Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for critically ill children.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Data from 222 pediatric patients who underwent ECMO transport from May 2019 to May 2024 at 5 ECMO centers and Chinese Database of Pediatric Extracorporeal Life Support Organization were collected. The cases were divided into primary and secondary transport groups by nature of transport. The clinical data, including demographics, ECMO indications, transport distance, pre-transport lab results, prognosis and complications were analyzed. Two independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon test, and χ2 test or Fisher′s exact probability method were used to compare the differences between 2 groups and evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport. Results:Among the 222 children transported with ECMO, there were 135 males and 87 females, with an age of 3.0 (0.2, 7.0) years. There were 202 cases in the primary transport group and 20 cases in the secondary transport group. All secondary transport patients had failed attempts at weaning ECMO before transfer. The patients in the secondary transport group were older, had higher rates of surgical cannulation, circulatory support, and pre-ECMO lactate levels compared to the primary transport group (7.0 (2.8, 10.0) vs. 3.0 (0.2, 6.0) years old, 55.0% (11/20) vs. 3.6% (7/202), 80.0% (16/20) vs. 41.6% (84/202), (10±4) vs. (7±6) mmol/L, Z=3.41, χ 2=66.31, 10.99, t=2.24, all P<0.05). In the secondary transport group, the vasoactive-inotropic scores of patients on circulatory support and the oxygenation index for patients requiring respiratory support were higher than those in the primary transport group (83±33 vs. 82±68, 51.0±1.8 vs. 37.4±10.2, t=2.36, 2.63, respectively; both P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in sex, transport distance, pre-ECMO creatinine, arterial blood gas BE values, and ECMO duration (all P>0.05). No life-threatening complications occurred during the transport in either group. Two patients in the secondary transport group underwent heart transplantation, and 1 patient underwent radiofrequency ablation. The overall survival rate between the 2 groups showed no statistically significant difference (45.0% (9/20) vs. 55.4% (112/202), χ2=1.15, P>0.05). Conclusions:Secondary ECMO transport for critically ill children don't increase mortality or life-threatening complications during transport. ECMO patients who cannot receive effective treatment locally can benefit from secondary transport to an advanced ECMO center provides further treatment opportunities.

Objective:To investigate the mechanisms of baicalin in treating septic acute liver injury through a combination of network pharmacology and animal experiments.Methods:Thirty male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks old) were divided into five groups ( n=6): control group (normal saline), model group [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection], low-dose baicalin group (10 mg/kg), high-dose baicalin group (20 mg/kg), and baicalin-only group (20 mg/kg, without LPS). Baicalin was administered orally for 14 consecutive days prior to modeling. Mice were sacrificed 24 h after LPS injection. Alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase liver tissue histopathology were measured; neutrophil infiltration was visualized using immunofluorescence; mRNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-17, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected by RT-qPCR; and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and phosphorylated nuclear factor (NF)-κB proteins were analyzed by Western blotting. Results:In the LPS model group, the ALT, AST, and histopathological injury score were (148.60±22.02) U/L, (81.58±11.59) U/L, and 8.50(7.75, 9.25), respectively. These indicators were significantly reduced in the high-dose baicalin group with (77.90±16.79) U/L, (49.92±14.89) U/L, and 1.00(1.00, 2.25) (all P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, neutrophil infiltration in the liver of high-dose baicalin group was also significantly reduced [1.18%(0.98%, 1.22%) vs. 6.13%(5.41%, 8.69%), P<0.05]. RT-qPCR results showed that the relative mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β [(1.03±0.06) vs. (2.60±0.34)], IL-17 [(1.21±0.12) vs. (2.94 ± 0.39)], IL-6 [(1.37±0.26) vs. (2.73±0.18)], and TNF-α [(1.18±0.10) vs. (3.30±0.92)] were significantly decreased in the high-dose baicalin group compared with the LPS group (all P<0.05). Western blot analysis revealed that the relative protein expression levels of TLR4 [(1.25±0.13) vs. (1.73±0.06)] and phosphorylated NF-κB [(1.25±0.25) vs. (1.79±0.12)] were also significantly lower in the high-dose baicalin group (both P<0.05). Conclusion:Baicalin reduces liver injury in septic mice by downregula-ting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-17, potentially through the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish and evaluated a logistic regression model for predicting the acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) based on liver-injury related indexes.Methods:Clinical data of 210 patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis (AP) at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from October 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 113 males and 97 females, with a median age of 52 years (range, 43 to 58). Among these, 88 were diagnosed with ABP and 122 with acute non-biliary pancreatitis (ANBP). Additionally, a test cohort was created using data from 101 AP patients diagnosed between January and December 2023, including 60 males and 41 females, with a median age of 53 years (range, 43 to 63). Based on the original dataset, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors influencing ABP. A prediction probability formula (Pre) was then established based on the multivariate results. The effectiveness of each indicator in predicting ABP was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The ROC curve analysis determined the optimal cutoff value of Pre, which was subsequently used to diagnose ABP and ANBP in the test cohort.Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the factors influencing ABP include direct bilirubin (DBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholinesterase (CHE), and fibrinogen (FIB). Based on the multivariate analysis results, the prediction probability formula (Pre) for ABP was established as follows: P=1/{1+ exp[-(4.807+ 0.134×DBIL-1.859×AST/ALT-0.0003×CHE-0.387×FIB)]}. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for Pre in predicting ABP was 0.858, with an optimal cutoff value of 0.56, at which the sensitivity was 69.3% and the specificity was 91.0%. Using the cutoff value of 0.56 for Pre, ABP was diagnosed when Pre≥0.56 and ANBP was diagnosed when Pre<0.56. This criterion was applied to diagnose patients in the test cohort, where the sensitivity and specificity of Pre for diagnosing ABP were 86.1% and 92.3%, respectively.Conclusion:The logistic regression model based on liver injury-related indicators is a valuable tool for clinically assessing the incidence of ABP.

