Objective To explore the echocardiographic features of critically ill patients with infection, and to evaluate the predictive value of echocardiographic parameters for 28-day mortality and myocardial injury. Methods Using a single-center prospective cohort design, 120 critically ill patients with infection admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, Jinshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2024 to January 2025 were enrolled consecutively. According to the severity of infection, patients were divided into the sepsis group (n＝75) and the non-sepsis group (n＝45). Cox proportional hazards models and modified Poisson regression were used to analyze risk factors of 28-day all-cause mortality and myocardial injury. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and log-rank test were used to assess prognosis differences among patients with different ultrasound parameters. ROC curve and area under the curve (AUC) were applied to evaluate the predictive performance of ultrasound parameters, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was used to explore nonlinear relationships. Results The E/e′ ratio was significantly higher in the sepsis group than in the non-sepsis group (P＜0.001), while left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were lower in the sepsis group (P＜0.05). The Cox proportional hazards model found no association between ultrasound parameters and 28-day all-cause mortality. Modified Poisson regression showed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, elevated E/e′ was an independent risk factor of myocardial injury (RR＝1.12, 95% CI 1.07–1.17, P＜0.001). Survival analysis demonstrated that patients with E/e′ ＞10.9 had lower 28-day survival rates (P＝0.02), and the AUC for E/e′ predicting myocardial injury was 0.835. RCS analysis suggested a nonlinear relationship between E/e′ and myocardial injury risk (P＜0.001). Conclusions E/e′, LVEF, and LVFS have no significant predictive value for 28-day mortality risk in critically ill patients with infections. Elevated E/e′ is an independent risk factor of myocardial injury in such patients, with a nonlinear relationship.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunoadsorption with protein A column(PA-IA) in refractory anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis in children.Methods:The clinical data of 8 children with anti-NMDAR encephalitis who failed to receive first-line treatment from January 2022 to June 2023 in PICU of Xi'an Children's Hospital were retrospectively collected.Clinical features,modified Rankin score (mRS),anti-NMDAR antibody titers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF),cells count in CSF,protein level in CSF,serum IgG,complement C3,C4 level were analyzed before and after immunoadsorption therapy. All adverse events that occurred during treatment were recorded in detail.Result:Among the 8 children,there were 5 males and 3 females,aged 5 to 12 years old,and each patient was immunized 6 to 10 times,and 75 times of PA-IA treatment were performed. The mRS score decreased in 8 children after PA-IA treatment. Blood IgG level,CSF cell number,protein level in CSF,blood complement C3 and C4 levels,and antibody titers related in blood and CSF were all lower than those before PA-IA treatment. The differences were all statistically significant ( P<0.001).During 75 times of treatment,only 1 case of membrane rupture occurred during treatment,the treatment was stopped and continued after the plasma separator was replaced,with no other adverse reactions. Conclusion:PA-IA could effectively improve the clinical symptoms and neurological function of children with refractory anti-NMDAR encephalitis with good safety,but its exact efficacy in children with anti-NMDAR encephalitis needs to be verified by prospective studies with larger samples.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of nafamostat mesylate in traumatic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy.Methods:Patients admitted to the intensive care units of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University and Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital for ECMO-assisted cardiopulmonary support due to trauma from January 2021 to December 2024 were selected as the study subjects. Based on different anticoagulation strategies, patients were divided into the nafamostat mesylate group( n=11) and the common heparin group( n=10). The general conditions of the two groups were compared. In addition, differences in various clinical indicators during the ECMO-assisted process were compared, including white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), hemoglobin level (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), prothrombin