Risk factors for hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 280 gastric cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia in First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University from January 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and the types and incidence of postoperative delirium were recorded. The factors influencing the occurrence of postoperative hyperactive delirium were analyzed. RESULTS: Multi-factor logistic regression analysis showed that older age, high dosage of anesthetic drug consumption, high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (or ASA grade 3-4), long Post-anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) stay, and long extubation time were independent risk factors for the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy (OR > 1, P < 0.05). The area under the curve of the nomogram was used to predict the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia was 0.903 (95% CI: 0.846-0.978). CONCLUSION: Older age, high dosage of anesthetic drug consumption, high ASA classification (or ASA grade 3-4), long PACU stay, and long extubation time were independent risk factors affecting the occurrence of hyperactive delirium after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia.

Perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China.

BACKGROUND: On January 20, 2020, a new coronavirus epidemic with human-to-human transmission was officially declared by the Chinese government, which caused significant public panic in China. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable and in special need for preventive mental health strategies. Thus far, no reports exist to investigate the mental health response of pregnant women to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak on the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and the corresponding risk factors among pregnant women across China. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was initiated in early December 2019 to identify mental health concerns in pregnancy using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This study provided a unique opportunity to compare the mental status of pregnant women before and after the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic. A total of 4124 pregnant women during their third trimester from 25 hospitals in 10 provinces across China were examined in this cross-sectional study from January 1, 2020, to February 9, 2020. Of these women, 1285 were assessed after January 20, 2020, when the coronavirus epidemic was publicly declared and 2839 were assessed before this pivotal time point. The internationally recommended Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess maternal depression and anxiety symptoms. Prevalence rates and risk factors were compared between the pre- and poststudy groups. RESULTS: Pregnant women assessed after the declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic had significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms (26.0% vs 29.6%, P=.02) than women assessed before the epidemic declaration. These women were also more likely to have thoughts of self-harm (P=.005). The depressive rates were positively associated with the number of newly confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (P=.003), suspected infections (P=.004), and deaths per day (P=.001). Pregnant women who were underweight before pregnancy, primiparous, younger than 35 years, employed full time, in middle income category, and had appropriate living space were at increased risk for developing depressive and anxiety symptoms during the outbreak. CONCLUSION: Major life-threatening public health events such as the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak may increase the risk for mental illness among pregnant women, including thoughts of self-harm. Strategies targeting maternal stress and isolation such as effective risk communication and the provision of psychological first aid may be particularly useful to prevent negative outcomes for women and their fetuses.

NMDA receptor-driven calcium influx promotes ischemic human cardiomyocyte apoptosis through a p38 MAPK-mediated mechanism.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity plays a key role in cerebral ischemia. Although NMDAR is also expressed in cardiomyocytes, little research has been performed on NMDAR activity in myocardial ischemia. Here, using an in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) cardiomyocyte model, we evaluated the effects of NMDAR activity upon calcium influx, viability, apoptosis, and investigated the roles of several key mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Primary human neonatal cardiomyocytes were cultured under OGD conditions to mimic in vivo ischemic conditions. Enhancing NMDAR activity via NMDA significantly promoted calcium influx, decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, and enhanced p38 MAPK phosphorylation in OGD cardiomyocytes (all P < 0.05). These effects were rescued by several calcium-channel blockers (ie, MK-801, La3+ , Gap26 peptide, 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid) but most potently rescued via the NMDAR-specific antagonist MK-801 or removal of extracellular free calcium (all P < 0.05). Knocking-down p38 MAPK activity by small-molecule inhibition or genetic methods significantly increased cell viability and reduced apoptosis (all P < 0.05). Enhancing p38 MAPK activity abolished MK-801's apoptosis-reducing effects in a p38 MAPK-dependent manner. In conclusion, NMDAR-driven calcium influx promotes apoptosis in ischemic human cardiomyocytes, an effect which can be attributed to enhanced p38 MAPK activity.

N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor-Driven Calcium Influx Potentiates the Adverse Effects of Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Ex Vivo.

BACKGROUND: Despite the adverse effects of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activity in cardiomyocytes, no study has yet examined the effects of NMDAR activity under ex vivo ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) conditions. Therefore, our aim was to comprehensively evaluate the effects of NMDAR activity through an ex vivo myocardial I/R rat model. METHODS: Isolated rat hearts were randomly segregated into 6 groups (n = 20 in each group): (1) an untreated control group; (2) a NMDA-treated control group; (3) an untreated I/R group; (4) an I/R+NMDA group treated with NMDA; (5) an I/R+NMDA+MK-801 group treated with NMDA and the NMDAR inhibitor MK-801; and (6) an I/R+NMDA+[Ca]-free group treated with NMDA and [Ca]-free buffer. The 4 I/R groups underwent 30 minutes of ischemia followed by 50 minutes of reperfusion. Left ventricular pressure signals were analyzed to assess cardiac performance. Myocardial intracellular calcium levels ([Ca]i) were assessed in isolated ventricular cardiomyocytes. Creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, lactate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I, and cardiac troponin T were assayed from coronary effluents. TTC and TUNEL staining were used to measure generalized myocardial necrosis and apoptosis levels, respectively. Western blotting was applied to assess the phosphorylation of PKC-δ, PKC-ε, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase. RESULTS: Enhanced NMDAR activity under control conditions had no significant effects on the foregoing variables. In contrast, enhanced NMDAR activity under I/R conditions produced significant increases in [Ca]i levels (∼1.2% increase), significant losses in left ventricular function (∼5.4% decrease), significant multi-fold increases in creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme MB, lactate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I, and cardiac troponin T, significant increases in generalized myocardial necrosis (∼36% increase) and apoptosis (∼150% increase), and significant multi-fold increases in PKC-δ, PKC-ε, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation (all P < 0.05). These adverse effects were rescued by the NMDAR inhibitor MK-801 or [Ca]-free buffer (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: NMDAR-driven calcium influx potentiates the adverse effects of myocardial I/R injury ex vivo.

Supramolecular host-guest interaction of trityl-nitroxide biradicals with cyclodextrins: modulation of spin-spin interaction and redox sensitivity.

Supramolecular host-guest interactions of trityl-nitroxide (TN) biradicals CT02-VT, CT02-AT and CT02-GT with methyl-ß-cyclodextrin (M-ß-CD), hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (H-ß-CD) and γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) were investigated by EPR spectroscopy. In the presence of cyclodextrins (i.e., γ-CD, M-ß-CD and H-ß-CD), host-guest complexes of CT02-VT are formed where the nitroxide and linker parts possibly interact with the cyclodextrins' cavities. Complexation with cyclodextrins leads to suppression of the intramolecular through-space spin-spin exchange coupling in CT02-VT, thus allowing the determination of the through-bond spin-spin exchange coupling which was calculated to be 1.6 G using EPR simulations. Different types of cyclodextrins have different binding affinities with CT02-VT in the order of γ-CD (95 M(-1)) > M-ß-CD (70 M(-1)) > H-ß-CD (32 M(-1)). In addition, the effect of the linkers in TN biradicals on the host-guest interactions was also investigated. Among the three TN biradicals studied, CT02-VT has the highest association constant with one designated cyclodextrin derivative. On the other hand, the complexes of CT02-GT (∼ 22 G) and CT02-AT (7.7-9.0 G) with cyclodextrins have much higher through-bond spin-spin exchange couplings than those of CT02-VT (1.6 G) due to the shorter linkers than those of CT02-VT. Furthermore, the stability of TN biradicals towards ascorbate was significantly enhanced after the complexation with CDs, with an almost 2-fold attenuation of the second-order rate constants for all the biradicals. Therefore, the supramolecular host-guest interactions with cyclodextrins will be an alternative method to modulate the magnitude of the spin-spin interactions and redox sensitivity of TN biradicals, and the resulting complexes are promising as highly efficient DNP polarizing agents as well as EPR redox probes.

Pyriform sinus localization-assisted blind intubation: comparison with laryngoscopic intubation.

BACKGROUND: Conventional endotracheal intubation requires laryngoscopy for a direct view of the glottis. However, laryngoscopy is associated with many potential complications. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of pyriform sinus localization-assisted blind orotracheal intubation with those of conventional laryngoscopic orotracheal intubation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized, patient-blind, prospective study of 300 patients who underwent various operations was performed. One hundred patients were assigned to the laryngoscopic intubation group (laryngoscopy group), and 200 patients were assigned to the blind intubation group (blind group). RESULTS: The total intubation success rate in the blind group was similar to that in the laryngoscopy group (100% vs. 99%, respectively; p=0.33). Oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry in both groups was maintained at >98%. The intubation time was significantly shorter in the blind group than in the laryngoscopy group (9.7±3.4 s vs. 23.0±5.8 s, respectively; p<0.001). Postoperative complication rates were significantly lower in the blind group than in the laryngoscopy group. Recovery time from these symptoms was significantly shorter in the blind group than in the laryngoscopy group (p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Pyriform sinus localization-assisted blind orotracheal intubation was shown to be more effective than conventional laryngoscopic orotracheal intubation in terms of success rate, intubation time, and postoperative complication rate. Moreover, it is less affected by common risk factors; thus, this method may be more beneficial in patients with difficult airways.