Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020 / 医学前沿

This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.

Evaluation of ICUs and weight of quality control indicators: an exploratory study based on Chinese ICU quality data from 2015 to 2020 / 医学前沿

This study aimed to explore key quality control factors that affected the prognosis of intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Chinese mainland over six years (2015-2020). The data for this study were from 31 provincial and municipal hospitals (3425 hospital ICUs) and included 2 110 685 ICU patients, for a total of 27 607 376 ICU hospitalization days. We found that 15 initially established quality control indicators were good predictors of patient prognosis, including percentage of ICU patients out of all inpatients (%), percentage of ICU bed occupancy of total inpatient bed occupancy (%), percentage of all ICU inpatients with an APACHE II score ⩾15 (%), three-hour (surviving sepsis campaign) SSC bundle compliance (%), six-hour SSC bundle compliance (%), rate of microbe detection before antibiotics (%), percentage of drug deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis (%), percentage of unplanned endotracheal extubations (%), percentage of patients reintubated within 48 hours (%), unplanned transfers to the ICU (%), 48-h ICU readmission rate (%), ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) (per 1000 ventilator days), catheter related blood stream infection (CRBSI) (per 1000 catheter days), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (per 1000 catheter days), in-hospital mortality (%). When exploratory factor analysis was applied, the 15 indicators were divided into 6 core elements that varied in weight regarding quality evaluation: nosocomial infection management (21.35%), compliance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (17.97%), ICU resources (17.46%), airway management (15.53%), prevention of deep-vein thrombosis (14.07%), and severity of patient condition (13.61%). Based on the different weights of the core elements associated with the 15 indicators, we developed an integrated quality scoring system defined as F score=21.35%xnosocomial infection management + 17.97%xcompliance with SSC guidelines + 17.46%×ICU resources + 15.53%×airway management + 14.07%×DVT prevention + 13.61%×severity of patient condition. This evidence-based quality scoring system will help in assessing the key elements of quality management and establish a foundation for further optimization of the quality control indicator system.

Anuria, Sudden Blindless, Confusion: A Case of Unusual "Adult Still Disease" / 罕见病研究

A young female patient presented with fever, arthralgia, and rash was diagnosed with adults still's disease. When treated with glucocorticoid steroid, the above patient progressed to anuria, sudden, and confusion. After a teamwork involving different departments, the patient was finally diagnosed with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and treated with good outcome. aHUS is a rare disease, while Eculizumab is an orphan drug. The diagnosis and treatment of the patient reveals the importance of multidisciplinary team on the diagnosis and treatment of rare and difficult diseases.

Forecasting the Worldwide Spread of COVID-19 based on Logistic Model and SEIR Model

BackgroundWith the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a sudden case increase in late February 2020 led to deep concern globally. Italy, South Korea, Iran, France, Germany, Spain, the US and Japan are probably the countries with the most severe outbreaks. Collecting epidemiological data and predicting epidemic trends are important for the development and measurement of public intervention strategies. Epidemic prediction results yielded by different mathematical models are inconsistent; therefore, we sought to compare different models and their prediction results to generate objective conclusions. MethodsWe used the number of cases reported from January 23 to March 20, 2020, to estimate the possible spread size and peak time of COVID-19, especially in 8 high-risk countries. The logistic growth model, basic SEIR model and adjusted SEIR model were adopted for prediction. Given that different model inputs may infer different model outputs, we implemented three model predictions with three scenarios of epidemic development. ResultsWhen comparing all 8 countries short-term prediction results and peak predictions, the differences among the models were relatively large. The logistic growth model estimated a smaller epidemic size than the basic SERI model did; however, once we added parameters that considered the effects of public health interventions and control measures, the adjusted SERI model results demonstrated a considerably rapid deceleration of epidemic development. Our results demonstrated that contact rate, quarantine scale, and the initial quarantine time and length are important factors in controlling epidemic size and length. ConclusionsWe demonstrated a comparative assessment of the predictions of the COVID-19 outbreak in eight high-risk countries using multiple methods. By forecasting epidemic size and peak time as well as simulating the effects of public health interventions, the intent of this paper is to help clarify the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 and recommend operation suggestions to slow down the epidemic. It is suggested that the quick detection of cases, sufficient implementation of quarantine and public self-protection behaviors are critical to slow down the epidemic.

