Objective:To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of eso-phageal fistula (EF) after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for atrial fibrillation.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 15 patients with EF after RFCA for atrial fibrillation who were admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2020 to December 2024 were collected. There were 11 males and 4 females, aged (64±7)years. All patients underwent surgical treatment. Observation indicators: (1) diagnosis and surgery; (2) postoperative situations; (3) follow-up. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range), and count data were represented as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Diagnodid and surgery. Of the 15 patients, radiofrequency catheter ablation included pulmonary vein isolation plus linear ablation in 13 cases and pulmonary vein isolation alone in 2 cases. The time to postoperative symptom onset of EF in 15 patients was (13±8)days. The main clinical manifestations included persistent chest pain in 14 cases, fever in 12 cases, dysphagia in 2 cases, and neurological symptoms in 2 cases (the same patient could have multiple symptoms). All patients presented with signs of infection of varying severity. Contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) or pulmonary vein CT angio-graphy revealed mediastinal emphysema, pneumopericardium with pericardial effusion, localized esophageal wall thickening with exudation, abnormalities in the posterior wall of the left atrium, or contrast extravasation in all patients. Cerebral imaging examination showed newly developed cerebral infarcts in 2 patients. The time from symptom onset to surgical intervention was 2(range, 1-10)days.All 15 patients underwent surgical treatment immediately after being diagnosed or highly suspected of EF via multidisciplinary collaboration. Among them, 11 patients with atrial-esophageal fistula (AEF) underwent left atrial defect repair plus left thoracic esophageal repair under cardio-pulmonary bypass through a median sternotomy, 3 patients with simple EF underwent left thoracic esophageal repair, 1 patient with AEF underwent atrial repair plus esophageal exclusion and drainage due to severe mediastinal infection. The diameter of the left atrial defect in the 15 patients was (12±5)mm, and the diameter of the esophageal defect was (11±4)mm. There was no patient cured with conservative treatment or converted to surgical treatment after failed conservative treatment.(2)Postoperative situations.Of the 15 patients, 3 cases developed pulmonary infection and were improved after anti-infective treatment. The duration of postoperative hospital stay was (21±5)days. (3) Follow-up. All 15 patients were followed up for 11(range, 3-18)months. Two of 15 patients died. One patient undergoing atrial repair plus esophageal diversion and drainage died postoperatively due to sepsis and multiple organ failure, and one patient undergoing left thoracic esophageal repair died of acute cardiac tamponade one week after surgery. The remaining 13 patients recovered well, without recurrence or new complications.Conclusions:The main clinical features of esophageal fistula after RFCA for atrial fibrillation include persistent chest pain, fever, accompanying signs of infection. Early contrast-enhanced chest CT or pulmonary vein CT angiography is helpful for diagnosis, and active surgical treatment after confirmation via multidisciplinary collaboration can improve patient prognosis.

To investigate the phenotype and genomic characterization of a mucoid-type Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 isolate from a urinary tract infection patient,promoting clinical diagnosis and treatment for urinary tract infections caused by Salmo-nella spp.Culture-based quantitative counts of midstream urine sample from the patient were conducted,and further biochemi-cal identification,mass spectrometry detection,serum agglutination test and antimicrobial susceptibility test(AST)were con-ducted on Salmonella isolate(2024JD5).Whole-genome sequencing(WGS)was performed on isolate 2024JD5 to predict sero-type,multilocus sequence type(MLST),resistance genes,and virulence genes.Two smooth-type of Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 were selected as comparative genomic reference strains from the Chinese local Salmonella genome database.The literature reviews of global Salmonella serotype of urinary tract infection were summarized.Specific serum agglutination confir-mation of isolate 2024JD5 failed due to characterization of the mucus type.The strain 2024JD5 was predicted as Salmonella Saintpaul(4,5,12:e,h:1,2)ST50 using WGS,and was resistant to ciprofloxacin,nalidixic acid,chloramphenicol and tetracy-cline with carrying aminoglycoside resistance genes aac(6')-Ⅰaa and aph(3)-Ⅱa,chloramphenicol resistance gene floR,tetra-cycline resistance gene tet,quinolone resistance gene qnrS1,and S83Y substitution in the gyrA gene was found in the quinolo-ne resistance determination region(QRDR).In addition,the strain 2024JD4 carried six types of non-plasmid-based mobile ge-netic elements and 144 virulence genes,including 71 secretion transporter genes and 58 fimbriae adhesion genes,respectively.Four types of fimbriae regulatory genes(csgB,csgC,fimW,fimY)were absent in comparison with smooth-type Salmonella Saintpaul.The literature reviews showed Salmonella Saintpaul was currently a rare Salmonella serotype in cases of urinary tract infections worldwide.Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 with mucoid-type is the pathogen of urinary tract infection with multi-drug resistant phenotypic and genotypic characteristics,and the high mucoid expression may be related to the compensatory mechanism of fimbriae regulatory genes absence in urinary tract colonization and adaptation.WGS combined with the Chinese local Salmonella genome database can effectively solve the diagnosis and biosafety assessments of rare Salmonella phenotypes.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of lumbar disc resection under unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)for calcified lumbar disc herniation(CLDH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 25 patients with single-segment CLDH who underwent lumbar disc resection under UBE from January 2020 to January 2022.The operation time,postoperative hospital stay,and postoperative complications were recorded.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score for low back and leg pain,Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for the lumbar spine,and Oswestry disability index(ODI)were used to evaluate the efficacy before surgery,3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and at the last follow-up.At the last follow-up,the modified Macnab standard was used to assess the excellent and good rate.Results The patients were followed up for 12～24 months,with an average of(15.60±2.60)months.The average operation time was(58.67±10.73)min,and the postoperative hospital stay was(4.65±0.63)d.The VAS score,and ODI were lower,and JOA score was higher at 3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and the last follow-up compared with those before surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).At the last follow-up,according to the modified Macnab criteria,15 cases were rated as excellent,9 cases as good,and 1 case as fair.The excellent and good rate was 96.00%(24/25).Postoperative complications included a tear of the ventral dural sac of the nerve root,about 5 mm in length,without dural sac repair.The patient was instructed to stay in bed for 5 d after surgery and was given fluid replacement.The patient did not complain of discomfort such as headache when he got out of bed,and the postoperative MRI showed no massive epidural effusion.One patient had lower limb sensory disturbance and was treated with neurotrophic drugs,and recovered at the 1-month follow-up after surgery.Postoperative imaging examinations showed that the free calcified tissues were basically completely resected and the nerve roots were adequately decompressed.At the last follow-up,no recurrent cases were found.Conclusion Lumbar disc resection under UBE for CLDH is an effective and safe minimally invasive technique.

Objective:To determine whether the Rb1 of ginsenoside has protective effects on PA induced oxidative stress in endothelial cells.Methods:Established a model of palmitic acid-induced oxidative stress injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs).Using MTT assay,flow cytometry,fluorescent probe staining,and Western blot analysis to detect whether Rb1 of ginsenoside has effects on the cell viability,apoptosis rate,ROS and NO production,mitochondrial membrane potential,and the expression levels of related proteins.Results:MTT assay and flow cytometry revealed that ginsenoside Rb1 can reduce PA-induced apoptosis in HUVECs(P＜0.05).The mechanism may be related to the following two points:(1)reducing ROS production and increasing NO levels,thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity of HUVECs;(2)regulating the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins,increasing the BCL-2/Bax ratio(P＜0.05),modulating mitochondrial membrane permeability,reducing cytochrome C release(P＜0.001),and decreasing Caspase protein activation(P＜0.01),thereby attenuating PA-induced apoptosis.Conclusion:After the stimulation with PA,ROS production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells increased while NO content and cell activity decreased,oxidative stress induced apoptosis in cells.By regulating the production of ROS and NOx stabilizing the mitochondrial transmembrane potential,reducing the leakage of cytochrome C,Ginsenoside Rb1 can reduce HUVECs apoptosis induced by PA.