Objective:To analyze the changes of serum metabolites in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) by non-targeted metabolomics method.Methods:Serum samples and clinical data of 15 AP patients hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from August to September 2024 were collected and included in the AP group, including 9 males and 6 females, aged (55.4±15.3) years. The serum and clinical data of 25 patients with colon polyps in the same hospital during the same period of time were collected, including 15 males and 10 females, aged (61.2±11.5) years, and were included in the control group. Serum metabolomic detection was performed using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem Fourier transform mass spectrometer. The modeling method was orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis, and principal component analysis was performed on the data matrix to screen the differential metabolites in serum of AP patients. The Kyoto Encyclopedia database of Genes and Genomes was used to annotate differential metabolites, and the pathway of differential metabolite enrichment was analyzed by software.Results:The principal component analysis showed that the contribution ratio of the first principal component was 15.1%, the proportion of the second principal component was 10.8%, and the total proportion of the two was 25.9%. In principal component analysis, two groups of samples can be clearly distinguished and show obvious clustering characteristics. According to the analysis of OPLS-DA model, there were significant differences in serum metabolic profiles between AP group and control group. There were 683 differentially expressed metabolites between the two groups, with 367 differentially expressed metabolites up-regulated compared with the control group and 316 differentially expressed metabolites down-regulated compared with the control group. It is mainly Phosphatidic Acid (Lte4/8: 0) (+ 218%), Omeprazole Sulphone (-38%), and 2-(Propylthio) Nicotinic Acid (2-propyl thionicotinic acid) (-58%), Gein (salicyricetin) (-47%) and so on. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differential metabolites in AP patients were mainly concentrated in citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways.Conclusion:Serum metabolites in AP patients change significantly, including citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for critically ill children.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Data from 222 pediatric patients who underwent ECMO transport from May 2019 to May 2024 at 5 ECMO centers and Chinese Database of Pediatric Extracorporeal Life Support Organization were collected. The cases were divided into primary and secondary transport groups by nature of transport. The clinical data, including demographics, ECMO indications, transport distance, pre-transport lab results, prognosis and complications were analyzed. Two independent samples t-test, Wilcoxon test, and χ2 test or Fisher′s exact probability method were used to compare the differences between 2 groups and evaluate the safety and efficacy of secondary transport. Results:Among the 222 children transported with ECMO, there were 135 males and 87 females, with an age of 3.0 (0.2, 7.0) years. There were 202 cases in the primary transport group and 20 cases in the secondary transport group. All secondary transport patients had failed attempts at weaning ECMO before transfer. The patients in the secondary transport group were older, had higher rates of surgical cannulation, circulatory support, and pre-ECMO lactate levels compared to the primary transport group (7.0 (2.8, 10.0) vs. 3.0 (0.2, 6.0) years old, 55.0% (11/20) vs. 3.6% (7/202), 80.0% (16/20) vs. 41.6% (84/202), (10±4) vs. (7±6) mmol/L, Z=3.41, χ 2=66.31, 10.99, t=2.24, all P<0.05). In the secondary transport group, the vasoactive-inotropic scores of patients on circulatory support and the oxygenation index for patients requiring respiratory support were higher than those in the primary transport group (83±33 vs. 82±68, 51.0±1.8 vs. 37.4±10.2, t=2.36, 2.63, respectively; both P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in sex, transport distance, pre-ECMO