Clinical death refers to the permanent cessation of life functions. This article reviews the definition of clinical death and the various scenarios in which it occurs, classifies the process of clinical death, and discusses the criteria for determining uncontrollable cardiac death, controllable cardiac death and the criteria and workflow for determining brain death. It elaborates on the relationship between brain death and death, and proposes the areas to note when standardizing the medical documentation of death cases. Based on this, it introduces the content of the management system and workflow construction for death determination in medical institutions, including management structure, personnel qualifications, document norms, quality control system and training mechanism. Paying attention to the construction of the management system and workflow for death determination in medical institutions is of great significance for ensuring medical quality and safety, promoting the healthy development of organ donation, and maintaining the seriousness of legal and ethical practices.

The implementation of the "Regulations on Organ Donation and Transplantation" (hereinafter referred to as the new "Regulations") and supporting documents has laid a solid foundation for improving the organ donation and transplantation work system in accordance with laws and regulations. In order to better publicize, implement, and carry out the new "Regulations" and supporting documents, and in response to the problems and challenges encountered in actual work, combined with the development of the national human organ donation and transplantation work system and the national work on determination of brain death, this article analyzes and discusses the construction of hospitals' organ donation and transplantation work systems and the systematic multidisciplinary collaboration mechanism for organ donation, as well as several issues that need attention by the ethics committees for organ transplantation. The aim is to provide references for the construction of ethics committees for organ transplantation in China and to promote the continuous and healthy development of China's organ donation and transplantation cause.

Objective·To investigate the genetic etiology of a rare and complex case clinically suspected to be methylmalonic acidemia(MMA),but with negative whole exome sequencing(WES)results,using a multi-omics sequencing approach.Methods·DNA and RNA samples were extracted from the peripheral blood of the proband and both parents.Targeted MMA-related gene Panel sequencing and WES were first performed.Subsequently,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and whole genome sequencing(WGS)were conducted to comprehensively analyze the child's genetic variants,their origins and potential inheritance patterns.Results·No pathogenic variants associated with the patient's phenotype were identified through the MMA Panel or standard WES analysis.Extended analysis of WES suggested the possibility of uniparental disomy(UPD)of chromosome 4.WGS revealed a homozygous splice-site variant(c.-66+2T>C)in the non-coding region of the metabolism of cobalamin associated A(MMAA)gene.The variant was located in the 5'untranslated region(5'UTR),specifically at the second base downstream of the splice donor site of exon 1(reference sequence:NM_172250).In genomic coordinates(hg19),the variant was located at base 146540561 on chromosome 4(chr4:146540561).Sanger sequencing confirmed that the mother was heterozygous for this variant,while the father did not carry it.RNA-seq showed no detectable expression of the MMAA gene on chromosome 4 in the patient.This was further confirmed by reverse transcription real time quantitative PCR,indicating nearly absent mRNA expression,suggesting that the non-coding splice-site variant affected transcriptional expression.Conclusion·A homozygous splice-site variant(c.-66+2T>C)in the non-coding region of the MMAA gene—outside the coverage of WES—is likely the pathogenic cause in this case,presumably resulting from maternal UPD of chromosome 4.

