Factors predicting mortality in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis visiting the emergency department.

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and is becoming a regional and healthcare burden. South Korea is one of the 10 countries with the highest age standardized prevalence of decompensated LC. Moreover, the proportion of patients with alcoholic LC is increasing and there has been no decrease in the incidence of decompensated alcoholic LC. Patients with decompensated LC frequently visit the emergency department (ED). Several studies focused on patients with LC who visited the ED, but the studies about alcoholic LC were limited. This study aimed to identify predicting factors for mortality in alcoholic LC patients visiting the ED. This was a retrospective study of alcoholic LC patients who visited an ED between November 2017 and June 2021. The baseline characteristics, complications of LC, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and laboratory values including lactate were assessed. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. In total, 433 patients with alcoholic LC were included for analysis and the in hospital mortality rate was 15.9% (n = 69). Univariate regression analyses identified that MELD score, lactate, platelet, international normalized ratio, bilirubin, creatinine, albumin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) predicted in-hospital mortality. Multivariate regression analysis showed that MELD score, lactate, albumin, and CRP were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. MELD score, lactate, albumin, and CRP predicted the mortality in alcoholic LC patients visiting the ED.

Endothelin receptor blockade blunts the pressor response to acute stress in men and women with obesity.

Obesity is associated with dysregulation of the endothelin system. In individuals with obesity, an exaggerated pressor response to acute stress is accompanied by increased circulating endothelin-1 (ET-1). The impact of combined endothelin A/B receptor (ETA/B) antagonism on the stress-induced pressor response in overweight/obese (OB) individuals is unknown. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that treatment with an ETA/B antagonist (bosentan) would reduce the stress-induced pressor response and arterial stiffness in overweight/obese compared with normal weight (NW) individuals. Forty participants [normal weight (NW): n = 20, body mass index (BMI): 21.7 ± 2.4 kg/m2 and overweight/obese (OB): n = 20, BMI: 33.8 ± 8.2 kg/m2] were randomized to placebo or 125 mg of bosentan twice a day (250 mg total) for 3 days. Hemodynamics were assessed before, during, and after a cold pressor test (CPT). Endothelin-1 was assessed at baseline and immediately after CPT. Following a washout period, the same protocol was repeated with the opposite treatment. The change from baseline in mean arterial pressure (MAP) during CPT following bosentan was significantly lower (P = 0.039) in the OB group than in the NW group (OB: 28 ± 12 vs. NW: 34 ± 15 mmHg). These results suggest that ETA/B antagonism favorably blunts the pressor response to acute stress in overweight/obese individuals.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Findings from our current translational investigation demonstrate that dual endothelin A/B receptor antagonism blunts the pressor response to acute stress in overweight/obese individuals. These results suggest that modulation of the endothelin system may represent a novel therapeutic target to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by blunting the stress response in overweight/obese individuals.

Renin-Angiotensin System Blockade Is Associated with Exercise Capacity, Sympathetic Activity, and Endothelial Function in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have exercise intolerance and exaggerated blood pressure reactivity during exercise that are mediated by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) overactivation and decreased nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. The activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) increases SNS activation and reduces NO synthesis, and prior studies suggest that RAS blockade attenuates declines in physical function. We hypothesized that RAS inhibitor (RASi) use is associated with higher exercise capacity mediated by decreased SNS activity and increased NO-dependent endothelial function in CKD. METHOD: In 35 CKD patients (57 ± 7 years) and 20 controls (CONs) (53 ± 8 years), we measured exercise capacity (peak oxygen consumption [VO2peak]), muscle sympathetic nervous activity (MSNA), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) for NO-dependent endothelial function. RESULTS: CKD patients treated with RASi (CKD + RASi, n = 25) had greater VO2peak than CKD patients not treated with RASi (CKD no RASi, n = 10), but lower VO2peak than CONs (23.3 ± 5.8 vs. 16.4 ± 2.9, p = 0.007; vs. 30.0 ± 7.7, p = 0.016 mL/min/kg, respectively). CKD + RASi had lower resting MSNA and greater FMD than CKD no RASi. Compared to CONs, CKD + RASi had similar MSNA but lower FMD. VO2peak was positively associated with FMD (r = 0.417, p = 0.038) and was predicted by the combination of FMD and RASi status (r2 = 0.344, p = 0.01) and MSNA and RASi status (r2 = 0.575, p = 0.040) in CKD patients. CONCLUSION: In summary, CKD patients with RASi have higher exercise capacity than those not on RASi. Higher exercise capacity in the RASi-treated group was associated with lower resting SNS activity and higher NO-dependent vascular endothelial function.

