Objective:To investigate the preventive effect of a subanesthetic dose of esketamine on emergence agitation (EA) in pediatric patients undergoing fracture fixation surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eighty-two pediatric patients, aged 3-6 yr, with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for elective closed reduction and internal fixation of humeral fractures at the People′s Hospital of Fuyang City from March 2023 to August 2024, were divided into 2 groups ( n=41 each) using simple random sampling: esketamine group (group E) and control group (group C). Group E received an intravenous injection of esketamine at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg before anesthesia induction, while the equal volume of normal saline was given instead in group C. The induction and maintenance of general anesthesia were the same in both groups. The drug was discontinued after operation and the children were transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit. The primary outcome was the occurrence of EA assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale. Secondary outcome measures included the acceptance of the facemask during anesthesia induction, the rate of propofol use during the emergence period, the Children′s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores at awakening and at 2 and 6 h postoperatively, the requirement for rescue analgesia in the emergence period, and the occurrence of adverse reactions. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of EA [38% (15/39) vs. 15% (6/40)] was significantly decreased, the usage rate of propofol during the emergence period was decreased, the degree of acceptance of the facemask during anesthesia induction was increased, and Children′s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores at all time points and the rate of rescue analgesia in the emergence period were decreased in group E ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Administering a subanesthetic dose of esketamine before anesthesia induction can reduce the risk of EA in pediatric patients undergoing fracture fixation surgery under general anesthesia and raise the the quality of recovery with a high safety.

Objective:To study echinococcosis in the population and canine Echinococcus infection in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, and to explore the current epidemic situation and main transmission species of Echinococcus. Methods:In June 2023, a multi-stage sampling method was used to select 2 villages each in Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Each village included at least 100 permanent residents who had lived locally for at least 1 year and were 2 years old or older as the survey subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum antibodies against Echinococcus larvae in the population, and B-mode ultrasound was used for abdominal organ scanning. Meanwhile, on the main roads of Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, canine feces were collected in designated areas at intervals. ELISA was used to detect the antigen of canine fecal Echinococcus, and PCR was used to detect the types of parasites ( Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus shiquicus). Results:A total of 511 residents were investigated in Yushu City, and the positive rate of serum Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population was 26.22% (134/511), and the detection rate of echinococcosis B-mode ultrasound was 1.37% (7/511). Among them, the detection rates of B-mode ultrasound for cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) were 1.17% (6/511) and 0.20% (1/511), respectively. The positive rate of Echinococcus antigen in 543 canine feces detected by ELISA was 12.89% (70/543). PCR was used to test 497 canine feces, and the detection rate of Echinococcus was 3.02% (15/497). Among them, the detection rate of Echinococcus multilocularis was higher than that of Echinococcus granulosus [2.82% (14/497) vs 0.20% (1/497)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 11.44, P < 0.001). No Echinococcus shiquicus was detected. Conclusions:The positive rates of Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population and canine Echinococcus antigen in Yushu City, Qinghai Province are both relatively high. There is a mixed epidemic of CE and AE, with Echinococcus multilocularis being the main species.

Objective:To investigate the preventive effect of a subanesthetic dose of esketamine on emergence agitation (EA) in pediatric patients undergoing fracture fixation surgery under general anesthesia.Methods:This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eighty-two pediatric patients, aged 3-6 yr, with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for elective closed reduction and internal fixation of humeral fractures at the People′s Hospital of Fuyang City from March 2023 to August 2024, were divided into 2 groups ( n=41 each) using simple random sampling: esketamine group (group E) and control group (group C). Group E received an intravenous injection of esketamine at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg before anesthesia induction, while the equal volume of normal saline was given instead in group C. The induction and maintenance of general anesthesia were the same in both groups. The drug was discontinued after operation and the children were transferred to the post-anesthesia care unit. The primary outcome was the occurrence of EA assessed using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale. Secondary outcome measures included the acceptance of the facemask during anesthesia induction, the rate of propofol use during the emergence period, the Children′s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores at awakening and at 2 and 6 h postoperatively, the requirement for rescue analgesia in the emergence period, and the occurrence of adverse reactions. Results:Compared with group C, the incidence of EA [38% (15/39) vs. 15% (6/40)] was significantly decreased, the usage rate of propofol during the emergence period was decreased, the degree of acceptance of the facemask during anesthesia induction was increased, and Children′s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale scores at all time points and the rate of rescue analgesia in the emergence period were decreased in group E ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Administering a subanesthetic dose of esketamine before anesthesia induction can reduce the risk of EA in pediatric patients undergoing fracture fixation surgery under general anesthesia and raise the the quality of recovery with a high safety.

