-6.0 MHz convex probe in M-mode, placing the sampling line perpendicular to the diaphragm at the point of maximum excursion, and the liver/spleen section DE was determined during normal breathing of participant. Then, they used the novel method with a 1.6-4.5 MHz phased array probe to observe diaphragmatic movement cranio-caudally along the mid-axillary line, employing anatomic M-mode with the sampling line placed perpendicular to the diaphragm at the level of the renal midpoint, and the DE of the hepato-renal/spleno-renal section was measured during normal breathing. The liver and hepato-renal sections were used to assess the right diaphragm, and spleen and spleno-renal sections were used to assess the left diaphragm. Correlation analysis of DE measurements from different sections was conducted using the Deming method, while consistency was assessed using the Bland-Altman method. The consistency of clinical acceptability was defined as the absence of fixed and proportional bias, with a difference of two standard deviations less than 40% of the mean measurement value. Percentage consistency limit = two standard deviations of the differences between measurements/mean measurement value×100%.Results:Four operators performed image scans of DE in all four sections for each of the twelve subjects, with a high DE acquisition rate of 100% (48/48) for hepato-renal and spleno-renal sections, followed by the liver section [91.7% (44/48)] and the spleen section [66.7% (32/48)], particularly for the left diaphragm assessment, where the DE acquisition rate of spleno-renal section was significantly higher than that of traditional spleen section ( P < 0.01). The overall measurement results showed that no significant difference was found in DE determined via the hepato-renal and spleno-renal sections using the novel method (cm: 1.64±0.10 vs. 1.55±0.14, P > 0.05), and they were significantly higher than those determined via the conventional liver and spleen sections (cm: hepato-renal section vs. liver section was 1.64±0.10 vs. 1.44±0.09, spleno-renal section vs. spleen section was 1.55±0.14 vs. 1.09±0.14, both P < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed good correlations of DE between hepato-renal section and spleno-renal section, between liver section and hepato-renal section, between liver section and spleno-renal section ( r values were 0.62, 0.59, and 0.42, all P < 0.01). Consistency analysis showed that the consistency in DE between hepato-renal section and spleno-renal section, as well as between liver section and hepato-renal section was good (both % consistency limits < 40%). However, the DE measured in the spleen section were not correlated with the other three sections, and there was no inconsistency (all % consistency limits > 40%). There was no statistically significant difference in DE measured by the four operators in the liver, spleen, hepato-renal, and spleno-renal sections (cm: 1.49±0.34, 1.44±0.37, 1.43±0.30, and 1.40±0.27 in liver section; 1.10±0.36, 1.05±0.18, 1.09±0.22, and 1.06±0.26 in spleen section; 1.67±0.43, 1.57±0.34, 1.63±0.32, and 1.66±0.36 in hepato-renal section; 1.45±0.33, 1.48±0.34, 1.50±0.24, and 1.65±0.26 in spleno-renal section; all P > 0.05). According to the clinically acceptable range of consistency limits, the DE measured by the four operators in all four sections showed good consistency (all % consistency limits < 40%). Conclusion:The novel method of measuring DE through hepato-renal/spleno-renal sections is accurate, highly reproducible, and has a high acquisition rate, serving as a viable alternative to the conventional method involving the liver/spleen section.

Mechanical ventilation is an important strategy for the treatment of respiratory failure, and timely evacuation of mechanical ventilation is crucial for saving hospitalization costs and reducing the incidence of complications and mortality. As a noninvasive, radiation-free, real-time monitoring technology, electrical impedance imaging can reflect the regional distribution of lung ventilation and perfusion, providing a new judgment method and theoretical basis for the evacuation of mechanical ventilation. This paper introduces the principle and current research status of electrical impedance imaging technology, and focuses on its application value in mechanical ventilation evacuation.

Objective: To explore the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components among children aged 6-14 years in Beijing, so as to provide a reference for preventing MetS. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in 2 086 records of 1 832 children from the 2017 and 2019 Nutrition and Health Surveillance in Primary and Secondary school students of Beijing (NHSPSB). Three day consecutive 24 hour dietary recalls combined with weighing household cooking oils and condiments were used to collect dietary intake and calculate DII. MetS was diagnosed according to "Definition and Suggestion on the Metabolic Syndrome of Chinese Children and Adolescent". The Generalized estimating equations (GEEs) models were used to analyze the association between DII and the presence of MetS and its components (abdominal obesity, high triglyceride, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol, hypertension, and hyperglycemia). Results: The mean DII score was (1.64±1.07) for the included children. No significant association was found between DII scores and the likelihood of MetS (per 1 point increment: OR =1.16, 95% CI =0.92-1.48, P >0.05). In terms of the components of MetS, DII scores were positively associated with the odds of high triglyceride (per 1 point increment: OR =1.17, 95% CI =1.01-1.36, P <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the association among different age groups ( P >0.05). No significant associations were observed between DII and other MetS components( P >0.05). Conclusion DII scores may not be correlated with the risk of MetS, but proinflammatory diet might increase the risk of high triglyceride. DII score in childhood should be emphasized to identify and prevent MetS as soon as possible.

