Personal comorbidities and their subsequent risks for liver,gallbladder and bile duct cancers

Many environmental risk factors for hepatobiliary cancers are known but whether they are associated with specific cancer types is unclear. We present here a novel approach of assessing standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of previously diagnosed comorbidities for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gallbladder cancer (GBC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and ampullary cancer. The 13 comorbidities included alcohol and nonalcohol related liver disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gallstone disease, viral and other kinds of hepatitis, infection of bile ducts, hepatic and other autoimmune diseases, obesity and diabetes. Patients were identified from the Swedish Inpatient Register from 1987 to 2018, and their cancers were followed from 1997 onwards. SIRs for HCC were 80 to 100 in men and women diagnosed with hepatitis C virus and they were also >10 in patients diagnosed with hepatitis B virus, other kind of hepatitis, hepatic autoimmune disease and nonalcohol related liver disease. Many of these risks, as well as alcohol related liver disease, were either specific to HCC or were shared with intrahepatic CCA. For GBC, CCA and ampullary cancer infection of bile ducts was the main risk factor. Gallstone disease, nonhepatic autoimmune diseases and diabetes were associated with all hepatobiliary cancers. The limitations of the study include inability to cover some rare risk factors and limited follow-up time. Many of the considered comorbidities are characterized by chronic inflammation and/or overt immune disturbance in autoimmune diseases. The results suggest that local chronic inflammation and a related immune disturbance is the carcinogenic trigger for all these cancers.     

早产儿消化道穿孔的病因及影响预后的危险因素分析

目的:探讨早产儿消化道穿孔的病因，分析影响早产儿消化道穿孔短期预后不良的危险因素。方法:回顾性分析山西省 儿童医院新生儿外科2015年1月—2021 年5月诊治的89 例早产儿消化道穿孔的临床资料。根据术后3 个月时结局分为生存 组和预后不良组。比较两组术前、术中及术后与早产儿消化道穿孔预后不良相关的因素，采用Logistic 回归分析筛选早产儿消 化道穿孔预后不良的危险因素。结果:早产儿消化道穿孔的病死率为25.84%，坏死性小肠结肠炎（NEC）和胃壁肌层缺损是早产 儿消化道穿孔常见的病因。单因素分析显示生存组患儿从发现气腹至手术时间在8 h 之内的比例显著高于预后不良组 （χ2=15.22，P＜0.01）。预后不良组合并脓毒性休克的比例显著高于生存组（χ2=33.19，P＜0.01）。预后不良组术后合并需非计划二次 手术的并发症比例显著高于生存组（χ2=7.24，P＜0.01）。Logistic 回归分析显示脓毒性休克（OR=0.06，95%CI:0.02~0.21，P＜0.01）和 气腹至手术时间大于8 h（OR=0.23，95%CI:0.07~0.81，P＜0.05）是早产儿消化道穿孔短期预后不良的危险因素。结论:NEC 和胃 壁肌层缺损是早产儿消化道穿孔的主要病因，脓毒性休克和从气腹发生至手术时间大于8 h 是早产儿消化道穿孔短期预后 不良的危险因素。     

项目管理在降低呼吸重症监护室环境物品表面多重耐药菌检出率中的应用

目的:探讨项目管理在降低呼吸重症监护室(RICU)环境物品表面多重耐药菌检出率中的应用效果。方法:采用目的抽样方法,选取医院呼吸与危重症医学科RICU 17张编制床位、32处高频接触环境物品表面及42名工作人员为观察对象。2019年1月—2019年3月实施RICU常规管理,2019年4月—2019年6月实施项目管理。比较项目管理前后RICU各类别工作人员手卫生依从率、RICU环境物品表面清洁合格率及多重耐药菌检出率。结果:在项目管理后RICU各类别工作人员手卫生依从率均高于项目管理前(P<0.05);项目管理后RICU环境物品表面清洁合格率较项目管理前升高(P<0.05);项目管理后多重耐药菌(MDRO)病人床单位及病区办公区域环境物体表面的耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)和耐碳青霉烯鲍曼不动杆菌(CRAB)检出率均较项目管理前降低(P<0.05)。结论:项目管理可有效提高RICU各类别工作人员手卫生依从性及环境物品表面清洁合格率,降低RICU环境物品表面多重耐药菌检出率。     

Clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with COVID-19 between Omicron era vs. pre-Omicron era

