Objective:To explore potential predictors of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in early stage. Methods:The prospective multicenter study was conducted in Zhejiang, China from May 1 st, 2019 to January 31 st, 2020. A total of 1 428 patients with fever >48 hours to <120 hours were studied. Their clinical data and oral pharyngeal swab samples were collected; Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA in pharyngeal swab specimens was detected. Patients with positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA results underwent a series of tests, including chest X-ray, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. According to the occurrence of RMPP, the patients were divided into two groups, RMPP group and general Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (GMPP) group. Measurement data between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between clinical data and RMPP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the power of the markers for predicting RMPP. Results:A total of 1 428 patients finished the study, with 801 boys and 627 girls, aged 4.3 (2.7, 6.3) years. Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA was positive in 534 cases (37.4%), of whom 446 cases (83.5%) were diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, including 251 boys and 195 girls, aged 5.2 (3.3, 6.9) years. Macrolides-resistant variation was positive in 410 cases (91.9%). Fifty-five cases were with RMPP, 391 cases with GMPP. The peak body temperature before the first visit and LDH levels in RMPP patients were higher than that in GMPP patients (39.6 (39.1, 40.0) vs. 39.2 (38.9, 39.7) ℃, 333 (279, 392) vs. 311 (259, 359) U/L, both P<0.05). Logistic regression showed the prediction probability π=exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004×LDH (U/L))/(1+exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004 × LDH (U/L))), the cut-off value to predict RMPP was 0.12, with a consensus of probability forecast of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.89, and specificity of 0.67; and the area under ROC curve was 0.682 (95% CI 0.593-0.771, P<0.01). Conclusion:In MPP patients with fever over 48 to <120 hours, a prediction probability π of RMPP can be calculated based on the peak body temperature and LDH level before the first visit, which can facilitate early identification of RMPP.

Objective:To investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) on delayed extubation of patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD).Methods:A total of 400 ATAAD patients who were admitted to our hospital from October 2021 to October 2023 and underwent surgical treatment were selected as the research objects. According to BMI, they were divided into obese group (BMI≥28 kg/m 2, 119 cases) and non-obese group (BMI<28 kg/m 2, 281 cases). The differences of preoperative clinical characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative data between the two groups were compared. Starting from transferring to the ICU and ending with the first successful extubation, The risk factors of postoperative invasive mechanical ventilation time ≥ 48 h in ATAAD patients were analyzed, and the predictive efficacy of related factors for postoperative invasive mechanical ventilation time ≥ 48 h in ATAAD patients was evaluated. Results:Compared with the non-obese group, the proportion of hypertension, diabetes, admission heart rate, admission systolic blood pressure, admission diastolic blood pressure and preoperative white blood cell count in the obese group were significantly increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, operation time, red blood cell transfusion volume, invasive mechanical ventilation time, secondary operation rate and total hospitalization cost in the obese group were significantly higher than those in the non-obese group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that BMI, cardiopulmonary bypass time, ascending aortic cross-clamp time, operation time, age, hypertension, and red blood cell transfusion were related factors for postoperative invasive mechanical ventilation time ≥48 h in ATAAD patients ( P<0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that increased BMI ( OR=1.213, P<0.05) and increased age ( OR=1.020, P<0.05) were independent risk predictors of postoperative invasive mechanical ventilation time≥48 h in ATAAD patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve ( ROC) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve ( AUC) of BMI for predicting the duration of postoperative invasive mechanical ventilation in ATAAD patients≥48 h was 0.682 ( P<0.05), and the best predictive cut-off value was 25.64 kg/m 2. Conclusion:BMI≥28kg/m 2 increases the difficulty of surgery and the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation in ATAAD patients. BMI has a high predictive value for the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation in ATAAD patients after surgery ≥48 h, and effective intervention measures can be formulated to improve the treatment effect of patients.