time(PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time(TT), fibrinogen(FIB) and D-dimer. Furthermore，the differences in the total volume of component blood transfusions, coagulation substances, complications and prognosis between the two groups were compared. Results:No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age, gender, weight, type of ECMO support, type of trauma, presence of active bleeding, or rate of surgical intervention. There were no statistically significant differences in WBC, PLT, Hb, HCT, PT, APTT, TT, FIB, and D-dimer between the two groups of patients prior to the initiation of ECMO support (all P>0.05). Compared with the common heparin group, children in the nafamostat mesylate group had lower PT[(21±6)s vs. (27±3)s; (20±4) vs. (28±5)], APTT[(68±8)s vs. (89±12)s; (64±15)s vs. (85±21)s], TT [(25±11)s vs. (31±13)s; (24±8)s vs. (35±6)s], and D-dimer[(5.8±1.1) μg/mL vs. (11.5±5.6) μg/mL; (4.2±1.8) μg/mL vs. (14.6±2.5) μg/mL],and higher FIB[(2.1±0.5) g/L vs. (1.6 ± 0.3) g/L; (2.4 ± 0.4) g/L vs. (1.3 ± 0.6) g/L] when ECMO assisted for 24 h and 72 h,the differences were all statistically significant(all P<0.05). Compared to the nafamostat mesylate group, the common heparin group exhibited significantly higher total cumulative infusion amounts of red blood cell suspension, plasma, platelet, FIB, hemocoagulase, and thromboplastin complex during the ECMO-assisted process, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of children in terms of time to ECMO assistance, membrane lung failure, loop thrombosis, embolism, and successful withdrawal rate (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Nafamostat mesylate can effectively reduce the risk of bleeding and minimize the requirement for blood product and coagulation substance infusions during traumatic ECMO assistance.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of neutrophil elastase inhibitor in children with acute respiratory distress syndrome（ARDS）.Methods:A total of 168 children with moderate to severe ARDS who were hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Intensive Care Unit，the Affiliated Children′s Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University and Children's Emergency Center of Gansu Provincial Central Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were selected. Eighty-seven children receiving neutrophil elastase inhibitors were treated as the treatment group and 81 children receiving conventional treatment as the control group. The dynamic changes of general data，clinical indicators and ventilator parameters at 24 h，48 h and 72 h were compared between the two groups. Mortality at 28 days was the primary endpoint. Kaplan-Meier curve and Log-Rank test were used to evaluate cumulative survival.Results:There was no significant difference in general information and clinical characteristics between the two groups.Compared with the control group，arterial partial pressure of oxygen（PaO 2）/fraction of inspired oxygen（FiO 2）in the treatment group increased significantly at 48 h［（160.28±5.90）mmHg（1 mmHg=0.133 kPa）vs（141.04±4.01）mmHg， P<0.05］and 72 h［（227.58±6.85）mmHg vs（180.86±4.08）mmHg， P<0.05］，and the differences were statistically significant.The platform pressure in the treatment group were lower than that of the control group at 24 h［（28.18±3.95）cmH 2O（1cmH 2O=0.098 kPa）vs（30.15±7.75）cmH 2O， P<0.05］，48 h［（25.56±4.06）cmH 2O vs（29.07±5.01）cmH 2O， P<0.05］，72 h［（24.95±2.82）cmH 2O vs（27.12±6.51）cmH 2O， P<0.05］，and the differences were statistically significant. IL-8 in the treatment group were lower than that of the control group at 48 h［（78.26±14.05）ng/L vs（86.02±15.01）ng/L， P<0.05］and 72 h［（58.38±15.56）ng/L vs（68.68±18.05）ng/L， P<0.05］，and the differences were statistically significant.The survival curve showed that the cumulative survival rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group，the difference between the two groups was statistically significant（ χ2=4.549， P=0.033）. Conclusion:Neutrophil elastase inhibitors can reduce the lung injury of ARDS patients by inhibiting the inflammatory response induced by neutrophils，and ultimately improve the prognosis of the disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical effectiveness of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) in rescuing children with severe pulmonary contusion. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of four children with severe pulmonary contusion who were treated with VV-ECMO in the pediatric intensive care unit of Xi'an Children's Hospital from April 2021 to December 2024. The general data, laboratory indicators within 24 hours after admission, imaging features, bronchoscopic findings, diagnostic and treatment processes, as well as therapeutic outcomes of the children were analyzed. RESULTS: All four pediatric cases were male, aged 4 years and 9 months, 6 years and 5 months, 8 years and 10 months, and 9 years and 7 months, respectively. One case resulted from a high-altitude fall and three from traffic accidents, all presenting with multiple fractures. All four cases progressed to dyspnea within 1-4 hours post-injury and received endotracheal intubation with invasive ventilator support within 2-5 hours. Three cases exhibited tachycardia upon admission and were treated with norepinephrine, all four cases presented with fine moist rales in the lungs. Imaging studies revealed diffuse exudative changes in all four cases. Bronchoscopy identified diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage, with one case additionally showing rupture of the right intermediate bronchus. Conventional mechanical ventilation failed to correct oxygenation in all cases, prompting initiation of VV-ECMO therapy within 8-22 hours post-injury. One case underwent right thoracic exploration under ECMO support. Following treatment, all four cases demonstrated gradual reduction in bloody airway secretions, resolution of pulmonary exudative changes on imaging, and absence of hemorrhage on bronchoscopy. They were successfully weaned off ECMO and ultimately discharged as cured. CONCLUSIONS Severe pulmonary contusion rapidly leads to respiratory distress, requiring ventilator-assisted ventilation within hours of injury. When conventional ventilator support is ineffective, ECMO can be life-saving, with timely intervention yielding favorable prognosis.
Humans ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Contusions/therapy* ; Lung Injury/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of immunoadsorption with protein A column(PA-IA) in refractory anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis in children.Methods:The clinical data of 8 children with anti-NMDAR encephalitis who failed to receive first-line treatment from January 2022 to June 2023 in PICU of Xi'an Children's Hospital were retrospectively collected.Clinical features,modified Rankin score (mRS),anti-NMDAR antibody titers in serum and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF),cells count in CSF,protein level in CSF,serum IgG,complement C3,C4 level were analyzed before and after immunoadsorption therapy. All adverse events that occurred during treatment were recorded in detail.Result:Among the 8 children,there were 5 males and 3 females,aged 5 to 12 years old,and each patient was immunized 6 to 10 times,and 75 times of PA-IA treatment were performed. The mRS score decreased in 8 children after PA-IA treatment. Blood IgG level,CSF cell number,protein level in CSF,blood complement C3 and C4 levels,and antibody titers related in blood and CSF were all lower than those before PA-IA treatment. The differences were all statistically significant ( P<0.001).During 75 times of treatment,only 1 case of membrane rupture occurred during treatment,the treatment was stopped and continued after the plasma separator was replaced,with no other adverse reactions. Conclusion:PA-IA could effectively improve the clinical symptoms and neurological function of children with refractory anti-NMDAR encephalitis with good safety,but its exact efficacy in children with anti-NMDAR encephalitis needs to be verified by prospective studies with larger samples.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of nafamostat mesylate in traumatic extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy.Methods:Patients admitted to the intensive care units of Children's Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University and Gansu Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital for ECMO-assisted cardiopulmonary support due to trauma from January 2021 to December 2024 were selected as the study subjects. Based on different anticoagulation strategies, patients were divided into the nafamostat mesylate group( n=11) and the common heparin group( n=10). The general conditions of the two groups were compared. In addition, differences in various clinical indicators during the ECMO-assisted process were compared, including white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), hemoglobin level (Hb), hematocrit (HCT), prothrombin time(PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time(TT), fibrinogen(FIB) and D-dimer. Furthermore，the differences in the total volume of component blood transfusions, coagulation substances, complications and prognosis between the two groups were compared. Results:No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding age, gender, weight, type of ECMO support, type of trauma, presence of active bleeding, or rate of surgical intervention. There were no statistically significant differences in WBC, PLT, Hb, HCT, PT, APTT, TT, FIB, and D-dimer