BACKGROUND:Hydrogen peroxide-based bleach is widely used in clinical tooth whitening treatment,but its mechanism of action has not been uniformly determined so far.OBJECTIVE:To examine the effects of two bleaching agents,neutral 10％carbamide peroxide and neutral 40％hydrogen peroxide,on teeth and explore the mechanism of teeth whitening.METHODS:Forty-five discarded teeth extracted for orthodontic treatment were collected,and the dentin sections were made and polished.After removing the smear layer,they were randomly divided into three groups.The control group(n=15)was placed in deionized water;the carbamide peroxide group(n=15)was placed in a neutral 10％carbamide peroxide solution,and the hydrogen peroxide group(n=15)was placed in a neutral 40％hydrogen peroxide solution.The treatment was continued for 6 hours every day for 1 week.The Raman absolute intensity and Raman relative intensity of the three groups of samples were detected by Raman spectrometer every day,and the fluorescence background intensity(the difference between the Raman absolute intensity and the Raman relative intensity)was calculated.The change trend of the amide peak of the three groups of samples every day was recorded by infrared spectrometer.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The relative Raman intensity of the three groups did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the control group did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the carbamide peroxide group showed a downward trend during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the hydrogen peroxide group decreased significantly during the 1-4 days of treatment and did not change significantly thereafter.(2)The peak areas of amide Ⅰ and amide Ⅲ did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment in the control group.The peak areas of amide Ⅰ and amide Ⅲ showed a downward trend during the 1-7 days of treatment in the carbamide peroxide group and the hydrogen peroxide group,and the downward trend was more obvious in the hydrogen peroxide group.(3)The results show that the change in the laser-induced fluorescence background intensity of dentin Raman spectroscopy may be derived from the non-collagen components in dentin,and under the action of whitening agents,it may have a certain adverse effect on tooth tissue.

BACKGROUND:Hydrogen peroxide-based bleach is widely used in clinical tooth whitening treatment,but its mechanism of action has not been uniformly determined so far.OBJECTIVE:To examine the effects of two bleaching agents,neutral 10％carbamide peroxide and neutral 40％hydrogen peroxide,on teeth and explore the mechanism of teeth whitening.METHODS:Forty-five discarded teeth extracted for orthodontic treatment were collected,and the dentin sections were made and polished.After removing the smear layer,they were randomly divided into three groups.The control group(n=15)was placed in deionized water;the carbamide peroxide group(n=15)was placed in a neutral 10％carbamide peroxide solution,and the hydrogen peroxide group(n=15)was placed in a neutral 40％hydrogen peroxide solution.The treatment was continued for 6 hours every day for 1 week.The Raman absolute intensity and Raman relative intensity of the three groups of samples were detected by Raman spectrometer every day,and the fluorescence background intensity(the difference between the Raman absolute intensity and the Raman relative intensity)was calculated.The change trend of the amide peak of the three groups of samples every day was recorded by infrared spectrometer.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The relative Raman intensity of the three groups did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the control group did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the carbamide peroxide group showed a downward trend during the 1-7 days of treatment.The fluorescence background intensity of the hydrogen peroxide group decreased significantly during the 1-4 days of treatment and did not change significantly thereafter.(2)The peak areas of amide Ⅰ and amide Ⅲ did not change significantly during the 1-7 days of treatment in the control group.The peak areas of amide Ⅰ and amide Ⅲ showed a downward trend during the 1-7 days of treatment in the carbamide peroxide group and the hydrogen peroxide group,and the downward trend was more obvious in the hydrogen peroxide group.(3)The results show that the change in the laser-induced fluorescence background intensity of dentin Raman spectroscopy may be derived from the non-collagen components in dentin,and under the action of whitening agents,it may have a certain adverse effect on tooth tissue.