Objective:To study echinococcosis in the population and canine Echinococcus infection in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, and to explore the current epidemic situation and main transmission species of Echinococcus. Methods:In June 2023, a multi-stage sampling method was used to select 2 villages each in Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Each village included at least 100 permanent residents who had lived locally for at least 1 year and were 2 years old or older as the survey subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum antibodies against Echinococcus larvae in the population, and B-mode ultrasound was used for abdominal organ scanning. Meanwhile, on the main roads of Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, canine feces were collected in designated areas at intervals. ELISA was used to detect the antigen of canine fecal Echinococcus, and PCR was used to detect the types of parasites ( Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus shiquicus). Results:A total of 511 residents were investigated in Yushu City, and the positive rate of serum Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population was 26.22% (134/511), and the detection rate of echinococcosis B-mode ultrasound was 1.37% (7/511). Among them, the detection rates of B-mode ultrasound for cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) were 1.17% (6/511) and 0.20% (1/511), respectively. The positive rate of Echinococcus antigen in 543 canine feces detected by ELISA was 12.89% (70/543). PCR was used to test 497 canine feces, and the detection rate of Echinococcus was 3.02% (15/497). Among them, the detection rate of Echinococcus multilocularis was higher than that of Echinococcus granulosus [2.82% (14/497) vs 0.20% (1/497)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 11.44, P < 0.001). No Echinococcus shiquicus was detected. Conclusions:The positive rates of Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population and canine Echinococcus antigen in Yushu City, Qinghai Province are both relatively high. There is a mixed epidemic of CE and AE, with Echinococcus multilocularis being the main species.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopic rapid on-site evaluation (B-ROSE) in patients with severe invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (IBPA) and provide evidence for starting antifungal treatment before microbiological results were available. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted to select patients with severe pneumonia suspected of IBPA admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from June 2014 to June 2022, and those who were primarily infected with other pathogens (such as bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis) at admission were excluded. Whether the antifungal treatment was initiated or not on the basis of the bedside B-ROSE, the B-ROSE was administered as soon as possible within 24 hours after admission to RICU. The current international definition of invasive aspergillosis was used as the gold diagnostic standard, the diagnostic accordance rate, the sensitivity and specificity of B-ROSE were calculated respectively, and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was also plotted, to evaluate the predictive value in diagnosing IBPA. RESULTS: A total of 176 patients with severe pneumonia suspected of IBPA were included in the study. According to international diagnostic standards, there were 81 cases of IBPA and 95 cases of non-IBPA. According to the early diagnosis of B-ROSE, there were 89 cases of IBPA and 87 cases of non-IBPA. The diagnostic accordance rate of B-ROSE was 84.09% (148/176), the area under the ROC curve for B-ROSE in diagnosing severe IBPA was 0.844, the 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.782-0.905, the sensitivity was 87.65%, the specificity was 81.05%, the positive predictive value was 79.78%, the negative predictive value was 88.51%, the rate of underdiagnosis was 12.35% (10/81), and the rate of misdiagnosis was 18.95% (18/95). Compared with the true negative group, the proportion of long-term (≥ 14 days) use of glucocorticoid [70.0% (7/10) vs. 9.1% (7/77), P < 0.01] and the proportion of cases with diabetes [40.0% (4/10) vs. 10.4% (8/77), P < 0.05] were significantly higher in the false negative group (underdiagnosis group). However, B-ROSE of both groups showed mucosal bleeding, congestion and edema [100.0% (10/10) vs. 94.8% (73/77), P > 0.05], indicating that acute mucosal inflammation was non-characteristic. Compared with the true positive group, the proportion of long-term (≥ 14 days) use of glucocorticoid in the false positive group (misdiagnosis group) was significantly reduced [33.3% (6/18) vs. 60.6% (43/71), P < 0.05]. The B-ROSE results showed the proportion of cases with mucosal white spots, black plaques and pseudomembrane was significantly