Effect of improvement in antibiotic use strategy on the short-term clinical outcome of preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effect of improvement in antibiotic use strategy on the short-term clinical outcome of preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks.@*METHODS@#The medical data were retrospectively collected from 865 preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks who were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016. The improved antibiotic use strategy was implemented since January 1, 2015. According to the time of implementation, the infants were divided into three groups: pre-adjustment (January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014; n=303), post-adjustment Ⅰ (January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015; n=293), and post-adjustment Ⅱ (January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016; n=269). The medical data of the three groups were compared.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences among the three groups in gestational age, proportion of small-for-gestational-age infants, sex, and method of birth (P>0.05). Compared with the pre-adjustment group, the post-adjustment I and post-adjustment Ⅱ groups had a significant reduction in the rate of use of antibiotics and the duration of antibiotic use in the early postnatal period and during hospitalization (P<0.05), with a significant increase in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of ≤3 days or 4-7 days and a significant reduction in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of >7 days in the early postnatal period (P<0.05). Compared with the post-adjustment Ⅰ group, the post-adjustment Ⅱ group had a significant reduction in the duration of antibiotic use in the early postnatal period and during hospitalization (P<0.05), with a significant increase in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of ≤3 days and a significant reduction in the proportion of infants with a duration of antibiotic use of 4-7 days or >7 days (P<0.05). Compared with the pre-adjustment group, the post-adjustment I and post-adjustment Ⅱ groups had significantly shorter duration of parenteral nutrition and length of hospital stay (P<0.05). There were gradual reductions in the incidence rates of grade ≥Ⅲ intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and late-onset sepsis (LOS) after the adjustment of antibiotic use strategy. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the adjustment of antibiotic use strategy had no effect on short-term adverse clinical outcomes, and antibiotic use for >7 days significantly increased the risk of adverse clinical outcomes (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#It is feasible to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use by the improvement in antibiotic use strategy in preterm infants with a gestational age of <35 weeks, which can also shorten the duration of parenteral nutrition and the length of hospital stay and reduce the incidence rates of grade ≥Ⅲ IVH and LOS.

D-bifunctional protein deficiency caused by / 中国当代儿科杂志

A 15-day-old boy was admitted to the hospital due to repeated convulsions for 14 days. The main clinical manifestations were uncontrolled seizures, hypoergia, feeding difficulties, limb hypotonia, and bilateral hearing impairment. Clinical neurophysiology showed reduced brainstem auditory evoked potential on both sides and burst-suppression pattern on electroencephalogram. Measurement of very-long-chain fatty acids in serum showed that C26:0 was significantly increased. Genetic testing showed a pathogenic compound heterozygous mutation, c.101C>T(p.Ala34Val) and c.1448_1460del(p.Ala483Aspfs*37), in the

A multicenter survey of antibiotic use in very and extremely low birth weight infants in Hunan Province / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the current status of antibiotic use for very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Hunan Province.@*METHODS@#The use of antibiotics was investigated in multiple level 3 NICUs of Hunan Province for VLBW and ELBW infants born between January, 2017 and December, 2017.@*RESULTS@#The clinical data of 1 442 VLBW/ELBW infants were collected from 24 NICUs in 2017. The median antibiotic use duration was 17 days (range: 0-86 days), accounting for 53.0% of the total length of hospital stay. The highest duration of antibiotic use was up to 91.4% of the total length of hospital stay, with the lowest at 14.6%. In 16 out of 24 NICUs, the antibiotic use duration was accounted for more than 50.0% of the hospitalization days. There were 113 cases with positive bacterial culture grown in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, making the positive rate of overall bacterial culture as 7.84%. The positive rate of bacterial culture in different NICUs was significantly different from 0% to 14.9%. The common isolated bacterial pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae was 29 cases (25.7%); Escherichia coli 12 cases (10.6%); Staphylococcus aureus 3 cases (2.7%). The most commonly used antibiotics were third-generation of cephalosporins, accounting for 41.00% of the total antibiotics, followed by penicillins, accounting for 32.10%, and followed by carbapenems, accounting for 13.15%. The proportion of antibiotic use time was negatively correlated with birth weight Z-score and the change in weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge (r=-0.095, -0.151 respectively, P<0.01), positively correlated with death/withdrawal of care (r=0.196, P<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Antibiotics used for VLBW/ELBW infants in NICUs of Hunan Province are obviously prolonged in many NICUs. The proportion of routine use of third-generation of cephalosporins and carbapenems antibiotics is high among the NICUs.

