Risk factors analysis of central venous catheter-related thrombosis in critically ill patients and development of nomogram prediction model / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of central venous catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) in critically ill patients and develop the model of a nomogram.Methods:A prospective investigation study was conducted on 385 critically ill patients who received central venous catheters during hospitalization in Hengshui People's Hospital from May 2018 to March 2021. Color Doppler ultrasonography was performed daily after catheterization. Patients were divided into thrombosis group and non-thrombosis group according to whether CRT was formed. The patient's gender, age, body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score, complications, existing tumor, D-dimer level on the 3rd day after catheterization, maximum velocity of right internal jugular vein on the 3rd day after catheterization, mechanical ventilation time, and catheter indwelling time were recorded, and the differences of above indexes between the two groups were compared. Multivariate Logistic regression was performed on the influencing factors with statistical differences between the two groups to establish the nomogram prediction. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the predictive power of the model.Results:The incidence of central venous CRT in critically ill patients was 16.1% (62/385). Compared with non-thrombosis patients, the thrombosis group patients had higher APACHEⅡscore, the proportion of existing tumor, and D-dimer level on the 3rd day after catheterization [APACHEⅡscore: 17 (15, 19) vs. 15 (12, 18), the proportion of existing tumor: 51.6% (32/62) vs. 35.3% (114/323), D-dimer (mg/L): 0.84 (0.64, 0.94) vs. 0.57 (0.44, 0.76), all P < 0.05], the maximum flow rate of right internal jugular vein was slower on the 3rd day after catheterization [cm/s: 14 (13, 15) vs. 16 (14, 18), P < 0.05]. Univariate analysis showed that high APACHEⅡscore, critical patients with existing tumor, high D-dimer level on the 3rd day after catheterization, and slow maximum flow rate of right internal jugular vein on the 3rd day after catheterization were more likely to develop central venous CRT. Further multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that high APACHEⅡscore, existing tumor, high D-dimer level on the 3rd day after catheterization and slow maximum flow rate of right internal jugular vein on the 3rd day after catheterization were independent risk factors for central venous CRT in critical patients [odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were 0.876 (0.801-0.957), 0.482 (0.259-0.895), 0.039 (0.011-0.139), 1.401 (1.218-1.611), and P values were 0.003, 0.021, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively]. According to the results of multivariate analysis, the prediction model of the nomogram was constructed. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.820, 95% CI was 0.767-0.872, P < 0.001. The calibration curve showed that the prediction probability of central venous CRT nomogram model in critically ill patients had good consistency with the actual occurrence probability. Conclusions:Existing tumor, high APACHEⅡscore, elevated D-dimer on the 3rd day after catheterization, and decreased maximum velocity of right internal jugular vein on the 3rd day after catheterization are independent risk factors for central venous CRT in critical patients. The prediction model based on the proposed model has good clinical efficacy.