between the two groups of patients prior to the initiation of ECMO support (all P>0.05). Compared with the common heparin group, children in the nafamostat mesylate group had lower PT[(21±6)s vs. (27±3)s; (20±4) vs. (28±5)], APTT[(68±8)s vs. (89±12)s; (64±15)s vs. (85±21)s], TT [(25±11)s vs. (31±13)s; (24±8)s vs. (35±6)s], and D-dimer[(5.8±1.1) μg/mL vs. (11.5±5.6) μg/mL; (4.2±1.8) μg/mL vs. (14.6±2.5) μg/mL],and higher FIB[(2.1±0.5) g/L vs. (1.6 ± 0.3) g/L; (2.4 ± 0.4) g/L vs. (1.3 ± 0.6) g/L] when ECMO assisted for 24 h and 72 h,the differences were all statistically significant(all P<0.05). Compared to the nafamostat mesylate group, the common heparin group exhibited significantly higher total cumulative infusion amounts of red blood cell suspension, plasma, platelet, FIB, hemocoagulase, and thromboplastin complex during the ECMO-assisted process, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of children in terms of time to ECMO assistance, membrane lung failure, loop thrombosis, embolism, and successful withdrawal rate (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Nafamostat mesylate can effectively reduce the risk of bleeding and minimize the requirement for blood product and coagulation substance infusions during traumatic ECMO assistance.

Objective:To investigate the related risk factors affecting the prognosis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS) in children.Methods:A retrospective study was carried out.We selected 182 pediatric patients who met the diagnostic criteria for pediatric HFRS while hospitalized in the Intensive Care Department of the Affiliated Children′s Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University between July 2014 and December 2021 as the research objects.The severe and critical patients were taken as the observation group(24 cases), and the mild and moderate pediatric patients were taken as the control group(158 cases). The demographic, epidemiological data and clinically relevant indicators within 8 hours of pediatric patients after admission were collected.The 28-day death was the primary endpoint.Renal failure and pulmonary edema were secondary endpoint.The differences of clinically relevant indicators between the two groups were observed.Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was used to determine the predictive efficacy of different outcome prediction models.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, and BMI between the two groups (all P>0.05). Compared the control group with the observation group, coagulation function indicators such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)[(134±21)s vs.(164±34)s], D-dimer [(6.31±3.20)mg/L vs.(12.43±5.67)mg/L], von Willebrand factor (vWF)[(352±45)μg/L vs.(465±103)μg/L], and platelet(PLT)[(87±35)×10 9/L vs.(45±24)×10 9/L], Lactate(Lac)[(2.6±1.1)mmol/L vs.(6.0±2.0)mmol/L]were different significantly(all P<0.05). Additionally, the lymphocyte characteristic analysis indicator lymphocytes [(2 749±686)×10 6/L vs.(2 374±851)×10 6/L], CD3 + [(1 821± 487)×10 6/L vs.(1 065±539)×10 6/L], CD4 + /CD8 + (1.65±0.73)vs.(1.00±0.25), CD19 + [(559±105)×10 6/L vs.(487± 133)×10 6/L]were different significantly(all P<0.05). The inflammatory index procalcitonin(PCT) [(22±15)ng/L vs.(56±21)ng/L, P<0.05]was different significantly in two groups.The rate of continuous renaly replacement therapy, ventilator-assisted ventilation, vasoactive drugs and other treatment measures increased significantly in observation group than those in control group(all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the included indicators.With death as the primary endpoint, Lac, CD8 + , D-dimer, vWF and PCT were significantly associated with mortality, which were risk factors for death, while PLT and CD4 + /CD8 + were protective factors.With renal failure and pulmonary edema as secondary endpoint, CD8 + , D-dimer, Lac and PCT were risk factors for secondary endpoint.ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the risk factor prediction model related to the primary endpoint variables were 77.91%, 81.22% and 0.769, and which related to secondary endpoint variables were 87.61%, 77.59% and 0.891, respectively. Conclusion:The combinations of CD8 + , D-dimer, Lac, PCT and vWF have good predictive value for poor prognosis in children with HFRS.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of central nervous system specific protein B (S100B)combined with neuron specific enolase(NSE)and serum lactate for severe neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)induced by perinatal asphyxia.