乌司他丁辅助治疗重症感染性休克的价值分析

目的探究临床用乌司他丁辅助治疗重症感染性休克的治疗效果。方法90例重症感染性休克患者,随机分为观察组与对照组,每组45例。对照组患者采用西医常规治疗,观察组患者在对照组基础上联合乌司他丁治疗。比较两组患者治疗效果、体温情况、感染情况以及治疗前后白细胞计数、白细胞介素-6(IL-6)水平、格拉斯哥昏迷量表(GCS)评分、急性生理功能和慢性健康状况评分系统Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ)评分。结果治疗后,观察组白细胞计数(7.34±1.32)×10^9/L低于对照组的(9.41±1.16)×10^9/L,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,观察组高热、感染体征发生率分别为97.78%、86.67%,均高于对照组的82.22%、62.22%,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组体温恢复时间、感染消失时间分别为(7.19±1.39)、(3.88±0.89)d,均短于对照组的(9.81±1.88)、(10.76±1.57)d,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组患者血清IL-6为(4.27±0.95)μg/L低于对照组的(9.58±1.07)μg/L,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组患者GCS评分和APACHEⅡ评分较治疗前均有所改善,GCS评分(8.19±1.59)分、APACHEⅡ评分(8.83±0.82)分均优于对照组的(6.81±1.82)、(14.71±3.52)分,差异均具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。观察组患者治疗总有效率95.56%明显高于对照组的77.78%,差异具有统计学意义(χ^2=6.154,P<0.05)。结论乌司他丁具有较好的抗炎效果,与西医治疗相结合可以提高临床疗效,加快重症感染性休克患者退热速度,缩短感染时间,降低白细胞计数及血清IL-6水平,改善GCS评分和APACHEⅡ评分,临床疗效较好。     

Endoplasmic reticulum stress is involved in ventilator-induced lung injury in mice via the IRE1α-TRAF2-NF-κB pathway

Inflammation plays a critical role in the development of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with a variety of diseases through the modulation of inflammatory responses. However, little is known about how ER stress is implicated in VILI. In this study, murine mechanical ventilation models were constructed. Total protein and inflammatory cytokines were measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissue injury was assessed by histology. Our data revealed that mice subjected to high tidal ventilation (TV) for 4 h showed more severe pulmonary edema and inflammation than those of mice with spontaneous breathing and low TV-treatment. In addition, the high TV-treated animals upregulated the ER stress markers GRP78, CHOP, p-IRE1α, TRAF2, and p-NF-κB expression at both the mRNA and protein levels in lung tissue. Administration of thapsigargin exacerbated the histological changes, inflammation and expression of GRP78 and CHOP after high TV, but treatment with ER stress and IRE1α kinase inhibitors attenuated the pathological damage and downregulated the high expression of GRP78, CHOP, p-IRE1α, TRAF2, and p-NF-κB, suggesting that ER stress is involved in VILI though the IRE1α/TRAF2/NF-κB signaling pathway in mice.     

Skin temperature and vascular attributes as early warning signs of pressure injury

ObjectivesThis study aimed to validate the skin temperature on sacral region and vascular attributes as early warning signs of pressure injury.MethodsTotally 415 patients admitted to the adult intensive care unit from August 2018 to April 2019 were prospectively screened. Daily blood pressure and blood glucose affecting vascular attributes and the relative skin temperature of sacral region were measured for 10 consecutive days. Collect the changes of these indicators during the occurrence of pressure injury. The optimal cut-off values of indicators were determined by X-tile analysis. The risk ratios of indicators associated with pressure injury were compared using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.ResultsThere were no obvious interactions among blood pressure, blood glucose and relative skin temperature (P > 0.05). The optimal cutoff value for above indicators was 63.5 mmHg, 9.9 mmol/L and −0.1 °C, respectively. The incidence of pressure injury peaked on the 4th and 5th day after hospitalization when categorizing the patients into low- and high-risk groups according to the cutoff values (P < 0.05). Based on relative skin temperature, patients in the high-risk group were more likely to develop pressure injury (hazard ratio = 6.36, 95% confidence interval = 3.91, 10.36), when compared to the other two indicators of blood pressure and blood glucose.ConclusionStringent skin temperature and vascular attributes measurements were necessary for preventing pressure injury. Nursing measures should be taken according to warning sings to reduce the incidence of pressure injury.     

Variables associated with subjective cognitive change among Iraq and Afghanistan war Veterans with blast-related mild traumatic brain injury

Introduction: This study investigated variables associated with subjective decline in executive function among Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) following a history of blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Method: Fifty-six male U.S. Veterans (M_Age = 35.3 ± 8.8 years) with a history of blast-related mTBI (6.6 ± 3.2 years post injury) completed a battery of self-report questionnaires and neuropsychological measures. Participants rated current and retrospectively estimated pre-mTBI executive function difficulties on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). A difference score (post- minus pre-mTBI ratings) was the dependent variable (?FrSBe). Linear regression models examined variables predicting ?FrSBe, including: pre-injury characteristics (education, premorbid intelligence), injury-related characteristics (number of blast exposures, losses of consciousness), post-injury clinical symptoms (PTSD Checklist–Military version; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and post-injury neuropsychological performances on executive function measures (Trail Making Test Part B; Controlled Oral Word Association Test; Auditory Consonant Trigrams; Wisconsin Card Sorting Test).

Results: While 11% of participants had a clinically elevated pre-injury FrSBe total score, 82% had a clinically elevated post-injury FrSBe total score. Only self-reported PTSD symptom severity independently predicted perceived change in executive function.

Conclusions: Many OEF/OIF/OND Veterans with a history of blast-related mTBI experience subjective decline in executive function following injury. Perceived executive function decline was associated with higher PTSD symptom severity, aligning with previous research associating PTSD with cognitive complaints. Results did not support a correspondence between perceived cognitive change and neuropsychological performances.     

Initiatives to reduce postoperative surgical site infections of the head and neck cancer surgery with a special emphasis on developing countries

Introduction: Surgery in patients with head and neck cancers is frequently complicated by multiple stages of procedure that includes significant surgical removal of all or part of an organ with cancer, tissue reconstruction, and extensive neck dissection. Postoperative wound infections, termed ‘surgical site infections’ (SSIs) are a significant impediment to head-and-neck cancer surgery and recovery, and need to be addressed.

Areas covered: Approximately 10–45% of patients undergoing head-and-neck cancers surgery develop SSIs. SSIs can lead to delayed wound healing, increased morbidity and mortality as well as costs. Consequently, SSIs need to be avoided where possible, as even the surgery itself impacts on patients’ subsequent activities and their quality of life, which is exacerbated by SSIs. Several risk factors for SSIs need to be considered to reduce future rates, and care is also needed in the selection and duration of antibiotic prophylaxis.

Expert commentary: Head and neck surgeons should give personalized care especially to patients at high risk of SSIs. Such patients include those who have had chemoradiotherapy and need reconstructive surgery, and patients from lower and middle-income countries and from poorer communities in high income countries, who often have high levels of co-morbidity because of resource constraints.     

A comparison of head injuries in male and female lacrosse participants seen in US emergency departments from 2005 to 2016

Introduction

In the United States there has been a large increase in participation in lacrosse for both males and females. The purpose of this study was to analyze the number of head injuries, injury rates (calculated using the reported number of participants) and types of head injuries that are seen in emergency departments in the United States.