Sarcopenia using pectoralis muscle area and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are independent prognostic factors in patients for nonmetastatic breast cancer.

Sarcopenia is defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This can lead to adverse clinical outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. The lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), a converted inflammatory response, is associated with poor prognosis in patients with malignancies. Herein, we examined the prognostic influence of sarcopenia status assessed by pectoralis muscle area (PMA), inflammatory status calculated by LMR, and its association with disease-free survival (DFS) in a cohort of women diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer. A total of 293 patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer who underwent primary mass resection and radiotherapy between January 2011 and December 2017 were enrolled. The cross-sectional area of the muscle (cm2) at PMA was measured using computed tomography before radiation therapy. Baseline monocyte and lymphocyte counts were obtained from the complete blood count to calculate the LMR. Most of the patients (248/293, 84.6%) underwent breast conservation surgery. Lymph node involvement at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR], 5.08; P < .001), low LMR (HR, 2.79; P = .007), and low PMA (HR, 3.80; P < .001) were independent poor prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. The mean DFS of sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic patients was 89.8 months and 118.8 months, respectively (P < .001). Sarcopenic patients with low LMR showed the worst outcomes, whereas nonsarcopenic patients with high LMR showed the best outcomes. Low PMA and low LMR were independent poor prognostic factors for DFS in patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer.

The effect of high-dose intramuscular epinephrine on the recovery of spontaneous circulation in an asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest rat model.

BACKGROUND: Obtaining vascular access can be challenging during resuscitation following cardiac arrest, and it is particularly difficult and time-consuming in paediatric patients. We aimed to compare the efficacy of high-dose intramuscular (IM) versus intravascular (IV) epinephrine administration with regard to the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) in an asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest rat model. METHODS: Forty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for these experiments. Cardiac arrest was induced by asphyxia, and defined as a decline in mean arterial pressure (MAP) to 20 mmHg. After asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest, the rats were randomly allocated into one of 3 groups (control saline group, IV epinephrine group, and IM epinephrine group). After 540 s of cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, and IV saline (0.01 cc/kg), IV (0.01 mg/kg, 1:100,000) epinephrine or IM (0.05 mg/kg, 1:100,000) epinephrine was administered. ROSC was defined as the achievement of an MAP above 40 mmHg for more than 1 minute. Rates of ROSC, haemodynamics, and arterial blood gas analysis were serially observed. RESULTS: The ROSC rate (61.5%) of the IM epinephrine group was less than that in the IV epinephrine group (100%) but was higher than that of the control saline group (15.4%) (log-rank test). There were no differences in MAP between the two groups, but HR in the IM epinephrine group (beta coefficient = 1.02) decreased to a lesser extent than that in the IV epinephrine group with time. CONCLUSIONS: IM epinephrine induced better ROSC rates compared to the control saline group in asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest, but not compared to IV epinephrine. The IM route of epinephrine administration may be a promising option in an asphyxia-induced cardiac arrest.

α-Adrenergic receptor blockade attenuates pressor response during mental stress in young black adults.