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of full-time full-endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (FELIF) using a bladed retractor fusion channel (BRFC) system with reversed-mounting designed instruments compared to a tubular fusion channel (TFC).Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 101 cases of uniportal coaxial endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion performed between June 2018 and April 2023. Based on the type of fusion channel utilized, patients were divided into the TFC group (59 cases) and the BRFC group (42 cases). The BRFC technique involved neurological decompression, endplate preparation, and interbody fusion performed under full-time endoscopic monitoring with reversed-mounting designed instruments. Key parameters, including surgery duration, intraoperative estimated blood loss (IEBL), complication incidence, and interbody fusion rate (assessed by Bridwell criteria), were compared between the two groups. Clinical outcomes, including visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were recorded preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. Additionally, disc height at the fusion level was measured at one week postoperatively.Results:The mean follow-up duration was 42.9±12.1 months in the TFC group and 20.9±4.9 months in the BRFC group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of surgery duration, IEBL, complication incidence, or interbody fusion rate (Grade 1 or 2 by Bridwell criteria) ( P>0.05). For single-level cases, the TFC group showed significantly better short-term clinical outcomes than the BRFC group at one week postoperatively, with JOA scores of 23(20, 25) versus 20(18, 23) ( Z=3.020, P=0.003) and ODI scores of 16%(11%, 21%) versus 28%(21%, 41%) ( Z=4.740, P<0.001). For double-level cases, the JOA score in the TFC group [23(20, 25)] was also significantly better than that in the BRFC group [20(18, 21)] ( Z=2.054, P=0.040) at one week postoperatively. However, at the final follow-up, all clinical indicators showed no significant differences between the two groups ( P>0.05). The disc height at the fusion level significantly increased at one week postoperatively compared to preoperative measurements in both groups ( P<0.05). However, the BRFC group demonstrated a significantly more recovery of disc height at one week postoperatively [(1.46±0.28) cm] compared to the TFC group [(1.17±0.20) cm] ( t=5.947, P<0.001). Conclusion:Full-time FELIF using the BRFC system and reversed-mounting designed instruments is a feasible, safe, and effective approach. However, its short-term clinical outcomes appear inferior to traditional FELIF using the TFC system.

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of full-time full-endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (FELIF) using a bladed retractor fusion channel (BRFC) system with reversed-mounting designed instruments compared to a tubular fusion channel (TFC).Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 101 cases of uniportal coaxial endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion performed between June 2018 and April 2023. Based on the type of fusion channel utilized, patients were divided into the TFC group (59 cases) and the BRFC group (42 cases). The BRFC technique involved neurological decompression, endplate preparation, and interbody fusion performed under full-time endoscopic monitoring with reversed-mounting designed instruments. Key parameters, including surgery duration, intraoperative estimated blood loss (IEBL), complication incidence, and interbody fusion rate (assessed by Bridwell criteria), were compared between the two groups. Clinical outcomes, including visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), were recorded preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. Additionally, disc height at the fusion level was measured at one week postoperatively.Results:The mean follow-up duration was 42.9±12.1 months in the TFC group and 20.9±4.9 months in the BRFC group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of surgery duration, IEBL, complication incidence, or interbody fusion rate (Grade 1 or 2 by Bridwell criteria) ( P>0.05). For single-level cases, the TFC group showed significantly better short-term clinical outcomes than the BRFC group at one week postoperatively, with JOA scores of 23(20, 25) versus 20(18, 23) ( Z=3.020, P=0.003) and ODI scores of 16%(11%, 21%) versus 28%(21%, 41%) ( Z=4.740, P<0.001). For double-level cases, the JOA score in the TFC group [23(20, 25)] was also significantly better than that in the BRFC group [20(18, 21)] ( Z=2.054, P=0.040) at one week postoperatively. However, at the final follow-up, all clinical indicators showed no significant differences between the two groups ( P>0.05). The disc height at the fusion level significantly increased at one week postoperatively compared to preoperative measurements in both groups ( P<0.05). However, the BRFC group demonstrated a significantly more recovery of disc height at one week postoperatively [(1.46±0.28) cm] compared to the TFC group [(1.17±0.20) cm] ( t=5.947, P<0.001). Conclusion:Full-time FELIF using the BRFC system and reversed-mounting designed instruments is a feasible, safe, and effective approach. However, its short-term clinical outcomes appear inferior to traditional FELIF using the TFC system.