A comparative study of the 2016 and 2009 edition guidelines for the diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in sepsis patients / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To assess the differences of the 2016 and 2009 edtion guidelines on diastolic dysfunction in sepsis patients.Methods:A single-center, prospective study was conducted. The relevant information of sepsis patients in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were analyzed from October 2016 to January 2019. Patients’ transthoracic echocardiography at the first 24 h and 3rd day of their admission and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were stratified according to the 2009 and 2016 edition guidelines. Patients’ characteristics, arterial blood gas analysis, and blood biochemical indexes were recorded at the first 24 h of the ICU admission. Additionally, the following information were retrieved during ICU stay: site of infection, frequency of adrenaline and dobutamine, maximal dose of norepinephrine, use of hydrocortisone, invasive mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. The rank-sum test of two independent samples was used to compare the differences in the diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.Results:A total of 196 patients with sepsis or septic shock were screened, and 86 patients were excluded. Finally, clinical data of 110 patients were included in the analysis.The median time of the first ultrasound examination in ICU was 17 h. Among the patients with different diastolic function severity in baseline data analysis, only age was significantly different. According to the 2016 edition guidelines, 43 (39%) of 110 patients had diastolic dysfunction and another 30 (27%) had indeterminate diastolic dysfunction within 24 h of ICU admission. According to the 2009 edition guidelines, 40 (36%) patients had diastolic dysfunction and 58 (53%) patients had indeterminate diastolic dysfunction. The diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction of different grades was significantly different between the 2016 and 2009 edition guidelines ( Z=4.92, P<0.01). According to the 2016 edition guidelines at the 3rd day of ICU admission, 52 (47%) patients were diagnosed with diastolic dysfunction and 18 (18%) were diagnosed with indeterminate diastolic dysfunction; According to the 2009 edition guidelines, 50 (46%) of these patients were diagnosed with diastolic dysfunction and 45 (41%) had indeterminate diastolic function. Similarly, there was a large difference in diagnosis ( Z=4.60, P<0.01). Subgroup analysis of patients with normal systolic function (ejection fraction > 50%) showed that the diagnosis of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction were significantly different at the first 24 h and the 3rd day of ICU admission ( Z=4.34, P<0.01 and Z=5.71, P<0.01). Conclusions:The 2016 edition guidelines identify a significantly higher incidence of dysfunction in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock compared to the 2009 edition guidelines. Although the 2016 edition guidelines seem to be an improvement, issues remain with the application of guidelines using traditional measures of diastolic dysfunction in this cohort.

Prognostic impact of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in septic shock patients / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To investigate the prognostic impact of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in septic shock patients in intensive care unit (ICU). Methods A single-center, prospective tudy was conducted. The relevant information of septic shock patients who underwent an echocardiographic assessment during the initial management were analyzed in ICU of Harrison International Peace Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University from June 2016 to October 2017. Hemodynamics were evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography within the first 24 h of shock, and LV diastolic dysfunction is present if the available parameters meet the cutoff values. Patients' characteristics, arterial blood gas analysis, and blood biochemical indexes were recorded in the first 24h at ICU admission. Additionally, the following information were retrieved during ICU stay: site of infection, frequency of adrenaline and dobutamine, maximal dose of norepinephrine, use of hydrocortisone, invasive mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine independent risk factors associated with septic shock mortality, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of all risk factors on the outcome of patients. Results Among the 138 patients with septic shock hospitalized in the ICU during the study period, 102 patients were enrolled [76 men (75％); aged 64 ± 12 years] and 92 of them (90％) were mechanically ventilated. Thirty patients died in ICU with a mortality rate of 29％. LV diastolic dysfunction was observed in 32 patients (31％). No significant inter-group difference in infection characteristics was found. The death group had significantly higher APACHE Ⅱ score, SOFA score, lactate and creatinine levels than the survival group. Similarly, the death group received a greater dose of vasopressors and required more frequent administration of epinephrine than the survivors. While the dead group exhibited slightly yet significantly larger RV cavity, which was reflected by a significant greater RVEDA/LVEDA ratio (0.77 ± 0.43 vs 0.59 ± 0.17) with no association with paradoxical septal motion. Mean value of lateral e′ maximal velocity was significantly lower in the death group compared with the survival group(10.50 ± 3.80)cm/s vs (12.9 ± 4.6)cm/s. The proportion of LV diastolic dysfunction tended to be higher in the death group than in the survival group (14/30 vs 18/72). In the multivariate analysis, the maximal dose of norepinephrine (OR=1.69, 95％CI:1.05-2.79), the SOFA score(OR=2. 24,95％CI:1.32-3.35) ,e′ lateral maximal velocity (OR=2.23, 95 ％ CI:1.01-5.57), lactate(OR=2.36, 95％CI:1.25-5.43) and LV diastolic dysfunction(OR=1.32,95％CI:1.11-3.15) were significantly associated with septic shock mortality. The area under ROC curve of lateral e′ maximal velocity for predicting death of septic shock patients was 0.63 (95％CI: 0.54-0.78) and the cut-off value was 8.9 cm/s, with a sensitivity and specificity of 76％ and 54％, respectively. Conclusions The present study suggests that LV diastolic function might be associated with ICU mortality in patients with septic shock. A multicenter prospective study assessing a large cohort of patients using serial echocardiographic examinations remains to confirm the prognostic value of LV diastolic dysfunction in septic shock patients.