Black individuals exhibit increased blood pressure (BP) responses to sympathetic stimulation that are associated with an increased risk of hypertension (HTN). We tested the hypothesis that α1 -adrenergic blockade inhibits the increased BP response during and after 45-min stress in young normotensive Black adults, which may be mediated, in part, by dampened vasoconstriction and decreased renal sodium retention. Utilizing a double-masked randomized, crossover study design, 51 normotensive Black adults (31 ± 8 yr) were treated with either a placebo or 1 mg/day of prazosin for 1 week. On the final day of each treatment, hemodynamic measures and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) were collected before (Rest), during (Stress) and after (Recovery) 45 min of mental stress induced via a competitive video game task. During the Stress period, diastolic BP and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were significantly lower with prazosin compared to placebo (p < .05 for both). Similarly, we observed lower systolic BP, diastolic BP, and TPR during the Recovery period with prazosin versus placebo (p < .05 for both). There was no effect of prazosin on stress-associated UNaV. The change in systolic BP from Rest to Recovery was positively associated with the change in TPR with both treatments (p < .05 for both). In summary, prazosin treatment dampened BP reactivity to 45-min mental stress and lowered post-stress BP over the recovery period, which was linked to reduce TPR in young normotensive Black adults. These results suggest that α1 -adrenergic receptor activity may contribute to BP responses and delayed BP recovery to prolonged mental stress through increased vasoconstriction in Black adults.

Effect of a multidisciplinary program to improve organ donation in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: As the emergency department (ED) is an important source of potential organ donors, it may play an important role in the organ donation process. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary organ donation improvement program (ODIP) on identifying potential donors and improving organ donation in South Korean EDs. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was a retrospective, observational study of the ED-inclusive ODIP implemented in 55 tertiary teaching hospitals contracted with the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KODA) since 2014. The inclusion criteria were: patients in the ED with a serious brain injury and futile prognosis or expected death of the patient within a few days, no contraindications for organ donation, and no objections registered in the donor registry. INTERVENTION: The ED-inclusive multidisciplinary approach was implemented to improve organ donation. It included regular meetings of the ODIP committee, hospital visits and staff education, improvement of notifications, and support of a coordination team. OUTCOMES MEASURE AND ANALYSIS: We assessed the changes in the number of deceased organ donors per year and notifications of potential brain-dead donors by medical staff after the implementation of the new ED-inclusive ODIP. The entire organ donation process was monitored and measured. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in deceased organ donors per million population after the implementation of the ED-inclusive multidisciplinary ODIP of KODA compared to the pre-intervention period: 5.21 vs. 9.72, difference 4.51 (95% confidence interval 2.11-6.91). During the study period, the proportion of deceased organ donors occurred from KODA-contracted hospitals increased from 25.3 to 50.3% in South Korea's total deceased organ donors. Emergency physicians of KODA-contracted hospitals notified increasingly more potential brain-dead donors each year throughout the study period (36 in 2014 vs. 135 in 2018). The longer the period contracted with KODA, the higher the potential brain-death identification rates (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study, the implementation of multidisciplinary ODIP in the ED led to significantly higher deceased organ donors per million population and awareness of potential brain-dead donors in South Korea.

Effects of emergency department boarding on mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are sometimes boarded in the emergency department (ED) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated the effects of direct and indirect admission to the CCU on mortality and the effect on length of stay (LOS) in patients with STEMI. METHOD: This was a retrospective observational study of patients with STEMI between Jan 2014 and Nov 2017. The patients were divided into the direct admission (DA) group, who were admitted into the CCU immediately after PCI, and the indirect admission (IA) group, who were admitted after boarding in the ED. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Secondary endpoints were 3-month mortality, LOS in CCU and hospital, and LOS under intensive care. RESULTS: During the study period, 780 patients were enrolled and analyzed. The in-hospital mortality rate and 3-month mortality rate were 5.9% (46 patients) and 8.5% (66 patients). The DA group and IA group had similar in-hospital and 3-month mortality rates (P = .50, P = .28). The median CCU LOS and hospital LOS was similar for both groups (P = .28, P = .46). However, LOS under in intensive care for the IA group was significantly longer than that of the DA group (DA, 31.9 h; IA, 38.7 h; P < .001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that direct admission after PCI and indirect admission was not associated with mortality in patients with STEMI. In addition, the stay in ED also appears to be associated with the duration of stay under critical care.

