Objective:To explore the value of using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology to detect pathogens in patients with burns and patients with acute or chronic wounds.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. From March 2019 to June 2020, 11 patients with burns and patients with acute or chronic wounds (including 10 males and 1 female, aged 23 to 85 years) in the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital met the inclusion criteria and were recruited. A total of 23 specimens were collected, including 6 whole blood specimens, 1 skin tissue specimen, 1 drained pus specimen, and 15 wound secretion swab specimens. Each specimen was divided into two parts, which were subjected for pathogen detection using microbial culture method and mNGS method, respectively. The number and types of pathogens detected by the 2 methods and the relative abundance detected by the mNGS method were recorded, and the consistency of the two methods were compared. Data were statistically analyzed with paired Wilcoxon rank sum test.Results:With the microbial culture method, no pathogen was detected in 5 of the 23 specimens, while 35 pathogens were detected in the remaining 18 specimens, belonging to 9 species of bacteria and 2 species of fungi. Five specimens had one pathogen while 9 specimens had 2 pathogens and 4 specimens had 3 pathogens detected in each specimen. With the mNGS method, no pathogen was detected in one of the 23 specimens, while 75 pathogens were detected in the remaining 22 specimens, belonging to 28 species of bacteria, 3 species of fungi, and 3 species of viruses. Eight specimens had one pathogen, 5 specimens had 2 pathogens, 2 specimens had 3 pathogens, 3 specimens had 4 pathogens, 2 specimens had 6 pathogens, and 1 specimen had 7 pathogens, and 1 specimen had 20 pathogens detected in each specimen. The number of pathogens detected in each specimen by microbial culture method was 2 (1, 2) types, which was significantly less than 2 (1, 4) types by mNGS method ( Z=3.359, P<0.01). In 5 specimens, no bacteria were detected by microbial culture method but mNGS method detected bacteria in 2 specimens and virus in 2 different specimens. The mNGS method detected two or more types of bacteria in 13 specimens, the relative abundance of bacteria with the 1st relative abundance ranking ranged from 28.8% to 95.9% in each specimen. Of the 23 specimens detected by two detection methods, 7 specimens (30.4%) showed identical detection results, 5 specimens (21.7%) showed totally different detection results, and 11 specimens (47.8%) had partially consistent detection results. Conclusions:Compared with the traditional microbial culture method, the mNGS method has higher detection sensitivity and stronger capacity to detect pathogens, and can determine the relative abundance of pathogens in mixed infections. As a supplement to the culture method, the mNGS method is expected to play an important role in the diagnosis of infectious pathogens in burns and acute or chronic wounds.

From July 2018 to April 2019, 10 patients (8 males and 2 females, aged 5 to 53 years) who need skin grafting with 17 hands were admitted to the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital. The method of glove bandaging was used for wound hemostasis in skin grafting. After the initial hemostasis, sterile latex gloves were used as the inner cover of hand, and then pressure-wrapped with gauze. After 20 minutes, the gauze and gloves were removed in order from the near to the far, then thorough hemostasis was conducted again, and finally skin grafting was performed. The use of gloves as inner cover can avoid the adhesion of gauze fibers to the wound surface, so that it will not cause small blood vessels to re-bleed when the gauze is removed, therefore reducing the excessive use of electrocoagulation and secondary damage to the wound. As a result, blood loss can be reduced and hemostatic time can be shortened.

Objective: To explore the surgical methods for children with contracture deformity on hands after burn. Methods: From January 2014 to January 2018, 33 pediatric patients, a total of 42 hands with scar contracture deformities were reviewed. There were 24 males and 9 females, aged from 11 months to 6 years and 7 months. Among them, 20 hands were volar metacarpophalangeal joint contractures, 9 were volar interphalangeal joint contractures, 7 were dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint contractures (3 claw-shaped hands), 3 were hand back contractures, and 3 were palm contractures. Of the 42 hands, 36 hands were repaired with full-thickness skin grafts or split-thickness skin grafts, after the removal of contracted scar, and 6 hands were repaired with abdominal skin flaps, due to the tendon or bone exposure after the scar removal. Results: Skin grafts on 31 hands were all survived after 2 weeks. However, the survival area of 3 skin grafts was about 90%, and 2 skin grafts survived about 80%. All of them healed well after dressing changing. The 6 hands repaired with abdominal skin flap healed well too. After 1-2.5 years of follow-up, finger scar contracture occurred in 4 hands with skin grafting, and they were performed scar excision and sheet skin grafting. Three hands were treated with Z-plasty, due to web space contracture. The function of other hands were normal, without contracture or deformity. The skin color and texture were similar to the surrounding skin, with limited pigmented. Scars on the edge of skin grafts was not obvious. Patients and their families were satisfied. Conclusions The sheet skin graft is the main method for postburn scar contracture in children′s hands. The abdominal skin flap should be considered, if tendon or bone is exposed, especially for large wound or multiple sites.