Comparison of the efficacy of domestic and imported caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea in preterm infants: a prospective randomized double-blind controlled trial / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy of domestic and imported caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea in preterm infants.@*METHODS@#A total of 98 preterm infants with a gestational age of 28 - 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidence of complications and the mortality rate between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse effects between the two groups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The efficacy and safety of domestic caffeine citrate in the treatment of apnea are similar to those of imported caffeine citrate in preterm infants.

Fetal pleural effusion in the uterus and dyspnea after birth / 中国当代儿科杂志

Neonatal chylothorax is a common cause of neonatal congenital pleural effusion and is often caused by the accumulation of chylous fluid in the thoracic cavity due to the rupture of the thoracic duct and its branched lymphatic vessels for a variety of reasons. Neonatal chylothorax caused by malignant tumors is extremely rare, and this is the first case of neonatal mediastinal neuroblastoma with chylothorax in China. The boy was found to have pleural effusion in the left thoracic cavity in the uterus, and experienced apnea at birth, as well as dyspnea and cyanosis as the main manifestations after birth. He was diagnosed with left chylothorax based on conventional biochemical analysis of pleural effusion. After the treatment including persistent chest drainage and symptomatic and supportive treatment, the drainage of the left thoracic cavity reached a volume of 90-180 mL per day. Neonatal refractory chylothorax was considered. Chest radiograph on day 13 after birth showed lesions in the upper left lung field, and contrast-enhanced plain CT scan of the chest suggested the possibility of posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma. The autopsy confirmed giant posterior mediastinal neuroblastoma (poorly differentiated), which involved the C7-T6 spinal canal and the nearby erector spinae, with a small amount of tumor tissue in the liver and both adrenal glands. Mediastinal tumor is considered the underlying cause of chylothorax in this case.

The metabolic networks of ferroptosis and links to lung diseases / 生理学报

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered non-apoptotic form of regulated cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The present studies have shown that many metabolic processes and homeostasis are affected by ferroptosis. It is related to many lung diseases, including acute lung injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary fibrosis, etc. Currently, the research on ferroptosis is still in its infancy. Previous studies have confirmed that ferroptosis is regulated by a variety of genes, and the mechanism is complex, mainly involving iron homeostasis and lipid peroxidation metabolism. This review summarizes some regulation networks of metabolic processes associated with ferroptosis and discusses the roles of ferroptosis in the pathophysiological progression of many lung diseases. We expected to provide new ideas and references for the treatment of these diseases.

Methods for establishing animal model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and their evaluation / 中国当代儿科杂志

With the development of treatment, the survival rate of premature infants has significantly increased, especially extremely premature infants and very low birth weight infants. This has led to an increase in incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) year by year. BPD has been one of the most common respiratory system diseases in premature infants, especially the small premature infants. Arrested alveolar development is an important cause of BPD. Therefore, the mechanism of arrested alveolar development and the intervention measures for promoting alveolar development are the focuses of research on BPD. Selecting the appropriate animal model of BPD is the key to obtaining meaningful results in the basic research on BPD. Based on above, several common methods for establishing an animal model of BPD and the corresponding changes in pathophysiology are summarized and evaluated in order to provide a reference for selecting the appropriate animal model in studies on the pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and prevention and control strategies of BPD.