Objective·To investigate the genetic etiology of a rare and complex case clinically suspected to be methylmalonic acidemia(MMA),but with negative whole exome sequencing(WES)results,using a multi-omics sequencing approach.Methods·DNA and RNA samples were extracted from the peripheral blood of the proband and both parents.Targeted MMA-related gene Panel sequencing and WES were first performed.Subsequently,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and whole genome sequencing(WGS)were conducted to comprehensively analyze the child's genetic variants,their origins and potential inheritance patterns.Results·No pathogenic variants associated with the patient's phenotype were identified through the MMA Panel or standard WES analysis.Extended analysis of WES suggested the possibility of uniparental disomy(UPD)of chromosome 4.WGS revealed a homozygous splice-site variant(c.-66+2T>C)in the non-coding region of the metabolism of cobalamin associated A(MMAA)gene.The variant was located in the 5'untranslated region(5'UTR),specifically at the second base downstream of the splice donor site of exon 1(reference sequence:NM_172250).In genomic coordinates(hg19),the variant was located at base 146540561 on chromosome 4(chr4:146540561).Sanger sequencing confirmed that the mother was heterozygous for this variant,while the father did not carry it.RNA-seq showed no detectable expression of the MMAA gene on chromosome 4 in the patient.This was further confirmed by reverse transcription real time quantitative PCR,indicating nearly absent mRNA expression,suggesting that the non-coding splice-site variant affected transcriptional expression.Conclusion·A homozygous splice-site variant(c.-66+2T>C)in the non-coding region of the MMAA gene—outside the coverage of WES—is likely the pathogenic cause in this case,presumably resulting from maternal UPD of chromosome 4.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of transient hyperammonemia of the newborn (THAN).Methods:Data of two infants with severe THAN admitted to the Department of Neonatology of Shanghai Children's Hospital in September 2021 and August 2022 were retrospectively investigated. Clinical data of confirmed THAN cases (blood ammonia>400 μmol/L) were collected from relevant literature retrieved from the Wanfang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Medical Journal Database, and PubMed up to July 2022. A descriptive method was used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 24 cases were involved (two in the present study, and 22 in 12 retrieved articles), including 19 (79.2%) premature newborns and five term infants. The average birth weight was (2 237±608) g and the average onset time was 27 h (4-55 h) after birth. The early clinical symptoms included respiratory distress and hyporesponsiveness (drowsiness, lethargy, coma or hypotonia) in 18 cases (75.0%), metabolic acidosis in 11 cases (45.8%), hypocalcemia in seven cases (29.2%), pupil fixation/dilation in six cases (25.0%), convulsion in five cases (20.8%), apnea in three cases (12.5%) and sinus bradycardia in one case (4.2%). The serum ammonia levels were 1 422.8 μmol/L (547.2-4 494.1 μmol/L). Treatments included peritoneal dialysis plus exchange transfusion in eight cases (33.3%), exchange transfusion in seven cases (29.2%), continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in four cases (16.7%), arginine in two cases (8.3%), peritoneal dialysis in two cases (8.3%), and CRRT+peritoneal dialysis in one case (4.2%). During follow-ups of four months (one month to six years), 13 cases (54.2%) showed no abnormalities in development; two (8.3%) had a neurodevelopmental delay, and six (25.0%) died. The follow-up of the other three cases (12.5%) were not reported in the literature.Conclusions:The early clinical manifestation of severe THAN is atypical. A good prognosis can be expected through early exclusion of possible hyperammonemia-related genetic metabolic diseases and lowering the serum ammonia level. Long-term follow-up is needed for neurological evaluation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and molecular genetic features of neonatal congenital Netherton syndrome (NS) caused by mutations in serine protease inhibitor of Kazal type 5 ( SPINK5) gene. Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of an NS neonate admitted to Shanghai Children's Hospital in November 2018. SPINK5 gene was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and Sanger sequencing. Relevant articles were retrieved from various databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and PubMed, and the reported cases who were diagnosed as NS within two months after birth with SPINK5 gene sequencing results were reviewed. Clinical features, gene mutations, treatment and follow-up results of NS were summarized using descriptive statistical analysis. Results:The patient presented with diffuse erythema and desquamation, sparse hair and repeated infections shortly after birth. Laboratory tests revealed elevated IgE (111 IU/ml) and "invagination-like" change in the hair under optical microscope. SPINK5 gene analysis found that there were compound heterozygous mutations of c.2468dup (p.Lys824Glufs*4) and c.377_378del (p.Tys126*) in the child. The pedigree analysis found that the two mutations were respectively inherited from the father and the mother, which supported the diagnosis of NS caused by SPINK5 gene mutation. Though skin rash improved after comprehensive treatments including anti-infection therapy, gamma globulin injection and skincare, the patient suffered from recurrent infection and was discharged from the hospital after giving up treatment and died of infection at two months old. Eleven NS cases were retrieved from literature and altogether 12 cases were analyzed here. The most common clinical manifestations in the 12 patients were early skin diffuse erythema and desquamation (12/12), infection (8/12), dry hair (7/12), hypernatremia dehydration (7/12), high IgE (5/12), growth retardation (4/12), respiratory failure (3/12), atopic constitution (2/12), diarrhea (2/12), dysphagia (1/12), hypothermia (1/12), wheezing (1/12), hypertension (1/12), liver failure (1/12) and metabolic alkalosis (1/12). Conclusions:NS is caused by SPINK5 gene mutation with atypical manifestations in neonates. Neonates with diffuse erythema and desquamation of the skin, repeated infections, dry hair and especially with high blood IgE should be considered the possibility of NS. Genetic testing is conducive to early diagnosis, guiding treatment decisions and providing a basis for genetic counseling.