Objective:To develop and verify machine learning(ML)models for the early warning of ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP)within 24 hours after invasive mechanical ventilation, so as to provide more evidence and ideas for the clinical management of VAP in elderly patients.Methods:In this study, clinical data of elderly patients with acute respiratory failure and invasive mechanical ventilation in intensive care unit were extracted from MIMIC Ⅳ 2.2 database.Using VAP as the outcome index, patients were divided into training set and testing set in a ratio of 7∶3.Four ML algorithms were used to build a model in the training set, and the performance of the model was verified by the test set.The model was compared with SOFA, systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS) and acute physiology score(APS)Ⅲ scores in the same dataset.Results:A total of 1 859 elderly patients were included, 336 of whom were diagnosed with VAP.The area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operator characteristic curve of ML models were higher than the clinical risk scores(SOFA score: 0.44, SIRS score: 0.49, APS Ⅲ score: 0.46), and the LightGBM model and XGBoost model had better predictive performance, with AUC of 0.85(95% CI: 0.82, 0.88)and 0.84(95% CI: 0.81, 0.87). SHAP was used to further explain the model.The results showed that SOFA neurological score, maximum white blood cell count, maximum respiratory rate, maximum alkali residual and age were important factors for early prediction of elderly VAP. Conclusions:In this study, ML algorithms were used to build an early warning model of VAP in elderly patients, which has important guiding significance for clinical timely initiation and adjustment of treatment plan.In the future, external verification of the model should be further carried out.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic etiology of a child with multiple pterygium syndrome (MPS). METHODS: A child with MPS who was treated at the Orthopedics Department of Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University on August 19, 2020 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the child was collected. Peripheral blood samples of the child and her parents were also collected. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was carried out for the child. Candidate variant was validated by Sanger sequencing of her parents and bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: The child, an 11-year-old female, had a complain of "scoliosis found 8 years before and aggravated with unequal shoulder height for 1 year". WES results revealed that she has carried a homozygous c.55+1G>C splice variant of the CHRNG gene, for which both of her parents were heterozygous carriers. By bioinformatic analysis, the c.55+1G>C variant has not been recorded by the CNKI, Wanfang data knowledge service platform and HGMG databases. Analysis with Multain online software suggested that the amino acid encoded by this site is highly conserved among various species. As predicted with the CRYP-SKIP online software, the probability of activation and skipping of the potential splice site in exon 1 caused by this variant is 0.30 and 0.70, respectively. The child was diagnosed with MPS. CONCLUSION The CHRNG gene c.55+1G>C variant probably underlay the MPS in this patient.
Humans ; Child ; Female ; Abnormalities, Multiple/genetics* ; Malignant Hyperthermia/genetics* ; Skin Abnormalities/genetics* ; Heterozygote ; Mutation ; Receptors, Nicotinic/genetics*

Objective:To summarize and evaluate the target and dose design of 125I seed brachytherapy treatment plan of pediatric borderline tumor in head neck region. Methods:Eleven patients underwent definitive 125I brachytherapy or combined with surgery in Peking University Hospital of Stomatology from January 2010 to December 2018 were retrospective analyzed. The target region was set by extending the tumor gross region by 0.5 to 1.0 cm. The prescription dose and activity ranged from 80 to 120 Gy and 18.5 MBq, respectively. The treatments were performed according to the plan under general anesthesia. Response and toxic reaction were recorded during follow-up. The preoperative and postoperative dosimetric results were compared; and the local control rate, objective response rate, complete response rate and acute toxic reaction rate were calculated. Results:There was no statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative dosimetric results ( P>0.05). The follow-up time ranged from 33 to 131 months, with a median of 48 months. The local control rate, objective response rate, complete response rate and acute toxic reaction rate were 100%, 100%, 71.4% and 81.8%, respectively. Conclusions:Under well-designed target and dose, 125I brachytherapy for treatment of pediatric borderline tumor in head neck region would bring ideal therapeutic and toxic outcomes, and could be regarded as a feasible therapy.