Mortality and Morbidity of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants in the Mainland of China: A Multi-center Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>With the progress of perinatal medicine and neonatal technology, more and more extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survived all over the world. This study was designed to investigate the short-term outcomes of ELBW infants during their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay in the mainland of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All infants admitted to 26 NICUs with a birth weight (BW) < l000 g were included between January l, 2011 and December 31, 2011. All the data were collected retrospectively from clinical records by a prospectively designed questionnaire. The data collected from each NICU transmitted to the main institution where the results were aggregated and analyzed. Categorical variables were performed with Pearson Chi-square test. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to detect risk factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 258 ELBW infants were admitted to 26 NICUs, of whom the mean gestational age (GA) was 28.1 ± 2.2 weeks, and the mean BW was 868 ± 97 g. The overall survival rate at discharge was 50.0%. Despite aggressive treatment 60 infants (23.3%) died and another 69 infants (26.7%) died after medical care withdrawal. Furthermore, the survival rate was significantly higher in coastal areas than inland areas (53.6% vs. 35.3%, P = 0.019). BW < 750 g and GA < 28 weeks were the largest risk factors, and being small for gestational age was a protective factor related to mortality. Respiratory distress syndrome was the most common complication. The incidence of patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity was 26.2%, 33.7%, 6.7%, 48.1%, and 41.4%, respectively. Ventilator associated pneumonia was the most common hospital acquired infection during hospitalization.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our study was the first survey that revealed the present status of ELBW infants in the mainland of China. The mortality and morbidity of ELBW infants remained high as compared to other developed countries.</p>

Effects of extensively hydrolyzed protein formula on feeding and growth in preterm infants: a multicenter controlled clinical study / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of extensively hydrolyzed protein formula (eHF) on the feeding and growth in preterm infants through a multicenter controlled clinical study.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Preterm infants admitted to eight upper first-class hospitals in China between February 2012 and December 2013 were randomly selected. They were divided into two observation groups and two control groups. The first observation group consisted of preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks, who were fed with eHF for 10-14 days after birth and then with standard preterm formula (SPF) until discharge. The second observation group consisted of preterm infants with a gestational age of 32-34 weeks, who were fed with SPF after birth, but were switched to eHF (7-14 days) if suffering feeding intolerance at 6-8 days after birth. The two control groups with corresponding gestational ages kept to be fed with SPF after birth. Clinical data were recorded to compare feeding condition, physical growth, blood biochemical indices, and major complications between different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 328 preterm infants were enrolled. Preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks in the observation group had a significantly shorter meconium evacuation time than in the corresponding control group (P<0.05). They also had significantly lower levels of serum total bilirubin at weeks 1 and 2 after birth compared with the control group (P<0.05). The observation group needed more time in reaching enteral nutrition (EN) basic energy uptake of 50 kcal/(kg·d), partial parenteral nutrition (PPN), hospitalization, and corrected gestational age at discharge compared with the controlled infants (P<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) at discharge between the two groups (P>0.05). Preterm infants with a gestational age of 32-34 weeks in the observation group had significantly lower serum total bilirubin levels at 2 weeks after birth compared with the corresponding control group (P<0.05). They required more time in achieving EN basic energy and PPN than in the control group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of EUGR at discharge between the two groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>For preterm infants, eHF can improve gastrointestinal motility, accelerate bilirubin metabolism and excretion and does not increase the incidence of EUGR.</p>

Activation of mGluRI in neutrophils promotes the adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells / 生理学报

