Objective To introduce an innovative technique, the "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" and its application in the subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anterior mediastinal masses resection. Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the xiphoid process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to June 2024 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 7 patients were included, with 3 males and 4 females, aged 28-72 years. The diameter of the tumor was 1.9-17.0 cm. The operation time was 62-308 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-100 mL, postoperative chest drainage tube retention time was 0-9 days, pain score on the 7th day after surgery was 0-2 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 3-12 days. All patients underwent successful and complete resection of the masses and thymus, with favorable postoperative recovery. Conclusion The "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" effectively expands the retrosternal space, providing surgeons with satisfactory surgical views and operating space. This technique significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive surgery for anterior mediastinal masses, reduces trauma and postoperative pain, and accelerates patient recovery, demonstrating important clinical significance and application value.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) thymectomy for the treatment of thymoma through subxiphoid uniportal approach using double sternum retractors, and subxiphoid and subcostal arch approach. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of the patients diagnosed with thymoma who underwent VATS thymectomy from June 2023 to June 2024 in West China Hospital. Patients were categorized based on the surgical approach into two groups: a subxiphoid uniportal VATS thymectomy (SUVT) group and a subxiphoid and subcostal arch VATS thymectomy (SASAT) group. Comparisons were made between the two groups regarding surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, thymoma size and location, and postoperative pain assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Results The SUVT group consisted of 20 patients, including 11 males and 9 females, with an average age of (51.5±14.3) years. The SASAT group comprised 40 patients, including 26 males and 14 females, with an average age of (50.0±13.0) years. Compared to the SASAT group, the SUVT group had significantly larger thymomas [ (5.9±2.7) cm vs. (4.2±2.1) cm, P=0.010] and a higher proportion of neoplasms located in the superior mediastinum (30.0% vs. 2.5%, P=0.007). Additionally, the VAS pain scores on postoperative days 3, 7, and 30 were significantly lower in the SUVT group compared to the SASAT group (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in demographic characteristics, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, duration and volume of postoperative drainage, length of postoperative hospital stay, or the VAS pain score on the first postoperative day. Conclusion SUVT using double sternum retractors significantly reduces postoperative pain and provides superior efficacy in the resection of larger thymomas or those situated in the superior mediastinum.

Objective:To explore the application value of dynamic monitoring of gastric residual volume (GRV) in achieving different target energy in severe mechanical ventilation patients.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Forty-two patients with mechanical ventilation admitted to the department of critical care medicine of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from July to December 2022 were enrolled. According to the random number table method, patients were divided into GRV guided enteral nutrition by traditional gastric juice pumpback method (control group, 22 patients) and GRV guided enteral nutrition by bedside ultrasound (test group, 20 patients). General data were collected from both groups, and clinical indicators such as hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), neutrophil percentage (Neut%), procalcitonin (PCT), absolute lymphocytes (LYM), prealbumin (PA), and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were dynamically observed. Inflammation, infection, immunity, nutritional indicators, and the incidence of reflux/aspiration, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were compared between the two groups, and further compared the proportion of patients with respectively to reach the target energy 25%, 50%, and 70% on days 1, 3, and 5 of initiated enteral nutrition.Results:① There were no significant differences in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration of mechanical ventilation, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), severe nutritional risk score (NUTRIC) at admission between the two groups, indicating comparability. ② On day 1 of initiated enteral nutrition, there were no significant differences in infection, inflammation, immunity and nutrition indicators between the two groups. On day 3 of initiated enteral nutrition, the