Emergency Department Triage Early Warning Score (TREWS) predicts in-hospital mortality in the emergency department.

AIM: The purpose is to assess the adequacy of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) in the emergency department (ED) and the usefulness of the Triage in Emergency Department Early Warning Score (TREWS) that has been developed using the NEWS in the ED. METHODS: In this retrospective observational cohort study, we performed univariable and multivariable regression analyses with 81,520 consecutive ED patients to develop a new scoring system, the TREWS. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality within 24 h, and secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality within 48 h, 7 days, and 30 days. The prognostic properties of the TREWS were compared with those of the NEWS, Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), and Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS) using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) technique. RESULTS: The AUC of the TREWS for in-hospital mortality within 24 h was 0.906 (95% CI, 0.903-0.908), those of the NEWS, MEWS, and REMS were 0.878 (95% CI, 0.875-0.881), 0.857 (95% CI, 0.854-0.860), and 0.834 (95% CI, 0.831-0.837), respectively. Differences in the AUC between the TREWS and NEWS, the TREWS and MEWS, and the TREWS and REMS were 0.028 (95% CI, 0.022-0.033; p < .001), 0.049 (95% CI, 0.041-0.057; p < .001), and 0.072 (95% CI, 0.063-0.080; p < .001), respectively. The TREWS showed significantly superior performance in predicting secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: The TREWS predicts in-hospital mortality within 24 h, 48 h, 7 days, and 30 days better than the NEWS, MEWS, and REMS for patients arriving at the ED.

Gut Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study.

The gut microbiota has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of kidney disease. However, little is known about the gut microbiota in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We assessed the gut microbiota and its relationship with clinical variables in ten HD patients. We found that the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio was positively associated with traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, Faecalibacterium was positively associated with carbohydrate intake and negatively associated with arterial stiffness. Finally, endotoxemia was inversely associated with butyrate producers. Future studies should assess if targeting the gut microbiota result in a lower burden for cardiovascular disease in HD patients.

Angiotensin II receptor blocker attenuates stress pressor response in young adult African Americans.

African Americans (AAs) are susceptible to hypertension (HTN) and its associated organ damage leading to adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Psychological stress is proposed to contribute to the development of HTN; however, the potential role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in stress-related HTN in AAs is largely unknown. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of RAS is a potential contributing factor for altered CV responses to stress, and suppression of angiotensin II (Ang II) activity will improve hemodynamic responses to a prolonged mental stressor in healthy young AAs. Utilizing a double-blind, randomized, crossover study design, 132 normotensive AAs (25 ± 7 years) were treated with either a placebo (PLC) or 150 mg/d irbesartan (an Ang II type 1 receptor blocker; ARB) for 1 week. On the final day of each treatment, hemodynamic measures and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) were collected before, during and after a 45 minute-mental stress. The magnitude of stress-induced increase in blood pressure with ARB was blunted and delayed compared to PLC. Systolic blood pressure at the end of recovery on ARB was significantly lower compared to either PLC (110 ± 13 vs 117 ± 12 mm Hg respectively; P < 0.001) or the prestress level on ARB (P = 0.02). ARB treatment reduced overall vasoconstriction and improved poststress UNaV. ARB attenuated blood pressure responses to mental stress and improved the poststress BP recovery process which were partly linked to reduced overall vasoconstriction and improved stress-induced UNaV in young adult AAs prior to the development of disease conditions. These results suggest that treatment approaches that inhibit RAS action could have significant relevance to potentially lower susceptibility to stress responses and eventually the premature development of HTN in AAs.

Results from the randomized controlled IHOPE trial suggest no effects of oral protein supplementation and exercise training on physical function in hemodialysis patients.

