肝硬化合并自发性腹膜炎的治疗分析

目的分析并总结肝硬化合并自发性腹膜炎的治疗方法。方法收集123例肝硬化合并自发性腹膜炎患者,随机分成观察组（n=63）与对照组（n=60）。观察组先予以广谱抗生素治疗,等细菌检测结果出来后立即换用敏感抗生素;对照组予以左氧氟沙星静脉滴注治疗。治疗结束后评价各组的临床疗效。结果观察组有效率93.65%,对照组有效率66.67%,两组相比,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论肝硬化合并自发性腹膜炎的治疗应合理选择抗生素,先予以广谱抗生素治疗,等细菌检测结果出来后立即换用敏感抗生素,该原则行之有效,值得临床推广与应用。     

Clinical features and outcome of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in HIV-infected cirrhotic patients: a case-control study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcome of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, a serious complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascites, in an HIV-infected cirrhotic population. Thirty-five HIV-infected cirrhotic patients who developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis during a 12-year period were compared with 70 non-HIV-infected cirrhotic subjects. Patients were matched according to the date of the first episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. A bacteriological diagnosis was made in 37 of 47 (79%) and in 50 of 97 (52%) episodes in the HIV group and in the non-HIV group, respectively (p=0.003), and Streptococcus pneumoniae was isolated more frequently in the HIV group (22 vs. 8%, p=0.02). Median survival after the initial diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was 2.9 and 14.0 months in the HIV group and non-HIV group, respectively. Age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.04; 95%CI 1.01–1.07), male sex (HR 2.55; 95%CI 1.34–4.83), Child–Pugh score at first spontaneous bacterial peritonitis episode (HR 1.29; 95%CI 1.10–1.54), renal impairment at first spontaneous bacterial peritonitis episode (HR 2.61; 95%CI 1.49–4.62), and HIV infection (HR 9.81; 95%CI 4.03–23.84) were independently associated with higher long-term mortality after the first diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. In conclusion, HIV-infected cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis have a higher rate of bacteriological diagnosis and a more frequent pneumococcal etiology than non-HIV-infected subjects. Life expectancy in these patients, once spontaneous bacterial peritonitis has developed, is poor. These data are particularly relevant for determining the optimal time for liver transplantation in this population.     

慢性重型肝炎患者并发腹膜炎后肾脏损害

目的　探讨慢性重型肝炎(CSVH)并发自发性腹膜炎(SBP)后肾脏损害和肾脏损害加重(SBPRI)的临床特点、转归及影响因素。方法　对129例慢性重型肝炎并发自发性腹膜炎住院患者资料进行回顾性分析。结果　慢性重型肝病人常伴有SBPRI,患者年龄越大、病程越长、合并其他感染或糖尿病、SBP前已发生肾损害时病情越重,越易于发生SBPRI,且直接影响到病人的预后。SBP前血尿素氮(BUN)值越高、血Na 值越低、对抗生素治疗反应不良者,预后越不佳。结论　SBPRI的肾损害是功能性的,可以迅速恶化,也可以随着SBP的好转而稳定或好转。     

乙肝肝硬化失代偿期腹水患者血钠水平与其并发症及临床预后的关系

目的:探求乙肝肝硬化失代偿期腹水患者血钠水平与其并发症及临床预后的关系.方法:回顾性分析2015年5月至2016年10月年收治的乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿期伴腹水患者98例病例资料,据血钠水平分为低钠血症组与正常组,通过分层分析,对比不同组别患者入院时肝肾功能、血清白蛋白含量、Child-pugh评分、肝纤维化程度及并发症情况,治疗2周后,对比两组患者腹水疗效及出院后预后.结果:98例患者中血钠水平＜130 mmol/L者41例(41.8％).低钠血症组入院时转氨酶、血肌酐、总胆红素、凝血酶原时间、Child-pugh评分均明显高于正常组,血清白蛋白含量则低于血钠水平正常组,差异均具有统计学意义(P＜0.05).低钠血症组与正常组入院时伴肝性脑病、肝肾综合征、消化道出血、自发性腹膜炎比例差异均具有统计学意义(分别为24.4％ vs.7.0％,19.5％vs.5.3％,26.8％ vs.10.5％及24.4％vs.8.8％;P＜0.05).入院14d,两组腹水治疗效果中显效比例分别为73.2％,89.5％(x2=4.421,P=0.036);出院后12个月随访期间内,两组病死率分别为36.6％,15.8％(x2=5.577,P=0.018).结论:血钠水平与肝硬化失代偿期病情密切相关,低钠血症患者病情较重,疗效与预后较差.     