Etiological analysis of 61 286 hospitalized specimens from a tertiary hospital over 5 years / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To investigate the detection and distribution of hospitalized specimens from a tertiary hospital over 5 years. Methods Specimens of sputum, urine, blood, secretions and puncture fluid were collected from patients admitted to the Harrison International Peace Hospital from November 2013 to November 2018. The origin of specimens, the distribution of departments and the distribution of pathogenic bacteria isolated were analyzed retrospectively. Results A total of 61 286 specimens were sent for examination during the 5 years. The top 5 specimens were sputum culture (n = 18 302, 29.9%), sputum smear (n = 11 253, 18.4%), blood culture (n = 9 713, 15.8%), urine culture (n = 6 448, 10.5%) and secretion culture (n = 6 133, 10.0%), accounting for 84.6% (51 849/61 286). Sputum specimens accounted for 48.2% (29 555/61 286) with the largest proportion. The number of specimens from medical wards was much higher than that from surgical wards (specimens: 25 468 vs. 10 521), respiratory medicine, department of critical care medicine and emergency intensive care unit (EICU) were important sources of pathogenic specimens in the hospital, accounting for 29.8% (18 243/61 286) in total. The average positive rate of all specimens was 23.5% (14 424/61 286). The positive rates of sputum culture and urine culture were 29.7% (5 428/18 302) and 35.4% (2 281/6 448), respectively, while the positive rate of blood culture was only 6.6% (643/9 713). Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen in all specimens except for sputum culture and fecal culture. Escherichia coli [40.6% (926/2 281)], Klebsiella pneumoniae [9.2% (210/2 281)], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [8.2% (188/2 281)], Enterococcus faecalis (group D) [6.6% (151/2 281)] and Candida albicans [3.2% (73/2 281)] were the most common pathogens in urine culture. Klebsiella pneumoniae [24.1% (1 309/5 428)], Acinetobacter baumannii [21.3% (1 154/5 428)], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [15.1% (818/5 428)], Escherichia coli [6.5% (351/5 428)] and Maltose oligotrophomonas maltose [5.8% (316/5 428)] were the most common pathogens in sputum culture. Escherichia coli [36.5% (235/643)], Klebsiella pneumoniae [10.9% (70/643)], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [4.8% (31/643)], Staphylococcus epidermidis [3.4% (22/643)] and Staphylococcus humanis [3.3% (21/643)] were the most common pathogens in blood culture. Conclusion Specimens sent for examination by inpatients are mainly from internal medicine wards, mainly from sputum, blood and urine, and the detected pathogens are mainly Gram-negative bacteria.

Clinical study of ulinastatin combined with CRRT in the treatment of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome / 重庆医学

Objective To evaluate the clinical curative effect of ulinastatin combined with CRRT in the treatment of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS).Methods Sixty eight patients with MODS who were admitted to ICU from July 2013 to July 2015 were randomly divided into three groups:control group,CRRT group,combined group;Patients' APACHE Ⅱ,SOFA scores level of inflammatory markers were recorded before treatment and after treatment of 72 hours and 7 days.The mortality of the three groups in ICU were compared.Results After 72 hours and a week of treatment,the level of IL-10,IL-6,TNF-α,WBC、PCT、CRP in CRRT group and combined group were significantly better than that of control group(P＜0.05),and combined group were significantly better than that of CRRT group.Compared with the control group,the oxygen index,lactic acid,ALT significantly im proved in CRRT group and combined group were better than control group,after 72 hours and a week of treatment(P＜0.05),and the cornbined group was the most obvious.After a week of treatment,the mortality rate of CRRT group and combined group was significantly better than the control group (P＜0.05),while there was no statistical differences between CRRT group and combined group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Ulinastatin combined with CRRT is an effective method for the treatment of MODS.