creatinine, arterial blood gas BE values, and ECMO duration (all P>0.05). No life-threatening complications occurred during the transport in either group. Two patients in the secondary transport group underwent heart transplantation, and 1 patient underwent radiofrequency ablation. The overall survival rate between the 2 groups showed no statistically significant difference (45.0% (9/20) vs. 55.4% (112/202), χ2=1.15, P>0.05). Conclusions:Secondary ECMO transport for critically ill children don't increase mortality or life-threatening complications during transport. ECMO patients who cannot receive effective treatment locally can benefit from secondary transport to an advanced ECMO center provides further treatment opportunities.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of high-speed railway (HSR) transport for critically ill pediatric patients.Methods:A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted.A total of 39 children transported via HSR (HSR group) and 420 children transported via ambulance (ambulance group) from May 2019 to December 2024 at the Seventh Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital were included.Demographic data,disease types,transport distances,and outcomes were compared between the two groups,and the vital signs,blood gas analysis,mechanical ventilation parameters,and vasoactive drug usage before and after HSR transport were also compared.Results:Over the five-year period,39 HSR transports and 420 ambulance transports were completed.No significant differences were observed in gender,age,or weight between HSR group and ambulance group( P>0.05).The proportion of circulatory system diseases was significantly higher in the HSR group (74.4% vs.55.1%, P = 0.020).HSR transports covered longer distances [855(855,1 075)km vs.84(23,273) km, P<0.001] and achieved faster speeds [150(150,216) vs.80(79,80)km/h, P<0.001].No significant differences were found in heart rate,body temperature,or diastolic pressure before and after HSR transport ( P>0.05).However,systolic blood pressure and partial pressure of oxygen increased slightly post-HSR transport [(82.97±15.44) vs.(85.15 ± 14.82)mmHg, P=0.003；(84.22±25.45)mmHg vs.(88.95±28.70)mmHg, P=0.029].Mechanical ventilation parameters remained stable during HSR transport ( P>0.05). Conclusion:HSR transport is feasible and safe for critically ill children and represents a promising option for long-distance interhospital transfers of pediatric patients.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of high-speed railway (HSR) transport for critically ill pediatric patients.Methods:A single-center retrospective analysis was conducted.A total of 39 children transported via HSR (HSR group) and 420 children transported via ambulance (ambulance group) from May 2019 to December 2024 at the Seventh Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital were included.Demographic data,disease types,transport distances,and outcomes were compared between the two groups,and the vital signs,blood gas analysis,mechanical ventilation parameters,and vasoactive drug usage before and after HSR transport were also compared.Results:Over the five-year period,39 HSR transports and 420 ambulance transports were completed.No significant differences were observed in gender,age,or weight between HSR group and ambulance group( P>0.05).The proportion of circulatory system diseases was significantly higher in the HSR group (74.4% vs.55.1%, P = 0.020).HSR transports covered longer distances [855(855,1 075)km vs.84(23,273) km, P<0.001] and achieved faster speeds [150(150,216) vs.80(79,80)km/h, P<0.001].No significant differences were found in heart rate,body temperature,or diastolic pressure before and after HSR transport ( P>0.05).However,systolic blood pressure and partial pressure of oxygen increased slightly post-HSR transport [(82.97±15.44) vs.(85.15 ± 14.82)mmHg, P=0.003；(84.22±25.45)mmHg vs.(88.95±28.70)mmHg, P=0.029].Mechanical ventilation parameters remained stable during HSR transport ( P>0.05). Conclusion:HSR transport is feasible and safe for critically ill children and represents a promising option for long-distance interhospital transfers of pediatric patients.