A controlled trial of fluconazole or amphotericin B to prevent relapse of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The NIAID AIDS Clinical Trials Group and Mycoses Study Group.

BACKGROUND. After primary treatment for cryptococcal meningitis, patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) require some form of continued suppressive therapy to prevent relapse. METHODS. We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial that compared fluconazole (200 mg per day given orally) with amphotericin B (1 mg per kilogram of body weight per week given intravenously) in patients with AIDS who had completed primary therapy for cryptococcal meningitis with amphotericin B (greater than or equal to 15 mg per kilogram). To be eligible, patients had to have at least two negative cultures of cerebrospinal fluid immediately before randomization. The primary end point was relapse of cryptococcal disease as confirmed by biopsy or culture. RESULTS. Of 218 patients initially enrolled, 119 were assigned to fluconazole and 99 to amphotericin B. Twenty-three patients were found not to have met the entry criteria; six other patients assigned to amphotericin B did not receive it and were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 189 patients, after a median follow-up of 286 days 14 of 78 receiving amphotericin B (18 percent) and 2 of 111 assigned to fluconazole (2 percent) had relapses of symptomatic cryptococcal disease (P less than 0.001 by Fisher's exact test). There was a difference of 19 percent in the estimated probability of remaining relapse-free at one year between the fluconazole group (97 percent) and the amphotericin B group (78 percent) (95 percent confidence interval, 7 percent to 31 percent; P less than 0.001). Serious drug-related toxicity was more frequent in the amphotericin B group (P = 0.02), as were bacterial infections (P = 0.004) and bacteremia (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS. Fluconazole taken by mouth is superior to weekly intravenous therapy with amphotericin B to prevent relapse in patients with AIDS-associated cryptococcal meningitis after primary treatment with amphotericin B.     

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and "tense" ascites

In the study 52 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis and "tense" ascites were included. According to the clinical picture, ascites cultures and the number of polymorphonuclears in cmm of the ascitic fluid, all patients were selected in one of the following groups: 1. group of patients with sterile ascites (28), 2. group of patients with spontaneous peritonitis (16), and 3. group of patients with bacterascites (8). The results have shown that the incidence of spontaneous peritonitis is much higher in the group of "tense" ascites patients than in the group of all patients with ascites, the ratio being 30.7% compared to 6% in all cirrhotic patients with ascites. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis correlates with increased polymorphonuclears in the ascitic fluid (p less than 0.05), decreased pH values (p less than 0.0), and increased amounts of total proteins in the ascitic fluid (p less than 0.05). The lethality rate in the group of spontaneous peritonitis and sterile ascites was 43.7% and 7.1% respectively. Early diagnosis and, of course, adequate therapy are the main points in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.     

Treatment of gram-negative bacteremia and septic shock with HA-1A human monoclonal antibody against endotoxin. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The HA-1A Sepsis Study Group