reduced [16.7% (3/18) vs. 52.1% (37/71), P < 0.01] in the misdiagnosed group, which suggest that cases of long-term use of glucocorticoid and cases with B-ROSE showing mucosal white spots, black plaques and pseudomembrane were less likely to be misdiagnosed. The main diseases that were easily misdiagnosed as IBPA included pulmonary tuberculosis (38.9%, 7/18), inflammatory lung adenocarcinoma (27.8%, 5/18) and pulmonary vasculitis (16.7%, 3/18). CONCLUSIONS Before obtaining microbiological evidence, B-ROSE can assist in decision-making of early anti-aspergillus treatment for severe IBPA. This method is prompt, simple, and has high accuracy and reliability. If B-ROSE lacks characteristic manifestations, especially for severe pneumonia in patients with long-term use of glucocorticoid or diabetes, attention should be paid to the underdiagnosis of IBPA. Diseases such as lung tuberculosis, inflammatory lung adenocarcinoma and lung vasculitis should be vigilant against misdiagnosis as IBPA.
Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Antifungal Agents ; Glucocorticoids ; Rapid On-site Evaluation ; Reproducibility of Results ; Pulmonary Aspergillosis ; Pneumonia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung ; Vasculitis ; Retrospective Studies

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by viral pneumonia, and to provide evidence for individualized use of ETI-MV.Methods:Patients with ARDS due to viral pneumonia admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University were retrospectively analyzed from November 2017 to March 2022. The gender, age, concomitant diseases, clinical symptoms and signs, complications, lab results, ARDS severity, infectious virus type, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ), respiratory support methods and prognosis-related variables were collected. Univariate analysis was performed on each factor, and the variables with statistical significance in the univariate analysis were subjected multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of each index for the implementation of ETI-MV.Results:A total of 117 patients were enrolled in the study, including 61 patients in the ETI-MV group, and 3 patients (4.9%), 39 patients (63.9%) and 19 patients (31.1%) with mild, moderate and severe ARDS, respectively. There were 56 patients in non-ETI-MV group, and the mild, moderate and severe ARDS cases were 16 cases (28.6%), 38 cases (67.8%) and 2 cases (3.6%), respectively. There was significant difference between the two groups ( P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that during 24 hours admitted to RICU, the levels of interleukin-6 [IL-6 (ng/L): 104.0±90.0 vs. 62.4±76.0], oxygenation index [PaO 2/FiO 2 (mmHg, 1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa): 123.9±30.9 vs. 173.6±28.5], the proportion of cases with pulmonary infiltrating opacity distribution range ≥ 3/4 lung fields [85.3% (52/61) vs. 21.5% (12/56)], APACHE Ⅱ score ≥ 16.5 [67.2% (41/61) vs. 42.9% (24/56)], the rate of nosocomial invasive aspergillus infection [14.8% (9/61) vs. 3.6% (2/56)], the percentage of nosocomial bacterial infection [16.4% (10/61) vs. 3.6% (2/56)], and the lowest CD4 + T lymphocyte count in the course of the disease [cells/mm 3: 192.2±35.8 vs. 215.0±58.3] had significant differences between ETI-MV and non-ETI-MV group (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that during 24 hours admitted to RICU the distribution range of pulmonary infiltrating opacity ≥ 3/4 the lung fields [odds ratio ( OR) = 12.527, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 3.279-47.859, P < 0.001], APACHE Ⅱ score ≥ 16.5 ( OR = 30.604, 95% CI = 4.318-216.932, P = 0.001), PaO 2/FiO 2 ( OR = 0.948, 95% CI = 0.925-0.972, P < 0.001), CD4 + T lymphocytes cell count ( OR = 0.975, 95% CI = 0.955-0.995, P = 0.015), and nosocomial bacterial infection ( OR = 38.338, 95% CI = 1.638-897.158, P = 0.023) were independent risk factors for ETI-MV. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of ROC showed that PaO 2/FiO 2 had the greatest predictive value for ETI-MV, with AUC of 0.903, sensitivity of 91.1% and specificity of 95.1% in case of cutoff value of 151 mmHg. The AUC of pulmonary infiltrating opacity distribution range was 0.809, the sensitivity of 85.2%, specificity of 78.6% when the cutoff value was ≥ 3/4 lung field. APACHE Ⅱ scores had the lowest predictive value for selecting ETI-MV, with AUC of 0.704, sensitivity of 83.6% and specificity of 57.1% under the cutoff value was 16.5. Conclusions:For patients with ARDS caused by viral pneumonia, PaO 2/FiO 2 is still the classic reference for selecting ETI-MV, however, the distribution range of pulmonary infiltrating opacity and the systemic severity of the disease during 24 hours admitted to the RICU may provide supplemental helpful information to determine whether the patients choose ETI-MV, especially for moderate ARDS.

