BACKGROUND:Transthoracic echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiography parameters are closely related to stroke occurrence and prognosis.However,the role of transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters in predicting functional disability following acute ischemic stroke remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To explore the relationship between transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters and functional disbility at 3 months post-stroke in patients with acute ischemic stroke.METHODS:A total of 299 patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between December 2020 and September 2022 were prospectively enrolled.Patients were divided into no disability(n=207)and disability(n=92)groups based on modified Rankin Scale(mRS)scores(≤ 1 as no disability;1＜mRS score ≤ 5 as disability)at 3 months.Baseline characteristics and transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters were compared between groups.Independent risk factors for disability were identified using multivariate logistic regression.Predictive models were developed by incorporating variables associated with poor prognosis,and their performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The optimal cutoff value for left ventricular ejection fraction was determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve,and patients were stratified into high and low left ventricular ejection fraction groups.Chi-square test was used to compare prognosis rate between two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The disability group had significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction compared with the no disability group(P=0.011).Significant differences in the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores,Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment,and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classifications were observed(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression showed that left ventricular ejection fraction,National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores,and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification were independent predictors of 3-month disability(P＜0.05).(2)The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification at admission were included in model 1,which added the left ventricular ejection fraction as model 2,and all univariate significant difference variables were included in model 3.Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed the area under the curve values of 0.769,0.806,and 0.824 for the models used to predict the 3-month disability rate.(3)The optimal cutoff for left ventricular ejection fraction from the receiver operating characteristic curve was 60.25％,classifying patients into low left ventricular ejection fraction(≤ 60.25％)and high left ventricular ejection fraction(＞60.25％)groups.The 3-month disability rate was higher in the low left ventricular ejection fraction group than in the high left ventricular ejection fraction group(44％vs.26％,P=0.002).These findings highlight that reduced left ventricular ejection fraction plays an important role in the assessment of functional disability 3 months after acute ischemic stroke.Left ventricular ejection fraction can be incorporated into routine prognostic assessments when clinically evaluating the prognosis of ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND:Transthoracic echocardiography and speckle tracking echocardiography parameters are closely related to stroke occurrence and prognosis.However,the role of transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters in predicting functional disability following acute ischemic stroke remains unclear.OBJECTIVE:To explore the relationship between transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters and functional disbility at 3 months post-stroke in patients with acute ischemic stroke.METHODS:A total of 299 patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between December 2020 and September 2022 were prospectively enrolled.Patients were divided into no disability(n=207)and disability(n=92)groups based on modified Rankin Scale(mRS)scores(≤ 1 as no disability;1＜mRS score ≤ 5 as disability)at 3 months.Baseline characteristics and transthoracic echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters were compared between groups.Independent risk factors for disability were identified using multivariate logistic regression.Predictive models were developed by incorporating variables associated with poor prognosis,and their performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The optimal cutoff value for left ventricular ejection fraction was determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve,and patients were stratified into high and low left ventricular ejection fraction groups.Chi-square test was used to compare prognosis rate between two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The disability group had significantly lower left ventricular ejection fraction compared with the no disability group(P=0.011).Significant differences in the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores,Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment,and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classifications were observed(P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression showed that left ventricular ejection fraction,National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores,and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification were independent predictors of 3-month disability(P＜0.05).(2)The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores and Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification at admission were included in model 1,which added the left ventricular ejection fraction as model 2,and all univariate significant difference variables were included in model 3.Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed the area under the curve values of 0.769,0.806,and 0.824 for the models used to predict the 3-month disability rate.(3)The optimal cutoff for left ventricular ejection fraction from the receiver operating characteristic curve was 60.25％,classifying patients into low left ventricular ejection fraction(≤ 60.25％)and high left ventricular ejection fraction(＞60.25％)groups.The 3-month disability rate was higher in the low left ventricular ejection fraction group than in the high left ventricular ejection fraction group(44％vs.26％,P=0.002).These findings highlight that reduced left ventricular ejection fraction plays an important role in the assessment of functional disability 3 months after acute ischemic stroke.Left ventricular ejection fraction can be incorporated into routine prognostic assessments when clinically evaluating the prognosis of ischemic stroke.

Background:Early administration of enteral nutrition can improve intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP),reduce infection and complications;but when should the enteral nutrition be started is still controversial. Aims:To study the effect of different initiation time of enteral nutrition on elderly obese patients with SAP. Methods:The clinical efficacy,hospitalization time,hospitalization cost and the risk of complication were analyzed retrospectively in the two groups of patients with either ultra-early enteral nutrition (group A)or early enteral nutrition (group B),as well as the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines before and after treatment. Results:No significant difference in total effective rate was found between group A and group B (90. 9% vs. 79. 2%,χ2 = 1. 227,P > 0. 05). Compared with group B,the recovery time of blood and urine amylase,and hospitalization time in group A were significantly shortened and the cost of hospitalization was significantly decreased (P < 0. 05). The time of abdominal pain, bloating,vomiting and fever in group A was significantly shorter than that in group B (P < 0. 05). After 14 days of treatment,levels of IL-6,TNF-α and CRP in group A were significantly lower than those in group B (P < 0. 05). The incidence of infection was significantly lower in group A than in group B (P < 0. 05). Conclusions:Compared with early enteral nutrition group,ultra-early enteral nutrition for elderly obese patients with SAP has better efficacy,and has a shorter hospital stay and lower hospitalization cost.

0.05 ). After once injection both observers considered the number of clearly recognized endocardial border segments increased significantly. The number evaluated by observers A increased from 2.68 ? 0.95 to 5.99 ? 0.10 while from 2.82 ? 1.03 to 5.99 ? 0.11 by observers B( P 0.05 ). The average contrast enhancement rate of LV endocardial border was 99.7 %. Perfluoropropane-albumin microsphere injection had no significant effection on vital signs such as blood prssure, heart rate and respiration. Electrocardiogram didn′t change markedly and the variance of the laboratory findings like blood and urine routine examination, hepatic and renal function was in normal range. Only one case( 0.33 %) had slight side-effects who suffered from mild nausea and diarrhea, which suggested the clinical safety of this contrast agent. Conclusions Perfluoropropane-albumin microsphere injection could enhance the resolution of LV endocardial borders and make the judgement of regional myocardial movement easier. It has little side-effects and will be appropriate for clinical use.