微酸性次氯酸水用于口腔综合治疗台水路消毒的研究

目的　检测不同浓度微酸性次氯酸水（slightly acidic hypochlorite water，SAHW）应用于口腔综合治疗台水路（dental unit waterlines，DUWLs）的消毒效果。方法    选取32台口腔综合治疗台（dental chair unit，DCU），随机均分为4组（1个对照组和3个实验组，每组8台DCU）。首先，采集高速手机和三用枪基础水样行细菌培养、菌落计数；然后，实验组分别用有效氯含量8 ~ 12 mg/L（实验1组）、18 ~ 22 mg/L（实验2组）、28 ~ 32 mg/L（实验3组）的SAHW供水DUWLs，连续7 d采集高速手机和三用枪水样行细菌培养、菌落计数。第8 d始改用无菌蒸馏水（distilled water，DW）供水DUWLs后采集水样菌落培养计数；对照组用DW替代消毒水，同样程序流动冲洗DUWLs后收集高速手机和三用枪水样菌培养后菌落计数。数据采用SPSS 20.0软件进行统计分析。结果    与基础水样比较，SAHW消毒1 d，3个实验组的高速手机和三用枪水样菌落计数均显著下降（P < 0.05）；SAHW消毒2 d，实验3组高速手机和三用枪水样菌落计数均小于消毒合格水样上限值（100 CFU/mL）；SAHW消毒3 d开始，实验3组菌落计数为0 CFU/mL，实验1组和2组菌落计数均显著小于100 CFU/mL。更换为DW供水后1 ~ 2 d，3个实验组的高速手机和三用枪水样菌落计数维持小于100 CFU/mL，组间差异无统计学意义（P > 0.05）；3 ~ 7 d，3个实验组的高速手机和三用枪水样菌落计数持续增加（149 ~ 1014 CFU/mL），实验1、2、3组的组内不同时间点检测数据比较差异均有统计学意义（均P < 0.05），且均明显大于合格水样上限值（P < 0.05）。结论    高有效氯含量较低有效氯含量的SAHW消毒效果更稳定；低有效氯含量8 ~ 12 mg/L的SAHW持续作用于DUWLs内环境亦可有效控制菌落计数，消毒效果明显。     

Comparison of two frailty identification tools for critically ill patients: A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study

PurposeWe aimed to describe the association of two frailty screening tools, the validated Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score and the recently described modified Frailty Index (mFI) in critically ill patients.Materials and methodsWe performed a post-hoc analysis of a multicenter cohort of patients admitted to six Canadian Intensive Care Units (ICU) between 2010 and 2011. Frailty was screened using the CFS and the mFI. Concordance between these tools was evaluated, as well as discrimination and predictive ability for clinical outcomes after adjustments.ResultsThe cohort included 421 patients. Prevalence of frailty was 32.8% with the CFS and 39.2% with the mFI. However, concordance between the two tools was low [(intraclass correlation of 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29–0.45) and partial Spearman rank correlation of 0.38 (95% CI 0.29–0.47)]. Hospital and 1-year mortality, as well as dependency after discharge and hospital readmission, were greater for frail compared to non-frail patients screened with the use of both tools.ConclusionWhile the CFS and mFI showed low concordance, both showed good discrimination and predictive validity for hospital mortality. Both tools identify a subgroup of frail patients more likely to have worse clinical outcomes.     

Nano-curcumin therapy,a promising method in modulating inflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients

BackgroundAs an ongoing worldwide health issue, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) has been causing serious complications, including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multi-organ failure. However, there is no decisive treatment approach available for this disorder, which is primarily attributed to the large amount of inflammatory cytokine production. We aimed to identify the effects of Nano-curcumin on the modulation of inflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients.MethodForty COVID-19 patients and 40 healthy controls were recruited and evaluated for inflammatory cytokine expression and secretion. Subsequently, COVID-19 patients were divided into two groups: 20 patients receiving Nano-curcumin and 20 patients as the placebo group. The mRNA expression and cytokine secretion levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and IL‐18 were assessed by Real‐time PCR and ELISA, respectively.ResultOur primary results indicated that the mRNA expression and cytokine secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-18 were increased significantly in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy control group. After treatment with Nano-curcumin, a significant decrease in IL-6 expression and secretion in serum and in supernatant (P = 0.0003, 0.0038, and 0.0001, respectively) and IL-1β gene expression and secretion level in serum and supernatant (P = 0.0017, 0.0082, and 0.0041, respectively) was observed. However, IL-18 mRNA expression and TNF-α concentration were not influenced by Nano-curcumin.ConclusionNano-curcumin, as an anti-inflammatory herbal based agent, may be able to modulate the increased rate of inflammatory cytokines especially IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expression and cytokine secretion in COVID-19 patients, which may cause an improvement in clinical manifestation and overall recovery.     

Family nurture intervention alters relationships between preterm infant EEG delta brush characteristics and term age EEG power

ObjectiveFamily Nurture Intervention (FNI) facilitates mother/infant emotional connection, improves neurodevelopmental outcomes and increases electroencephalogram (EEG) power at term age. Here we explored whether delta brushes (DB), early EEG bursts that shape brain development, are altered by FNI and mediate later effects of FNI on EEG.MethodsWe assessed DB characteristics in EEG data from a randomized controlled trial comparing infants with standard care (SC, n = 31) versus SC + FNI (n = 33) at ~35 and ~40 weeks GA.ResultsCompared to SC infants, FNI infant DB amplitude increased more from ~35 to ~40 weeks, and FNI infants had longer duration DBs. DB parameters (rate, amplitude, brush frequency) at ~35 weeks were correlated with power at ~40 weeks, but only in SC infants. FNI effects on DB parameters do not mediate FNI effects on EEG power or coherence at term.ConclusionsDBs are related to subsequent brain activity and FNI alters DB parameters. However, FNI’s effects on electrocortical activity at term age are not dependent on its earlier effects on DBs.SignificanceWhile early DBs can have important effects on later brain activity in preterm infants, facilitating emotional connection with FNI may allow brain maturation to be less dependent on early bursts.     

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profiling of imipenem in patients admitted to an intensive care unit in India: A nonrandomized,cross-sectional,analytical, open-labeled study

Results:The difference in the plasma imipenem concentration between the gastrointestinal and the nongastrointestinal groups was significant at 2 h (P = 0.015) following drug dosing; while the difference was significant between the skin/cellulitis and nonskin/cellulitus groups at 2 h (P = 0.008), after drug dosing. The imipenem levels were above the MIC and 5 times the MIC for the isolated organism in 96.67% and 50% of the patients, respectively.Conclusions:The pharmacokinetic profile of imipenem does not vary according to the locus of an infection in critically ill patients. Imipenem, 3 g/day intermittent dosing, maintains a plasma concentration which is adequate to treat most infections encountered in patients admitted to an ICU. However, a change in the dosing regimen is suggested for patients infected with organisms having MIC values above 4 mg/L.