L-glutamate (Glu) is an excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. Relatively much attention has been paid to functional expression of Glu signaling molecules in peripheral tissues very recently. The present study tested the hypothesis that the activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluRI) in neutrophils stimulated neutrophils adherence to endothelial cells by increasing the surface expression of certain adhesion molecules. Peripheral blood was obtained by venipuncture from healthy donors, and the neutrophils were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation. Neutrophils floating into DMEM/F12 culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum were then used immediately. Immunocytochemistry and real-time quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of mGluRI (mGluR1 and mGluR5) in neutrophils. The adherence of neutrophils to cultured human normal umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVE-12) was measured by the colorimetric method. Cell surface expression of adhesion molecule CD11a in the neutrophils was determined by flow cytometry. Immunocytochemistry and real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed that mGluR1 and mGluR5 were constitutively expressed in neutrophils. Application of mGluRI agonist S-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (S-DHPG) (1x10(-8)-1x10(-6) mol/L) showed a dose-dependent stimulatory effect on the adherence of neutrophils to HUVE-12 (P<0.05 or P<0.01), with a maximum effect at 1x10(-6) mol/L (P<0.01). Incubations as short as 30 min were sufficient to induce increased adherence after the beginning of S-DHPG treatment. Following time extension (0.5-5 h), S-DHPG (1x10(-6) mol/L) increased the rate of neutrophils adhesion to HUVE-12 with a maximum effect at 0.5 h (P<0.01). However, a time-dependent effect of S-DHPG on the rate of neutrophils adhesion to HUVE-12 was not observed during the experimental period. 1x10(-6) mol/L of S-DHPG also induced an increased surface expression of adhesion molecule CD11a (P<0.01) when neutrophils were preincubated with 1x10(-6) mol/L of S-DHPG for 1 h. Furthermore, the specific mGluRI antagonist (RS)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine ((+/-)-MCPG, 0.5 mmol/L) significantly abolished the stimulatory effect of S-DHPG (1x10(-6) mol/L) on the adherence of neutrophils to HUVE-12 (P<0.01). These results suggest that the activation of mGluRI in neutrophils results in increased adhesion molecule CD11a expression and thereby promotes the adherence of neutrophils to endothelial cells.

MRI diagnosis of cerebral sparganosis in children / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the value of MRI in the diagnosis of cerebral sparganosis in children.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The MRI appearances of 17 children with cerebral sparganosis proven by pathology or serological test were retrospectively studied. The diagnostic accuracy rate of cerebral sparganosis was compared before and after knowing the imaging features of this disease.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Enhanced MRI was performed in 12 cases, and all of them demonstrated abnormal enhancement. Peripheral ring-type, tortuous beaded shape or serpiginous tubular shape enhancement were found in 8 cases. After analysis of follow-up MRI for 7 cases, a change in location and shape of lesions was found in 2 cases. Typical MRI patterns of cerebral sparganosis included abnormal enhancement such as peripheral ring-type, tortuous beaded shape or serpiginous tubular shape enhancement, and changes in location and shape of lesions in the follow-up MRI. The diagnostic accuracy rate for the 17 cases of cerebral sparganosis at the first visit, after first imaging examination and after several follow-up MR examinations were 0%, 11.8% and 28.6%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy rate of this disease increased to 64.7%, 70.6% and 85.7% respectively after the radiologists were trained in the imaging characteristics of the disease.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MR findings in children with cerebral sparganosis are specific. Mastering correctly the typical imaging features of the disease can be very helpful in reducing the rate of clinical misdiagnosis.</p>

Experimental study of acute lung injury induced by glutamate in vivo / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the possible injury induced by glutamate in the lung.@*METHODS@#The lung wet weight/body weight (LW/BW), lung wet/dry weight (W/D), the content of cells and the total protein (TP) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined together with the micromorphology observation.@*RESULTS@#(1) The LW/BW, W/D, the content of white blood cells, red blood cells and TP in BALF increased in a dose dependent manner 2 hours after the administration of the glutamate (0.50 - 0.75 g/kg). (2) Examination of histological sections showed the presence of lung inflammation charactered by neutrophils recruitment 2 hours after the glutamate administration. (3) The increase of W/D caused by glutamate (0.50 g/kg) was nearly abolished by pre-treatment with MK801 (a specific blocker of NMDA receptor, 0.1 mg/kg) for 30 minutes (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Glutamate can cause the acute lung injury through the activation of NMDA receptor in vivo.

Congenital hyperinsulinism: a difficult and complicated case study / 中国当代儿科杂志

This paper reported a case of congenital hyperinsulinism and reviewed the relevant literatures regarding to the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical and pathological features, diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. The baby (male), with gestational age of 36 weeks and birth weight 4,200 g, was delivered by caesarean section. It presented with hypoglycemia immediately after birth (0.8 mmol/L). Through the course of the disease, the baby's blood sugar manifested with 1.2-2.8 mmol/L although glucocorticoid was administered. 10% glucose solutions were intravenously infused at a speed of 10-17 mg/(kg x min) for this patient to retain a stable blood sugar level. The plasma insulin level was 24.13 U/L and blood sugar level was 1.5 mmol/L on day 30 of his life. The ratio of plasma insulin (U/L) and plasma glucose (mg/dL) was 0.89. These results suggest an inappropriate insulin secretion resulting in persistent hypoglycemia in this baby and so it was definitely diagnosed with congenital hyperinsulinism.