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of hemoglobin (Hb) level with prognosis of elderly patients diagnosed as sepsis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Information on the cases of elderly patients with sepsis in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV), including basic information, blood pressure, routine blood test results [the Hb level of a patient was defined as his/her maximum Hb level from 6 hours before admission to intensive care unit (ICU) and 24 hours after admission to ICU], blood biochemical indexes, coagulation function, vital signs, severity score and outcome indicators were extracted. The curves of Hb level vs. 28-day mortality risk were developed by using the restricted cubic spline model based on the Cox regression analysis. The patients were divided into four groups (Hb < 100 g/L, 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L, 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L, Hb ≥ 150 g/L groups) based on these curves. The outcome indicators of patients in each group were analyzed, and the 28-day Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn. Logistic regression model and Cox regression model were used to analyze the relationship between Hb level and 28-day mortality risk in different groups. RESULTS: A total of 7 473 elderly patients with sepsis were included. There was a "U" curve relationship between Hb levels within 24 hours after ICU admission and the risk of 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. The patients with 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L had a lower risk of 28-day mortality. When Hb level was less than 100 g/L, the risk of death decreased gradually with the increase of Hb level. When Hb level was ≥ 130 g/L, the risk of death gradually increased with the increase of Hb level. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that the mortality risks of patients with Hb < 100 g/L [odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.23-1.70, P < 0.001] and Hb ≥ 150 g/L (OR = 1.77, 95%CI was 1.26-2.49, P = 0.001) increased significantly in the model involving all confounding factors; the mortality risks of patients with 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L increased, while the difference was not statistically significant (OR = 1.21, 95%CI was 0.99-1.48, P = 0.057). The multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that the mortality risks of patients with Hb < 100 g/L [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95%CI was 1.12-1.44, P < 0.001] and Hb ≥ 150 g/L (HR = 1.49, 95%CI was 1.16-1.93, P = 0.002) increased significantly in the model involving all confounding factors; the mortality risks of patients with 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L increased, while the difference was not statistically significant (HR = 1.17, 95%CI was 0.99-1.37, P = 0.053). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day survival rate of elderly septic patients in 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L group was significantly higher than that in Hb < 100 g/L, 130 g/L ≤ Hb < 150 g/L and Hb ≥ 150 g/L groups (85.26% vs. 77.33%, 79.81%, 74.33%; Log-Rank test: χ² = 71.850, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients with sepsis exhibited low mortality risk if their 100 g/L ≤ Hb < 130 g/L within 24 hours after admission to ICU, and both higher and lower Hb levels led to increased mortality risks.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Critical Care ; Intensive Care Units ; Prognosis ; Hemoglobins ; ROC Curve

Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of mechanical power (MP) on the risk of in-hospital mortality in critical ill patients in emergency department.Methods:A total of 105 critical ill patients with invasive mechanical ventilation in the Department of Emergency of Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between December 1, 2017 and October 31, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the clinical prognosis, the patients were divided into the in-hospital survival group (80 patients) and the in-hospital death group (25 patients). The clinical data and ventilator parameters were recorded, and the MP of the two groups was calculated in order to assess the predictive efficacy of MP on in-hospital death.Results:Compared to the in-hospital death group, the oxygenation index PaO 2/FiO 2 was significantly higher (271 mmHg vs. 217 mmHg, P=0.020) and blood lactate (1.59 mmol/L vs. 2.56 mmol/L, P<0.001) and procalcitonin (0.31 ng/mL vs. 3.55 ng/mL, P=0.028), minute ventilation (7.03 L/min vs.8.32 mmol/L, P=0.013), MP (14.37 J/min vs. 16.12 J/min, P=0.041), SOFA score (5 vs. 8, P=0.001) and APACHE II score (16 vs. 22, P=0.041) were significantly lower in the in-hospital survival group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PaO 2/FiO 2( OR=1.015, P=0.044), MP ( OR=1.813, P=0.039) and SOFA score( OR=2.651, P=0.010) were independent risk factors for predicting hospital mortality in patients with mechanical ventilation. The areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were 0.62, 0.63 and 0.75, respectively. Moreover, the MP combined with SOFA score for predicting in-hospital death was significantly higher than that of MP alone (0.77 vs. 0.63, P<0.05). Conclusions:MP is associated with in-hospital death in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation in emergency department. MP combined with SOFA score can enhance its predictive efficacy