IntroductionDetailed data on clinical characteristics in children with the omicron strain of SARS-COV-2 are limited.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective observational study of children with COVID-19 at the National Center for Child Health and Development to evaluate the clinical manifestations during and before the emergence of the omicron variant. Only symptomatic patients without underlying diseases were included. Participants were divided into two temporal groups: the “omicron era” (1/2022–2/2022) and the “pre-omicron era,” where the delta variant predominated (7/2021–11/2021). The patients were subclassified into an older vaccine-eligible group (aged 12–17 years), a younger vaccine-eligible group (aged 5–11 years), and a vaccine-ineligible group (aged 0–4 years).ResultsWe compared 113 patients in the omicron era with 106 in the pre-omicron era. Most patients in both eras had non-severe disease, and no patients required mechanical ventilation or died. Among patients aged 0–4 years, sore throat and hoarseness were more common during the omicron era than the pre-omicron era (11.1% vs. 0.0% and 11.1% vs. 1.5%, respectively). Croup syndrome was diagnosed in all patients with hoarseness. Among patients aged 5–11 years, vomiting was more frequent during the omicron era (47.2%) than during the pre-omicron era (21.7%). Cough and rhinorrhea were less common during the omicron era in patients aged 0–4 and 5–11 years, respectively, than during the pre-omicron era.ConclusionsIn children with COVID-19, clinical manifestations differed between the omicron and pre-omicron eras. In the Omicron era, croup syndrome was more frequent in vaccine-ineligible children.     

Practice developments supporting change implementation in Wellington,New Zealand (NZ) for ‘continuity of care when transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home’

The discussion paper will focus on continuity of care relating to previous NZ research, specifically to transitioning complex preterm infants from NICU to home based on parent experiences, and on the practice developments that have occurred, to ensure optimal health outcomes. Previous NZ research discovered parent desire a consistent service delivery for the entire transition journey from NICU and at home.An informative and comprehensive opportunity has occurred for reflective professional practice, evaluation, development and implementation which have transpired in positive change through innovative practice developments and support change implementation in Wellington, NZ. This has resulted in the articulation of a model of care that has both embraced and integrated parental desires for a continuity of care process for complex preterm infants. This has been achieved by having the same Discharge Facilitator/Key Case Manager present within the NICU and external to the NICU for Home-based infants for the entire transition journey.The paper will focus and emphasis additional practice development changes and furthermore, will present a real purpose, for other countries to learn of such practice developments that have exemplified a celebratory success for families of Wellington, NZ.     

Associations of residential greenspace exposure and fetal growth across four areas in Spain

An accumulating body of evidence has associated exposure to greenspace with improved birth outcomes, including higher birth weight and lower risk of low birth weight; however, evidence on such association with in-utero fetal growth is scarce. We explored the influence of maternal exposure to residential greenspace and fetal growth in four INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) Spanish birth cohorts (2003–2008), with 2,465 participants. Residential greenspace was characterised by the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) average across 100 m, 300 m, and 500 m buffers around the residence. Repeated ultrasound measurements of the abdominal circumference (AC), biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), and estimated fetal weight (EFW) were used. We created customised-generalised least squares models to evaluate associations of residential greenspace exposure on each fetal growth parameter, controlled for the relevant confounders. There were associations between the 500 m buffer and BPD, FL, and AC. We also found associations in the 300 m buffer and FL and AC. The associations in the 100 m buffer were null. Estimates were higher among participants with lower socioeconomic status. Mediation analyses found that air pollution might explain 15–37% of our associations. Mediation by physical activity was not observed. Greenspace exposure may be beneficial for fetal growth.     

Barrett’s esophagus: Review of natural history and comparative efficacy of endoscopic and surgical therapies

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Progression to cancer typically occurs in a stepwise fashion through worsening dysplasia and ultimately, invasive neoplasia. Established EAC with deep involvement of the esophageal wall and/or metastatic disease is invariably associated with poor long-term survival rates. This guides the rationale of surveillance of Barrett’s in an attempt to treat lesions at an earlier, and potentially curative stage. The last two decades have seen a paradigm shift in management of Barrett’s with rapid expansion in the role of endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) for management of dysplastic and early neoplastic BE, and there have been substantial changes to international consensus guidelines for management of early BE based on evolving evidence. This review aims to assist the physician in the therapeutic decision-making process with patients by comprehensive review and summary of literature surrounding natural history of Barrett’s by histological stage, and the effectiveness of interventions in attenuating the risk posed by its natural history. Key findings were as follows. Non-dysplastic Barrett’s is associated with extremely low risk of progression, and interventions cannot be justified. The annual risk of cancer progression in low grade dysplasia is between 1%-3%; EET can be offered though evidence for its benefit remains confined to highly select settings. High-grade dysplasia progresses to cancer in 5%-10% per year; EET is similarly effective to and less morbid than surgery and should be routinely performed for this indication. Risk of nodal metastases in intramucosal cancer is 2%-4%, which is comparable to operative mortality rate, so EET is usually preferred. Submucosal cancer is associated with nodal metastases in 14%-41% hence surgery remains standard of care, except for select situations.