Early Warning Information for Severe and Critical Patients With COVID-19 Based on Quantitative CT Analysis of Lung Segments.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is spreading rapidly around the world. Purpose: We aimed to explore early warning information for patients with severe/critical COVID-19 based on quantitative analysis of chest CT images at the lung segment level. Materials and Methods: A dataset of 81 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treated at Wuhan Wuchang hospital in Wuhan city from 21 January 2020 to 14 February 2020 was retrospectively analyzed, including ordinary and severe/critical cases. The time course of all subjects was divided into four stages. The differences in each lobe and lung segment between the two groups at each stage were quantitatively analyzed using the percentage of lung involvement (PLI) in order to investigate the most important segment of lung involvement in the severe/critical group and its corresponding time point. Results: Lung involvement in the ordinary and severe/critical groups reached a peak on the 18th and 14th day, respectively. In the first stage, PLIs in the right middle lobe and the left superior lobe between the two groups were significantly different. In the second stage and the fourth stage, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the whole lung, right superior lobe, right inferior lobe and left superior lobe. The rapid progress of the lateral segment of the right middle lobe on the second day and the anterior segment of the right upper lobe on the 13th day may be a warning sign for severe/critical patients. Age was the most important demographic characteristic of the severe/critical group. Conclusion: Quantitative assessment based on the lung segments of chest CT images provides early warning information for potentially severe/critical patients.

Compliance of secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease post coronary revascularization / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective To investigate the compliance status of secondary prevention in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) following revascularization.MethodsA total of 512 patients with CAD who received procedures for coronary revascularization were enrolled in the study from January 2009 to October 2010,including 472 cases of percutaneous coronary intervention stenting,25 cases of coronary artery bypass grafting and 15 cases of stenting plus bypass.The demographic information,prophylactic drug therapies, lifestylechangesandmodifiableriskfactorsweresurveyedwithquestionnaires,anthroposomatologicalmeasurementsandlaboratorytestsinpatients3monthsaftercoronary revascularization.ResultsThe proportion of patients on statins,aspirin,β-blockers,angiotensin-converting enzymeinhibitors/angiotensinreceptorblockers(ACEIs/ARBs)andinfluenzavaccinationwere 81.4％ (417/512),93.9％ ( 481/512 ),82.0％ ( 420/512 ),76.2％ ( 390/512 ) and 3.7％ ( 19/512 ) respectively.Based on the criteria recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC)Guidelines for Secondary Prevention for Patients with Coronary and Other Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease: 2006 Update, the percentages of achieving therapeutic targets of modifiable risk factor management were as follows:glycosylated hemoglobin (90.2％,462/512 ),total cholesterol ( 68.6％,351/512 ),triglycerides ( 58.8％,301/512 ),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( 91.6％,469/512 ),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( 44.5 ％,228/512 ),systolic pressure ( 75.2 ％,385/512 ) and diastolic pressure (90.4％,463/512 ) respectively.And the proportions of improved lifestyle were as follows:smoking cessation/non-smoking 81.4％ (417/512),diet control 78.5％ ( 402/512 ),achieving weight targets 61.7％ (316/512)and regular exercise 58.2％ (298/512).ConclusionsThere is a relatively high percentage of standardized antiplatelet therapy and continuous statins medication in patients with coronary artery disease following revascularization. However,many significant modifiable risk factors have not been controlled optimally and lifestyle of patients needs further improvement. There is still a considerable scope for further improvement of secondary prevention in this group of patients.

The effect of different dosage of aspirin on inflammatory biomarkers and prognosis in acute coronary syndrome / 中华内科杂志

Objective To observe and assess the effect of different dosages of aspirin on inflammatory biomarkers, hemorheology (platelet aggregation rate) and clinical prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome ( ACS). Methods ACS patients were randomly assigned to receive different dosages of aspirin treatment orally. Patients in group A,B and C took 100 mg, 500 mg and 1000 mg of aspirin per day respectively. They were treated and followed-up for 1 year. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hsCRP) , IL-6, tumor necrosis TNFot and platelet aggregation rate were examined and major adverse cardiac events( MACE) were recorded. Results A total of 312 patients with ACS were enrolled in the study. The baseline characteristics of the three groups were not different with respect to age, gender, cardiovascular risk profile, level of inflammatory biomarkers and concomitant treatment before and after randomization. The levels of baseline serum hsCRP, IL-6 and TNFa were higher in subjects of the study as compared with normal reference value (P<0. 05, <0. 05, <0. 01) and they decreased significantly after therapy with 3 different doses of aspirin (detected at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months, P <0. 001 ) , but there were no significant differences among the three groups( P >0. 05) . Rehospitalization , MACE and the change of platelet aggregation ratio were not significantly different among the three groups. The incidence of gastrointestinal complaints was significantly higher in groups B and C than in group A ( P < 0. 05 ). Conclusions The levels of serum inflammatory biomarker increase in patients with ACS. Aspirin therapy may decrease the level of inflammatory markers significantly, but increasing the dosage of aspirin from 100 mg to 1000 mg daily does not decrease the level of inflammatory markers and the clinical MACEs further. However, the incidence of gastrointestinal complaints increase significantly with the increase of aspirin dosage.

Experimental study of diffusion weighted imaging in diagnosis of diffuse axonal injury / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective To observe the changes of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) after diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in rats. Methods Models of various degrees of DAI (mild, moderate and severe) were established in 135 SD rats by Marmarou method, and MRI examinations were performed 4, 8 and 24 h after injury. Another 8 rats were served as control group. The findings of MRI were analysed, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were compared among each group. Results No clear traumatic lesion was found from MRI in rats after injury. Four hours after injury, ADC values decreased in each DAI group, and there were significant differences between moderate DAI group and control group, and between severe DAI group and control group (P<0.05). Eight hours after injury, ADC values increased in each DAI group, and there was no significant difference between DAI groups and control group (P>0.05). There were significant differences in ADC values between 8 h after injury and 4 h after injury in severe DAI group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in moderate and mild DAI groups (P>0.05). Twenty-four hours after injury, ADC values continuously increased, especially in severe trauma group. Conclusion ADC values may reveal traumatic changes that can not be demonstrated by MRI. ADC values decrease in acute phase of DAI in rats, then increased, and the degree of variation may be related to the severity of DAI.

Intracoronary ultrasound analysis of coronary artery remodeling in patients with acute myocardial infarction / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To invastigate the presence of coronary artery remodeling in acute myocardial infarction(AMI)patients by intracoronary ultrasound(ICUS). Methods Before percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI),sixty five AMI patients were divided into two groups according to two types of arterial remodeling by ICUS.Emergency PCI group had 28 patients and delayed PCI group had 37 patients.Positive remodeling(PR) or negative remodeling(NR)was considered present when the vessel cross sectional area at the lesion site was larger than the proximal cross sectional area or smaller than the distal cross sectional area, respectively. Results Twenty nine patients( 44.6 %) showed PR and 36( 55.4 %)showed NR. Incidence of essential hypertension was higher in NR patients than that in PR ones among risk factors of coronary artery disease.Soft plaques( 83.1 %)(Va+Vb stage lesion in paticular) were main lesions in two type of remodelings and eccentric plaque more common in PR patients( 93.1 % vs 63.8 %,P

Analysis of factors associated with delay time of treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction / 中华全科医师杂志

90 min group than in ≤90 min group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,diabetes,atypical angina,onset at night all were independently associated with prehospital delay (all P