OBJECTIVES: Prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation is associated with increased risks of severe complications such as retinopathy of prematurity and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Although neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) follow the principle of early extubation, extubation failure rates remain high, and reintubation may further increase the risk of adverse outcomes. This study aims to identify risk factors and short-term prognosis associated with first extubation failure in neonates, to provide evidence for effective clinical intervention strategies. METHODS: Clinical data of neonates who received invasive ventilation in the NICU of Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, were retrospectively collected. Neonates were divided into a successful extubation group and a failed extubation group based on whether reintubation occurred within 72 hours after the first extubation. Risk factors and short-term outcomes related to extubation failure were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 337 infants were included, with 218 males (64.69%). Initial extubation failed in 34 (10.09%) infants. Compared with the successful extubation group, the failed extubation group had significantly lower gestational age [(31.37±5.14) weeks vs (34.44±4.07) weeks], age [2.5 (1.00, 8.25) h vs 5 (1.00, 22.00) h], birth weight [(1 818.97±1128.80) g vs (2 432.18±928.94) g], 1-minute Apgar score (6.91±1.90 vs 7.68±2.03), and the proportion of using mask oxygenation after extubation (21% vs 46%) (all P<0.05). Conversely, compared with the successful extubation group, the failed extubation group had significantly higher rates of vaginal delivery (59% vs 32%), caffeine use during mechanical ventilation (71% vs 38%), dexamethasone use at extubation (44% vs 17%), the highest positive end-expiratory pressure level within 72 hours post-extubation [6(5.00, 6.00) cmH₂O vs 5 (0.00, 6.00) cmH₂O] (1 cmH₂O=0.098 kPa), the highest FiO₂ within 72 hours post-extubation [(34.35±5.95)% vs (30.22±3.58)%], and duration of noninvasive intermittent positive pressure ventilation after extubation [0.5 (0.00, 42.00) hours vs 0 (0, 0) hours] (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified gestational age <28 weeks (OR=5.570, 95% CI 1.866 to 16.430), age at NICU admission (OR=0.959, 95% CI 0.918 to 0.989), and a maximum FiO₂≥35% within 72 hours post-extubation (OR=4.541, 95% CI 1.849 to 10.980) as independent risk factors for extubation failure (all P<0.05). Additionally, the failed extubation group exhibited significantly higher incidences of necrotizing enterocolitis grade II or above, moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, treatment abandonment due to poor prognosis, and discharge on home oxygen therapy (all P<0.05). Total hospital length of stay and total hospitalization costs were also significantly increased in the failed extubation group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Gestational age <28 weeks, younger age at NICU admission, and FiO₂≥35% after extubation are high-risk factors for first extubation failure in neonates. Extubation failure markedly increases the risk of adverse clinical outcomes.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Female ; Airway Extubation/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Respiration, Artificial/methods* ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Prognosis ; Gestational Age ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Infant, Premature ; Treatment Failure ; Intubation, Intratracheal

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Objective:To investigate the effects of total-body PET/CT imaging with short acquisition time on image quality and lesion detectability in lungs and parenchymal organs.Methods:Sixty patients (31 males, 29 females, age (61.1±11.8) years) with pulmonary nodules (PN) and 53 patients (29 males, 24 females, age (56.7±17.2) years) with parenchymal organ lesions (POL) who underwent total-body PET/CT imaging in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between October 2021 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The acquisition time with PET was 600 s, and the reconstructed images were divided into 6 groups based on different duration (30, 60, 120, 180, 300 and 600 s), namely G30, G60, G120, G180, G300 and G600 groups. The subjective analysis was carried out with the 5-point Likert scale in 3 aspects: the overall impression of image quality, noise, and lesion conspicuity. The objective analysis indicators included the SUV mean of the mediastinal blood pool (MBP); the SUV mean, standard