Objective: To observe the clinical effects of stage-Ⅱ Meek skin grafting on adipose tissue after tangential excision in patients with extensive deep burns, and to explore the functional mechanism. Methods: The medical records of 26 extensively burned patients who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from May 2015 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the treatment methods, 14 patients were enrolled in stage-Ⅰ skin grafting group (10 males and 4 females, aged 27 to 75 years), and 12 patients were enrolled in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group (10 males and 2 females, aged 31 to 76 years). Patients in the 2 groups all underwent debridement of tangential excision, and their healthy adipose tissue was preserved. Meek skin grafting was performed just after tangential excision in patients in stage-Ⅰ skin grafting group. In patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group, porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM) was applied to cover the wound after tangential excision, and 3 days later, it was removed and Meek skin grafting was performed. The times of complement skin grafting and the wound basic healing time of patients in the 2 groups were observed and recorded. In the stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group, the adipose tissue of patients were taken from the wound center immediately after tangential excision and immediately after the removal of porcine ADM, for the observation of structure of the fault surface of adipose tissue through hematoxylin and eosin staining and microvessel density (MVD) through immunohistochemical staining. Data were processed with independent sample t test and Fisher′s exact probability test. Results: (1) The times of complement skin grafting of patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group was (1.83±0.17) times, which was obviously less than (3.36±0.63) times in stage-Ⅰ skin grafting group (t=2.19, P<0.05). The wound basic healing time of patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group was (35.1±2.3) d, which was obviously shorter than (48.8±4.9) d in stage-Ⅰ skin grafting group (t=2.27, P<0.05). (2) Immediately after tangential excision, the intercellular substance was few between the adipose cells in adipose tissue of patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group. Immediately after the removal of porcine ADM, there was regenerated granulation tissue in the intercellular space of adipose cells of adipose tissue of patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group. Immediately after tangential excision, the MVD of adipose tissue of patients in stage-Ⅱ skin grafting group was 20.2±1.3 under per 400-time field, which was obviously less than 32.2±1.9 under per 400-time field immediately after the removal of porcine ADM (t=-5.38, P<0.01). Conclusions Meek skin grafting on the adipose tissue in stage-Ⅱ surgery after tangential excision could reduce the times of complement skin grafting and shorten wound healing time of patients with extensive deep burns. The mechanism may be related to the improvement of the recipient condition of adipose tissue.

Objective: To observe the effects of minimally invasive tangential excision in treating deep partial-thickness burn wounds on trunk and limbs in pediatric patients in the early stage post burn. Methods: Clinical data of 40 children with deep partial-thickness burn wounds on trunk and limbs, admitted to our burn ward from January 2016 to June 2017, conforming to the study criteria, were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into conventional treatment group (CT, n=19) and minimally invasive tangential excision group (MITE, n=21) according to the different treatments. The patients in group CT were treated with eschar-reserving therapy firstly. When tangential excision was performed, the roller knife was used, and no necrotic tissue left on the wound bed was considered the proper depth of excision. Razor-thickness skin grafting was performed to cover the wound when adipose tissue exposed markedly after tangential excision. Dressing change was performed within 48 h after the operation and repeated every 2 days. Unhealed wounds were covered by razor-thickness skin grafting. The patients in group MITE were treated with tangential excision in the early stage post burn. The tangential excision was operated with electric dermatome, and the thickness was set at 0.1 mm to excise the surface of eschar until the sporadic punctate hemorrhage on wound surface was observed and some necrotic tissue was left on the wound bed. Porcine acellular dermal matrix was applied after tangential excision. The first dressing change was often performed about 1 week after the operation. Razor-thickness skin grafting was performed to cover the unhealed wounds. The length of wound healing, high fever, antibiotic usage, and hospital stay, times of later operation, and hospitalization expenses of patients in the 2 groups were recorded. The excisional eschar and wound bed tissue of patients in group MITE were harvested for pathological observation. Data were processed with t test and Fisher′s exact probability test. Results: (1) There were no statistically significant differences in length of high fever and length of hospital stay and hospitalization expenses between patients in the 2 groups (t=-1.67, -1.93, 0.31, P>0.05). The lengths of wound healing [(24.8±2.5) d] and antibiotic usage [(4.4±0.7) d] of patients in group MITE were significantly shorter than those in group CT [(33.3±2.5) and (7.0±0.7) d, t=-2.44, -2.44, P<0.05], and times of later operation of patients in group MITE [(0.29±0.14) times] were significantly less than those in group CT [(0.79±0.21) times, t=-2.03, P<0.05]. (2) The thickness of the excisional eschar of patients in group MITE was about 150 μm. The eschar has epidermis and upper dermis. Some necrotic tissue was left on the wound bed. Conclusions The treatment for pediatric deep partial-thickness burn wounds on trunk and limbs with minimally invasive tangential excision using electric dermatome in the early stage post burn can accelerate wound healing, shorten length of antibiotic usage, and reduce times of later operations.