hs-CRP in the test group was lower than that control group, LYM and PA were higher than those control group [hs-CRP (mg/L): 129.60±75.18 vs. 185.20±63.74, LYM: 1.00±0.84 vs. 0.60±0.41, PA (mg/L): 27.30±3.66 vs. 22.30±2.55, all P < 0.05]. On day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition, the hs-CRP, Neut%, PCT in the test group were lower than those control group, LYM and PA were higher than those control group [hs-CRP (mg/L): 101.70±54.32 vs. 148.40±36.35, Neut%: (85.50±7.66)% vs. (92.90±6.01)%, PCT (μg/L): 0.7 (0.3, 2.7) vs. 3.6 (1.2, 7.5), LYM: 1.00±0.68 vs. 0.50±0.38, PA (mg/L): 27.10±4.57 vs. 20.80 ± 3.51, all P < 0.05]. There were no significantly differences in IL-6 and RBP between the two groups at different time points. ③ The proportion of 50% and 70% of achieved target energy in the test group on day 3, day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition were higher than those of the control group (70.0% vs. 36.4%, 70.0% vs. 36.4%, both P < 0.05). ④ The incidence of reflux/aspiration and VAP in the test group on day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition were significantly lower than those control group (incidence of reflux/aspiration: 5.0% vs. 28.6%, incidence of VAP: 10.0% vs. 36.4%, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Dynamic monitoring of GRV by bedside ultrasound can accurately improve the proportion of 50% of achieved target energy on day 3 and 75% on day 5 in severe mechanical ventilation patients, improve the patient's inflammation, immune and nutritional status, and can prevent the occurrence of reflux/aspiration and VAP.

Objective:To investigate the effect of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) sodium butyrate (NaB) on the polarization of lipopolysaccharide(LPS) induced M1 type alveolar macrophages and the mechanism of action.Methods:Mouse alveolar macrophages (MH-S) were randomly(random number) divided into control group (Control group), sodium butyrate group (NaB group), LPS group, LPS+NaB group (LB group), and LPS+NaB+adenylate activated protein kinase (AMPK) inhibitor (Compound C) group (LC group).The mRNA expression levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), cluster of differentiation 86 (CD86), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) in MH-S cells, and zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1), tight junction protein 4(Claudin-4), and closed protein(Occludin) in mouse lung epithelial cells (MLE-12) were detected by qRT-PCR;Protein levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the supernatant of MH-S cell medium were measured by ELISA;Western blot determed the protein expression of AMPK, P-AMPK, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in MH-S cells;Expression of M1 type macrophage-associated markers CD86 and iNOS were determined by flow cytometry.Results:(1) qRT-PCR and ELISA results were consistent, M1 type macrophage-associated proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α significantly reduced in the LB group after NaB addition compared with the LPS ground (all P <0.05); (2)The results of qRT-PCR and flow cytometry were consistent,compared with the LPS group, the LB group showed a significant decrease in M1 type macrophage-related polarization indicators CD86 and iNOS after NaB addition(all P<0.05); (3) Western blot was used to detect the expression of the AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,compared with LPS,the addition of NaB in the LB group enhanced the expression of P-AMPK/AMPK, Nrf2 (nucleus), and HO-1 (all P<0.05); compared with the LB group, the LC group decreased the expression of P-AMPK/AMPK, Nrf2 (nucleus), and HO-1 (all P<0.05);the results of flow cytometry showed that compared with the LPS group, the addition of NaB significantly decreased the expression level of iNOS + in the LB group ( P<0.05); compared with the LB group, the addition of Compound C in the LC group reversed the inhibitory effect of NaB on iNOS + ( P <0.05);(4) The qRT-PCR results of MLE-12 cells showed that compared with the LPS group, the LB group showed a significant increase in Z0-1, Claudin-4, and Occludin after the addition of NaB(all P<0.05). Conclusions:SCFA inhibits LPS-induced polarization of M1-type alveolar macrophages and ameliorates the inflammatory response by activating the AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the dynamic changes of diaphragm and limb skeletal muscle in patients with sepsis by bedside ultrasound and their correlation with the ratio of blood urea/creatinine ratio (UCR) in 7 days after intensive care unit (ICU) admission.Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted. A total of 55 patients with sepsis admitted to ICU of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from June 2022 to February 2023 were selected as the research objects. General information, laboratory indicators [urea, serum creatinine (SCr), and UCR] on days 1, 4, and 7 of ICU admission, and prognostic indicators were observed. Bedside ultrasound was used to assess the dynamic changes of diaphragm morphology [including diaphragmatic excursion (DE), end-inspiratory diaphragm thickness (DTei), and end-expiratory diaphragm thickness (DTee)] on days 1, 4, and 7 of ICU admission, as well as limb skeletal muscle (quadriceps femoris) morphology [including rectus femoris-muscle layer thickness (RF-MLT), vastus intermedius-muscle layer thickness (VI-MLT), and rectus femoris-cross sectional area (RF-CSA)]. Diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) and RF-CSA atrophy rate were calculated, and the incidence of diaphragm and limb skeletal muscle dysfunction was recorded. The correlation between ultrasound morphological parameters of diaphragm and quadriceps and UCR at each time points in 7 days after ICU admission was analyzed by Pearson correlation.Results:A total of 55 patients with sepsis were included, of which 29 were in septic shock. As the duration of ICU admission increased, the incidence of diaphragm dysfunction in patients with sepsis increased first and then decreased (63.6%, 69.6%, and 58.6% on days 1, 4, and 7 of ICU admission, respectively), while the incidence of limb skeletal muscle dysfunction showed an increasing trend (54.3% and 62.1% on days 4 and 7 of ICU admission, respectively), with a probability of simultaneous occurrence on days 4 and 7 of ICU admission were 32.6% and 34.5%, respectively. The UCR on day 7 of ICU admission was significantly higher than that on day 1 [121.77 (95.46, 164.55) vs. 97.00 (70.26, 130.50)], and RF-CSA atrophy rate on day 7 was significantly higher than that on day 4 [%: -39.7 (-52.4, -22.1) vs. -26.5 (-40.2, -16.4)]. RF-CSA was significantly lower on day 7 compared to day 1 [cm 2: 1.3 (1.0, 2.5) vs. 2.1 (1.7, 2.9)], with all differences being statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that RF-CSA on day 7 of ICU admission was negatively associated with the UCR on the same day ( r = -0.407, P = 0.029). Conclusions:Diaphragmatic dysfunction in patients with sepsis occurred early and can be improved. Limb skeletal muscle dysfunction occurred relatively later and progresses progressively. The RF-CSA on day 7 of ICU admission may be a reliable measure of limb skeletal muscle dysfunction in patients with sepsis, can be an indicator of early identification and diagnosis of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). Continuous loss of muscle mass occurring in septic patients is mainly associated with persistent organismal catabolism, and undergoes significant changes around a week in ICU.

Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the major occupational health problems in the world. Pharmaceutical industry is an important part of China's national economy. At present, there are few related studies reported at home and abroad. Objective To investigate the status and influencing factors of WMSDs in chemical pharmaceutical industry. Methods A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among all workers from three chemical pharmaceutical enterprises in Guangzhou. The Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic characteristics, symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders, types of work, work organization, and and work postures. Multiple logistic regression method was used to analyze the risk factors of WMSDs in chemical pharmaceutical workers. Results In this study, 563 workers were selected as subjects. The total prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in the chemical pharmaceutical workers was 43.9% (247/563), and the leading body part-specific prevalence rate from high to low was 34.3% in the lower back, 24.3% in the upper back, 24.0% in the shoulders, and 23.8% in the neck. The prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in multiple body parts (30.0%) was 2.16 times higher than that in single body part (13.9%), and the prevalence rate of WMSDs symptoms in four body parts was the highest (11.4%). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age ≥50 years (reference age <30 years) (OR=2.140, 95%CI: 1.054-4.345), often or very often (reference never/rarely) long-time head rotating (OR=2.695, 95%CI: 1.753-4.142) and long-time keeping arms above shoulders (OR=1.902, 95%CI: 1.108-3.265) increased the risk of reporting WMSDs symptoms (P<0.05). Regarding education level, workers with high school and technical secondary school (OR=0.333, 95%CI: 0.175-0.636) or college and above (OR=0.413, 95%CI: 0.216-0.790) education had a lower risk of reporting WMSDs symptoms than those with middle school or below (P<0.05). Conclusion The prevalence rate of reporting WMSDs symptoms in chemical pharmaceutical industry is high, the involving body parts are lower back, upper back, shoulders, and neck, and reporting simultaneous occurrence of WMSDs symptoms in multiple body parts is common. The chemical pharmaceutical manufacturers can reduce the risk of WMSDs by strengthening the training on workers' ergonomics knowledge, paying attention to the less educated personnel, protecting the elderly workers, and avoiding awkward work postures, like rotating head for a long time and raising arms over shoulders.