Objective:To investigate the expression of fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) and related inflammatory factors in the serum of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods:A case control study was conducted. The patients with AECOPD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from November 2016 to January 2020 were enrolled. The patients were divided into mild group [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio (FEV1/FVC) < 0.70, FEV1 percentage in predicted value (FEV1%) ≥ 80%], moderate group (FEV1/FVC < 0.70, 50% ≤ FEV1% < 80%), and severe group (FEV1/FVC < 0.70, 30% ≤ FEV1% < 50%) based on their lung function test results, with 20 patients in each group, and 20 patients with normal pulmonary function who underwent elective non-thoracic surgery such as gastrointestinal surgery and orthopedics surgery in the same period were selected as controls. The demographic data, FEV1/FVC, FEV1%, FVC, maximum mid-expiratory flow percentage in predicted value (MMEF%), 6-minute walking test (6MWT), and St George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score were recorded respectively. Serum levels of FGF7, interleukins (IL-6, IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between TNF-α and lung function.Results:Compared with the normal pulmonary function group, the levels of FEV1/FVC, FEV1%, MMEF% and 6MWT in the mild, moderate and severe groups were significantly decreased, and the SGRQ scores were increased, the indicators continued to deteriorate with the aggravation of the disease, the statistical differences were found between severe group and normal pulmonary function group [FEV1/FVC: 0.39±0.09 vs. 0.81±0.04, FEV1%: (38.80±6.28)% vs. (109.58±13.80)%, MMEF%: (0.34±0.14)% vs. (2.69±0.99)%, 6MWT (m): 279.00±41.61 vs. 402.85±53.97, SGRQ scores: 34.95±6.71 vs. 2.60±2.06, all P < 0.05]. Compared with the normal pulmonary function group, the levels of FGF7 in the mild, moderate and severe groups were significantly lowered (ng/L: 6.31±2.65, 6.10±1.39, 6.64±1.77 vs. 8.29±3.51, all P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found among the mild, moderate and severe groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with the normal pulmonary function group, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were significantly increased in the mild, moderate and severe groups, and TNF-α increased with the aggravation of the disease, the statistical difference was found between severe group and normal pulmonary function group (ng/L: 7.42±2.28 vs. 3.83±0.92, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in IL-1β level between the normal pulmonary function group and the mild, moderate, severe groups. Correlation analysis showed that TNF-α was negatively correlated with FEV1/FVC and FEV1% ( r values were -0.350 and -0.527, respectively, both P < 0.01). Conclusion:In AECOPD patients, serum FGF7 was decreased, while IL-6 and TNF-α were increased; however, with the aggravation of the disease, there was no significant change in the level of FGF7 in the peripheral blood, but the TNF-α level might be increased, accompanied by severe damage of small airway function.

