[The study on the value of using the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma physiology score to assess the severity of acute exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated by type II respiratory failure].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma physiology score (CAPS) in evaluating the severity and prognosis of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated by type II respiratory failure. METHODS: Eighty-two cases with AECOPD complicated by type II respiratory failure between January 2005 and March 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. The severity in survivors and non-survivors was evaluated by CAPS and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation system (APACHE II score, APACHE III score), and retrospective and statistical analyses of all data were performed. RESULTS: CAPS, APACHE II score, APACHE III score, duration of invasive positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) and days in intensive care unit of 19 cases in the death group were 34.21+/-9.89, 22.53+/-7.49, 75.11+/-18.07, (25.06+/-24.64) days, (32.42+/-25.49) days , respectively, while 63 cases of the survival group were 27.41+/-8.15, 18.65+/-5.34, 64.11+/-15.92, (5.23+/-5.50) days, (12.51+/-20.70) days, respectively, and there were significant differences between two groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of CAPS, APACHE II score and APACHE III score were 0.712 (P=0.005), 0.654 (P=0.043) and 0.655 (P=0.042), respectively. When CAPS score was 30.5, Youden index was the highest (0.435). The mortality rate had a positive correlation with CAPS. When the CAPS score was over 30, there was a tendency of increase in mortality rate. CONCLUSION: CAPS is very useful to evaluate the severity and prognosis of patients with AECOPD complicated by type II respiratory failure. It is easy to perform, and better than APACHE II and APACHE III.

N-(2-Formamido-eth-yl)formamide.

The complete molecule of the title compound, C(4)H(8)N(2)O(2), is generated by a crystallographic inversion center. The occurence of N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds results in the formation of a two-dimensional infinite network parallel to the (010) plane. In this plane, the hydrogen bonds define graph-set motif R(4) (4)(22) in a centrosymmetric array by the association of four mol-ecules.

[Candida species distribution in the patients with high risk of deep fungal infections and relevant risk factors: a prospective cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution of Candida spp. in the patients with high-risk of fungal infection and the risk factors of deep candidiasis. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed among 440 consecutive hospitalized patients admitted to the hematology wards, geriatric wards, and ICUs from May 2004 to April 2005. Stool, urine, and saliva were cultured during the period 72 - 96 h after hospitalization for the first time and then once a week till the patient was discharged or by the end of the sixth week. If deep fungal infection was suspected culture of blood, sputum, bacterium-free body fluid, and/or biopsy specimens were cultured. Medical records were reviewed to analyze the possible risk factors. RESULTS: 426 strains of Candida spp. were isolated from 152 patients, with Candida albicans accounting for 67.4% and other Candida spp for 32.6%. 61 patients were discovered to express Candida colonization. The major species isolated from patients with Candida colonization was Candida albicans. The risk factors identified included two or more broad-spectrum antibiotic administration (odds ratio 16.204; 95% confidence interval, 2.005 to 130.980), Candida colonization (10.636; 3.743 to 30.222), and urinary canal administration (4.285; 1.399 to 13.127). CONCLUSION: Candida albicans is still the major organism isolated from the high risk fungal infection patients. Two or more broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, Candida colonization, and urinary canal administration are proved to be the risk factors, with the broad-spectrum antibiotic administration exhibiting more influence than Candida colonization and urinary canal administration.