Pharmacotherapeutic strategies for critical asthma syndrome: a look at the state of the art

ABSTRACT

Introduction

‘Critical Asthma Syndrome’ (CAS) is an umbrella term proposed to include several forms of asthma, responsible for acute and life-threatening exacerbations. CAS requires urgent and adequate supportive and pharmacological treatments to prevent serious outcomes.     

中药结肠透析对慢性重型肝炎患者肝功能及预后的影响

目的探讨中药结肠透析对慢性重型肝炎患者肝功能及预后的影响。方法选择2015年4月-2018年6月收治的慢性重型肝炎患者共80例,随机分为观察组(40例)和对照组(40例)。对照组给予综合治疗,观察组给予中药结肠透析治疗,对比2组肝功能及并发症发生情况,并记录2组生存率。结果观察组患者谷丙转氨酶(ATL)、总胆红素(TBil)水平均低于对照组患者,而胆碱酯酶(CHE)、血浆白蛋白(ALB)水平均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组患者并发症发生率低于对照组患者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组患者生存率高于对照组患者,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论中药结肠透析治疗慢性重型肝炎患者疗效显著,可有效改善患者肝功能,并明显降低其并发症发生率,提高患者生存率,值得在临床应用。     

重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者的肺康复策略

结合国内外中西医肺康复的研究成果,探讨重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者的肺康复策略。机械通气是治疗重型/危重型肺炎必不可少的支持手段,但可能引起呼吸肌无力,导致痰液排泄障碍,进而影响预后。对于重型/危重型新型冠状病毒肺炎机械通气患者而言,及早采取必要的中西医肺康复干预措施意义重大,不仅有助于缓解呼吸困难症状,而且可缩短住院时间、改善预后。     

Pediatric problematic severe asthma: Recent advances in management

Problematic severe asthma remains a significant challenge to manage, accounting for the majority of healthcare utilization among children with asthma. The heterogeneity is recognized and the clinical phenotypes of “difficult-to-treat” asthma (DA) and “severe therapy-resistant asthma” (STRA) help to guide management. Recent evidence supports molecular distinctions between these phenotypes and shows poor correlations between peripheral and airway markers of inflammation, especially in STRA. Airway neutrophils in the context of childhood severe asthma have been explored, but their role in disease causation, protection, or as bystanders remain unknown, and thus, treatment implications are unclear. Several novel management strategies, including once-daily maintenance therapy, single-device maintenance and reliever therapy, and novel biological treatments are being increasingly used for DA and STRA. However, pediatric data for efficacy of novel treatments is scarce, and when available, is restricted to adolescents. The aim of this review is to highlight recent advances in objective biomarkers that aid stratification and management of childhood severe asthma and to highlight gaps in pediatric evidence. Specifically, the urgent need for efficacy studies to improve the management of problematic severe asthma in children younger than 12 years.     

SARS-CoV-2 Testing Before International Airline Travel,December 2020 to May 2021

Although there have been several case reports and simulation models of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission associated with air travel, there are limited data to guide testing strategy to minimize the risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and transmission onboard commercial aircraft. Among 9853 passengers with a negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction test performed within 72 hours of departure from December 2020 through May 2021, five (0.05%) passengers with active SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified with rapid antigen tests and confirmed with rapid molecular test performed before and after an international flight from the United States to Italy. This translates to a case detection rate of 1 per 1970 travelers during a time of high prevalence of active infection in the United States. A negative molecular test for SARS-CoV-2 within 72 hours of international airline departure results in a low probability of active infection identified on antigen testing during commercial airline flight.     