Objective:To explore the pros and cons of sequential high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) immediately following early extubated patients with severe respiratory failure (SRF) due to acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), so as to provide evidence for clinical selection of optimal scheme.Methods:Consecutive AECOPD patients admitted to the respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2019 to September 2020 were screened for enrollment. Patients were between 40 years old and 85 years old with acute exacerbation of bronchial-pulmonary infection, who received endotracheal intubation mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) as the initial respiratory support method. The pattern of synchronous intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV) was used in the study. The parameters were set as follows: tidal volume (VT) 8 mL/kg, support pressure 10-15 cmH 2O (1 cmH 2O = 0.098 kPa), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) 4-6 cmH 2O and the ratio of inspiratory to expiratory time 1.5-2.5∶1. Under these conditions, the plateau pressure (Pplat) was maintained less than 30 cmH 2O. The minimum fraction of inspired oxygen was adjusted to keep the pulse oxygen saturation no less than 0.92. When the pulmonary infection control window (PIC window) occurred, the subjects were extubated immediately and randomly divided into two groups, with one group receiving HFNC (called HFNC group), the other group receiving NIPPV (called NIPPV group). Patients with failed sequential HFNC or NIPPV underwent tracheal re-intubation. The rate of tracheal re-intubation within 7 days of extubation, complications (such as nose and face crush injury and gastric distension), in-hospital mortality, duration of ETI before PIC window, length of RICU stay and length of hospital stay were compared, respectively. Results:Forty-four patients were enrolled in the study, 20 in the HFNC group and 24 in the NIPPV group. There was no significant difference in the duration of ETI before PIC window between HFNC and NIPPV groups (hours: 95.9±13.1 vs. 91.8±20.4, P > 0.05). The rate of tracheal re-intubation within 7 days in the HFNC group was significantly higher than that in the NIPPV group [35.0% (7/20) vs. 4.2 % (1/24), P < 0.05]. However, the incidence of complication in the HFNC group was significantly lower than that in the NIPPV group [0% (0/20) vs. 25.0% (6/24), P < 0.05]. Compared with the NIPPV group, the in-hospital mortality in the HFNC group was slightly higher [5.0% (1/20) vs. 4.2% (1/24)], the length of RICU stay (days: 19.5±10.8 vs. 15.5±7.2) and the length of hospital stay (days: 27.4±12.2 vs. 23.3±10.9) were slightly longer, without statistical differences (all P > 0.05). Conclusion:For early extubated patients with SRF due to AECOPD, the compliance of sequential HFNC increased and the complications decreased significantly, but the final effect may be worse than sequential NIPPV.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and case selection of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by viral pneumonia.Methods:These patients who were continuously admitted in the Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from December 2017 to June 2019 and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. All subjects accepted NIPPV as the initial intervention and they were divided into the NIPPV failure group and NIPPV success group according to the requirement of endotracheal intubation (ETI). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify the risk factors for NIPPV failure. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was plotted to evaluate the predictive value of risk factors for NIPPV failure in these patients.Results:Forty-three patients were studied in this experiment. The success rate of NIPPV was 62.8% (27/43), and the failure rate was 37.2% (16/43). Compared with the NIPPV success group, the incidence of nosocomial infection [44% (7/16) vs 0 (0/27), χ 2 =11.082, P<0.05] and mortality rate [50% (8/16) vs 7% (2/27), χ 2 =7.965, P<0.05] were significantly increased in the NIPPV failure group. The univariate analysis indicated that the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEⅡ) score, the ratio of early concurrent bacterial or fungal infections, and the proportion of patients with insufficient NIPPV at the early 72 h were significantly higher in the NIPPV failure group (all P<0.05). Meanwhile, multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that the baseline APACHEⅡ score ( OR=1.941, 95% CI:1.159-3.249, P=0.012), the rate of early concurrent bacterial or fungal infections ( OR=8.602, 95% CI:1.267-58.416, P=0.028), and insufficient use of NIPPV at the early 72 h ( OR=10.06, 95% CI:1.592-63.527, P=0.014) were independent risk factors associated with NIPPV failure. The ROC curve showed the area under curve (AUC), the sensitivity, and the specificity was 0.748, 62.5%, and 74.1% respectively, which demonstrates that that APACHE Ⅱ score at admission was the most predictive factor of NIPPV failure. For the observed indicator without enough NIPPV treatment within 72 h, the AUC, the sensitivity, and the specificity was 0.714, 68.8%, and 74.1%, respectively. And for the observed indicator with concurrent bacterial or fungal infections, the AUC, the sensitivity and the specificity is 0.707, 56.3% and 85.2%, respectively. Conclusions:Early use of enough NIPPV in patients with ARDS caused by viral pneumonia can significantly decrease ETI and mortality rates. However, NIPPV should not be conducted in patients suffered from severe ARDS or early concurrent bacterial or fungal infections.