BACKGROUND. HA-1A is a human monoclonal IgM antibody that binds specifically to the lipid A domain of endotoxin and prevents death in laboratory animals with gram-negative bacteremia and endotoxemia. METHODS. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of HA-1A, we conducted a randomized, double-blind trial in patients with sepsis and a presumed diagnosis of gram-negative infection. The patients received either a single 100-mg intravenous dose of HA-1A (in 3.5 g of albumin) or placebo (3.5 g of albumin). Other interventions, including the administration of antibiotics and fluids, were not affected by the study protocol. RESULTS. Of 543 patients with sepsis who were treated, 200 (37 percent) had gram-negative bacteremia as proved by blood culture. For the patients with gram-negative bacteremia followed to death or day 28, there were 45 deaths among the 92 recipients of placebo (49 percent) and 32 deaths among the 105 recipients of HA-1A (30 percent; P = 0.014). For the patients with gram-negative bacteremia and shock at entry, there were 27 deaths among the 47 recipients of placebo (57 percent) and 18 deaths among the 54 recipients of HA-1A (33 percent; P = 0.017). Analyses that stratified according to the severity of illness at entry showed improved survival with HA-1A treatment in both severely ill and less severely ill patients. Of the 196 patients with gram-negative bacteremia who were followed to hospital discharge or death, 45 of the 93 given placebo (48 percent) were discharged alive, as compared with 65 of the 103 treated with HA-1A (63 percent; P = 0.038). No benefit of treatment with HA-1A was demonstrated in the 343 patients with sepsis who did not prove to have gram-negative bacteremia. For all 543 patients with sepsis who were treated, the mortality rate was 43 percent among the recipients of placebo and 39 percent among those given HA-1A (P = 0.24). All patients tolerated HA-1A well, and no anti-HA-1A antibodies were detected. CONCLUSIONS. HA-1A is safe and effective for the treatment of patients with sepsis and gram-negative bacteremia.     

Immunomodulatory and antimicrobial efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in bone marrow transplantation

BACKGROUND. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and infection are major complications of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Since intravenous immunoglobulin has shown benefit in several immunodeficiency and autoimmune disorders, we studied its antimicrobial and immunomodulatory role after marrow transplantation. METHODS. In a randomized trial of 382 patients, transplant recipients given immunoglobulin (500 mg per kilogram of body weight weekly to day 90, then monthly to day 360 after transplantation) were compared with controls not given immunoglobulin. By chance, the immunoglobulin group included more patients with advanced-stage neoplasms; otherwise, the study groups were balanced for prognostic factors. RESULTS. Control patients seronegative for cytomegalovirus who received seronegative blood products remained seronegative, but seronegative patients who received immunoglobulin and screened blood had a passive transfer of cytomegalovirus antibody (median titer, 1:64). Among the 61 seronegative patients who could be evaluated, none contracted interstitial pneumonia; among the 308 seropositive patients evaluated, 22 percent of control patients and 13 percent of immunoglobulin recipients had this complication (P = 0.021). Control patients had an increased risk of gram-negative septicemia (relative risk = 2.65, P = 0.0039) and local infection (relative risk = 1.36, P = 0.029) and received 51 more units of platelets than did immunoglobulin recipients. Neither survival nor the risk of relapse was altered by immunoglobulin. However, among patients greater than or equal to 20 years old, there was a reduction in the incidence of acute GVHD (51 percent in controls vs. 34 percent in immunoglobulin recipients; P = 0.0051) and a decrease in deaths due to transplant-related causes after transplantation of HLA-identical marrow (46 percent vs. 30 percent; P = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS. Passive immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulin decreases the risk of acute GVHD, associated interstitial pneumonia, and infections after bone marrow transplantation.     

Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, eicosanoids and cytokines in ascites of patients with liver cirrhosis,peritoneal cancer and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

The levels of the eicosanoids leukotriene B₄, prostaglandin E₂, prostacycline and thromboxane B₂, the cytokines interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 were measured in ascites and plasma samples of patients with liver cirrhosis (53), peritoneal cancer (26) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (10) to assess their value as a possible diagnostic and prognostic parameter in the course of the disease. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, of the eicosanoids prostaglandin E₂ and leukotriene B₄, and the protein concentration in ascites were all significantly elevated in ascites of patients with peritoneal cancer in comparison to ascites of patients with liver cirrhosis. In ascites of patients with spontaneous bacterial infection interleukin-6 concentration was significantly elevated and the protein concentration was significantly lower in comparison to the other two groups. None of these parameters, however, seems to be of practical use as a diagnostic parameter, as there is an overlap between all the levels of these mediators in ascites of liver cirrhosis, peritoneal cancer and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis group. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 levels were much higher in plasma than in ascites, in contrast to interleukin-6 levels which were much higher in ascites than in plasma. Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in ascites correlated with soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in plasma (r = 0.6926, P = 0.0001). Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1, interleukin-6 and the number of polymorphonuclear cells in peritoneal fluid correlated during episodes of infection in patients with a peritonitis. For this reason soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and interleukin-6 could be of prognostic value for patients with peritonitis.     