Evaluating the secondary transmission pattern and epidemic prediction of the COVID-19 in metropolitan areas of China

Understanding the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 is crucial for evaluating its spread pattern, especially in metropolitan areas of China, as its spread can lead to secondary outbreaks outside Wuhan, the center of the new coronavirus disease outbreak. In addition, the experiences gained and lessons learned from China have the potential to provide evidence to support other metropolitan areas and large cities outside China with emerging cases. We used data reported from January 24, 2020, to February 23, 2020, to fit a model of infection, estimate the likely number of infections in four high-risk metropolitan areas based on the number of cases reported, and increase the understanding of the COVID-19 spread pattern. Considering the effect of the official quarantine regulations and travel restrictions for China, which began January 23[~]24, 2020, we used the daily travel intensity index from the Baidu Maps app to roughly simulate the level of restrictions and estimate the proportion of the quarantined population. A group of SEIR model statistical parameters were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods and fitting on the basis of reported data. As a result, we estimated that the basic reproductive number, R0, was 2.91 in Beijing, 2.78 in Shanghai, 2.02 in Guangzhou, and 1.75 in Shenzhen based on the data from January 24, 2020, to February 23, 2020. In addition, we inferred the prediction results and compared the results of different levels of parameters. For example, in Beijing, the predicted peak number of cases was approximately 466 with a peak time of February 29, 2020; however, if the city were to implement different levels (strict, mild, or weak) of travel restrictions or regulation measures, the estimation results showed that the transmission dynamics would change and that the peak number of cases would differ by between 56% and [~]159%. We concluded that public health interventions would reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 and that more rigorous control and prevention measures would effectively contain its further spread but that the risk will increase when businesses and social activities return to normal before the end of the epidemic. Besides, the experiences gained and lessons learned from China are potential to provide evidences supporting for other metropolitan areas and big cities with emerging cases outside China.

The relationship between arterial blood lactate clearance, prognosis and myocardial damage in patients with septic shock after early goal-directed therapy / 中华内科杂志

Objective To evaluate the prognostic value of arterial blood lactate clearance based on central venous oxygen saturation and perfusion index in patients with septic shock related myocardial injury after early goal-directed therapy.Methods One hundred and fifty-seven patients with septic shock after early resuscitation were enrolled from August 2013 to July 2016 in ICU at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Parameters indicating early resuscitation included central venous pressure (CVP) 8-12 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),mean arterial pressure (MAP)＞65 mmHg,central venous oxygen saturation(ScvO2)＞70％ and urine volume (UO) ＞0.Sml · kg-1 · h-1 and arterial blood lactatc (Lac) ＞2 mmoL/L.Patients were divided into group A [ScvO2＞80％ and perfusion index (PI)＞1.4],group B(ScvO2＞80％ and PI＜1.4),group C (ScvO2＜80％ and PI＞1.4),group D(ScvO2＜80％ and Pl＜l.4).Hemodynamic parameters and tissue perfusion indexes at 2 hours(T2),4 hours(T4) and 6 hours(T6) after early resuscitation and troponin Ⅰ which indicated myocardial damage,on day 1 2 3 in ICU were recorded.Results (1)Lac clearance in group C was the quickest,which was 34.57％ (21.44％,44.20％),58.33％ (30.19％,70.79％),71.43％ (53.75％,82.79％) at T2,T4,T6 respectively.(2)The maximal incidence of myocardial damage was in group B(85.0％) and the lowest in group A (45.7％) on day 1 in ICU.Whereas on day 2,group C showed the lowest incidence of myocardial damage (29.3％) and group B the highest(70.0％).On day 3,the proportion of elevated troponin Ⅰ in group B was 70.0％,which was significantly higher than that of group B (29.3％,P＜0.008).(3)Logistic regression analysis suggested that the rate of Lac clearance at T4 in group B was related to the incidence of myocardial damage on day 2 and 3 in ICU.Conclusions The combination of PI and ScvO2 as a resuscitation target in patients with septic shock facilitates Lac clearance as the goal of resuscitation.The rate of arterial Lac clearance based on ScvO2 and PI is correlated with myocardial injury in patients with septic shock after early goal-directed therapy.

The expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells receptor-1 in Aspergillus infected mice / 中华内科杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells receptor-1 (TREM-1) in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and its correlation with Galactomannan,IFN,IL-6 and IL-10 in Aspergillus infected mice.Methods Cyclophosphamide (CTX) was intraperitoneally injected and fumigatus spore suspension was inhaled by nose to establish the immunocompromised invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) mouse model.Healthy controls,immunocompromised only and IPA only groups were also established.Each group had 6 mice.After inoculation,mice were sacrificed.Lung tissue specimens,BALF,and plasma samples were collected.Plasma and BALF soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1),Galactomannan,IFNγ,IL-6,and IL-10 were detected by ELISA.Results Positive Aspergillus fumigatus was found by tissue culture in the lung.Infiltration of inflammatory cells,blood congestion and interstitial lung tissue injury were observed in histological sections of both IPA and immunocompromised IPA mice.Compared to IPA group [(453.78 ± 74.18) ng/L,P ＜ 0.001;(10.21±1.46) ng/L,P＜0.001] and control group [(245.16 ±65.85) ng/L,P＜0.001;(6.60 ± 3.74) ng/L,P ＜ 0.001],the plasma and BALF sTREM-1 significantly increased in immunocompromised IPA group [(1 537.64 ± 359.52) ng/L;(20.12-± 2.72) ng/L].Compared to control group,both the BALF sTREM-1 in IPA group (P =0.041) and the plasma and BALF Galactomannan,IFNγ,IL-6,and IL-10 levels in IPA and immunocompromised IPA groups were significantly higher (P ＜0.01).Pearson correlation analysis showed that plasma and BALF sTREM-1 were significantly correlated with Galactomannan (r =0.83,P ＜ 0.001;r =0.82,P ＜ 0.001),IFNγ (r =0.79,P＜0.001;r=0.61,P＜0.01),IL-6 (r=0.81,P＜0.001;r=0.66,P＜0.01),andIL-10 (r=0.70,P =0.001;r =0.54,P =0.02).Conclusions Plasma and BALF sTREM-1 appears highly expressed in Aspergillus infected mice.sTREM-1 in mice plasma and BALF is closely correlated with Galactomannan,IFNγ,IL-6,and IL-10 levels,which suggests that sTREM-1 has great diagnostic value during invasive fungal infection.

The expression of triggering receptor expresses on myeloid cells receptor-1, T cell-specific transcription factor, and eomesodermin in Aspergillus infected immunosuppressed rats / 中华内科杂志

Objective To investigate the function of triggering receptor expresses on myeloid cells receptor-1 (TREM-1) in lymphocyte differentiation and regulation of Aspergillus infected immunosuppressed rats.Methods Cyclophosphamide (CTX) was intraperitoneally injected and Fumigatus spore suspension was inhaled by percutaneous tracheostomy to establish the immunosuppressive invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) rat model.After 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h inoculation, rats were sacrificed.Lung tissue specimens, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) , and plasma samples were collected.Plasma and BALF sTREM-1, plasma T cell-specific transcription factor (T-box expressed in T cells, T-bet) and eomesodermin(Eomes) were detected by ELISA.Biopsy specimens of lung tissue were used for periodic acid-schiff (PAS) staining and culture.Results The mortality rate of immunosuppressed rats after Aspergillus inhalation for 96 h was as high as 54.4％.Biopsy of lung tissue suggested acute inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial lung congestion, alveolar structural damage, and visible Aspergillus hyphae in alveoli.Compared with normal control group[(110.50 ± 7.70)ng/L], plasma sTREM-1 in study groups were significantly increased [IPA : (146.77 ± 10.41) ng/L;CXT + IPA at 24 h : (226.00 ± 11.88) ng/L;CTX + IPA at 48 h : (200.77 ± 10.63) ng/L;P ＜ 0.05], so were T-bet levels [IPA : (561.17 ± 7.23) μg/L;CXT + IPA at 24 h : (647.00 ± 33.03) μg/L;CTX + IPA at 48 h : (619.23 ± 87.44) μg/L;control group : (340.03 ± 26.32) μg/L;respectively, P ＜0.05].However, plasma Eomes levels in IPA group, CTX + IPA at 24 h and 48 h were significantly lower compared with that in normal controls [IPA : (7.96 ± 0.65) ng/L;CXT + IPA at 24 h : (3.97 ± 0.35) ng/L;CTX + IPA at 48 h : (4.00 ± 0.74) ng/L;control group : (8.38 ± 0.51) ng/L;respectively,P ＜0.001].Compared with those in CTX + IPA vaccination after 24 h and 48 h, plasma sTREM-1 [(106.67 ±7.64)ng/L;(133.27 ± 32.79) ng/L] and T-bet [(299.64±63.07)μg/L;(398.02 ± 109.22) μg/L] in CTX + IPA at 72 h and 96 h inoculation were significantly lower (P ＜ 0.001).While Eomes [(8.38 ± 0.54) ng/L;(8.40 ± 0.70) ng/L] raised significantly higher (P ＜ 0.001).Compared with the control group, sTREM-1 levels in BALF of IPA + CTX 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and 96 h groups were consistently high (P ＜ 0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that sTREM-1 and T-bet had a significant positive correlation (r =0.91, P ＜ 0.001), yet Eomes was negatively correlated with them (r =-0.788, P ＜ 0.001).Conclusions sTREM-1 in rat plasma and BALF appears highly expressed in immune compromised Aspergillus infected rat model.Plasma sTREM-1 is closely correlated with T-bet and Eomes levels, which suggests that TREM-1 may be involved in lymphocytic regulation and differentiation during fungal infection.