经皮内镜下清创感染性胰腺坏死组织失败危险因素分析

目的 探讨影响感染性胰腺坏死（IPN）病人经皮内镜下清创（PEN）治疗失败的风险因素。 方法 回顾性分析2017年1月至2017年12月中国人民解放军东部战区总医院重症急性胰腺炎中心诊治的56例IPN病人临床资料，根据是否接受开放手术以及死亡的结局，分为PEN成功组（42例）与PEN失败组（14例）。观察比较两组病人入院临床特征、清创操作步骤及预后，并对影响PEN失败的相关因素进行单因素分析和多因素分析。结果 PEN总体成功率为75.0%。与PEN成功组相比，PEN失败组入院时急性生理及慢性健康状况Ⅱ（APACHE Ⅱ）评分、序贯器官功能衰竭（SOFA）评分，持续器官功能衰竭比例、使用机械通气和血管活性药物使用率的病人比例均更高（P均<0.05）；但PEN失败组的IPN诊断距发病病程、首次PEN距发病病程均更短（P<0.05），增强CT影像学特征中边界清晰和气泡征的病人比例更低（P<0.05）。单因素分析结果显示APACHE Ⅱ评分、SOFA评分、机械通气、血管活性药物、IPN诊断距发病病程、首次PEN距发病病程、首次PEN距发病病程，边界清晰和气泡征的增强CT影像学征象与PEN失败相关（P<0.05）。多因素分析结果显示SOFA评分高是PEN失败的独立影响因素（P<0.05）。 结论 APACHE Ⅱ评分、SOFA评分、机械通气、血管活性药物、IPN诊断距发病病程、首次PEN距发病病程、增强CT影像学表现为即边界清晰和气泡征是PEN失败的危险因素，高SOFA评分是PEN失败独立危险因素。     

Viral Endothelial Dysfunction: A Unifying Mechanism for COVID-19

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible virus with significant global impact, morbidity, and mortality. The SARS-CoV-2 virus may result in widespread organ manifestations including acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure, thromboembolism, and myocarditis. Virus-induced endothelial injury may cause endothelial activation, increased permeability, inflammation, and immune response and cytokine storm. Endothelial dysfunction is a systemic disorder that is a precursor of atherosclerotic vascular disease that is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and is highly prevalent in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular and peripheral disease. Several studies have associated various viral infections including SARS-CoV-2 infection with inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and subsequent innate immune response and cytokine storm. Noninvasive monitoring of endothelial function and identification of high-risk patients who may require specific therapies may have the potential to improve morbidity and mortality associated with subsequent inflammation, cytokine storm, and multiorgan involvement.     

A preliminary report of a randomized controlled phase 2 trial of the safety and immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

BackgroundVaccines are urgently needed to prevent the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We assessed the safety and immunogenicity of vaccine candidate mRNA-1273, encoding the prefusion-stabilized spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.MethodsThis phase 2, randomized, observer-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at 8 sites in the USA, in healthy adults aged ≥18 years with no known history or risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and had not previously received an investigational CoV vaccine or treatment. Participants were stratified into two age cohorts (≥18-<55 and ≥55) and were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to either 50 or 100 µg of mRNA-1273, or placebo administered as two intramuscular injections 28 days apart. The primary outcomes were safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity assessed by anti-SARS-CoV-2-spike binding antibody level (bAb). Secondary outcome was immunogenicity assessed by SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (nAb) response.ResultsBetween 29 May and 8 July 2020, 600 participants were randomized, 300 per age cohort. The most common solicited adverse reactions were pain at injection site, headache, and fatigue following each vaccination in both age cohorts. One serious adverse event deemed unrelated by the site investigator occurred 33 days post-vaccination one. mRNA-1273 induced bAb and nAb by 28 days post-vaccination one that were higher at the 100 µg dose relative to the 50 µg dose; this difference was less apparent post-vaccination two. Binding antibodies and nAb increased substantially by 14 days following the second vaccination (day 43) to levels exceeding those of convalescent sera and remained elevated through day 57.ConclusionsVaccination with mRNA-1273 resulted in significant immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in participants 18 years and older, with an acceptable safety profile, confirming the safety and immunogenicity of 50 and 100 µg mRNA-1273 given as a 2 dose-regimen.ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04405076.     

重症肺炎与肺梗死

肺梗死是儿童重症肺炎的少见并发症，多累及下叶近胸膜处，常常继发于肺血栓栓塞，诊断依靠于胸部增强CT检查。关于儿童重症肺炎并发肺梗死的研究较少，相关病因学、流行病学、临床特点等数据缺乏。基于成人的研究提示肺梗死与肺血栓栓塞的临床表现、治疗及预后类似。儿科医师应提高对本病的认识，通过真实世界研究方法发掘客观规律，积累儿科诊治经验。