Early administration of vapreotide for variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND: In patients with cirrhosis, pharmacologic or endoscopic treatment may control variceal bleeding. However, the effects of early administration of a somatostatin analogue followed by endoscopic treatment are unknown. METHODS: We studied the effects of treatment with vapreotide, a somatostatin analogue, begun before endoscopic treatment in 227 patients with cirrhosis who were hospitalized for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The patients were randomly assigned to receive vapreotide (a 50-microg intravenous bolus followed by an infusion at a rate of 50 microg per hour for five days) or placebo within a mean (+/-SD) of 2.3+/-1.5 hours after admission. All the patients received endoscopic treatment a mean of 2.6+/-3.3 hours after the infusion was begun. After the exclusion of 31 patients whose bleeding was not caused by portal hypertension, there were 98 patients in each group. RESULTS: At the time of endoscopy, active bleeding was evident in 28 of 91 patients in the vapreotide group (31 percent), as compared with 43 of 93 patients in the placebo group (46 percent) (P=0.03). During the five-day infusion, the primary objective--survival and control of bleeding--was achieved in 65 of 98 patients in the vapreotide group (66 percent) as compared with 49 of 98 patients in the placebo group (50 percent) (P=0.02). The patients in the vapreotide group received significantly fewer blood transfusions (2.0+/-2.2 vs. 2.8+/-2.8 units, P=0.04). Overall mortality rates at 42 days were not significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cirrhosis and variceal bleeding, the combination of vapreotide and endoscopic treatment is more effective than endoscopic treatment alone as a method of controlling acute bleeding. However, the use of combination therapy does not affect mortality rates at 42 days.     

双重腹水超滤浓缩腹腔回输治疗肝硬化合并自发性细菌性腹膜炎患者的临床疗效观察

目的观察应用双重腹水超滤浓缩腹腔回输术治疗肝硬化合并自发性细菌性腹膜炎腹水的临床效果及安全性。方法选择60例肝硬化合并自发性细菌性腹膜炎患者,其中男性54例,女性6例;年龄36～76岁,平均年龄53.4岁。在内科药物治疗基础上增加双重腹水超滤回输治疗,分别于治疗前后观察患者临床症状、腹围、治疗当天尿量、24h尿量、血清尿素和肌酐、血清电解质、血清蛋白等指标的变化及治疗前后患者并发症发生情况。结果患者治疗后乏力、纳差、腹胀不适症状明显改善56例（56/60）,腹围均明显缩小;同治疗前比较,治疗当天尿量及24h尿量均增加（P〈0.05）;治疗后患者血清尿素和肌酐有所下降,但与治疗前比较均无统计学意义（P〉0.05）,治疗前后血清电解质差异亦无统计学意义（P〉0.05）;治疗结束后腹水蛋白浓度[（16.4±5.6）g/L]明显高于治疗前[（8.4±3.2）g/L],差异有统计学意义（t=27.2,P〈0.01）;60例患者出院时的转归中,好转42例,无效12例,死亡6例,总有效率70.0%。并发症发生情况：术后出现头晕、乏力明显2例,肝区隐痛不适2例,无肝性脑病、消化道出血等严重并发症发生。结论双重腹水超滤浓缩腹腔回输治疗肝硬化合并自发性细菌性腹膜炎患者是安全有效的,且简便易行。     

