ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the value of the variation of clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnosis and treatment evaluation in patients suffering from active pulmonary tuberculosis with complication of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out in 58 VAP patients from June 1,2009 to December 30,2014 in the respiratory intensive care unit.According to the patient suffering from tuberculosis or not,patients were divided into two groups.The PCT and CPIS score changes were observed in the two groups of patients with intra-tracheal intubation 1,3 and 7 days after VAP onset.Comparisons of CPIS and PCT scores were carried out between two groups at different intervals after VAP onset.Data were statistically processed by SPSS 19.0.Count data were tested by x2,and measurement data were expressed by mean ± standard deviation (x-±s).The comparison within the groups was made by t test,whereas the comparison between the groups was by means of repeated measure analysis of variance and Bonferroni test;Pearson linear correlation analysis was used,and P ＜ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results At the same observation interval in two groups of patients with VAP,there was no significant difference in the serum levels of PCT and CPIS score (P ＞ 0.05);there were significant differences in PCT and CPIS scores between VAP occurred at the first day,the third day and at time of intra-tracheal intubation in two groups (P ＜ 0.05).However,comparison of PCT and CPIS scores at the seventh day,the differences were not statistically significant (P ＞ 0.05).In addition,at the 7 days the correlation coefficient between PCT and survival patients' mechanical ventilation,days in ICU and total length of hospital stay were 0.92,0.83,and 0.71,respectively,yet the 7-day CPIS score correlation coefficients were 0.83,0.74 and 0.70,(both P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Early monitoring of serum PCT and CIPS score of pulmonary tuberculosis patients can judge the incidence of VAP,and the variations of PCT and CIPS score can predict the severity and prognosis of the disease as well.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes in the structure and function of the carotid artery and their relationship with subclinical inflammation in patients with H-type hypertension.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty patients with H-type hypertension and 49 with non-H-type hypertension were enrolled in this study, with 20 healthy volunteers as the control group. All the subjects underwent color Doppler ultrasound examination of the carotid artery, and their blood levels of hyper-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured to investigate the correlation between the structural and functional changes of the carotid artery and the inflammatory factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was found in the blood pressure level between the H-type and non-H-type hypertension groups (136.0∓10.1 vs 131.9∓7.0 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, P>0.05; 80.9∓8.9 vs 73.2∓7.9 mmHg for diastolic pressure, P>0.05). The intima-media thickness, distensibility of the common carotid artery, carotid artery stiffness, and blood homocysteine level all showed significant differences between patients with H-type and non-H-type hypertension (1.52∓0.08 vs 1.09∓0.06 mm, 0.23∓0.14 mmHg(-1)×100 vs 0.46∓0.14 mmHg(-1)×100, and 15.37∓5.89 vs 8.19∓4.53 µmol/L, respectively, P<0.05). The H-type hypertensive patients showed significantly higher hs-CRP, FIB, and TNF-α levels than the non-H-type hypertensive patients, and these inflammatory factors were positively correlated with the structural and functional changes of the carotid artery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The patients with H-type hypertension are more likely to have carotid artery structure and function impairments, which closely correlate with the subclinical inflammatory factors. These changes might be attributed to the synergism of subclinical inflammation and hyperhomocysteinemia, for which active intervention may prove beneficial.</p>