The neuroprotective effects and its mechanisms of qingkailing injection on bacterial meningitis induced by E. coli in rabbits / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the neuro-protective effect and mechanism of qingkailing injection (QKL) against cerebral injury caused by E. coli-meningitis (CM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The CM model rabbits were treated by ampicillin with QKL as adjuvant. The leukocyte count and protein content in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), the contents of water, sodium, potassium and calcium in cerebral tissues were measured before, 16 h and 26 h after Bacillus coli injection respectively. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was determined at the same time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Adjunctive treatment with QKL can not only inhibit the increase of leukocyte cells, protein content in CSF, and water, sodium, calcium content in cerebral tissues, but also the decrease of potassium content revealed during simple antibiotic treatment. It also can decrease the expression of MMP-9 in cerebral tissues of rabbits with CM.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>As an adjunctive treatment, QKL can prevent transient inflammatory reaction and aggravation of brain injury in CM induced by simple antibiotic treatment, its mechanisms might relate with calcium antagonism and attenuation of MMP-9 expression in brain tissues.</p>

Changes of tissue factor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor in neonatal jaundice due to infection / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Tissue factor (TF) is an important factor in extrinsic coagulation. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a negative regulator of coagulation mediated by TF. Studies on TF and TFPI focus mainly on adult objects, seldom have been done on newborns, especially on sick newborns. The aim of this study was to observe the changes of TF and TFPI in plasma of newborns with infection jaundice and to research the effect of jaundice and infection on the balance of TF and TFPI in newborns.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The content of TF and TFPI in plasma of 21 jaundiced newborns with infection and 8 jaundiced newborns without infection as control was determined quantitatively with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The content of TFPI and TF in plasma of jaundiced newborn with infection was significantly higher than that of controls [TFPI (21.0 +/- 4.3) vs. (16.2 +/- 1.9) microg/L, P < 0.01; TF (177 +/- 79) vs. (51 +/- 24) ng/L, P < 0.01]. The ratio of TFPI/TF was significantly lower in newborn with infection jaundice than the controls (137 +/- 61 vs. 319 +/- 67, P < 0.01). The 21 jaundiced newborns with infection were divided into the severe hyperbilirubinemia group (serum bilirubin > or = 205.2 micromol/L, n = 10) and the mild hyperbilirubinemia group (serum bilirubin < 205.2 micromol/L, n = 11). There was no significant difference of TFPI level between the severe hyperbilirubinemia group and mild hyperbilirubinemia group (P > 0.05). The TF content in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group was higher than that in the mild hyperbilirubinemia group (216 +/- 79 vs.141 +/- 63, P < 0.01), while the ration of TFPI/TF was lower in the severe hyperbilirubinemia group than in the mild hyperbilirubinemia group (100 +/- 30 vs. 171 +/- 74, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Infection might induce imbalance between the coagulation inhibition and activation in newborns. Hyperbilirubinemia can aggravate the imbalance induced by the infection through increasing plasma TF level.</p>

Effect of Sodium Valproate on Weight,Body Mass Index,Serum Glucose,Serum Insulin in Children with Epilepsy / 实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the changes of weight,body mass index(MBI),serum glucose,serum insulin in sodium valproate(VPA)-treated children with epilepsy.Methods The study was carried out in 30 epileptic children treated with VPA for 3 months.Weight,height,serum glucose and insulin levels were conducted before and after VPA treatment.Serum insulin levels were detected by radioimmunoassay.Results After 3 months' treatment,body weight [(15.68?3.82)kg vs(19.64?4.75)kg,t=3.56 P0.05].Conclusions VPA therapy can make insuline weight,BMI,serum insulin increased and may lead to insulin resistance.Insulin resistance may be one of the reasons for weight gain in VPA-treated patients.