The respiratory sound features of COVID-19 patients fill gaps between clinical data and screening methods

BackgroundThe 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has continuous outbreaks around the world. Lung is the main organ that be involved. There is a lack of clinical data on the respiratory sounds of COVID-19 infected pneumonia, which includes invaluable information concerning physiology and pathology. The medical resources are insufficient, which are now mainly supplied for the severe patients. The development of a convenient and effective screening method for mild or asymptomatic suspicious patients is highly demanded. MethodsThis is a retrospective case series study. 10 patients with positive results of nucleic acid were enrolled in this study. Lung auscultation was performed by the same physician on admission using a hand-held portable electronic stethoscope delivered in real time via Bluetooth. The recorded audio was exported, and was analyzed by six physicians. Each physician individually described the abnormal breathing sounds that he heard. The results were analyzed in combination with clinical data. Signal analysis was used to quantitatively describe the most common abnormal respiratory sounds. ResultsAll patients were found abnormal breath sounds at least by 3 physicians, and one patient by all physicians. Cackles, asymmetrical vocal resonance and indistinguishable murmurs are the most common abnormal breath sounds. One asymptomatic patient was found vocal resonance, and the result was correspondence with radiographic computed tomography. Signal analysis verified the credibility of the above abnormal breath sounds. ConclusionsThis study describes respiratory sounds of patients with COVID-19, which fills up for the lack of clinical data and provides a simple screening method for suspected patients.

Analysis of risk factors for anastomotic infectious complications following bowel resection for Crohn disease / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the risk factors for anastomotic infectious complications after bowel resection in patients with Crohn disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 124 patients with Crohn disease undergoing bowel resection between January 1990 and October 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. The risk factors were identified by χ(2) test and Logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Fourteen patients (12.3%, 14/114) developed anastomotic infectious complications in the postoperative period, including anastomotic leak (n=7), intra-abdominal abscess (n=6), and enterocutaneous fistula (n=1). Crohn disease activity index (CDAI)>150 (OR=2.185, 95%CI:1.098-6.256, P=0.040), steroid usage (OR=2.674, 95%CI:1.118-8.786, P=0.027), and the presence of preoperative abscess/fistula (OR=3.447, 95%CI:1.254-10.462, P=0.014) were identified as independent risk factors of anastomotic infectious complications. In the absence of these 3 risk factors, the rate of anastomotic infectious complication was 5.7% (3/53), which increased to 11.4% (4/35) when one risk factor was present, 21.1% (4/19) when two risk factors were present, and 42.9% (3/7) when all the 3 risk factors were present.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CDAI>150, steroid usage and preoperative abscess/fistula are associated with higher rates of anastomotic infectious complications following bowel resection for Crohn disease. A prudent management should be carried out if risk factors can not be eliminated preoperatively.</p>

Diagnostic value of Crohn disease activity indices in assessing postoperative recurrence / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the diagnostic value of Crohn disease activity indices (CDAI) in assessing symptomatic recurrence following ileocolic resection for Crohn disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 85 patients who underwent ileocolic resection between March 2003 and March 2010 were included. Clinical and endoscopic evaluation were performed within 12 months after operation. Endoscopic appearance was assessed using Rutgeers score and endoscopic recurrence was defined as endoscopic score ≥i2. Symptomatic recurrence was defined by the composite of symptom severity warranting medical therapy and endoscopic recurrence. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to explore the utility of CDAI in determining the presence or absence of symptomatic disease.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nineteen patients had symptomatic recurrence within 12 months postoperatively. The mean CDAI of patients with symptomatic recurrence was 205±93, significantly higher than those with sustained remission(97±44, P<0.01). The area under the ROC curve for symptomatic recurrence and CDAI was 0.786. Symptomatic recurrence was best predicted by a CDAI cutoff of 150 and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy was 73.7%, 81.8% and 80.0% respectively. When a combined endoscopic and CDAI was applied, the specificity and accuracy was markedly improved to 95.5% and 90.6%. In comparison to CDAI alone, the combined use of CDAI and endoscopic evaluation had a higher level of agreement on symptomatic recurrence(Kappa value, 0.718 vs. 0.462).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CDAI is effective to predict symptomatic recurrence. A combination of CDAI and endoscopic evaluation can further improve the accuracy of assessing symptomatic recurrence.</p>

Value of quantitative examination via contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in evaluating the activity of Crohn disease at endoscopy / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the predictive value of quantitative examination via contrast-enhanced ultrasonography on the activity of Crohn disease at endoscopy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 59 cases with Crohn disease in People's Hospital of Lishui City between January 2009 and December 2010 were collected prospectively and underwent both colonoscopy and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. According to the Simple Endoscopic Score, Crohn disease was divided into inactive and active disease by colonoscopy. To assess the vascularization of the involved bowel loop in a region expected to be seen at colonoscopy, the contrast agent uptake was measured by using quantitative analysis. Measurement of contrast enhancement was assessed as the percentage of increase in wall brightness in regions of interest (ROI). The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the value of contrast agent uptake in predicting the severity determined at endoscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Colonoscopy showed active lesions in 45 cases and inactive lesions in 14 cases, in whom the percentages of increase of brightness were (90±32)% and (41±29)% respectively. At a threshold value of 45% for the percentage of increase of brightness, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of predicting the severity at endoscopy were 95.6%, 78.6% and 91.5%, the Youden index was 0.74, and area under curve was 0.846.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Quantitative measurement of bowel enhancement by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can discriminate between active and inactive Crohn disease at endoscopy. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography may be a useful technique to monitor the activity of Crohn disease.</p>