Polymyxin B, which is a last-line antibiotic for extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, became available in China in Dec. 2017. As dose adjustments are based solely on clinical experience of risk toxicity, treatment failure, and emergence of resistance, there is an urgent clinical need to perform therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) to optimize the use of polymyxin B. It is thus necessary to standardize operating procedures to ensure the accuracy of TDM and provide evidence for their rational use. We report a consensus on TDM guidelines for polymyxin B, as endorsed by the Infection and Chemotherapy Committee of the Shanghai Medical Association and the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Committee of the Chinese Pharmacological Society. The consensus panel was composed of clinicians, pharmacists, and microbiologists from different provinces in China and Australia who made recommendations regarding target concentrations, sample collection, reporting, and explanation of TDM results. The guidelines provide the first-ever consensus on conducting TDM of polymyxin B, and are intended to guide optimal clinical use.
Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; China ; Drug Monitoring/methods* ; Polymyxin B ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

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 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 investigate the effects of compound fermented milk on intestinal microbiota, short chain fatty acid (SCFA), intestinal motility and mucosal barrier in mice with constipation.Methods:Twenty-seven C57BL/6JNifdc mice were randomly divided into three groups: control group, model group and intervention group. The model group and the intervention group were given loperamide intragastrically for two weeks. Starting from the second week, the intervention group was treated with compound fermented milk for 7 d. The control group was given normal saline. Food intake, water intake, weight change, fecal moisture content, time of first-time black stool and small intestine propulsion rate were detected. Expression of serotonin C receptor (5-HTR2C), zona occludins-1 (ZO-1) and mucin-2 (MUC-2) at mRNA level in colon was analyzed. Western blot was used to measure the expression of Raf/ERK/MAPK-related proteins. SCFA level in intestinal tract was detected by gas chromatography. Intestinal microbiota diversity was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing.Results:Compared with the control group, the first black stool excretion time was significantly prolonged in the model group ( P<0.01). Moreover, fecal moisture content, small intestine propulsion rate and the expression of 5-HTR2C and ZO-1 at mRNA level in colon were significantly decreased ( P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the first black stool excretion time was significantly shortened ( P<0.05); fecal moisture content, small intestine propelling rate ( P<0.05), the expression of colon 5-HTR2C and ZO-1 at mRNA level ( P<0.05), phosphorylation of Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway in the colon, intestinal SCFA-producing bacteria and intestinal SCFA content were increased in the intervention group. Conclusions:Compound fermented milk had a therapeutic effect on constipation in a mouse model by increasing the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria and SCFA content, enhancing the phosphorylation of the Raf/ERK/MAPK pathway to up-regulate the expression of 5-HTR2C at mRNA level in the colon, and increasing the expression of ZO-1 at mRNA level in the colon. Intestinal peristalsis and intestinal mucosal barrier function were enhanced, thus improving the symptom of constipation.

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor II: IgG Fc fusion protein combined with sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Forty adult RA patients (12 males, 28 females) aged from 36 to 79 were selected in Department of Rheumatology of the Second People′s hospital of Datong from February 2016 to February 2018.The patients were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group according to the digital table, with 20 cases in each group.The observation group was treated by intra-articular injection of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor II: IgG Fc fusion protein and sodium hyaluronate, and the control group was only treated with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor II: IgG Fc fusion protein.The joint swelling, joint pain, joint mobility, morning stiffness, X-ray grade and total effective rate of the two groups were statistically analyzed before and after treatment. Results: Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in joint swelling, joint pain, joint mobility, morning stiffness, clinical score and X-ray grade between the two groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, the symptoms and signs of the two groups were obviously improved.The joint pain, joint pressure pain, joint activity, morning stiffness and clinical score in the observation group were (1.2±1.2)points, (0.8±0.7)points, (0.5±0.4)points, (0.7±0.7)points and (4.5±2.6)points, respetively, which were significantly better than those in the control group [(2.2±1.4)points, (1.5±0.9)points, (1.5±0.9)points, (1.5±0.6)points and (8.6±4.6)points, U=125, 111, 68, 89 and 97, all P<0.05]. The total effective rate of the observation group was 100% (20/20), while that of the control group was 75% (15/20), there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (χ²=14.10, P<0.01). Conclusion The injection of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-α receptor II: IgG Fc fusion protein combined with sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of RA can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of RA patients, and it is more effective than single use.It is worthy of popularizing in clinic.

Objective By analyzing the perioperative management in our hospital to explore the clinical effect and safety of single kidney transplantation from deceased juveniles' donors.Methods We retrospectively analyze 86 cases of kidney transplantations from deceased juveniles' donors in our hospital from 2007 December to 2015 August.Results The success rate of the operations was 100％.The postoperative complications occurred as fellows:7 cases of acute rejection (8.14％);10 cases of drug intoxication (11.62％);21 cases of DGF (24.44％),4 cases of leakage of urine (4.65％),7 cases of lung infection (8.14％).Two cases (2.32％) died after the operation because of serious lung infection,and by corresponding treatment 47 cases recovered after 2-4 weeks.The creatinine level in 37 cases without any complications was 131.88 ± 44.20 μmol/L during discharge.Conclusion With strict selection,the organ from a deceased juvenile donor is safe and practicable.

Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is a common method to maintain alveolar patency in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. However, in patients undergoing tracheotomy, alveolar collapse often occurs due to bedridden, aspiration, and other factors. There is currently no effective means to provide PEEP support for such patients. The application of a high-flow oxygen inhalation device with a PEEP valve was designed to provide patients with continuously adjustable PEEP, which helps to improve the patient's oxygenation and maintain the lung's physiological functions.