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted.A total of 126 neonates admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Xi ′an Jiaotong University due to perinatal asphyxia from April 2019 to April 2022 were selected as the research subjects.Neonates who were clinically diagnosed with HIE were selected as the observation group(45 cases), and those without HIE were selected as the control group(81 cases). The differences of each parameter between the two groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the indicators that might cause severe HIE.The risk factors were put into the receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)to analyze their predictive value for prognosis.Results:There were no significant differences in gestational age, weight and gender between the two groups(all P>0.05). The Apgar scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group; the rates of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and prolonged labor were higher than those in the control group.These differences are statistically significant(all P< 0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed significantly higher rates of abnormal brain electroencephalogram and cranial magnetic resonance imaging, as well as increased levels of lactate, S100B( t-values for 8 h and 72 h were 13.10 and 2.00 respectively), and NSE( t-values for 8 h and 72 h were 10.85 and 15.57 respectively), all with statistical significance(all P< 0.05). By conducting binary Logistic regression analysis on indicators that might cause HIE, it was found that Apgar scores at 5 minutes and 10 minutes were negatively correlated with the risk of severe HIE( OR<1 and P<0.05). Prolonged labor, as well as factors such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, S100B concentration at 8 hours after birth, NSE concentration at 8 hours after birth, and lactate levels were all risk factors for poor prognosis( OR>1 and P<0.05). The predictive threshold values for severe HIE using the biochemical markers S100B, NSE, and lactate were 1.87 μg/L, 19 μg/L, and 4.6 mmol/L respectively.The sensitivity of prediction were 78%, 68%, and 75% respectively; while the specificity were 66%, 71%, and 67%, and all area under the curve(AUC)was greater than 0.5.The sensitivity of the combined prediction by the three factors was 87%, with a specificity of 79% and AUC 0.86( P<0.05). Conclusion:S100B, NSE and serum lactate are independent risk factors for predicting neonatal serve HIE, and the combination of the three indicators can improve the predictive efficiency.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and treatment strategies of toxic epidermal necrolysis(TEN) in children.Methods:The clinical data, laboratory examination, diagnosis and treatment process and treatment outcomes of 11 children with TEN treated in PICU at Children′s Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2018 to June 2022 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Results:There were five males and six females, aged from one year to 11 years old.Nine cases were caused by drugs, among which six cases were caused by antiepileptic drugs, two cases were caused by Chinese patent medicine, one case was caused by antibiotics, and the remaining two cases were caused by infection.In addition to large area of skin exfoliation, one case was complicated with corneal perforation, one case was complicated with finger (toe) nail fall off, and two cases were complicated with upper airway obstruction.All children were complicated with various degrees of heart, liver, kidney and other organ damage.Eight cases who were admitted to the department of immunology were treated with methylprednisolone and intravenous immune globulin.Three cases had no change in rash, and five cases had an enlarged range of skin lesions compared with admission, and finally all of them were transferred to PICU.Three cases were first diagnosed in PICU and were not treated with methylprednisolone and intravenous immune globulin after admission.All 11 children were given therapeutic plasma exchange in PICU.For children whose first department was PICU, the average hospitalization time of PICU was (8.00±3.00) days, the total average hospitalization time was (33.66±20.10) days, and the average hospitalization cost was (73.9±30.5) thousand yuan.For children whose first department was the immunology department, the average hospitalization time of PICU was (21.62±16.18) days, the total average hospitalization time was (41.87±16.97) days, and the average hospitalization cost was (130.8±52.2) thousand yuan.One case, because of corneal perforation, the family members asked to leave the hospital for economic reasons after the rash improved, and the rest of the children were cured and discharged.Conclusion:TEN is rare, often complicated with multiple organ dysfunction, and has a high mortality.Early administration of therapeutic plasma exchange may alleviate multiple system damage and shorten the duration of disease.