Objective:To explore the effect of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) on acute lung injury (ALI) in sepsis via macrophage polarization.Methods:① Clinical trial: 30 sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January to December in 2022 and 10 non-sepsis patients in the same period were enrolled, stool samples were collected on the first day of admission, and SCFA butyric acid level in the two groups were studied by targeted metabolomics. ② Animal experiment: male C57BL/6J mice were selected and randomly divided into sham operation group (Sham group), sepsis caused by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP group) and SCFA intervention group (SCFA group, sodium butyrate 25 mg/kg was given by gavage 1 hour after CLP), with 6 animals in each group. Twenty-four hours after molding, the state of mice was evaluated by mouse sepsis score (MSS), the degree of pulmonary edema was evaluated by calculating the wet/dry ratio (W/D), and the pathological changes of lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and lung injury score was performed. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to measure the mRNA expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and antioxidant factor nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in lung tissue. The expressions of macrophage polarization markers arginin-1 (ARG-1), CD206, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IL-1β in lung tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results:① Compared with non-sepsis patients, SCFA-butyric acid level was significantly reduced in patients with sepsis (μg/g: 34.56±6.61 vs. 1 150.67±381.90, P < 0.01). ② Compared with the Sham group, MSS, lung W/D ratio, lung injury score, the levels of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, TGF-β, NF-κB, IL-10, IL-6, IL-1β, the mRNA expressions of lung tissue inflammatory factors and antioxidant factor Nrf2, M1 macrophage polarization markers ARG-1, CD206 and M2 macrophage polarization markers iNOS and IL-1β were significantly increased in the CLP group. Compared with the CLP group, MSS, lung W/D ratio, lung injury score, the levels of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, TGF-β, NF-κB, IL-10, IL-6, IL-1β, the mRNA expressions of lung tissue inflammatory factors and antioxidant factors Nrf2, and M1 macrophage polarization markers ARG-1 and CD206 were significantly reduced [MSS: 14.50±3.16 vs. 20.00±1.55, lung W/D ratio: 4.60±0.18 vs. 5.51±0.59, lung injury score: 47.56±2.36 vs. 88.30±6.04, serum TNF-α (ng/L): 27.99±0.58 vs. 69.55±18.53, serum TGF-β (μg/L): 9.82±2.16 vs. 18.73±1.83, serum NF-κB (μg/L): 1.23±0.09 vs. 1.95±0.28, serum IL-10 (ng/L): 78.39±2.29 vs. 140.22±19.82, serum IL-6 (ng/L): 300.64±77.60 vs. 1 442.52±494.14, serum IL-1β (ng/L): 33.13±0.99 vs. 38.39±1.31, lung IL-1β mRNA expression (IL-1β/β-actin): 1.01±0.01 vs. 2.24±0.62, lung IL-6 mRNA expression (IL-6/β-actin): 0.63±0.09 vs. 1.46±0.31, lung TNF-α mRNA expression (TNF-α/β-actin): 0.81±0.33 vs. 2.57±0.64, lung Nrf2 mRNA expression (Nrf2/β-actin): 1.59±0.25 vs. 2.96±0.89, ARG-1 positive area: (36.27±2.89)% vs. (49.75±5.03)%, CD206 positive area: (20.02±3.26)% vs. (44.24±3.61)%, all P < 0.05]. However, there was no significant difference in M2 macrophage polarization markers iNOS and IL-1β expression [iNOS positive area: (18.32±2.23)% vs. (21.77±3.57)%, IL-1β positive area: (40.42±4.78)% vs. (42.14±4.22)%, both P > 0.05]. Conclusion:SCFA may alleviate ALI in sepsis by reducing M1 polarization of pulmonary macrophages.

