Objectives: Sepsis is a leading global cause of mortality, and predicting its outcomes is vital for improving patient care. This study explored the capabilities of ChatGPT, a state-of-the-art natural language processing model, in predicting in-hospital mortality for sepsis patients. Methods: This study utilized data from the Korean Sepsis Alliance (KSA) database, collected between 2019 and 2021, focusing on adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients and aiming to determine whether ChatGPT could predict all-cause mortality after ICU admission at 7 and 30 days. Structured prompts enabled ChatGPT to engage in in-context learning, with the number of patient examples varying from zero to six. The predictive capabilities of ChatGPT-3.5-turbo and ChatGPT-4 were then compared against a gradient boosting model (GBM) using various performance metrics. Results: From the KSA database, 4,786 patients formed the 7-day mortality prediction dataset, of whom 718 died, and 4,025 patients formed the 30-day dataset, with 1,368 deaths. Age and clinical markers (e.g., Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score and lactic acid levels) showed significant differences between survivors and non-survivors in both datasets. For 7-day mortality predictions, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.70–0.83 for GPT-4, 0.51–0.70 for GPT-3.5, and 0.79 for GBM. The AUROC for 30-day mortality was 0.51–0.59 for GPT-4, 0.47–0.57 for GPT-3.5, and 0.76 for GBM. Zero-shot predictions using GPT-4 for mortality from ICU admission to day 30 showed AUROCs from the mid-0.60s to 0.75 for GPT-4 and mainly from 0.47 to 0.63 for GPT-3.5. Conclusions GPT-4 demonstrated potential in predicting short-term in-hospital mortality, although its performance varied across different evaluation metrics.

Viral load and the duration of viral shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are important determinants of the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019.In this study, we examined the effects of viral doses on the lung and spleen of K18-hACE2 transgenic mice by temporal histological and transcriptional analyses. Approximately, 1×105 plaque-forming units (PFU) of SARS-CoV-2 induced strong host responses in the lungs from 2 days post inoculation (dpi) which did not recover until the mice died, whereas responses to the virus were obvious at 5 days, recovering to the basal state by 14 dpi at 1×102 PFU. Further, flow cytometry showed that number of CD8+ T cells continuously increased in 1×102 PFU-virusinfected lungs from 2 dpi, but not in 1×105 PFU-virus-infected lungs. In spleens, responses to the virus were prominent from 2 dpi, and number of B cells was significantly decreased at 1×105PFU; however, 1×102 PFU of virus induced very weak responses from 2 dpi which recovered by 10 dpi. Although the defense responses returned to normal and the mice survived, lung histology showed evidence of fibrosis, suggesting sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our findings indicate that specific effectors of the immune response in the lung and spleen were either increased or depleted in response to doses of SARS-CoV-2. This study demonstrated that the response of local and systemic immune effectors to a viral infection varies with viral dose, which either exacerbates the severity of the infection or accelerates its elimination.

Background: As the number of large-scale studies involving multiple organizations producing data has steadily increased, an integrated system for a common interoperable format is needed. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of global efforts are underway to develop vaccines and therapeutics. We are therefore observing an explosion in the proliferation of COVID-19 data, and interoperability is highly requested in multiple institutions participating simultaneously in COVID-19 pandemic research. Results: In this study, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) approach has been adopted to systemically manage various COVID-19 non-clinical trial data, including mortality, clinical signs, body weight, body temperature, organ weights, viral titer (viral replication and viral RNA), and multiorgan histopathology, from multiple institutions based on a web interface. The main aim of the implemented system is to integrate, standardize, and organize data collected from laboratories in multiple institutes for COVID-19 non-clinical efficacy testings. Six animal biosafety level 3 institutions proved the feasibility of our system. Substantial benefits were shown by maximizing collaborative high-quality non-clinical research. Conclusions This LIMS platform can be used for future outbreaks, leading to accelerated medical product development through the systematic management of extensive data from non-clinical animal studies.