Analysis of death risk factors for nosocomial infection patients in an ICU：a retrospective review of 864 patients from 2009 to 2015 / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To investigate the mortality risk factors of nosocomial infection patients in intensive care unit (ICU), and to guide clinicians to take effective control measures. Methods A retrospectively cohort study was conducted. The relevant information of patients with nosocomial infection treated in ICU of Hengshui Harrison International Peace Hospital Affiliated to Hebei Medical University from June 2009 to December 2015 was analyzed. The patients who admitted to ICU again, with length of ICU stay less than 48 hours, without first etiology of screening within 48 hours of ICU admission, or without complete pathogenic information were excluded. The gender, age, diagnosis, length of ICU stay, invasive operation, nutritional status, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, distribution and drug resistance of the pathogens, and procalcitonin (PCT) levels at 7 days after nosocomial infection were recorded. The risk factors leading to death in patients with nosocomial infection were analyzed by logistic regression, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of all risk factors on the outcome of patients with nosocomial infection. Results In 864 enrolled patients with male of 54.75% and mean age of (63.50±15.80) years, 732 (84.72%) patients survived and 132 (15.28%) died. Compared with survivors, the non-survivors had higher age (years: 65.47±15.32 vs. 58.15±13.27), incidence of urgent trachea intubation (32.58% vs. 22.81%), deep venous catheterization (83.33% vs. 63.25%), and multiple drug-resistant infection (65.91% vs. 33.20%), longer length of ICU stay (days: 13.56±4.29 vs. 10.29±4.32) and duration of coma (days: 7.36±2.46 vs. 5.48±2.14), lower albumin (g/L: 23.64±8.47 vs. 26.36±12.84), higher APACHEⅡ score (19.28±5.16 vs. 17.56±5.62), SOFA score (8.55±1.34 vs. 6.43±2.65), and PCT (μg/L: 3.06±1.36 vs. 2.53±0.87, all P 0.05). The low respiratory tract was the most common site of infection followed by urinary tract and bloodstream in both groups. It was shown by logistic regression analysis that prolonged ICU stay [odds ratio (OR) = 2.039, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.231-3.473, P = 0.002], APACHEⅡ score (OR = 1.683, 95%CI= 1.002-9.376, P = 0.000), SOFA score (OR = 2.060, 95%CI = 1.208 -14.309, P = 0.041), PCT (OR = 2.090, 95%CI = 1.706-13.098, P = 0.004), and multi-drug resistant pathogens infection (OR = 5.245, 95%CI = 2.213-35.098, P = 0.027) were independent risk factors for ICU mortality in patients with nosocomial infection. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of length of ICU stay, APACHEⅡ score, SOFA score, and PCT level for predicting death of nosocomial infection patients was 0.854, 0.738, 0.786, and 0.849, respectively, the best cut-off value was 16.50 days, 22.45, 6.37 and 3.38 μg/L, respectively, the sensitivity was 83.6%, 90.0%, 81.1%, and 89.6%, and the specificity was 70.3%, 75.6%, 71.3%, and 85.4%, respectively. Conclusions Prol onged ICU stay, nosocomial infection with secondary sepsis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome were the leading causes of death for nosocomial infection patients in ICU. Prolonged ICU stay, APACHE Ⅱ score, SOFA score, and PCT level could effectively predict death risks for nosocomial infection patients.

Monitoring of antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii in the intensive care unit of a hospital from 2010 to 2013 / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To analyze the isolation rates and antimicrobial resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) from intensive care unit (ICU)between 2010 and 2013,and provide evidence for clinical anti-infective therapy. Methods The isolation and antimicrobial resistance of AB from ICU between 2010 and 2013 were analyzed retro-spectively.Results A total of 1 413 pathogenic strains were isolated,556(39.35%)of which were AB,isolation rates in each year were 39.45%,41 .35%,29.44%,and 40.53% respectively.AB were mainly isolated from lower respiratory tract (75.72%).Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results showed that AB had low resistance rates to cefoperazone/sulbactam(5.85%)and amikacin (17.45%);detection rates of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant AB increased from 9.63% and 3.70% to 42.50% and 31 .88%,respectively (both P < 0.001 ). Conclusion AB is the common pathogen in ICU,antimicrobial resistance is serious,isolation of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant AB increased year by year;intensifying the monitoring of drug resistance is helpful for the treat-ment and prevention of AB infection.