Prognosis and weaning of elderly multiple organ dysfunction syndrome patients with invasive mechanical ventilation / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Elderly multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation have poor prognosis in intensive care units (ICUs). We studied the usefulness of four commonly used severity scores and extrapulmonary factors that affected weaning to predict outcome of such patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 197 patients on admission to ICUs (from January 2009 to June 2012) were used retrospectively. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, APACHE III, Sample Acute Physiological Score (SAPS) II and MODS scores were calculated. All the patients were grouped into survivors and nonsurvivors according to the prognosis. Patients, who weaned from ventilator (n = 154), were subdivided into a successful weaning group and a failed weaning group. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Logistic regression was used for prognostic and weaning assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Based on the outcomes, the areas under the ROC of APACHE II, APACHE III, SAPS II, and MODS were 0.837, 0.833, 0.824, and 0.837, respectively. The Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio (OR) of underlying lung diseases, serum albumin and creatinine, and the number of organ failures was 2.374, 0.920, 1.003, and 1.547. APACHE II scores on admission performed excellent (ROC: 0.921) on the weaning assessments.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>APACHE II and MODS systems were marginally better for evaluating the prognosis of elderly MODS patients who received invasive mechanical ventilation. Underlying lung diseases, serum albumin, serum creatinine and the number of organ failures were independent prognostic factors. Using the APACHE II scores on admission before weaning may increase the likelihood of successful weaning. (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier NCT01802983).</p>

Heliox as a driving gas to atomize inhaled drugs on acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective clinical study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is a common condition, which affects not only the quality of life of patients but also their prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of an inhaled salbutamol sulfate solution and an inhalation suspension of the glucocorticoid budesonide that were atomized with heliox to treat patients with AECOPD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-three patients with AECOPD were divided into a treatment group (He/O2 = 70%/30%) and a control group (N2/O2 = 70%/30%). The salbutamol sulfate and budesonide were administered by inhalation twice a day for 7 days. Vital signs, arterial blood gas levels, pulmonary function and the levels of serum myostatin (sMSTN) were measured and lung vibration imaging was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We found that the PaO2 and PaCO2 values were not significantly different between the two groups at the various time points (P > 0.05). There were also no significant differences in any of the parameters of pulmonary function between the two groups. However, after baseline correction, the increase rate of the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), the forced vital capacity (FVC), and the maximum minute ventilation (MVV) appeared to be significantly increased at some time points compared with the baseline (before treatment) in both groups (P < 0.05). Although the values of quantitative lung distribution (QLD) for different regions and the levels of sMSTN were slightly different between the two groups, the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that there were no significant differences between the two groups or within any group (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although the use of heliox as a driving gas can improve symptoms and benefit patients with AECOPD, the heliox treatment group did not have significant differences in arterial blood gases, lung function, lung vibration response imaging or the levels of sMSTN compared with the control group. (Chinese Clinical Trial Register Center ChiCTRTRC-00000273).</p>