Aspiration is the entry of oropharyngeal or gastric contents into the lower respiratory tract through the glottis, a common and important cause of death in elderly patients due to lung infections.However, a lack of accurate and rapid clinical methods for the diagnosis of aspiration leads to misdiagnosis, missed diagnosis or delayed diagnosis of aspiration, especially aspiration pneumonia.In recent years, with further research into the mechanisms of aspiration syndromes, multiple aspiration biomarkers with potential and clinical translational value have been found, and may help early detection of aspiration and have important and practical significance for elderly health.Therefore, this article reviews aspiration biomarkers such as pepsin, α-amylase, bile acid and other potential biomarkers as well as current relevant research, detection methods, their clinical value and prospects concerning challenges and directions of innovation in future research.

Objective:To investigate the nutritional status of elderly inpatients in China, and to assess its relationship with clinical outcomes.Methods:A prospective, multicenter, parallel investigation was organized and conducted by the Chinese Medical Association's Group of Geriatric Nutrition Support.Patients aged ≥65 years from 30 major hospitals of 14 cities in China were evaluated by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002(NRS2002)and the Mini-Nutritional Assessment-Short Form(MNA-SF), in order to understand the nutritional status and nutritional risk of elderly inpatients in China.The indicators of clinical outcomes were summarized, and the correlation between nutritional status and clinical outcomes was analyzed.Results:A total of 10 184 elderly patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study, aged 65-112(74.81±7.01)years, with a body mass index(BMI)of 17.80-35.50(23.32±3.83)kg/m 2.Grip strength of the dominant hand was(16.95±18.42)kg, upper arm circumference was(25.68±3.70)cm, and calf circumference was(32.07±3.89)cm.BMI, grip strength, upper arm circumference and calf circumference decreased significantly with age( F=13.74, 97.47, 28.31 and 88.68, all P<0.001). NRS2002 was conducted on 10 182 patients.Of them, 10.14%(895/10 182)suffered malnutrition(BMI≤18.5 kg/m 2), and 46.42%(4 726/10 182)were at nutritional risk(NRS2002 score≥3). Nutrition deficiency and nutritional risk showed upward trends with age( F=43.41 and 177.05, both P<0.001). A total of 9 755 patients(95.79%, 9 755/10 182)completed the MNA-SF.Of them, 14.67%(1 431/9 755)had malnutrition, 35.04%(3 418/9 755)were at risk of malnutrition, and 50.29%(4 906/9 755)had normal nutritional status.The incidence of malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition significantly increased with age( F=172.79, 12.10 and 152.42, all P<0.05). Nutritional risk(NRS2002 score≥3)was related to age, BMI, mortality, infectious complications, length of hospital stay and total hospital cost(all P<0.05). Conclusions:The incidence of malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition are high in elderly inpatients in China.Nutritional risk is an influencing factor for adverse clinical outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the relevant situation of the emergency departments (ED) of general hospitals at all levels in Zhejiang Province participating in the prevention and control of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to provide a reference for further improving the capacity of emergency services.Methods:A multi-center cross-sectional investigation study was jointly initiated by the Zhejiang Provincial Emergency Medicine Quality Control Center, the Emergency Medicine Branch of Zhejiang Medical Association, and the Emergency Physicians Branch of Zhejiang Medical Doctors Association. Before investigation, experts were organized to develop a special questionnaire. Then the ED of general people's hospitals or Chinese Medicine hospitals at the county/district-level or above were included and their participations in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic between March 9, 2020 and March 15, 2020 were investigated. The collected information included: basic information of the hospitals; participation of ED in fever clinics; the number of COVID-19 patients admitted to ED; the situation of ED support to the anti-epidemic front-line; and the epidemic prevention facilities of ED, and the early supply of medical protective equipments.Results:A total of 181 hospitals from 11 prefectures and cities across the province were finally included, including 52 (28.7%) Grade-A tertiary hospitals, 45 (24.9%) Grade-B tertiary hospitals, 64(35.4%) Grade-A secondary hospitals, and 20 (11.0%) Grade-B secondary or lower hospitals. Among them, 93 (51.4%) were COVID-19 designated hospitals, and 49 (27.1%) had the ability to detect COVID-19 nucleic acid; 177 (97.8%) set up independent fever clinics and 33 (18.6%) were managed by ED alone or mainly. The medical staffs of 65 (36.7%) fever clinics were all or mainly from ED. A total of 213 cases of COVID-19 were received/treated in 40.3% ED, accounting for 17.3% of the total number of cases in Zhejiang Province. A total of 3 848 doctors and nurses supported the front-line of epidemic prevention, of them, 253 supported Hubei Province (accounting for 12.5% ??of the total number). There were 68.5% and 76.8% ED having spare separate clinic and ordinary rescue single room to deal with the COVID-19. In addition, at the early days of anti-epidemic, more than 50% ED were in short supply or even had no medical protective equipment.Conclusions:The ED of Zhejiang Province plays an important role and has made a great contribution to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic. It is necessary to improve the conditions of ED to effectively respond to the prevention and control of daily infectious diseases.