To investigate the phenotype and genomic characterization of a mucoid-type Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 isolate from a urinary tract infection patient,promoting clinical diagnosis and treatment for urinary tract infections caused by Salmo-nella spp.Culture-based quantitative counts of midstream urine sample from the patient were conducted,and further biochemi-cal identification,mass spectrometry detection,serum agglutination test and antimicrobial susceptibility test(AST)were con-ducted on Salmonella isolate(2024JD5).Whole-genome sequencing(WGS)was performed on isolate 2024JD5 to predict sero-type,multilocus sequence type(MLST),resistance genes,and virulence genes.Two smooth-type of Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 were selected as comparative genomic reference strains from the Chinese local Salmonella genome database.The literature reviews of global Salmonella serotype of urinary tract infection were summarized.Specific serum agglutination confir-mation of isolate 2024JD5 failed due to characterization of the mucus type.The strain 2024JD5 was predicted as Salmonella Saintpaul(4,5,12:e,h:1,2)ST50 using WGS,and was resistant to ciprofloxacin,nalidixic acid,chloramphenicol and tetracy-cline with carrying aminoglycoside resistance genes aac(6')-Ⅰaa and aph(3)-Ⅱa,chloramphenicol resistance gene floR,tetra-cycline resistance gene tet,quinolone resistance gene qnrS1,and S83Y substitution in the gyrA gene was found in the quinolo-ne resistance determination region(QRDR).In addition,the strain 2024JD4 carried six types of non-plasmid-based mobile ge-netic elements and 144 virulence genes,including 71 secretion transporter genes and 58 fimbriae adhesion genes,respectively.Four types of fimbriae regulatory genes(csgB,csgC,fimW,fimY)were absent in comparison with smooth-type Salmonella Saintpaul.The literature reviews showed Salmonella Saintpaul was currently a rare Salmonella serotype in cases of urinary tract infections worldwide.Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 with mucoid-type is the pathogen of urinary tract infection with multi-drug resistant phenotypic and genotypic characteristics,and the high mucoid expression may be related to the compensatory mechanism of fimbriae regulatory genes absence in urinary tract colonization and adaptation.WGS combined with the Chinese local Salmonella genome database can effectively solve the diagnosis and biosafety assessments of rare Salmonella phenotypes.

Objective:To determine whether the Rb1 of ginsenoside has protective effects on PA induced oxidative stress in endothelial cells.Methods:Established a model of palmitic acid-induced oxidative stress injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs).Using MTT assay,flow cytometry,fluorescent probe staining,and Western blot analysis to detect whether Rb1 of ginsenoside has effects on the cell viability,apoptosis rate,ROS and NO production,mitochondrial membrane potential,and the expression levels of related proteins.Results:MTT assay and flow cytometry revealed that ginsenoside Rb1 can reduce PA-induced apoptosis in HUVECs(P＜0.05).The mechanism may be related to the following two points:(1)reducing ROS production and increasing NO levels,thereby enhancing the antioxidant capacity of HUVECs;(2)regulating the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins,increasing the BCL-2/Bax ratio(P＜0.05),modulating mitochondrial membrane permeability,reducing cytochrome C release(P＜0.001),and decreasing Caspase protein activation(P＜0.01),thereby attenuating PA-induced apoptosis.Conclusion:After the stimulation with PA,ROS production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells increased while NO content and cell activity decreased,oxidative stress induced apoptosis in cells.By regulating the production of ROS and NOx stabilizing the mitochondrial transmembrane potential,reducing the leakage of cytochrome C,Ginsenoside Rb1 can reduce HUVECs apoptosis induced by PA.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of lumbar disc resection under unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)for calcified lumbar disc herniation(CLDH).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 25 patients with single-segment CLDH who underwent lumbar disc resection under UBE from January 2020 to January 2022.The operation time,postoperative hospital stay,and postoperative complications were recorded.The visual analogue scale(VAS)score for low back and leg pain,Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for the lumbar spine,and Oswestry disability index(ODI)were used to evaluate the efficacy before surgery,3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and at the last follow-up.At the last follow-up,the modified Macnab standard was used to assess the excellent and good rate.Results The patients were followed up for 12～24 months,with an average of(15.60±2.60)months.The average operation time was(58.67±10.73)min,and the postoperative hospital stay was(4.65±0.63)d.The VAS score,and ODI were lower,and JOA score was higher at 3 d after surgery,1 month after surgery,and the last follow-up compared with those before surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).At the last follow-up,according to the modified Macnab criteria,15 cases were rated as excellent,9 cases as good,and 1 case as fair.The excellent and good rate was 96.00%(24/25).Postoperative complications included a tear of the ventral dural sac of the nerve root,about 5 mm in length,without dural sac repair.The patient was instructed to stay in bed for 5 d after surgery and was given fluid replacement.The patient did not complain of discomfort such as headache when he got out of bed,and the postoperative MRI showed no massive epidural effusion.One patient had lower limb sensory disturbance and was treated with neurotrophic drugs,and recovered at the 1-month follow-up after surgery.Postoperative imaging examinations showed that the free calcified tissues were basically completely resected and the nerve roots were adequately decompressed.At the last follow-up,no recurrent cases were found.Conclusion Lumbar disc resection under UBE for CLDH is an effective and safe minimally invasive technique.