The treatment of Kawasaki syndrome with intravenous gamma globulin

We compared the efficacy of intravenous gamma globulin plus aspirin with that of aspirin alone in reducing the frequency of coronary-artery abnormalities in children with acute Kawasaki syndrome in a multicenter, randomized trial. Children randomly assigned to the gamma globulin group received intravenous gamma globulin, 400 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, for four consecutive days; both treatment groups received aspirin, 100 mg per kilogram per day, through the 14th day of illness, then 3 to 5 mg per kilogram per day. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were interpreted blindly and independently by two or more readers. Two weeks after enrollment, coronary-artery abnormalities were present in 18 of 78 children (23 percent) in the aspirin group, as compared with 6 of 75 (8 percent) in the gamma globulin group (P = 0.01). Seven weeks after enrollment, abnormalities were present in 14 of 79 children (18 percent) in the aspirin group and in 3 of 79 (4 percent) in the gamma globulin group (P = 0.005). No child had serious adverse effects from receiving gamma globulin. We conclude that high-dose intravenous gamma globulin is safe and effective in reducing the prevalence of coronary-artery abnormalities when administered early in the course of Kawasaki syndrome.     

Bacterial DNA Induces the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Complement</Emphasis> System Activation in Serum and Ascitic Fluid from Patients with Advanced Cirrhosis

Translocation of intestinal bacteria to ascitic fluid is, probably, the first step in the development of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with cirrhosis. Proteins of the complement system are soluble mediators implicated in the host immune response to bacterial infections and its activation has been traditionally considered to be an endotoxin-induced phenomenon. The aim of this study was to compare the modulation of these proteins in response to the presence of bacterial DNA and/or endotoxin in patients with advanced cirrhosis and ascites in different clinical conditions. Groups I and II consisted of patients without/with bacterial DNA. Group III included patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and Group IV with patients receiving norfloxacin as secondary long-term prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Serum and ascitic fluid levels of endotoxin and truncated residues of the complement system were measured by ELISA. The complement system is triggered in response to bacterial DNA, as evidenced by significantly increased levels of C3b, membrane attack complex, and C5a in patients from Groups II and III compared with patients without bacterial DNA (Group I) and those receiving norfloxacin (Group IV). Gram classification did not further differentiate the immune response between patients within groups II and III, even though endotoxin levels were, as expected, significantly higher in patients with bacterial DNA from gram-negative microorganisms. The complement protein activation observed in patients with bacterial DNA in blood and ascitic fluid is indistinguishable from that observed in patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and may occur in an endotoxin-independent manner.     

Spontaneous cryptococcal peritonitis in cirrhotic patients

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. However, spontaneous peritonitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans is uncommon. Delayed diagnosis of cryptococcal peritonitis often results in death. We describe three cases of spontaneous cryptococcal peritonitis in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. One case had associated symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus infection. Clinical awareness of this entity may lead to the early diagnosis and proper treatment.     

Enterococcus cecorum empyema thoracis successfully treated with cefotaxime

We report the first case of Enterococcus cecorum empyema thoracis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in a 44-year-old man with underlying cirrhosis. The patient responded to cefotaxime (MIC, 0.25 microg/ml) treatment and drainage of the empyema. Susceptibility of E. cecorum to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins could be due to its production of types of penicillin-binding proteins similar to those produced by Streptococcus species rather than to those produced by Enterococcus species (as predicted by phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences).     

The beneficial effects of early dexamethasone administration in infants and children with bacterial meningitis