Objective:Sepsis patients usually have a fever, but it is still controversial about whether sepsis patients with fever need cooling treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of external physical cooling on the prognosis of sepsis patients.Methods:This study was a single-center, open-label, randomized clinical trial. Adult sepsis patients with body temperature above 38.3 °C admitted to the Critical Care Medicine of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from June 2020 to December 2020 were selected, and randomly assigned in a 1∶1 ratio to the cooling group and control group. Patients in the cooling group used external physical cooling methods to reduce their core body temperature to the normal range (36.5-37.5°C) within 4 h of enrollment and maintained for 48 h. Standard care was implemented in the control group at all times, and all antipyretic treatments were prohibited. The 28-day mortality, 72 h-Δ sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (SOFA score at enrollment–SOFA score after 72 h), length of hospital stay and length of ICU stay were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 53 patients (32 males and 21 females) were enrolled in the study, including 26 patients in the cooling group and 27 patients in the control group. There were no statistical differences in age, sex, source of infection, SOFA score and body temperature between the two groups (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the 28-day mortality between the cooling group and the control group ( RR=1.38, 95% CI: 0.62-3.07, P=0.430). The 72 h-ΔSOFA score of the cooling group was significantly higher than that of the control group, the mean difference between the two groups was 1.90 (95% CI: 0.09-3.71, P=0.040), and there was no significant difference in length of hospital stay, length of ICU stay and 28-day mortality between the two groups. Conclusions:External physical cooling management can not significantly reduce the 28-day mortality of sepsis patients. However, external physical cooling can reduce the 72-h SOFA score in sepsis patients, and improve the organ function of patients.

Objective:To investigate the effect of the completion time of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation on the prognosis of patients with septic shock.Methods:An observational study was conducted. The inpatients with septic shock admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University and Jiangdu People's Hospital from October 1st, 2018 to September 30th, 2020 were enrolled. The general data including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), patient source, site of infection, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and arterial blood lactic acid (Lac) at ICU admission, fluid resuscitation dose, completion time of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), length of ICU stay and 28-day mortality. The relationship between the completion time of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation and ΔSOFA score (the difference between SOFA score 3 hours of fluid resuscitation and initial SOFA score) was analyzed. In addition, according to the completion time (T) of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation, the patients were divided into T ≤ 1 hour group, 1 hour < T≤2 hours group, 2 hours < T≤3 hours group and T > 3 hours group, and the observation parameters among the groups were compared.Results:① A total of 131 patients were enrolled, including 94 males and 37 females with an average age of (68.3±15.0) years old. The median APACHE Ⅱ score was 27 (21, 34), the median of initial SOFA score was 12 (10, 14), the median of initial Lac was 5.0 (3.4, 7.1) mmol/L, and the most common source of infection was lung, with a total of 87 patients (66.41%). The completion time of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation and ΔSOFA score fitted the Logistic curve ( Y = -1.062 6 X2+4.407 9 X+0.961 8), which suggested that the early or late completion time of initial fluid resuscitation had adverse effects on the prognosis of patients with septic shock.② There was no significant difference in infection site, initial APACHE Ⅱ score, initial Lac, and initial SOFA score among different completion time of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation groups. The respiratory support rate, the incidence of AKI and the ratio of CRRT in the T ≤1 hour group were significantly higher than those in the 1 hour < T≤2 hours group, 2 hours < T≤3 hours group and T > 3 hours group (respiratory support rate: 78.57% vs. 75.51%, 42.86%, 75.00%; incidence of AKI: 57.14% vs. 20.41%, 21.43%, 50.00%; ratio of CRRT: 35.71% vs. 0%, 7.14%, 16.67%), the differences among the groups were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The 28-day mortality was the highest in the T ≤ 1 hour group (64.29%), and the lowest in the 1 hour < T ≤2 hours group (22.45%), 35.71% in the 2 hours < T ≤ 3 hours group, 33.33% in the T > 3 hours, and the difference among the groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.01). Conclusions:Completion of initial 30 mL/kg fluid resuscitation in 1-2 hours after septic shock may reduce the 28-day mortality and improve organ dysfunction, and initial fluid resuscitation prematurely or too late may increase 28-day mortality. But further research and verification are needed.

