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IntroductionRecent reports of potential harmful effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have provoked great concern. Therefore, the safety of NSAIDs is still questioned. MethodsWe searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases from December 2019 to January 2021 to examine use prevalence for NSAIDs in general, as well as associated COVID-19 risk and outcomes. This study has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019132063) ResultsWe included 25 studies with a total of 101,215 COVID-19 patients. The use of NSAIDs in COVID-19 patients reached 19%. Exposure to NSAIDs was not associated with significantly increased risk of developing COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR]=0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78-1.24; I2=82%), hospitalization (OR=1.06, 95%CI: 0.76-1.48; I2=81%), mechanical ventilation (OR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.47-1.06; I2=38%), and length of hospital stay. Moreover, use of NSAIDs was significantly associated with better outcomes, including severity of COVID-19 (OR=0.79, 95%CI: 71-0.89; I2=0%) and death (OR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.52-0.89; I2=85%) in patients with COVID-19. Regarding safety outcomes, exposure to NSAIDs was associated with increased risk of stroke (OR=2.32, 95%CI: 1.04-5.2; I2=0%), but not with myocardial infraction (OR=1.49; p=0.66; I2=0%), overt thrombosis (OR=0.76, p=0.50; I2=28%) and major bleeding (p=0.61). ConclusionBased on current evidence, exposure to NSAIDs is not linked to increased odds or exacerbation of COVID-19 in the general COVID-19 population. Furthermore, administration of NSAIDs might have better outcomes and survival benefits in the general COVID-19 population, although potentially increasing the risk of stroke. Use of NSAIDs might be safe and beneficial in COVID-19. Future observational and randomized control trials are needed for further confirmation.
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ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine whether serum vitamin D is independently associated with COVID-19 infection and outcomes in patients with COVID-19. MethodsWe identified relevant studies by searching the PubMed, Embase, and medRxiv databases from December 2019 to October 1, 2020. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using random-effects models. Only reports with multivariate adjusted results were included to avoid the impact of potential confounding factors. ResultsA total of six studies with 377,265 patients were identified. Overall, in the categorical analysis, a low serum vitamin D level was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.09- 1.97, I2=81%), hospitalization (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.22-2.74, I2=0%), but not in-hospital death (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 0.27-27.61). Notably, when vitamin D level was analyzed as a continuous variable, each 5 ng/ml increase in vitamin D level was not associated with any increased risk of COVID-19 infection (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.96-1.12, I2=74%) or in-hospital death (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.93-1.12). ConclusionsLow serum vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. In-hospital death showed a tendency to be increased in COVID-19 patients with low vitamin D levels. The ongoing clinical trials for evaluation of vitamin D supplementation will be key to the validation of this adjunctive treatment for COVID-19 patients.
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BackgroundAn association among the use of angiotensin-converting-enzyme(ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers(ARBs) with the clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. MethodsPubMed, EMBASE, and the preprint databases MedRxiv and BioRxiv were searched for relevant studies that assessed the association among inflammation level, application of ACEI/ARB, infection severity and death in patients with COVID-19. Odd risks(OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were combined using random-effects or fixed models depending on heterogeneity. ResultsEleven studies were included with a total of 33,483 patients. Our review showed ACEI/ARB therapy might be associated with the reduced inflammatory factor (interleukin-6) and elevated level of immune cells(CD3, CD8). Meta-analysis showed no significant increase in the risk of COVID-19 infection(OR:0.95, 95%CI:0.89-1.05) in patients receiving ACEI/ARB therapy, and ACEI/ARB therapy was associated with a decreased risk of severe COVID-19 (OR:0.75, 95%CI: 0.59-0.96) and mortality (OR:0.52, 95%CI: 0.35-0.79). Subgroup analyses showed that, among the general population, application of ACEI/ARB therapy was associated with reduced risks of all-cause death(OR:0.31, 95%CI: 0.13-0.75), and the risk of severe COVID-19(OR:0.79, 95%CI: 0.60-1.05) infection and COVID-19 infection(OR:0.85, 95% CI: 0.66-1.08) were not increased. Among patients with hypertension, the use of an ACEI/ARB was associated with a lower severity of COVID-19(OR:0.73, 95%CI: 0.51-1.03) and lower mortality(OR:0.57, 95%CI: 0.37-0.87), without evidence of an increased risk of COVID-19 infection(OR:1.00, 95%CI: 0.90-1.12). ConclusionOn the basis of the available evidence, this is the first meta-analysis showed that, in general population, the use of ACEI/ARB therapy was safe without an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and with a decreasing trend of severe COVID-19 infection and lower mortality. In patients with hypertension, the use of ACEI/ARB therapy should be encouraged, without increased risk of COVID-19 inflection, and better prognosis (a decreasing trends of severe COVID-19 and reduced all-cause death). Overall, ACEI/ARB therapy should be continued in patients who are at risk for, or have COVID-19, either in general population or hypertension patients. Our results need to be interpreted with caution considering the potential for residual confounders, and more well-designed studies that control the clinical confounders are necessary to confirm our findings.