Effect of early tracheotomy on the prognosis of patients with serious brain lesions in intensive medicine / 中国基层医药

Objective To investigate the effects of early tracheotomy on the prognosis of patients with severe brain lesions .Methods The clinical data of 68 patients with severe brain lesions were retrospectively analyzed . According to the time of tracheotomy ,we assigned 68 patients to receive either early tracheotomy or late tracheotomy . 34 patients who were given tracheotomy within 72 hours in Intensive Care Unit were selected as the early tracheotomy group (ET group).34 patients who were given tracheotomy after 14 days in Intensive Care Unit were selected as the late tracheotomy group(LT group).The time of mechanical ventilation,length of hospital stay,and the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia ( VAP ) , sedative drug use time , antibiotic use time , in-hospital mortality were compared between the two groups.Results In ET group,the hospitalization time,mechanical ventilation time, incidence of VAP,sedative drug use time,antibiotic use time were (4.2 ±2.4)d,(3.5 ±0.6)d,(14.5 ±3.2)%, (1.5 ±0.5)d,(3.3 ±0.3)d,those in LT group were (12.5 ±4.8)d,(8.5 ±5.6)d,(28.6 ±8.6)%,(6.3 ±1.2)d, (13.2 ±1.1) d respectively,the differences between the two groups were statistically significant ( t =3.14,2.96, 3.28,3.46,2.57,all P<0.05).The hospitalization mortality rates of ET group ,LT group were (23.8 ±4.38)%, (24.5 ±4.16)%,respectively no significant difference between the two groups ( t=1.49,P<0.05).Conclusion The use of early tracheotomy can reduce the hospitalization time ,shorten the time of mechanical ventilation ,reduce the incidence of ventilator associated pneumonia ,and reduce the time of using sedative drugs and antibiotics ,but the mor-tality has no significant effect in the severe craniocerebral injury patients .

Observation of the use of percutaneous tracheostomy tube for closed drainage of pneumothorax in intensive care unit / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To explore the effect of the transcutaneous tracheostomy tube in patients with pneumothorax and its clinical value. Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted. Thirty-two patients with pneumothorax admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of Harrison International Peace Hospital of Hebei Medical University from June 2010 to June 2014 were enrolled. The patients were divided into control group and observation group,with 16 cases in each group. Beside the treatment for primary disease,the patients in control group received thoracic close drainage with traditional silica gel tube as performed by thoracic surgeons,and those in observation group received thoracic close drainage with transcutaneous tracheostomy tube by intensive care doctors. The curative effect and complications of the two groups were observed. Results Compared with control group,the time from diagnosis to operation(minutes:8.00±1.36 vs. 23.06±3.83,t=14.790,P=0.000)and the operation time were significantly shortened(days:5.37±1.02 vs. 7.31±1.70,t=7.286,P=0.000),the frequency of drainage tube replacement(times:0.18±0.40 vs. 3.87±1.14,t=12.128,P=0.000)and the times of repeated chest radiography(times:1.12±0.34 vs. 2.93±0.77,t=8.589,P=0.000)in observation group were significantly reduced,the length of hospital day was significantly shortened(days:8.30±1.37 vs. 24.56±5.62,t=17.289, P=0.000),the rates of dislocation of drainage tube(0 vs. 3 cases),obstruction of the tube(0 vs. 5 cases),and subcutaneous emphysema(3 vs. 16 cases)were reduced obviously,but there was no difference in incidence of incision infection(1 vs. 3 cases)and infection of thoracic cavity(0 vs. 2 cases). Conclusions The usage of transcutaneous tracheostomy tube in patients with pneumothorax is safe and simple. Doctors in ICU can independently do this procedure,and its effect is positive.