Objective:To explore the value of Sepsis-3 standard in diagnosis of patients with sepsis.Methods:Patients who were infected or suspected of infection in intensive care unit (ICU) of six hospitals in Jiangsu Province from September 2017 to August 2018 were enrolled. They were divided into four groups: group A was in accordance with Sepsis-1 and Sepsis-3, group B only met the Sepsis-1 standard, group C only met the Sepsis-3 standard, and both Sepsis-1 and Sepsis-3 standard did not match in group D. The age, gender, underlying disease, diagnosis and source of infection, vital signs within 24 hours of ICU, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ) score, quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score, the length of ICU stay, total hospitalization time, 28-day mortality rate, etc. were recorded. The above collected data were compared and analyzed in groups, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of each scoring standard were drawn and calculated. The area under the ROC curve (AUC), and the Youden index of each score was calculated to predict the optimal cut-off value of 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis and its corresponding sensitivity and specificity. Results:A total of 527 patients with infection or suspected infection were enrolled in the study, including 324 patients in group A, 113 patients in group B, 22 patients in group C, 68 patients in group D, and 28-day mortality were 38.9%, 17.7%, 31.8%, and 11.8%, respectively, and there was statistically significant difference among four groups ( P < 0.05). The SIRS scores of the A, B, C, D groups were 3 (1), 2 (1), 1 (0), 1 (0), APACHEⅡ scores were 17 (10), 11 (10), 15 (8), 12 (8), qSOFA score were 2 (1), 1 (1), 1 (1), 1 (2), SOFA scores were 8 (6), 1 (0), 7 (4), 1 (0), respectively, there were statistically significant differences among four group (all P < 0.05). Values of SOFA, qSOFA and SIRS scores were evaluated by ROC to predict the value of 28-day mortality. The results showed that AUC and 95% confidence interval of SOFA score was superior to qSOFA score and SIRS score [0.71 (0.66-0.76) vs. 0.59 (0.55-0.64), 0.57 (0.51-0.62), both P < 0.01]. According to the Youden index, the best cut-off values for the 28-day mortality of SOFA, qSOFA and SIRS scores for sepsis were 7, 2 and 2, respectively, and the sensitivity was 69.4%, 60.1%, 53.6%, the specificity was 61.8%, 76.2%, 51.1%, respectively. Conclusions:The Sepsis-3 standard is superior to the Sepsis-1 standard in the diagnosis and prediction of 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis. qSOFA can be used as an early tool for rapid screening of patients with high-risk sepsis in the ICU bedside.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy and repeatability of contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography for measurements of right ventricular structure and function. Methods: The apical four-chamber views and the three-dimensional full-volume images of the right heart were collected from 12 beagles with unenhanced and contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography. The intimal display rate of the right ventricular segments, right ventricular end diastolic longitudinal dimension (RVLD), right ventricular end diastolic area (RVEDA), right ventricular end systolic area (RVESA) and right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC) were evaluated respectively with two-dimensional unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography. Right ventricular three-dimensional full-volume images were processed and analyzed by TomTec software, and right ventricular end diastolic volume (RVEDV), right ventricular end systolic volume (RVESV) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) were measured respectively with three-dimensional unenhanced and contrast-enhanced echocardiography. The measurements of pathological specimen were taken as the gold standard, the accuracies of measuring RVEDVand RVLD by different methods were evaluated. All indexes were measured repeatedly by the same observer and different observers to assess the intraobserver and interobserver reproducibilities of different methods. Results: ①The intimal display rate of the right ventricular segments was higher with contrast-enhanced echocardiography than that with unenhanced echocardiography (P<0.05). ②The measurements of RVEDV by three-dimensional contrast-enhanced echocardiography correlated well with the measurements by anatomical specimens. And the correlation was higher (0.916 vs 0.843), the consistency was better than that by unenhanced echocardiography. The measurements of RVLD by two-dimensional contrast-enhanced echocardiography correlated well with the measurements by anatomical specimens. And the correlation was higher (0.928 vs 0.850), the consistency was better than that by unenhanced echocardiography. ③For inter- and intraobservers reproducibilities, the interclass correlation coefficients of RVLD, RVEDV, RVESV, RVEF, RVEDA, RVESA, RVFAC with contrast-enhanced echocardiography were higher and 95% confidence interval ranges were smaller than those with unenhanced echocardiography. Conclusions Contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography can improve the accuracy and repeatability for measurements of right ventricular structure and function, providing a new evaluation method for patients with poor image quality of the right ventricle in clinical practice.