Objective:To evaluate the risk factors for diaphragmatic dysfunction of patients with sepsis and septic shock, and the application value of bedside ultrasound.Methods:Patients with sepsis and septic shock in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2020 to May 2021 were prospectively recruited as the research subjects, general postoperative patients and healthy volunteers were admitted as postoperative control and normal control groups. General clinical data were collected, patients with sepsis and septic shock were dynamically observed high sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), serum albumin, transferrin, prealbumin levels, blood lactate, Pcv-aCO 2, ScvO 2, etc.; and indirect calorimetry was used to measure the resting energy level of the patient to calculate the missing energy value. Bedside ultrasound was used to dynamically evaluate the changes of diaphragm excursion (DE),inspiratory diaphragm thickness, and expiratory diaphragm thickness, to calculate relevant parameters. DE<10 mm or diaphragmatic thickness fraction (DTF) < 20% was diagnosed as diaphragmatic dysfunction. Results:(1) On day 1 in the ICU, the DE of the septic shock group, sepsis group and postoperative control group were significantly lower than that in the normal control group [10.3 (9.0, 13.6) mm, 12.3 (9.1, 15.0) mm, 12.9 (10.5, 15.7) mm vs. 22.0 (16.0, 24.6) mm, all P<0.05], and the incidence of DTF<20% was significantly higher than in the normal control group (32.7%, 41.9%, 33.3% vs. 0 %, all P<0.05), and the incidence of DE<10 mm in the septic shock group and sepsis group was significantly higher than that of postoperative control group and normal control group (36.7%, 35.5% vs. 10.0%, 0%, respectively, all P<0.05). On day 7, the DE in the septic shock group was significantly lower than that in the sepsis group [10.5 (6.8, 13.5) mm vs. 14.4 (10.6, 18.6) mm, P<0.05].(2) Correlation analysis of each index: The DE of patients with sepsis and septic shock on day 1, 3, and 7 was negatively correlated with the hs-CRP ( r=-0.253, -0.436, -0.455, all P<0.05); On day 3, DE was also negatively correlated with IL-6 ( r=-0.338, P=0.009); and DTF was negatively correlated with hs-CRP ( r=-0.375, P=0.004). On day 1, there was a positive correlation between DTF and serum transferrin levels in patients with sepsis and septic shock ( r=0.221, P=0.049). On day 3 and 7, the DE was positively correlated with serum prealbumin levels ( r=0.318, 0.408, both P<0.05). Conclusions:Patients with sepsis and septic shock have developed diaphragmatic dysfunction on day 1 in the ICU, which is mainly manifested as decreased in diaphragm mobility and diaphragmatic thickness fraction, and is related to inflammation and high protein catabolism.