BACKGROUND: Admission blood glucose (BG) level is a predictor of mortality in critically ill patients with various conditions. However, limited data are available regarding this relationship in critically ill patients with cardiovascular diseases according to diabetic status. METHODS: A total of 1,780 patients (595 with diabetes) who were admitted to cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) were enrolled from a single center registry. Admission BG level was defined as maximal serum glucose level within 24 hours of admission. Patients were divided by admission BG level: group 1 (< 7.8 mmol/L), group 2 (7.8–10.9 mmol/L), group 3 (11.0–16.5 mmol/L), and group 4 (≥ 16.6 mmol/L). RESULTS: A total of 105 patients died in CICU (62 non-diabetic patients [5.2%] and 43 diabetic patients [7.9%]; P = 0.105). The CICU mortality rate increased with admission BG level (1.7%, 4.8%, 10.3%, and 18.8% from group 1 to group 4, respectively; P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, hypertension, mechanical ventilator, continuous renal replacement therapy, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and admission BG level significantly influenced CICU mortality in non-diabetic patients (group 1 vs. group 3: hazard ratio [HR], 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.47–7.44; P = 0.004; group 1 vs. group 4: HR, 6.56; 95% CI, 2.76–15.58; P < 0.001). However, in diabetic patients, continuous renal replacement therapy and APACHE II score influenced CICU mortality but not admission BG level. CONCLUSION: Admission BG level was associated with increased CICU mortality in critically ill, non-diabetic patients admitted to CICU but not in diabetic patients.
APACHE ; Blood Glucose ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Prognosis ; Renal Replacement Therapy ; Ventilators, Mechanical

A fenestrated middle cerebral artery (MCA) is a rare congenital anomaly, and is related to interference in the normal embryonic development of the MCA. Fenestrated MCA has been regarded to have no clinical significance other than a rare event of hemorrhage from associated aneurysm. However, the fenestration within the arterial trunk can be an obstacle against thrombus migration and may be associated with a major cerebral infarction. Moreover, the presence of this anomaly can be hardly detected prior to thrombolytic procedures, and emergent treatments are proceeded without any information of anatomical configurations. Therefore, the recanalization procedures would carry a high risk of intraprocedural complications. We report a rare case of MCA territory infarction from occlusion of fenestrated M1 segment, and also introduce a safe method of mechanical thrombolysis using coil.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Infarction ; Embryonic Development ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Infarction ; Mechanical Thrombolysis ; Middle Cerebral Artery ; Pregnancy ; Thrombosis

Cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis is characterized by edema of the eyelids and the conjunctivae, and paralysis of the cranial nerves. It is rare, often misdiagnosed or underestimated by neurosurgeons, and is generally related with high rates of mortality and morbidity. High rate of suspicion is required for early diagnosis, and aggressive managements can lead to better outcomes. With recent advancements in antibiotic therapies, the mortality rate has been decreased to less than 30%. However, the morbidity remains high and complete recovery is rare. A 69-year-old woman presented with headache and right ocular pain with sixth cranial nerve palsy for one week. Under the suspicion of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome, steroid treatment was done. On discharge, there was improvement in right ocular pain, but the cranial nerve palsy remained. Subsequently, the patient returned with left ocular pain, lid swelling, redness, ecchymosis of conjunctiva, and ptosis. Enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed an asymmetrically enlarged left cavernous sinus with heterogeneously enhancing contour. Intravenous antibiotics and oral steroids along with anticoagulant medications were administered.
Abducens Nerve Diseases ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Brain ; Cavernous Sinus ; Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis ; Caves ; Conjunctiva ; Cranial Nerve Diseases ; Cranial Nerves ; Early Diagnosis ; Ecchymosis ; Edema ; Exophthalmos ; Eyelids ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Paralysis ; Steroids ; Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome

Sinus pericranii is a rare vascular anomaly that's characterized by an extracranial vascular mass with anastomotic connections between the intracranial and extracranial systems via the diploic veins of the skull. Preoperative evaluations for making the diagnosis are important to help prevent unexpected intraoperative bleeding. We report here on a case of surgically treated sinus pericranii in a 20-year-old female following minor head trauma. The clinical manifestations, pathogenesis and managements are discussed, and we also review the relevant literature.
Craniocerebral Trauma ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Sinus Pericranii ; Skull ; Veins ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: There have been numerous follow-up studies of patients who had ruptured or unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated by wrapping technique using various materials have been reported. Our objective was to ascertain whether our particular wrapping technique using the temporalis muscle provides protection from rebleeding and any aneurysm configuration changes in follow-up studies. METHODS: Clinical presentation, the location and shape of the aneurysm, outcomes at discharge and last follow-up, and any aneurysm configuration changes on last angiographic study were analyzed retrospectively in 21 patients. Reinforcement was acquired by clipping the wrapped temporalis muscle. Wrapping and clipping after incomplete clipping was also done. Follow-up loss and non-angiographic follow-up patient groups were excluded in this study. RESULTS: The mean age was 53 years (range 29-67), and 15 patients were female. Among 21 patients, 10 patients had ruptured aneurysms (48%). Aneurysms in 21 patients were located in the anterior circulation. Aneurysm shapes were broad neck form (14 cases), fusiform (1 case), and bleb to adjacent vessel (6 cases). Five patients were treated by clipping the wrapped temporalis, and 16 patients by wrapping after partial clipping. The mean Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at admission was 14.2. The mean Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at discharge was 4.8, and 18 patients were grade 5. The mean period between initial angiography and last angiography was 18.5 months (range 8-44). Aneurysm size was not increased in any of these patients and configuration also did not change. There was no evidence of rebleeding in any of these treated aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Our study results show that wrapping technique, using the temporalis muscle and aneurysm clip(s), for intracranial aneurysm treatment provides protection from rebleeding or regrowth.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Angiography ; Blister ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glasgow Coma Scale ; Glasgow Outcome Scale ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Muscles ; Neck ; Reinforcement (Psychology) ; Retrospective Studies ; Temporal Muscle

OBJECTIVE: Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are two minimally invasive procedures for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the radiological findings and clinical outcomes between two procedures. METHODS: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures were treated in 76 vertebrae, using kyphoplasty (n=35 vertebrae) and using vertebroplasty (n=41 vertebrae). Fractured vertebral bodies were diagnosed by correlating the clinical symptoms with radiologic study. The responses of pain symptoms were measured by a self-reported Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. Plain X-rays were checked preoperatively and postoperatively at admission and 6 months. The vertebral body height and kyphotic angle were measured to assess the reduction of the sagittal alignment. RESULTS: The mean pain scores were decreased significantly for both procedures postoperatively, but there were no significant differences between two groups. Kyphoplasty led to a significant reduction of the vertebral body height and improvement of kyphotic angle. There were no neurological deficits after kyphoplasty, but one patient experienced paraparesis after vertebroplasty. During the 6 months follow-up both procedures provided stabilization of the sagittal alignment. CONCLUSION: Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are considered effective minimally invasive techniques for the stabilization of osteoporotic vertebral body fractures, leading to a statistically significant reduction in pain. Kyphoplasty significantly restore sagittal alignment. Also, complications and the incidence of bone cement leakage are significantly lesser than vertebroplasty. Therefore, kyphoplasty seems to be reasonable procedure for osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures when medical treatment fail.
Body Height ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fractures, Compression* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kyphoplasty* ; Kyphosis ; Osteoporosis ; Paraparesis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Vertebroplasty* ; Visual Analog Scale

OBJECTIVE: Microvascular decompression(MVD) at root exit zone(REZ) of the facial nerve has been largely popularized and it has become the standard treatment for patients with hemifacial spasm(HFS). This sturdy is performed to evaluate the efficacy of MVD over the course of time. METHODS: From 1994 to 2003, 50 patients with HFS who underwent MVD were followed up for more than 6 months. We retrospectively analyzed results with medical records and telephone researches. RESULTS: The mean age of patients at the time operation was 57.6 years and 84% of the patients were female. The mean duration of follow-up after operation was 3.4 years (range 0.5~7.8 years). One day after MVD, 54% of patients had complete relief of spasm immediately. Continuous improvements of HFS were observed during the follow-up period and these improvements were statistically significant with time (P<0.05). Until 6 months after operation, complete relief of spasm was observed in 84% of patients. The delayed relief of spasm was observed in 35.7% of our patients who experienced complete relief. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of MVD in HFS is improves with time. Continuous follow-up evaluations for the duration of more than at least 6 months after MVD are important for the decision of its clinical results because delayed relief of spasms occurs.
Facial Nerve ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemifacial Spasm* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Microvascular Decompression Surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spasm ; Telephone