BACKGROUND. In experimental models of meningitis and in children with meningitis, dexamethasone has been shown to reduce meningeal inflammation and to improve the outcome of disease. METHODS. We conducted a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial of dexamethasone therapy in 101 infants and children admitted to the National Children's Hospital, San José, Costa Rica, who had culture-proved bacterial meningitis or clinical signs of meningitis and findings characteristic of bacterial infection on examination of the cerebrospinal fluid. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either dexamethasone and cefotaxime (n = 52) or cefotaxime plus placebo (n = 49). Dexamethasone (0.15 mg per kilogram of body weight) was given 15 to 20 minutes before the first dose of cefotaxime and was continued every 6 hours thereafter for four days. RESULTS. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory profiles were similar for the patients in the two treatment groups. By 12 hours after the beginning of therapy, the mean opening cerebrospinal pressure and the estimated cerebral perfusion pressure had improved significantly in the dexamethasone-treated children but worsened in the children treated only with cefotaxime (controls). At 12 hours meningeal inflammation and the concentrations of two cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha and platelet-activating factor) in the cerebrospinal fluid had decreased in the dexamethasone-treated children, whereas in the controls the inflammatory response in the cerebrospinal fluid had increased. At 24 hours the clinical condition and mean prognostic score were significantly better among those treated with dexamethasone than among the controls. At follow-up examination after a mean of 15 months, 7 of the surviving 51 dexamethasone-treated children (14 percent) and 18 of 48 surviving controls (38 percent) had one or more neurologic or audiologic sequelae (P = 0.007); the relative risk of sequelae for a child receiving placebo as compared with a child receiving dexamethasone was 3.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.3 to 11.5). CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study, in which dexamethasone administration began before the initiation of cefotaxime therapy, provide additional evidence of a beneficial effect of dexamethasone therapy in infants and children with bacterial meningitis.     

Beta-adrenergic-antagonist drugs in the prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices. An analysis of data and prognostic factors in 589 patients from four randomized clinical trials. Franco-Italian Multicenter Study Group.

BACKGROUND. The value of beta-adrenergic-antagonist drug therapy for the prevention of initial episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and esophageal varices is uncertain, both positive and negative study results having been reported. METHODS. In this study, we analyzed data on individual patients from four randomized, controlled trials to assess the efficacy of this treatment. Of the 589 patients studied, 286 received a beta-adrenergic-antagonist drug (propranolol in 203 and nadolol in 83) and 303 received placebo. RESULTS. After two years, the mean (+/- SE) percentage of patients who had had no upper gastrointestinal bleeding was 78 +/- 3 percent in the beta-adrenergic-antagonist treatment group and 65 +/- 3 percent in the control group (P = 0.002). The percentage of patients without fatal bleeding was 90 +/- 2 percent in the treatment group and 82 +/- 3 percent in the control group (P = 0.01). The percentage of patients surviving after two years was 71 +/- 3 percent in the treatment group and 68 +/- 3 percent in the control group (P = 0.34). After age and severity of cirrhosis were taken into account, the survival rate was better in the treatment group (P = 0.09). The percentage of surviving patients who had had no bleeding after two years was 62 +/- 3 percent in the treatment group and 53 +/- 3 percent in the control group (P = 0.04). Both propranolol and nadolol prevented a first episode of bleeding. Severe cirrhosis and especially the presence of ascites were associated with bleeding (P less than 0.001) and death (P less than 0.001) in both groups. The efficacy of beta-adrenergic-antagonist therapy in the prevention of bleeding (P less than 0.001) and of fatal bleeding (P = 0.004) and in the prevention of bleeding or death (P = 0.005) was the same after adjustment for cause and severity of cirrhosis, ascites, and size of varices. CONCLUSIONS. Propranolol and nadolol are effective in preventing first bleeding and reducing the mortality rate associated with gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis, regardless of severity.     

A single intravenous infusion of gamma globulin as compared with four infusions in the treatment of acute Kawasaki syndrome.