Objective:To explore the timing of sequential noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) following endotracheal intubation mechanical ventilation (ETI-MV) in aged patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted. The SCAP patients aged ≥ 75 years old admitted to respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from July 2017 to August 2019 were enrolled. SCAP was diagnosed according to the criteria of Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in adults in China (2016) published by Chinese Thoracic Society. ETI-MV was initially performed as respiratory support after RICU admission. Sequential NIPPV was performed immediately following extubation when the patients exhibited pulmonary infection abated (PIA) window. The gender, age, underlying diseases, and body temperature, heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2) after RICU admission, as well as acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, improved pneumonia score of British Thoracic Society (confusion, uremia, respiratory, blood pressure, age 65 years, CURB-65), and pneumonia severity index (PSI) score within 24 hours after RICU admission were recorded. The duration and times of ETI, the incidences of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) and aspiration, the duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), the length of RICU and hospital stay and RICU prognosis were also recorded. The patients were divided into the ETI ≤ 7 days group and the ETI > 7 days group according to the duration of ETI, and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors of aged patients with SCAP whose ETI was more than 7 days, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of risk factors. Results:Fifty aged patients with SCAP were enrolled, with 24 patients in the ETI ≤ 7 days group and 26 in the ETI > 7 days group. Univariate analysis showed that compared with the patients with ETI ≤ 7 days, the incidences of concurrent cerebrovascular diseases [46.2% (12/26) vs. 16.7% (4/24)], VAP [61.5% (16/26) vs. 16.7% (4/24)] and aspiration [69.2% (18/26) vs. 25.0% (6/24)] were significantly increased in patients with ETI > 7 days (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that VAP and aspiration were independent risk factors of ETI > 7 days in the aged SCAP patients [VAP: odds ratio ( OR) = 4.852, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.076-21.877, P = 0.040; aspiration: OR = 5.903, 95% CI was 1.474-23.635, P = 0.012]. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) of VAP for predicting ETI > 7 days in aged patients with SCAP was 0.724, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and Youden index were 61.54%, 83.33%, 80.00%, 66.67%, 3.69, 0.46 and 0.45, respectively. Similarly, the AUC of aspiration was 0.721, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, PLR, NLR and Youden index were 69.23%, 75.00%, 75.00%, 69.23%, 2.77, 0.41 and 0.44, respectively. Analysis of prognostic indicators showed that compared with patients with ETI ≤ 7 days, the reintubation rate and RICU mortality were significantly increased in patients with ETI > 7 days [53.8% (14/26) vs. 4.2% (1/24), 38.5% (10/26) vs. 12.5% (3/24), both P < 0.05]. Moreover, the patients with ETI > 7 days had significantly prolonged total duration of MV, the length of RICU stay and total hospital stay as compared with the patients with ETI ≤ 7 days [total duration of MV (days): 23.8±11.8 vs. 11.3±3.1, length of RICU stay (days): 30.6±14.1 vs. 16.0±5.1, total length of hospital stay (days): 33.0±14.9 vs. 20.2±6.1, all P < 0.01]. Conclusions:Sequential NIPPV performed immediately following extubation within 7 days in the aged SCAP patients might reduce the mortality and shorten the duration of MV. The prolonged ETI duration because of the VAP or aspiration would lead to a reduced function of sequential NIPPV and an increased mortality of the aged patients with SCAP.