Objective To explore the application effect of ultrasound-assisted localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures.Methods A total of 114 elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery with spinal anesthesia in our hospital from September 2022 to June 2024 were enrolled.The random number table method was applied to allocate participants into two groups:surface anatomical landmark localization group and ultrasound-assisted localization group,with 57 patients in each group.Both groups of patients underwent spinal anesthesia via the paramedian approach for puncture.The first-attempt puncture success rate,success rate of the initial puncture site,number of skin punctures,number of adjusted epidural needle direction,positioning time of the puncture point,puncture time(puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time),adverse events during the puncture process(nerve hypersensitivity and accidental puncture of the dura mater),spinal anesthesia related complications(back pain,headache,and nerve injury),patient satisfaction and hospital stay were observed and compared between the two groups.The quality of early postoperative recovery was evaluated by using the 15-Item Quality of Recovery(QOR-15)scale at 24 h after surgery.Results The first-attempt puncture success rate in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 71.9％(41/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[28.1％(16/57),x2=21.930,P=0.000].The success rate of the initial puncture site in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 87.7％(50/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[54.4％(31/57),x2=15.396,P=0.000].The number of skin punctures and adjusted epidural needle direction in the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1(1,1)and 0(0,1)times,while in the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 2(1,3)and 3(0,5)times,with statistically significant differences(all P=0.000).The puncture positioning time in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 2.2(1.7,3.2)min,which was significantly longer than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[0.8(0.5,1.2)min,Z=-8.418,P=0.000].The puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time of the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1.9(1.7,2.3),4.9(4.3,5.3),and 7.1(6.3,8.7)min,while of the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 5.1(2.3,8.0),7.9(5.7,11.0),and 8.6(6.6,12.0)min,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of nerve hypersensitivity during operation(3.5％vs.7.0％,x2=0.176,P=0.675),accidental puncture of the dura mater by epidural needles(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),postoperative headache(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),and back pain(1.8％vs.10.5％,x2=2.435,P=0.119)between the two groups.Both groups of patients showed no symptoms of nerve injury after surgery.There were no statistically significant differences in QOR-15 scores at 24 h postoperatively[119(115,124)points vs.116(112,121)points,Z=-1.858,P=0.063]and length of hospital stay[10.0(9.0,12.5)dvs.10.0(8.0,13.0)d,Z=-0.043,P=0.966]between the two groups.The satisfaction of patients in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group(P=0.004).Conclusion Application of ultrasound-guided localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures significantly improves the first-attempt puncture and initial puncture site success rates,reduces skin puncture attempts and adjustments of the epidural needle direction,shortens time of anesthetic procedure,and enhances patient satisfaction,making it highly recommendable for clinical use.