BACKGROUND. Treatment of acute Kawasaki syndrome with a four-day course of intravenous gamma globulin, together with aspirin, has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in preventing coronary-artery lesions and reducing systemic inflammation. We hypothesized that therapy with a single, very high dose of gamma globulin would be at least as effective as the standard regimen. METHODS. We conducted a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involving 549 children with acute Kawasaki syndrome. The children were assigned to receive gamma globulin either as a single infusion of 2 g per kilogram of body weight over 10 hours or as daily infusions of 400 mg per kilogram for four consecutive days. Both treatment groups received aspirin (100 mg per kilogram per day through the 14th day of illness, then 3 to 5 mg per kilogram per day). RESULTS. The relative prevalence of coronary abnormalities, adjusted for age and sex, among patients treated with the four-day regimen, as compared with those treated with the single-infusion regimen, was 1.94 (95 percent confidence limits, 1.01 and 3.71) two weeks after enrollment and 1.84 (95 percent confidence limits, 0.89 and 3.82) seven weeks after enrollment. Children treated with the single-infusion regimen had lower mean temperatures while hospitalized (day 2, P less than 0.001; day 3, P = 0.004), as well as a shorter mean duration of fever (P = 0.028). Furthermore, in the single-infusion group the laboratory indexes of acute inflammation moved more rapidly toward normal, including the adjusted serum albumin level (P = 0.004), alpha 1-antitrypsin level (P = 0.007), and C-reactive protein level (P = 0.017). Lower IgG levels on day 4 were associated with a higher prevalence of coronary lesions (P = 0.005) and with a greater degree of systemic inflammation. The two groups had a similar incidence of adverse effects (including new or worsening congestive heart failure in nine children), which occurred in 2.7 percent of the children overall. All the adverse effects were transient. CONCLUSIONS. In children with acute Kawasaki disease, a single large dose of intravenous gamma globulin is more effective than the conventional regimen of four smaller daily doses and is equally safe.     

A comparison of standard-dose and high-dose epinephrine in cardiac arrest outside the hospital. The Multicenter High-Dose Epinephrine Study Group.

BACKGROUND. Experimental and uncontrolled clinical evidence suggests that intravenous epinephrine in doses higher than currently recommended may improve outcome after cardiac arrest. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study comparing standard-dose epinephrine with high-dose epinephrine in the management of cardiac arrest outside the hospital. METHODS. Adult patients were enrolled in the study if they remained in ventricular fibrillation, or if they had asystole or electromechanical dissociation, at the time the first drug was to be administered to treat the cardiac arrest. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 0.02 mg of epinephrine per kilogram of body weight (standard-dose group, 632 patients) or 0.2 mg per kilogram (high-dose group, 648 patients), both given intravenously. RESULTS. In the standard-dose group 190 patients (30 percent) had a return of spontaneous circulation, as compared with 217 patients (33 percent) in the high-dose group; 136 patients (22 percent) in the standard-dose group and 145 patients (22 percent) in the high-dose group survived to be admitted to the hospital. Twenty-six patients (4 percent) in the standard-dose group and 31 (5 percent) in the high-dose group survived to discharge from the hospital. Ninety-two percent of the patients discharged in the standard-dose group and 94 percent in the high-dose group were conscious at the time of hospital discharge. None of the differences in outcome between the groups were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS. In this study, we were unable to demonstrate any difference in the overall rate of return of spontaneous circulation, survival to hospital admission, survival to hospital discharge, or neurologic outcome between patients treated with a standard dose of epinephrine and those treated with a high dose.     

病毒性肝炎后肝硬化住院患者感染状况调查及危险因素分析

目的 调查病毒性肝炎后肝硬化住院患者的感染率和感染源,评估感染的危险因素.方法 采用横断面研究,连续收集382例病毒性肝炎后肝硬化住院患者,查阅患者相关临床资料,采用单因素分析、逻辑回归分析等方法分析患者感染相关因素和独立危险因素,微生物培养和鉴定分析感染源.结果 通过调查统计肝硬化住院患者感染率20.2％,77名患者感染,最常见感染是自发性细菌性腹膜炎（27例）,感染显著增加患者的死亡（22.1％vs.4.3％,P≤0.001）和延长住院时间（10 d vs.22 d,P≤0.001）.逻辑回归分析显示胃肠道出血和低白蛋白血症是肝硬化住院患者感染独立危险因素;共分离出66株菌,革兰阴性菌38株,革兰阳性菌26株,真菌2株.结论 感染增加病毒性肝炎后肝硬化住院患者死亡;胃肠道出血和低白蛋白血症是导致肝硬化住院患者感染独立危险因素.