A prospective randomized controlled trial on effect of norvancomycin tube sealing for prevention of central venous catheter-related infection in critical patients / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of tube-sealing with norvancomycin and heparin saline mixture for prevention of central venous catheter-related infection (CRI).Methods A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed.120 patients who were admitted to department of critical care medicine from January 2012 to January 2014 were included,with their subclavian vein catheterization installation time longer than 48 hours,age over 18 years and younger than 80 years,and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score reaching 10-29.The patients were divided into two groups using a random number table,and finally 116 patients were enrolled.Norvancomycin and heparin saline mixture were used for tube sealing in the intervention group (n=56),while only heparin saline was used in the control group (n=60).The incidence of CRI,catheter correlated spectrum of pathogens,adverse events,mortality,hospital day,catheter retention time,and hospital costs were compared between two groups.Results ① There was no significant difference in the incidence of CRI between intervention group and control group [7.14％ (4/56) vs.8.33％ (5/60),x2=0.058,P=1.000].There was no catheter pathogenic colonization in the intervention group,but there were 2 cases of catheter pathogenic colonization in control group.② A total of 7 pathogens were found in two groups.Three cases with pathogenic bacteria was found in the intervention group,with 1 case of Pseudomonas aeruginosa,1 case Acinetobacter baumannii,and 1 case fungi.Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis,fungi,and Acinetobacter baumannii was found in the control group,with 1 case of each.There was no significantly statistical difference between two groups (all P＞0.05),but there was a decreasing trend of Gram-positive cocci infection in the intervention group.③ There was no significant difference in the catheter thrombosis,local bleeding or hematoma,catheter dislocation and other adverse events between intervention group and control group [21.43％(12/56) vs.23.33％ (14/60),x2=0.060,P=0.806].④ There were no significant differences in mortality [7.14％(4/56) vs.8.33％ (5/60),x2=0.058,P=1.000],hospital day (days:35.9 ± 15.2 vs.34.1 ± 16.3,t=16.330,P=0.620),catheter retention time (days:25.0 ± 4.5 vs.24.5 ± 5.1,t=26.427,P=2.560) and cost of hospitalization (10 thousand Yuan:3.42 ± 1.22 vs.3.72 ± 1.30,t=13.215,P=1.560) between intervention group and control group.Conclusions For patients with central venous catheter,application norvancomycin with heparin saline mixture for tube sealing did not reduce the incidence of CRI,the incidence of adverse events and mortality,does not reduce hospitalization time,catheter retention time and hospital costs,but may reduce the catheter colonization and infection of Gram-positive bacteria.

Risk factors for stroke in pregnancy and the postpartum period / 国际脑血管病杂志

Pregnancy and the puerperium have been recognized to increase the risk of stroke, particularly from late pregnancy and through the puerperium. The reported incidences of stroke during pregnancy and the puerperium varied widely, but when it occurs, there may be implications for management of the patient and delivery of the child. Important causes of stroke during pregnancy and the puerperium include preeclampsia and eclampsia, cardioembolism, rapture of cerebral vascular anomaly, cerebral aneurysm rupture and antiphospholipid syndrome, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Management of patients with pregnancy-related stroke is largely the same as that of nonpregnant patients, including thrombolysis, atntiplatelets and anticoagulants, with more consideration on maternal and fetal risks.

Budesonide/Formoterol in the Management of Patients with Mild or Moderate Asthma: Clinical Research / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of low dose budesonide/formoterol combination therapy vs.medium dose of budesonide(BUD) dry powder in the management of mild or moderate adult asthma.METHODS: A total of 62 patients with asthma were randomized to Group A(budesonide plus formcterol) or Group B(budesonide).Main outcome measures: daytime symptom and nocturnal symptom,peak expiratory flow(PEF),number of times of using rapid-acting ? 2 agonist and its ADR.RESULTS: After treatment,both groups had significant improvement in daytime symptom and nocturnal symptom(number of times of wakeup),PEF value and lung function,and the dosage of rapid-acting ? 2 agonist was decreased,showing significant differences between the two groups.The ADR was light in degree.CONCLUSION: Inhalation therapy of low dose of glucocorticoid plus long-acting ? 2 agonist is an optimal choice in the management of asthma.The efficacy of glucocorticoid could be enhanced more by combination with low dose and long-acting ? 2 agonist than by simply increasing its own dose.