Few long-term studies have assessed whether changes in both diet and exercise can improve the health and quality of life (QOL) of hemodialysis (HD) patients. Here we examined whether 12 months of intradialytic protein supplementation and endurance exercise improves physical function, risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and QOL in HD patients in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). A total of 138 HD patients (average age 58 years) were assigned for 12 months to control, intradialytic protein, or protein plus exercise groups. The protein and protein plus exercise groups consumed an oral protein supplement (30 grams of whey) three days/week during dialysis. The protein plus exercise group cycled for 30-45 minutes during dialysis treatment. The primary outcome was change in physical function at 12 months, assessed by a shuttle walk test. Secondary outcomes included arterial stiffness, blood pressure, body composition, muscle strength, markers of nutritional status, and QOL. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6 and 12 months. In total, 101 patients completed the intervention. There were no significant differences between groups in shuttle walk test performance from baseline to 12 months. There were trends for improvements in some secondary measures of physical function and strength in the protein and protein plus exercise groups at six or 12 months, but these did not reach statistical significance. Thus, our trial did not demonstrate significant improvements in markers of physical function, risk of CVD or QOL after one year of intradialytic oral OPS and aerobic exercise training. More comprehensive lifestyle management may be needed to uncover robust improvements in the health and QOL of HD patients.

Addressing myths about exercise in hemodialysis patients.

Despite decades of research, there are few published guidelines related to the safety and efficacy of exercise training in hemodialysis patients. This has led to disparate recommendations regarding the type, intensity, and timing for exercise, especially for patients with multiple comorbidities. Many common recommendations are not supported by research data, so their justification is uncertain. These recommendations include exercising in the first hour of dialysis; not exercising if hypertensive, cramping, or volume overloaded; avoiding heavy weights on vascular access limb; clinicians managing an exercise program; intradialytic exercise or interdialytic exercise is better; and strength training during dialysis is impractical. The purpose of this review is to describe the evidence that supports or refutes these beliefs. In summary, these beliefs or myths have generally led to an overly conservative approach to exercise that serves as a barrier to increasing physical activity levels in an overly sedentary population that could benefit from moving more.

Cardiopulmonary Bypass Strategies to Maintain Brain Perfusion during Lung Transplantation in a Patient with Severe Hypercapnia.

Herein, we report a case of lung transplantation in a patient with profound preoperative hypercapnia, focusing on the cardiopulmonary bypass strategy used for brain perfusion during the operation. We applied the pH-stat method for acid-base regulation, and thereby achieved the desired outcome without any neurologic deficit.

CBL-INTERACTING PROTEIN KINASE 9 regulates ammonium-dependent root growth downstream of IDD10 in rice (Oryza sativa).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: INDETERMINATE DOMAIN 10 (IDD10) is a key transcription factor gene that activates the expression of a large number of NH4+-responsive genes including AMMONIUM TRANSPORTER 1;2 (AMT1;2). Primary root growth of rice (Oryza sativa) idd10 mutants is hypersensitive to NH4+. The involvement of CALCINEURIN B-LIKE INTERACTING PROTEIN KINASE (CIPK) genes in the action of IDD10 on NH4+-mediated root growth was investigated. METHODS: Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to analyse NH4+- and IDD10-dependent expression of CIPK genes. IDD10-regulated CIPK target genes were identified using electrophoretic mobility shift assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation and transient transcription assays. Root growth rate, ammonium content and 15N uptake of cipk mutants were measured to determine their sensitivity to NH4+ and to compare these phenotypes with those of idd10. The genetic relationship between CIPK9 OX and idd10 was investigated by crosses between the CIPK9 and IDD10 lines. KEY RESULTS: AMT1;2 was overexpressed in idd10 to determine whether NH4+-hypersensitive root growth of idd10 resulted from limitations in NH4+ uptake or from low cellular levels of NH4+. High NH4+ levels in idd10/AMT1;2 OX did not rescue the root growth defect. Next, the involvement of CIPK genes in NH4+-dependent root growth and interactions between IDD10 and CIPK genes was investigated. Molecular analysis revealed that IDD10 directly activated transcription of CIPK9 and CIPK14. Expression of CIPK8, 9, 14/15 and 23 was sensitive to exogenous NH4+. Further studies revealed that cipk9 and idd10 had almost identical NH4+-sensitive root phenotypes, including low efficiency of 15NH4+ uptake. Analysis of plants containing both idd10 and CIPK9 OX showed that CIPK9 OX could rescue the NH4+-dependent root growth defects of idd10. CONCLUSIONS: CIPK9 was involved in NH4+-dependent root growth and appeared to act downstream of IDD10. This information will be useful in future explorations of NH4+ signalling in plants.