Objective:To investigate whether the synonymous variation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A3 (ABCA3) gene may increase the risk of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in Mongolian and Han newborns in Inner Mongolia.Methods:From January 2018 to June 2019, the children of Mongolian and Han nationality who were hospitalized in the Department of Neonatal Pediatrics, affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University and the control group were sequenced by ABCA3 exon gene to analyze whether there was synonymous mutation in ABCA3 gene.Results:A total of 101 children with RDS were enrolled, including 37 children with Mongolian and 64 with Han children. There were 113 patients in the control group, including 45 Mongolian children and 68 Han children. Children with Mongolian and Han nationality RDS and control group can detect multiple synonymous mutation sites, such as: F353F, P585P, A227A, V150V, L982L, A928A, S1372S, P1653P, E1618E, and A1027A, etc, among them, four synonymous variants of p.A227A, p.F353F, p.P585P and p.S1372S are common synonymous mutants. In both Mongolian and Han nationality, the frequency of ABCA3 gene synonymous mutation in RDS group was significantly higher than that in control group (Mongolian: χ2=9.402, P=0.002; Han: χ2=9.348, P=0.002 ). The mutation rates of F353F and P585P in Mongolian and Han children with RDS were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant(Mongolian F353F: χ2=5.270, P=0.022; Han F353F: χ2=5.532, P=0.019.Mongolian P585P: χ2=4.711, P=0.030; Han P585P: χ2=4.480, P=0.034). Conclusions:The synonymous variation of ABCA3 gene may increase the risk of RDS in Mongolian and Han newborns in Inner Mongolia, and F353F and P585P may be one of the susceptible genes of RDS in Mongolian and Han newborns in Inner Mongolia.

Objectives? To explore the effects of applying growth mentor program in the training of new nurses. Methods? By convenient sampling, the newly recruited nurses who signed official employment contract with the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were selected as subject. A total of 756 nurses who enrolled from 2008 to 2012 were put into the control group and 812 nurses enrolled from 2013 to 2017 were in the observation group. The control group received routine training while the observation group received the training of the growth mentor program. The two groups was compared in the resignation rate, annual assessment scores, and patients' satisfaction. Results? The differences in resignation rate between the observation group (0.37%) and the control group (1.06%) were statistical significant (P＜0.01). The annual assessment scores of the observation group (88.63±2.17) and patients' satisfaction (96.78±1.76) were all higher than the control group with statistical significance (P＜ 0.01). Conclusions? The establishment and implementation of the new nurses' growth mentor program can significantly reduce the nurses' resignation rate, improve the nurses' professional skills and patients' satisfaction, therefore the program should be widely applied in new nurses' training in hospitals.

Objective To explore the ef fi cacy and safety of long-term use of low dose glucocorticoids in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods Fifty ARDS patients were randomly divided into two groups. The control group(25 patients)received non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation,antibiotics and support treatments. The glucocorticoids group(25 patients)received the same treatments plus long-term use of low dose glucocorticoids. Results The mortality in glucocorticoids group(32％(8/25))was much lower than that in the control group(60％(15/25))(P < 0.05). The ventilator-free days and organ failure-free days within 28d in glucocorticoids group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The oxygenation index and the serum IL-8 levels in glucocorticoids group at 14d and 28d were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05). Compared to the control group ,long-term use of low dose glucocorticoids in ARDS did not increase fasting blood-glucose at 7d,gastrointestinal bleeding and hospital infections within 28d. Conclusions Long-term use of low dose glucocorticoids in ARDS could reduce the serum IL-8 levels and improve the prognosis.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) combined with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers in chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages 2~3 of IgA nephropathy. Methods 109 patients were randomized into the observation group and the control group. On the basis of taking RAS blockers, patients in the observation group received TwHF, and patients in the control group received methylprednisolone. The proteinuria, renal function and adverse effect were observed during treatment. Results At 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of treatment, proteinuria in the two groups was lower than the baseline(P <0.05). During follow-ups, there was no significant difference of eGFR between the two groups and baseline (P >0.05). Besides, there was no significant difference in terms of proteinuria, eGFR and effective rate in the two groups. The occurrence rate of adverse effects was 9.8% vs 27.4% and there was significant difference in the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions TwHF combined with RAS blockers can decrease proteinuria, protect renal function and have less adverse effects, and it is a useful therapeutic options for CKD stages 2 ~ 3 of IgAN.