The therapeutic effects of intensive insulin therapy in treatment of traumatic shock combined with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) were investigated. A total of 114 patients with traumatic shock combined with MODS were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n=56) treated with conventional therapy, and intensive insulin therapy group (n=58) treated with conventional therapy plus continuous insulin pumping to control the blood glucose level at range of 4.4-6.1 mmol/L. White blood cells (WBC) counts, prothrombin time (PT), serum creatinine (SCr), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum albumin and PaO(2) were measured before and at the day 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 after treatment. The incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction, the incidence of MODS, hospital stay and the mortality were also observed and compared. After intensive insulin therapy, the WBC counts, SCr, ALT and PT were significantly reduced (P<0.05), but the level of serum albumin was significantly increased (P<0.05) at the day 3, 5, 7 and 14. In the meantime, the PaO2 was significantly elevated at the day 3, 5 and 7 (P<0.01) after intensive insulin therapy. The incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction, the incidence of MODS, the length of hospital stay and the mortality were markedly decreased (P<0.01). The results suggest early treatment with intensive insulin therapy is effective for traumatic shock combined with MODS and can decrease the length of hospital stay and the mortality.

The therapeutic effects of intensive insulin therapy in treatment of traumatic shock combined with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) were investigated.A total of 114 patients with traumatic shock combined with MODS were randomly divided into two groups:control group (n=56) treated with conventional therapy,and intensive insulin therapy group (n=58) treated with conventional therapy plus continuous insulin pumping to control the blood glucose level at range of 4.4-6.1 mmol/L.White blood cells (WBC) counts,prothrombin time (PT),serum creatinine (SCr),alanine aminotransferase (ALT),serum albumin and PaO2 were measured before and at the day 1,3,5,7 and 14 after treatment.The incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction,the incidence of MODS,hospital stay and the mortality were also observed and compared.After intensive insulin therapy,the WBC counts,SCr,ALT and PT were significantly reduced (P＜0.05),but the level of serum albumin was significantly increased (P＜0.05) at the day 3,5,7 and 14.In the meantime,the PaO2 was significantly elevated at the day 3,5 and 7 (P＜0.01) after intensive insulin therapy.The incidence of gastrointestinal dysfunction,the incidence of MODS,the length of hospital stay and the mortality were markedly decreased (P＜0.01).The results suggest early treatment with intensive insulin therapy is effective for traumatic shock combined with MODS and can decrease the length of hospital stay and the mortality.

Objective To investigate the influence of gender differences on NF-kB activation in livers in septic rats. Methods Total 20 female and 20 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups.Tissue samples of the livers were collected to measure NF-kB activation by EMSA.The level of plasma ALT,TNF-?and estrogen were measured also. Results NF-kB activation in normal male and female rats has no significant difference (P＞0.05).After stimulated by LPS,the level of NF-kB activation and ALT,TNF-?in plasma were markedly upregulated,and the index of female group lower than that in male group (P＜0.01).The level of NF-kB activation in livers and ALT,TNF-?in plasma both in male and female have significantly negative correlation with the level of estrogen in plasma (P＜0.05 ).Conclusion There are significantly gender differences on NF-kB activation in livers in septic rats.Estrogen may decrease the injury of livers in septic rats.

0.05). Yet, the activity of NF-?B (female: 12.10?2.89; male: 19.53? 2.12) and the level of TNF-? female: (4.10?0.72) ng/ml; male: (6.37?1.29) ng/ml were significantly increased after injection of lipopolysaccharide (P

Free clodronate has a very poor ability to permeate cell membrane and an extremely short half-life in circulation. However, it can be encapsulated with liposomes, and then can be phagocytosed by monocytes/macrophages. Clodronate is released in the cells and be metabolized to a toxic ATP analog. By this way, monocytes/macrophages can be effectively depleted. The study showed that the prepared liposomes had a negative charge (-40mV) on the surface and a high encapsulation efficiency of clodronate (17.6%～19.0%) with an average size of 200nm. The spherical shape of liposome was confirmed both by transmission electron microscope and laser scanning confocal microscope. Neither free clodronate nor liposome clodronate inhibited vascular endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell proliferation. Clodronate, once encapsulated in liposomes, significantly reduced macrophage proliferation in a dose dependent manner, while free clodronate or empty liposomes had no effect on macrophages. With laser scanning confocal microscope observation, rhodamine labeled liposomes were found to penetrate and accumulate inside monocytes and macrophages, but not into the smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, rhodamine labeled liposomes without encapsulating clodronate was found to accumulate inside macrophages, but causing no damage to cells. The macrophages which engulfed rhodamine labeled clodronate liposomes would manifest a morphological structure resembling apoptotic state. The results suggest that monocytes/macrophages can be depleted via phagocytosis of liposome encapsulated clodronate without affecting non-phagocytotic cells.