A Practice Guideline for Postreduction Management of Intussusception of Children in the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a practice guideline of postreduction management of intussusception in children on the length of stay (LOS) from reduction in the pediatric emergency department (PED) and on the incidence of recurrence. METHODS: We developed a practice guideline of postreduction management of intussusception in the PED. The practice guideline involved feeding 2 hours after reduction and discharge 2 hours after successful feeding. The guideline was implemented on October 1, 2012. Retrospective quasi-experimental study was conducted for evaluation of the difference in LOS in the PED after reduction of intussusceptions, and the recurrence rate of intussusceptions between the preimplementation and postimplementation periods. Piecewise regression was performed to determine the differences between groups. RESULTS: In total, 45 and 52 patients were included in the preimplementation and postimplementation periods, respectively. The median LOS in the postimplementation period was significantly shorter than that in the preimplementation period (289 vs 532 minutes, respectively; P = 0.001). The slope of the LOS changed from 0.68 to -0.29. The slope decreased by 0.97 after practice guideline implementation. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.123), but it changed from a positive to negative gradient. The recurrence rate was not significantly different between the 2 periods (P = 0.605). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a practice guideline involving early feeding and discharge after reduction of intussusception resulted in a reduced LOS from reduction of intussusception in the PED and was not associated with recurrence of intussusception.

The ratio of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide to troponin I for differentiating acute coronary syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: It is difficult to differentiate whether coronary or non-coronary causes in patients with elevated troponin I (TnI) in emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to develop a clinical decision tool for differentiating a coronary cause in the patients with elevated TnI. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study that enrolled consecutive ED patients. Patients were included in the study if they were ≥16 years of age, had admitted through ED with a medical illness, and TnI levels at initial evaluation in the ED were ≥0.2 ng/mL. Patients diagnosed with ST elevation myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure were excluded. Coronary angiography, electrocardiogram, laboratory results, echocardiography, and clinical characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the included 1441 patients, 603 and 838 patients were categorized into an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) group and non-acute coronary syndrome (non-ACS) group, respectively. The ratio of N-terminal pro-Btype natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) to TnI was significantly higher in the non-ACS group compared to the ACS group. The AUC of NT-proBNP/TnI (0.805, 95% CI, 0.784-0.826) was significantly superior to that of NT-proBNP/creatinine kinase-MB, TnI, and NT-proBNP. The patients of the non-ACS group with high levels of TnI and BNP showed more critically ill manifestation at the time of presentation and higher mortality. CONCLUSION: NT-proBNP/TnI may help to distinguish medical patients with elevated TnI whether the elevated TnIs were caused from ACSs or from conditions other than ACS.

Tetrahydrobiopterin improves endothelial function in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a major role in maintaining vascular function, and tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is a critical determinant of NO bioavailability. Thus the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of oral administration of BH4 on endothelial function in patients with CF. Twenty-nine patients with CF (18 ± 8 yr old) and 29 healthy matched controls were recruited. Patients with CF participated in a randomized trial where they received a 5 mg/kg dose of oral BH4 (BH4-5; n = 17) or a 20 mg/kg dose of oral BH4 (BH4-20; n = 12). On a separate visit, a subset of patients from each group was retested following a placebo (PLC; n = 9). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was used to evaluate vascular endothelial function, and a plasma sample was obtained before and 3 h after treatment. Cultured endothelial cells were treated with plasma to assess NO bioavailability. Baseline FMD was lower in patients compared with controls (5.7 ± 3.4 vs. 8.4 ± 3.5%, respectively, P = 0.005). No change in FMD was observed following PLC or BH4-5 (∆FMD: -0.8 ± 1.9% and -0.5 ± 2.5%; P = 0.273 and 0.132, respectively). Treatment with BH4-20, however, resulted in significant improvements in FMD (∆FMD: 1.1 ± 1.4%) compared with BH4-5 ( P = 0.023) and PLC ( P = 0.017). Moreover, BH4-20 significantly decreased endothelial cell superoxide production and increased NO production. These data suggest that a single oral dose of BH4 at 20 mg/kg improves vascular endothelial function in patients with CF, likely via increased endothelial NO synthase coupling. These findings support the hypothesis that loss of BH4 bioactivity contributes, in part, to endothelial dysfunction in patients with CF. NEW & NOTEWORTHY For the first time, the present study documents that a single dose of oral BH4 can improve vascular endothelial function in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and our in vitro data suggest this is via decreasing uncoupled nitric oxide. These data provide insight into the important role of BH4 bioactivity in vascular dysfunction and provide the foundation for further investigation into the chronic effects of BH4 treatment in patients with CF.