Objective:To investigate the mechanisms of baicalin in treating septic acute liver injury through a combination of network pharmacology and animal experiments.Methods:Thirty male C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks old) were divided into five groups ( n=6): control group (normal saline), model group [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 10 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection], low-dose baicalin group (10 mg/kg), high-dose baicalin group (20 mg/kg), and baicalin-only group (20 mg/kg, without LPS). Baicalin was administered orally for 14 consecutive days prior to modeling. Mice were sacrificed 24 h after LPS injection. Alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase liver tissue histopathology were measured; neutrophil infiltration was visualized using immunofluorescence; mRNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-17, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected by RT-qPCR; and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and phosphorylated nuclear factor (NF)-κB proteins were analyzed by Western blotting. Results:In the LPS model group, the ALT, AST, and histopathological injury score were (148.60±22.02) U/L, (81.58±11.59) U/L, and 8.50(7.75, 9.25), respectively. These indicators were significantly reduced in the high-dose baicalin group with (77.90±16.79) U/L, (49.92±14.89) U/L, and 1.00(1.00, 2.25) (all P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, neutrophil infiltration in the liver of high-dose baicalin group was also significantly reduced [1.18%(0.98%, 1.22%) vs. 6.13%(5.41%, 8.69%), P<0.05]. RT-qPCR results showed that the relative mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β [(1.03±0.06) vs. (2.60±0.34)], IL-17 [(1.21±0.12) vs. (2.94 ± 0.39)], IL-6 [(1.37±0.26) vs. (2.73±0.18)], and TNF-α [(1.18±0.10) vs. (3.30±0.92)] were significantly decreased in the high-dose baicalin group compared with the LPS group (all P<0.05). Western blot analysis revealed that the relative protein expression levels of TLR4 [(1.25±0.13) vs. (1.73±0.06)] and phosphorylated NF-κB [(1.25±0.25) vs. (1.79±0.12)] were also significantly lower in the high-dose baicalin group (both P<0.05). Conclusion:Baicalin reduces liver injury in septic mice by downregula-ting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-17, potentially through the inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To establish and evaluated a logistic regression model for predicting the acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) based on liver-injury related indexes.Methods:Clinical data of 210 patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis (AP) at the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from October 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 113 males and 97 females, with a median age of 52 years (range, 43 to 58). Among these, 88 were diagnosed with ABP and 122 with acute non-biliary pancreatitis (ANBP). Additionally, a test cohort was created using data from 101 AP patients diagnosed between January and December 2023, including 60 males and 41 females, with a median age of 53 years (range, 43 to 63). Based on the original dataset, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors influencing ABP. A prediction probability formula (Pre) was then established based on the multivariate results. The effectiveness of each indicator in predicting ABP was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The ROC curve analysis determined the optimal cutoff value of Pre, which was subsequently used to diagnose ABP and ANBP in the test cohort.Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the factors influencing ABP include direct bilirubin (DBIL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholinesterase (CHE), and fibrinogen (FIB). Based on the multivariate analysis results, the prediction probability formula (Pre) for ABP was established as follows: P=1/{1+ exp[-(4.807+ 0.134×DBIL-1.859×AST/ALT-0.0003×CHE-0.387×FIB)]}. ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) for Pre in predicting ABP was 0.858, with an optimal cutoff value of 0.56, at which the sensitivity was 69.3% and the specificity was 91.0%. Using the cutoff value of 0.56 for Pre, ABP was diagnosed when Pre≥0.56 and ANBP was diagnosed when Pre<0.56. This criterion was applied to diagnose patients in the test cohort, where the sensitivity and specificity of Pre for diagnosing ABP were 86.1% and 92.3%, respectively.Conclusion:The logistic regression model based on liver injury-related indicators is a valuable tool for clinically assessing the incidence of ABP.

Objective:To analyze the changes of serum metabolites in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) by non-targeted metabolomics method.Methods:Serum samples and clinical data of 15 AP patients hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from August to September 2024 were collected and included in the AP group, including 9 males and 6 females, aged (55.4±15.3) years. The serum and clinical data of 25 patients with colon polyps in the same hospital during the same period of time were collected, including 15 males and 10 females, aged (61.2±11.5) years, and were included in the control group. Serum metabolomic detection was performed using the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem Fourier transform mass spectrometer. The modeling method was orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis, and principal component analysis was performed on the data matrix to screen the differential metabolites in serum of AP patients. The Kyoto Encyclopedia database of Genes and Genomes was used to annotate differential metabolites, and the pathway of differential metabolite enrichment was analyzed by software.Results:The principal component analysis showed that the contribution ratio of the first principal component was 15.1%, the proportion of the second principal component was 10.8%, and the total proportion of the two was 25.9%. In principal component analysis, two groups of samples can be clearly distinguished and show obvious clustering characteristics. According to the analysis of OPLS-DA model, there were significant differences in serum metabolic profiles between AP group and control group. There were 683 differentially expressed metabolites between the two groups, with 367 differentially expressed metabolites up-regulated compared with the control group and 316 differentially expressed metabolites down-regulated compared with the control group. It is mainly Phosphatidic Acid (Lte4/8: 0) (+ 218%), Omeprazole Sulphone (-38%), and 2-(Propylthio) Nicotinic Acid (2-propyl thionicotinic acid) (-58%), Gein (salicyricetin) (-47%) and so on. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differential metabolites in AP patients were mainly concentrated in citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways.Conclusion:Serum metabolites in AP patients change significantly, including citric acid cycle, arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism.