Efficacy of physiological seawater nasal irrigation for the treatment of children with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant infection: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Saline nasal irrigation is an effective therapy for relieving common cold symptoms. This study aimed to investigate and explore the efficacy of physiological seawater nasal irrigation (PSNI) on children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Shanghai, China, and 403 children with mild and asymptomatic infection with Omicron were included. These children were allocated into the PSNI group and the control group. The primary outcome was the duration of viral shedding (DVS), and the secondary outcome was the change in clinical symptoms. RESULTS: The median age of all participants was 5.59 (6.26) years old. The DVS was significantly shorter in the PSNI group [2.40 (1.13)] than in the control group [3.09 (2.14)] (P = 0.014). The multivariable Cox regression model also showed that patients in the PSNI group had an increased probability of shorter DVS compared with patients in the control group [hazard ratio (HR), 1.27; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.55; P = 0.017]. Subgroup analysis suggested that the DVS of patients without full vaccination was significantly reduced in the PSNI group. The proportions of runny nose and stuffy nose were apparently reduced in the first three days in the PSNI group or the control group, but there was no evidence showing that PSNI contributes to the benefit compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: PSNI can reduce the DVS of patients with mild and asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 variant.

[Influencing factors for the clinical effect of bronchoalveolar lavage in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and atelectasis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influencing factors for the clinical effect of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and atelectasis. METHODS: A total of 75 children with MPP and atelectasis were divided into a good response group with 51 children and a poor response group with 24 children according to the clinical effect of BAL treatment. LASSO logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the factors influencing the clinical effect of BAL treatment. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and restricted cubic spline model analysis were used to evaluate the value of the course of the disease at the time of BAL treatment in predicting the clinical effect of BAL treatment. RESULTS: Compared with the good response group, the poor response group had a significantly lower percentage of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, a significantly higher proportion of children with atelectasis of two or more lung lobes or stenosis of the bronchial cavity or opening caused by inflammation, and a significantly longer course of the disease at the time of BAL treatment and azithromycin treatment (P<0.05). The LASSO logistic regression analysis showed that a prolonged course of the disease at the time of BAL treatment (OR=1.23), atelectasis of two or more lung lobes (OR=11.99), and stenosis of the bronchial cavity or opening caused by inflammation (OR=5.31) were independent risk factors for poor clinical effect of BAL treatment (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the course of disease of ≥11.5 days at the time of BAL treatment suggested a poor clinical effect of BAL treatment, with a sensitivity of 91.7% and a specificity of 54.9%. The restricted cubic spline model analysis showed that there was a non-linear dose-response relationship between the course of disease at the time of BAL treatment and the clinical effect of BAL treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Early BAL treatment may have a good clinical effect in children with MPP and atelectasis. Atelectasis of two or more lung lobes and inflammation-induced stenosis of the bronchial cavity or opening shown under bronchoscope may indicate a poor clinical effect of BAL treatment.

[Value of lactate dehydrogenase in predicting refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children: an evaluation based on decision curve analysis and dose-response analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in predicting refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in children. METHODS: Propensity score matching was used to select 73 children with RMPP (refractory group) and 146 children with non-refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (common group). The logistic regression analysis, restricted cubic spline model, and decision curve analysis were used to analyze the clinical value of LDH in predicting RMPP. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the incidence of high fever, white blood cell count, platelet count, percentage of neutrophils, and serum levels of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, hemoglobin, albumin, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase and LDH (P<0.05). There were also significant differences between the two groups in the Mycoplasma pneumoniae-DNA load in nasopharyngeal aspirates and the incidences of pleural effusion, pulmonary consolidation, atelectasis, shortness of breath and skin lesions (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that high fever, hemoglobin level, LDH level, and pulmonary consolidation were independent predictive factors for RMPP (OR=10.097, 0.956, 1.006, and 3.756; P<0.05). The results of the restricted cubic spline analysis showed a non-linear dose-response relationship between the continuous changes of LDH and the development of RMPP (P<0.01). The decision curve analysis showed that LDH had an important clinical value in predicting RMPP. CONCLUSIONS: LDH is an independent predictive factor for the development of RMPP and its intensity of association with the development of RMPP exhibits a non-linear dose-response relationship.