Objective:To explore the value of bedside lung ultrasound in the early diagnosis and severity assessment of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted in 60 patients with VAP (VAP group) and 62 patients without VAP (control group) who were admitted to department of intensive care unit of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from September 2018 to July 2020. The gender, age and underlying diseases of non-VAP group were matched with VAP group. The general clinical data such as gender, age, underlying diseases, department source of the patient, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score were recorded. The body temperature, white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2), alveolar artery oxygen differential pressure (P A-aDO 2) were recorded. During mechanical ventilation, the patient's body temperature, WBC, sputum characteristics, and the change of the lung ultrasound were dynamically observed. With or without dynamic air bronchogram, lung ultrasound was considered to be positive as long as there were small subpleural consolidation or tissue-like sign. Ventilator-associated pneumonia lung ultrasound score (VPLUS) and lung ultrasound score (LUSS) were performed, and chest CT scan was completed on the same day. Use positive chest CT scan as the standard to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of lung ultrasound, VPLUS score, and the combination of the two with PCT for VAP. LUSS was used to assess the severity of disease in patients with VAP. The correlation between LUSS and PaO 2/FiO 2, P A-aDO 2, APACHEⅡscore and SOFA score were analyzed. Results:① General information: compared with non-VAP group, VAP group had more emergency surgery patients [51.7% (31/60) vs. 33.9% (21/62), P = 0.047], APACHEⅡ score and SOFA score were significantly higher (APACHEⅡscore: 15.4±5.7 vs. 13.4±3.4, P = 0.021; SOFA score: 8.8±4.2 vs. 6.3±3.3, P < 0.001), body temperature tended to rise (℃: 38.3±0.8 vs. 38.0±0.9, P = 0.054), more patients had airway purulent secretions [65.0% (39/60) vs. 41.9% (26/62), P = 0.011], and mechanical ventilation time and length of ICU stay were longer [mechanical ventilation time (days): 10.5 (6.6, 15.0) vs. 4.3 (3.0, 6.0), P < 0.001; length of ICU stay (days): 14.8 (9.0, 18.0) vs. 6.0 (4.0, 9.1), P < 0.001], 28-day mortality rate was higher [31.7% (19/60) vs. 9.7% (6/62), P = 0.003].② Diagnostic efficacy evaluation: when lung ultrasound was positive, VPLUS≥3 and PCT > 0.5 μg/L were used separately for the diagnosis of VAP, the sensitivity was 73.3%, 75.0%, 61.7%, respectively; the specificity was 80.6%, 58.1% and 59.7%, respectively; the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.685-0.842, 0.574-0.748, 0.514-0.694, respectively, all P < 0.05, positive lung ultrasound had good sensitivity and specificity. When positive lung ultrasound or VPLUS≥3 were combined with PCT > 0.5 μg/L for tandem test, the specificity of VAP diagnosis was increased to 95.2% and 83.9%, respectively; but the specificity of VAP diagnosis of positive lung ultrasound combined with PCT > 0.5 μg/L was higher than VPLUS ≥3 combined with PCT > 0.5 μg/L (95.2% vs. 83.9%, P < 0.05).③ Correlation analysis: LUSS showed a significant positive correlation with APACHEⅡ and SOFA score ( r values were 0.407, 0.399, P values were 0.001, 0.002, respectively), LUSS had no relation with PaO 2/FiO 2 and P A-aDO 2 ( r values were 0.189, -0.064, P values were 0.629, 0.149, respectively). Conclusions:Lung ultrasound can early detect VAP , and its diagnostic specificity is significantly improved when combined with PCT > 0.5 μg/L. LUSS is closely related to the severity of disease in VAP patients, therefore, lung ultrasound may be an effective method for early diagnosis and efficacy evaluation of VAP patients.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical and genetics characteristics of patients with monosomal karyotype acute myeloid leukemia (MK-AML).

METHODSThe karyotypes of 3743 patients with newly-diagnosed de novo AML were analyzed, which had identified 153 cases with MK-AML, for whom the clinical and genetics characteristics were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 2056 patients (54.9%) among all patients. A total of 153 patients fulfilling the criteria for MK-AML were identified, which comprised 93 males and 60 females, with a median age of 54. The median white blood cell count on presentation was 4.4×10 (9)/L. One hundred and forty-five cases (94.8%) have fulfilled the criteria for complex karyotype (≥ 3 chromosomal abnormalities). Although the monosomy could be found with all autosomes, chromosome 7 has been most frequently involved (38.56%, 59/153).

CONCLUSIONMK-AML is a distinct cytogenetic subtype of AML. Monosomy 7 is frequently detected among MK-AML patients. The monosomal karyotype is common among elder patients with AML.

Adult ; Aged ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Karyotype ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Monosomy ; Young Adult