Objective To develop the automated preparation of 18F-Alfatide II using newly-designed 18F-minireactor and perform 18F-Alfatide D microPET/CT imaging in tumor.Methods The automated preparation of 18F-Alfatide H was developed by using 18F-microreactor and water phase Al18F-chelating method,and the radiochemical yield and quality analysis were measured.The nude mice bearing breast tumor ZR-75-1 and nasopharyngeal tumor CNE1 were established(n = 3 respectively).MicroPET/CT imaging was performed at 0.5,1.0 and 2.0 h after the injection of 18F-Alfatide II.The region of interest(ROI)was depicted and the tumor/muscle(T/M)ratio was calculated.Results 18F-Alfatide II was automatically prepared with the total synthesis time of 40 min,the radiochemical yield of(28±6)%(no decay corrected,n=11),and the radiochemical purity >97%.All quality analysis indexes accorded with the radiopharmaceutical requirements.18F-Alfatide II microPET/CT images of ZR-75-1 and CNE1 tumors were clear due to the high radioactivity uptake of tumor lesions(T/M ratio was greater than 4.0 at 1.0 h after injection).Conclusion Based on the 18F-minireactor,the,8F-Alfatide II can be prepared successfully with short synthesis time and high radiochemical yield,which can help the application studies in 18F-Alfatide II microPET/CT imaging.

Objective To investigate the change of the nutritional status of elderly patients in Chinese major hospitals dynamically with nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) and subjective global assessment (SGA) during hospitalization.Methods A prospective,multi-center survey was conducted on over 65 years old patients who were admitted in departments of gastroenterology,respiratory medicine,general surgery,geriatrics,thoracic surgery,neurology,orthopedics and medical oncology of 9 large hospitals in China for 7-30 days between June 2014 and September 2014.On admission and within 24 hours after discharge,the clinical data were recorded,physical indices were measured,and laboratory examination were conducted.NRS 2002 and SGA were used to make an evaluation.The nutritional supports and clinical outcomes were also recorded and then the correlation between nutritional status and clinical outcomes were analyzed.Results A total of 2558 patients above 65 years old were included into the study.Compared with their status on admission,their grip strength,upper arm circumference and crural circumference were reduced significantly at discharge (P＜0.05).The total protein,albumin and hemoglobin levels were significantly lower than those on admission (P＜0.05).The incidence of nutritional risk (NRS 2002 score ≥ 3) and malnutrition (SGA B + C) on admission were lower than those at discharge (51.1％ vs 53.0％,32.6％ vs 35.6％).The hospitalization time and medical expenses were higher in patients with malnutrition on admission than in those with normal nutrition intakes.The nutritional status at discharge was negatively correlated with hospitalization time and medical expenses.61.3％ patients having nutritional risk did not take nutritional support during the hospital stay,while utilization rate of parenteral nutrition was higher than that of enteral nutrition in patients receiving nutritional support (19.6％ vs 11.9％).Conclusion Elderly patients have higher possibilities of facing nutritional risk or malnutrition on admission,these are associated with poor clinical outcomes and their nutritional status will not improve significantly at discharge.Therefore,the screening and evaluation of nutritional status in elderly patients during hospitalization should be conducted and their nutritional intervention should be standardized so as to improve the clinical outcomes.