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Objective To explore the predictive efficacy of XGboost model in predicting risk of relapse and re-admission within 90 d in patients with ischemic stroke,and provide basis for early screening and prevention of high-risk population with ischemic stroke.Methods The clinical data of 6070 primary ischemic stroke patients admitted to our hospital from January 2007 to July 2017 were retrospectively collected.XGboost model and multivariate Logistic regression model were utilized to screen out the influencing factors of relapse and re-admission within 90 d in patients with ischemic stroke.A predictive model was set up.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn and compared.Sensitivity,specificity and Youden index were calculated and compared to evaluate the prediction performance of XGboost model.Results During the observation period,a total of 520 patients with relapsed ischemic stroke were observed within a period of 90 d,and the incidence density was 8.57％.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that length of first hospital stay,hypertension,pulmonary infection,neutrophil percentage,red blood cell distribution width (variable coefficient),and alkaline phosphatase level were independent influencing factors for re-hospitalization within 90 d of ischemic stroke,(OR=1.016,P=0.000,95％CI:1.008-1.025;OR=4.598,P=0.000,95％CI:3.717-5.687;OR=1.452,P=0.025,95％CI:1.048-2.012;OR=1.013,P=0.006,95％CI:1.004-1.022;OR=1.161,P=0.000,95％CI:1.090-1.237;OR=1.003,P=0.023,95％CI:1.000-1.005).Analysis of importance of risk factors for re-admission of ischemic stroke using XGboost model showed that the top 6 factors were hypertension,red blood cell distribution width,direct bilirubin,length of hospital stay,pulmonary infection,and alkaline phosphatase,and the corresponding importance scores were 32,20,19,18,15 and 14,respectively.ROC curve analysis results indicated that the area under the ROC for re-admission for XGboost model was 0.792 (95％CI:0.717-0.762),which was improved by 5％ as compared with that for multivariate Logistic regression model (0.739 [95％CI:0.764-0.818]).The sensitivity was 89.30％ and the Youden index was 0.444 for XGboost model,which were significantly higher than those for multivariate Logistic regression model (77.3％,0.405).Conclusions XGboost model is superior to multivariate Logistic regression model in predicting recurrence and re-admission of first ischemic stroke patients within 90 d.This model is suitable for prediction and early diagnosis of re-admission of ischemic stroke,which is of great clinical value.
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Objective To investigate the clinical distribution and drug resistance of carbapenemsresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP).Methods A total of 134 clinical strains of CRKP were collected from inpatients in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2016.VITEK-2 compact automatic microbiological analyzer was used to identify the bacteria and the supporting gram-negative bacterial drug susceptibility card was used for susceptibility testing.The sensitivity of other clinical commonly used antimicrobial agents was measured by K-B method.And the clinical distribution of CRKP and its resistance to antimicrobial agents were investigated and analyzed.Results The clinical strains of CRKP were isolated mainly from urine (n=70,52.2％) and sputum (n=38,28.4％).Klebsiella pneumoniae was identified in samples from the department of neurosurgery,including neurosurgery ICU (47.8％,64/134),ICU (23.9％,32/134),department of hepatobiliary surgery (8.2％,11/134) and department of urology (6.0％,8/134).Among all 22 antimicrobial agents tested,the resistant rates of CRKP to 16 antimicrobial agents were ＞90％,especially for ampicillin it was 100％,and those to 19 antibiotics were ＞80％,only for tigecycline it was 23.1％.There were 16 strains of CRKP with positive extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) (11.9％).All the CRKP strains were resistant to more than three kinds of antimicrobial agents,except one strain that was resistant to two kinds.Conclusion There is a wide range of clinical distribution of CRKP,which is resistant to most of antimicrobial agents,while tigecycline still has a strong antibacterial activity to CRKP.
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Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of high-frequency electric snare for the treatment of main airway neoplasm through bronchoscopy. Methods The clinical datas of 18 patients from July 2013 to April 2016, who had main airway neoplasm and were treated with high-frequency electric snare through bronchoscopy, were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, the interventional bronchoscopic techniques partly included argon plasma coagulation and cryoablation. After operarion, the relief of symptoms and complications were observed. Results After operarion, the clinical symptoms, shortness of breath, dyspnea index score and the degree of airway stenosis were improved significantly. No serious complications such as massive hemoptysis occurred in all patients. Conclusion High-frequency electric snare is an effective and safe approach for the treatment of main airway neoplasm.