deviation (SD) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the liver; SUV max and target-to-background ratio (TBR) of the lesions. Differences of the indicators among 6 groups were analyzed by Friedman test with Bonferroni correction. G600 served as the reference for the other 5 groups to test their lesion detectability. Results:The subjective image quality of different groups for PN and that of G120, G180, G300 groups for POL could meet the needs of clinical diagnosis in terms of the overall image quality, noise, and lesion conspicuity (all scores>3). There was no significant difference in the SUV mean of MBP among different time groups (median for PN: 1.52-1.56, median for POL: 1.35-1.47; χ2 values: 10.23, 11.02, both P>0.05). Difference was not found in SUV mean of the liver either (median for PN: 2.51-2.56, median for POL: 2.33-2.40; χ2 values: 8.35, 8.93, both P>0.05). The liver SD significantly increased along with the shortened acquisition time ( χ2 values: 400.99, 400.00, both P<0.001; z values: from -16.90 to -3.15, all P<0.003). The SNR significantly decreased along with the shortened acquisition time ( χ2 values: 397.32, 400.00, both P<0.001; z values: 2.98-16.90, all P<0.003). The SUV max (median for PN: 3.55-4.01, median for POL: 5.77-6.08; χ2 values: 8.58, 3.02, both P>0.05) and TBR (median for PN: 2.42-2.81, median for POL: 2.36-2.45; χ2 values: 9.83, 3.69, both P>0.05) of lesion were not significantly different among 6 groups. Taking G600 group as a reference, the lesion detection rates were 100% in G30 group and other 4 groups for PN (81/81) and in G120, G180, G300 groups for POL (80/80). Conclusion:Total-body PET/CT imaging with acquisition time of 30 s for lungs and that with acquisition time of 120 s for parenchymal organs are feasible for clinical use, with the PET image quality and lesion detectability maintained.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic and predictive value of ultrasonic cardiac output monitor (USCOM) in premature infants with hemodynamic significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA).Methods:A total of 165 preterm infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks and within 72 hours after birth in the Neonatal Medical Center of Children′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the echocardiograph (ECHO) results within 72 hours after birth, clinical manifestations and oral administration of Ibuprofen, premature infants were divided into non-patent ductus arteriosus (non-PDA group, 77 cases), non-hsPDA group (59 cases), and hsPDA group (29 cases). USCOM was performed within half of an hour after ECHO.During the course of oral medication of Ibuprofen in the hsPDA group, USCOM was repeatedly examined every 24 hours.ECHO and USCOM were re-examined within 24 hours after the course of oral medication of ibuprofen.Results:Compared with non-hsPDA group and non-PDA group, the gestational age [(31.51±1.62) weeks, (32.09±1.27) weeks vs.(30.82±1.61) weeks, F=8.425, P<0.001], birth weight [(1 154.49±192.55) g, (1 195.58±182.02) g vs.(1 094.66±153.69) g, F=3.366, P=0.037] and the mean blood pressure [(38.37±2.20) mmHg, (38.53±2.37) mmHg vs.(30.52±2.31) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, F=142.860, P<0.001]were significantly lower in hsPDA group.On the contrary, the heart rate[(129.68±7.11) times/min, (130.34±7.27) times/min vs.(164.76±7.65) times/min, F=271.790, P<0.001], B-type natriuretic peptide[(203.76±108.68) ng/L, (152.43±54.24) ng/L vs.(3 385.31±856.26) ng/L, F=931.30, P<0.001] and left artrium/aorta (1.32±0.12, 1.29±0.09 vs.1.60±0.12, F=84.970, P<0.001)were significantly higher.Among the USCOM parameters, left ventricular cardiac output [(0.40±0.08) L/min, (0.40±0.08) L/min vs.(0.51±0.04) L/min, F=26.760, P<0.001], cardiac index (CI) [(3.76±0.48) L/(min·m 2), (3.54±0.30) L/(min·m 2) vs.(4.43±0.36) L/(min·m 2), F=56.060, P<0.001], stroke volume[(3.75±0.28) mL, (3.70±0.23) mL vs.(4.22±0.36)mL, F=40.170, P<0.001], stroke volume index [(34.42±2.66) mL/m 2, (34.47±3.29) mL/m 2vs.(38.45±3.32) mL/m 2, F=20.080, P<0.001], peak ejection velocity [(1.12±0.12) m/s, (1.11±0.10) m/s vs.(1.23±0.09) m/s, F=14.890, P<0.001] and corrected flow time [(379.02±22.69) ms, (376.51±27.95) ms vs.(403.69±39.04) ms, F=10.120, P<0.001]were significantly higher in hsPDA group, while systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) [(1 109.49±115.67) ds·cm -5·m 2, (1 070.01±133.55) ds·cm -5·m 2vs.(861.31±115.22) ds cm -5m 2, F=41.130, P<0.001]was significantly lower than that of non-hsPDA and non-PDA group.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CI and SVRI for predicting hsPDA were 0.916 and 0.905, respectively.The sensitivity and specificity of CI>4.05 L/(min·m 2) for predicting hsPDA was 0.828 and 0.860, respectively, which was 0.660 and 1.000 for SVRI<1 002.5 ds·cm -5·m 2.The sensitivity and specificity of combining CI and SVRI for predicting hsPDA was 0.966 and 0.949, respectively. Conclusions:USCOM has a good diagnostic and predictive value for hsPDA in premature infants.The combined application of CI and SVRI can improve the predictive value, and help formulate the early diagnostic and treatment strategy for PDA in premature infants