Factors predicting the early mortality of trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify factors predicting early mortality in trauma patients. METHODS: This was a study of 6288 trauma patients admitted to the hospital between July 2011 and June 2016. Among the variables recorded for a prospective trauma registry, the following were selected for analysis: sex; age; a combination of the Glasgow Coma Scale score, age, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (GAP); a combination of the mechanism of injury, the Glasgow Coma Scale score, age, and SBP (MGAP); SBP; respiratory rate; peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2 value); the Glasgow Coma Scale score; laboratory variables; and presentation time. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore associations between these variables and early mortality. RESULTS: In total, 296 (4.6%) patients died within 24 hours. Univariate regression analysis indicated that age, the GAP, the MGAP, SBP, SpO2, the Glasgow Coma Scale score, base excess, hemoglobin level, platelet count, INR, and presentation time predicted early mortality. Multivariate regression showed that the GAP, the MGAP, SpO2, base excess, platelet count, and INR were independently predictive. The areas under the receiver operator curve comparisons for the GAP and MGAP models revealed the superiority of the GAP-based model. CONCLUSION: The GAP model, SpO2, base excess, platelet count, and INR predicted the early mortality of trauma patients.

Harmful effects of early hyperoxaemia in patients admitted to general wards: an observational cohort study in South Korea.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the association between hyperoxaemia induced by a non-invasive oxygen supply for 3 days after emergency department (ED) arrival and the clinical outcomes at day 5 after ED arrival. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING AND PATIENTS: Consecutive ED patients ≥16 years of age with available arterial blood gas analysis results who were admitted to our hospital were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2016. INTERVENTIONS: The highest (PaO2MAX), average (PaO2AVG) and median (PaO2MED) PaO2 (arterial oxygen pressure) values within 72 hours and the area under the curve divided by the time elapsed between ED admittance and the last PaO2 result (AUC72) were used to assess hyperoxaemia. The AUC72 values were calculated using the trapezoid rule. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was the 90-day in-hospital mortality rate. The secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) transfer and respiratory failure at day 5 after ED arrival, as well as new-onset cardiovascular, coagulation, hepatic and renal dysfunction at day 5 after ED arrival. RESULTS: Among the 10 141 patients, the mortality rate was 5.8%. The adjusted ORs of in-hospital mortality for PaO2MAX, PaO2AVG, PaO2MED and AUC72 were 0.79 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.02; p=0.0715), 0.92 (95% CI 0.69 to 1.24; p=0.5863), 0.82 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.11; p=0.2005) and 1.53 (95% CI 1.25 to 1.88; p<0.0001). All of the hyperoxaemia variables showed significant positive correlations with ICU transfer at day 5 after ED arrival (p<0.05). AUC72 was positively correlated with respiratory failure, as well as cardiovascular, hepatic and renal dysfunction (p<0.05). PaO2MAX was positively correlated with cardiovascular dysfunction. PaO2MAX and AUC72 were negatively correlated with coagulation dysfunction (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Hyperoxaemia during the first 3 days in patients outside the ICU is associated with in-hospital mortality and ICU transfer at day 5 after arrival at the ED.