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of intersegmental vein-centered planning sublobectomy (VCPS) in the treatment of intersegmental early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 68 patients with early-stage NSCLC who underwent VCPS in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University from May to November 2023 were successively included. A group of 71 patients who underwent combined segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy (CSS) during the same period was selected as the control. Preoperative three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology was used for surgical planning in the VCPS group, with tumor resection centered around intersegmental veins during the operation. In the CSS group, combined segment or subsegment resection was performed based on preoperative 3D planning. The operative time, complications, resection margin distance, hospitalization costs, and short-term follow-up results of both groups were compared.Results:The VCPS group included 29 males (42.6%) and 39 females (57.4%), with the age of (61±11) years and the tumor diameter of (10.4±3.1) mm; the postoperative pathology types revealed adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) in 31 cases (45.6%), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) in 23 cases (33.8%), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) in 14 cases (20.6%). The CSS group included 27 males (38.0%) and 44 females (62.0%), with the age of (59± 11) years and the tumor diameter of (9.9±2.9) mm; the postoperative pathology types revealed AIS in 31 cases (43.7%), MIA in 27 cases (38.0%), and IA in 13 cases (18.3%). There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, tumor diameter and pathological type distribution between the VCPS group and CSS group (all P > 0.05). The operative time [ M ( Q1, Q3)] in the VCPS group was shorter than that in the CSS group [90 (75, 100) min vs. 150 (120, 180) min, Z = -9.83, P < 0.01]; the hospitalization cost in the VCPS group was lower than that in the CSS group [(44 969±6 929) yuan vs. (61 476±10 661) yuan, t = -10.77, P < 0.01]. There was no statistically significant difference in resection margin distance between the two groups [(18±5) mm vs. (18±5) mm, t = 0.65, P > 0.05]. Postoperative complications in the VCPS group included 2 cases of prolonged air leak and 1 case of postoperative cholecystitis, while patients in the CSS group showed 4 cases of prolonged air leak and 1 case of conversion to thoracotomy due to intraoperative bleeding. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of postoperative prolonged air leak and drainage time of both groups (all P > 0.05). No tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed in either group during 3-month follow-up after operation. Conclusions:VCPS, which centers surgical planning around intersegmental veins, provides more precise anatomical localization for intersegmental NSCLC lesions, shortens operative time, reduces surgical difficulty and costs, and decreases postoperative complications.

Objective To explore the application effect of ultrasound-assisted localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures.Methods A total of 114 elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery with spinal anesthesia in our hospital from September 2022 to June 2024 were enrolled.The random number table method was applied to allocate participants into two groups:surface anatomical landmark localization group and ultrasound-assisted localization group,with 57 patients in each group.Both groups of patients underwent spinal anesthesia via the paramedian approach for puncture.The first-attempt puncture success rate,success rate of the initial puncture site,number of skin punctures,number of adjusted epidural needle direction,positioning time of the puncture point,puncture time(puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time),adverse events during the puncture process(nerve hypersensitivity and accidental puncture of the dura mater),spinal anesthesia related complications(back pain,headache,and nerve injury),patient satisfaction and hospital stay were observed and compared between the two groups.The quality of early postoperative recovery was evaluated by using the 15-Item Quality of Recovery(QOR-15)scale at 24 h after surgery.Results The first-attempt puncture success rate in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 71.9％(41/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[28.1％(16/57),x2=21.930,P=0.000].The success rate of the initial puncture site in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 87.7％(50/57),which was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[54.4％(31/57),x2=15.396,P=0.000].The number of skin punctures and adjusted epidural needle direction in the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1(1,1)and 0(0,1)times,while in the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 2(1,3)and 3(0,5)times,with statistically significant differences(all P=0.000).The puncture positioning time in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was 2.2(1.7,3.2)min,which was significantly longer than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group[0.8(0.5,1.2)min,Z=-8.418,P=0.000].The puncture success time,anesthesia time,and total time of the ultrasound-assisted localization group were 1.9(1.7,2.3),4.9(4.3,5.3),and 7.1(6.3,8.7)min,while of the surface anatomical landmark localization group were 5.1(2.3,8.0),7.9(5.7,11.0),and 8.6(6.6,12.0)min,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of nerve hypersensitivity during operation(3.5％vs.7.0％,x2=0.176,P=0.675),accidental puncture of the dura mater by epidural needles(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),postoperative headache(0％vs.3.5％,P=0.496),and back pain(1.8％vs.10.5％,x2=2.435,P=0.119)between the two groups.Both groups of patients showed no symptoms of nerve injury after surgery.There were no statistically significant differences in QOR-15 scores at 24 h postoperatively[119(115,124)points vs.116(112,121)points,Z=-1.858,P=0.063]and length of hospital stay[10.0(9.0,12.5)dvs.10.0(8.0,13.0)d,Z=-0.043,P=0.966]between the two groups.The satisfaction of patients in the ultrasound-assisted localization group was significantly higher than that in the surface anatomical landmark localization group(P=0.004).Conclusion Application of ultrasound-guided localization in spinal anesthesia for elderly patients with hip fractures significantly improves the first-attempt puncture and initial puncture site success rates,reduces skin puncture attempts and adjustments of the epidural needle direction,shortens time of anesthetic procedure,and enhances patient satisfaction,making it highly recommendable for clinical use.