Objective:To study the risk factors of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in extremely preterm infants (EPI).Method:From July 2017 to April 2020, EPI (gestational age <28 weeks) admitted to the Department of Neonatology of our hospital were included and analyzed retrospectively. According to whether hsPDA existed or not, the infants were assigned into non-hsPDA group and hsPDA group. Demographic findings and possible risk factors of hsPDA were collected.The cumulative fluid overload (FO) within 3 days after birth was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to determine the risk factors of hsPDA.Result:A total of 79 infants with gestational age of (27.0±0.9) weeks and birth weight of (987±173)g were enrolled, including 23 cases in non-hsPDA group and 56 cases in hsPDA group. Univariate analysis showed that thrombocytopenia ( P=0.044), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) treated with pulmonary surfactant (PS) ( P=0.006) and high FO level ( P=0.002) were associated with hsPDA. Multivariate analysis showed that RDS treated with PS ( OR=5.933, 95% CI 1.360~25.883, P=0.018) and high FO level ( OR=1.261, 95% CI 1.063~1.496, P=0.008) were independent risk factors for hsPDA in EPIs. ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off value of FO was -0.2%, with 85.7% sensitivity and 56.5% specificity distinguishing the presence of hsPDA (AUC=0.712, Youden index=0.422). Conclusion:High level of FO within the first 3 days of life and RDS treated with PS are independent risk factors for hsPDA in EPI. After PS treatment, hemodynamic changes of infants with RDS should be monitored closely. During early fluid management of EPI, FO should be strictly monitored to avoid high FO level.

Adiponectin is a kind of cytokines secreted by adipose tissue, which has the functions of regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, protecting vascular endothelium, promoting angiogenesis, and anti-inflammatory. Recent studies have shown that there is a certain correlation between adiponectin and vascular cognitive impairment and its risk factors. This article reviews the relationship between adiponectin and vascular cognitive impairment, especially its risk factors.

Objective To explore the relationship between WT1 and prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and to evaluate the possibility of WT1 as a potential marker for monitoring the minimal residual disease (MRD). Methods Bone marrow mononuclear cells from 58 patients with primary AML, 32 patients with primary ALL, 40 patients with AML-complete remission (CR), 28 patients with ALL-CR and 31 patients with trilineage hyperplasia (control group) were collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method was used to detect the expression of WT1 in all patients. The expression threshold of WT1 in each group was established. WT1 copy number/ABL copy number ratio×100%denotes the relative expression level of WT1 gene. Results Median relative expression level of WT1 in the control patients was much lower than that in primary AML patients [0.026%(0-0.240%) vs. 20.880 % (3.550 %-48.500 %), Z=-7.74, P<0.000 1]. Relative expression level of WT1 between AML-CR patients [0.102%(0-5.380%)] and primary AML patients had significant difference (Z=-8.34, P<0.000 1). Moreover, the relative expression level rate of the first course in AML patients with higher WT1 expression level (>20.880 %) was 60.7 % (17/28), while the CR rate was 76.7 % (23/30) in those with lower WT1 expression. WT1 expression was increased dramatically in recurrent AML patients. Relative expression level of WT1 was significantly higher in primary ALL patients [0.350 % (0.021 %-10.780 %)] compared with that in the control group Z=-2.58, P<0.05. There was no significant difference in relative expression level of WT1 between ALL and ALL-CR patients [0.038 % (0-2.800 %), P=0.065]. Conclusion WT1 expression level in AML patients is relatively high, which could be used as an effective index of prognosis evaluation and MRD monitoring for AML patients, but not for ALL patients.