ObjectiveTo investigate the condensate pollution in the pipeline of severe pneumonia patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.MethodsFrom January 2017 to January 2019, 120 patients with severe pneumonia treated by mechanical ventilation in our hospital were collected continuously. The lower respiratory tract secretions were collected for bacteriological examination. At the same time, the condensed water in the ventilator exhaust pipe was collected for bacteriological examination at 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 hours after tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. The bacterial contamination in the condensed water at different time points was analyzed and separated from the lower respiratory tract. The consistency of bacteria in secretion and drug resistance analysis of bacterial contamination in condensate water were carried out.ResultsOf the 120 patients with severe pneumonia after mechanical ventilation, isolates were cultured in the lower respiratory tract secretions of 102 patients. One strain was cultured in 88 cases, two strains were cultured in 10 cases, and three strains were cultured in 4 cases. The isolates were mainly Gram-negative bacteria (57.5%) and Gram-positive bacteria (42.5%). The most common isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. The contamination rate of condensate water was 5.0% at 4 hours, 37.5% at 8 hours, 60.0% at 12 hours, 76.7% at 16 hours, 95.0% at 20 hours, and 100.0% at 24 hours, respectively. The bacterial contamination rate in condensate water at different time points was statistically significant (P=0.000). The pollution rate at 4 hours was significantly lower than that at 8 hours (P=0.000). Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 57.5% and Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 42.5%. The most common isolates were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. The consistency of bacteria in lower respiratory tract and condensate water was 83.3% in severe pneumonia patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. The overall resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus was higher, but the resistance to imipenem/cilastatin was lower.ConclusionsThe bacterial contamination in the condensate of patients with severe pneumonia during mechanical ventilation is serious. The pollution rate is low within 4 hours. It is consistent with the bacterial contamination in lower respiratory tract and the bacterial resistance is high.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effectiveness of early repair in infants with large ventricular septal defect complicated with pneumonia. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 30 infants who underwent emergency operation in our hospital between January 2014 and April 2015. There were 16 males and 14 females at age of 0.9-12.0 (4.6±2.9) months and with weight of 3.0-8.8 (5.6±1.4) kg. They were diagnosed as ventricular septal defect combined with pneumonia as a trial group. There were other 30 patients without pneumonia, 10 males and 20 females, aged of 0.7-19.0 (4.9±4.8) months, weighing 2.6-12 (5.8±2.1) kg, as a control group. All the patients were followed up for 6 months. ResultsOne patient died in the trial group. None died in the control group. There were statistical differences in length of hospital stay (15.73±6.44 d vs. 10.16±2.16 d, P=0.002) and mechanical ventilation time (28.00±15.72 h vs.12.17±9.10 h, P=0.000) between the trial group and the control group. There was no statistical difference in aortic cross-clamping time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, or CICU residence time (P > 0.05). All the patients were followed up for 6 months. Incidence of pneumonia reduced, growth status and exercise tolerance significantly improved. ConclusionEmergency operation for the infants who suffered from ventricular septal defect with severe pneumonia is efficient and effective. Early mechanical ventilation may be beneficial to the procedure.
Objective To establish a model for prognosis analysis of severe community-acquired pneumonia in order to find the independent risk factors for mortality. Methods The data of 88 patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia enrolled from 533 community-acquired pneumonia patients in Fujian Provincial Hospital from April 2012 to December 2015 were analyzed, they were divided into a survival group and a death group according to prognosis. The clinical materials of basic data of the population, clinical manifestation, treatment and prognosis and pulmonary severity indexes were collected. Then univariate analysis was used to screen risk factors of death before logistic multivaritae regression was applied to explore independent risk factors. Results The different pathogen groups including viral, bacterial, mixed infection, negative and other groups were compared and no differences were found in mortality (all P>0.05). Univariate analysis revealed antibiotics treatment before admission, higher APACHEⅡ score, higher Chalison's score, septicopyemia, and higher level of procalcitonin, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood glucose, lactate could increase death risk for the patients. While antiviral treatment and no invasive mechanical ventilation were determined as protective factors. Logistic multivaritae regression showed three factors including higher lactate and higher serum BUN and higher heart rates were independent death risk factors [OR values were 4.704 (95%CI 0.966-22.907), 1.264 (95%CI 0.994-1.606), and 1.081 (95%CI 1.003-1.165), respectively]. Whereas no invasive mechanical ventilation was protective factor (OR=0.033, 95%CI 0.001-0.764). Conclusion The patients with higher lactate and BUN, higher heart rate and accepting invasive mechanical ventilation have poor prognosis.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of blood urea nitrogen to creatinine ratio (UCR) in predicting the condition and prognosis of severe pneumonia patients.MethodsA total of 408 patients with severe pneumonia hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Fangcun branch of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of traditional Chinese medicine from January 1, 2017 to August 1, 2020 were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into a survival group (320 cases) and a death group (88 cases) according to the outcome of hospitalization. This study analyzed the relationship between UCR level and general information, condition, and treatment needs of severe pneumonia patients; and compared UCR, the value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, the levels of hematocrit, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and D-dimer, and the scores of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ and Pneumonia Severity Index between the survival group and the death group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of the above indicators. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of death of severe pneumonia.ResultsThe age of the patients died of severe pneumonia was higher than that of the survival patients (P<0.05); The mortality rate of severe hospital acquired pneumonia was higher than that of severe community acquired pneumonia (P<0.05); The level of UCR was higher in the patients over 70 years old (P<0.05); UCR level of the severe pneumonia patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome during hospitalization was higher (P<0.05); The UCR level was higher in the patients with severe pneumonia whose ICU stay was more than 10 days (P<0.05); The UCR level of the severe pneumonia patients with mechanical ventilation longer than 180 hours was higher (P<0.05); UCR level of the severe pneumonia patients who died during hospitalization was higher than that of the survival group (P<0.05); The area under ROC curve of UCR for predicting death in the patients with severe pneumonia was 0.648 (95%CI 0.576 - 0.719), the cut-off value was 108.74, the sensitivity was 47.7%, and the specificity was 77.8% (P<0.05). PSI > level 3 (OR=4.297, 95%CI 2.777 - 6.651) and UCR > 108.74 (OR=0.545, 95%CI 0.332 - 0.896) were independent risk factors for death in the patients with severe pneumonia (P<0.05).ConclusionUCR has certain value in evaluating the condition and prognosis of severe pneumonia patients.
Objective To investigate the pleural effusion lymphocyte subsets in patients with pneumonia complicated with pleural effusion and its relationship with the occurrence of critical illness. MethodsPatients with pneumonia complicated with pleural effusion (246 cases) admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were selected as the research subjects. According to the severity of pneumonia, they were divided into a critical group (n=150) and a non-critical group (n=96). After 1:1 matching by propensity score matching method, there were 60 cases in each group. The general data of the two groups were compared. CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio were detected by flow cytometry. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of critical pneumonia, and a nomogram prediction model was constructed and evaluated. The relationship between PSI score and lymphocyte subsets in pleural effusion was analyzed by local weighted regression scatter smoothing (LOWESS). Results After matching, the differences between the two groups of patients in the course of disease, heat peak, heat course, atelectasis, peripheral white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer (D-D), procalcitonin (PCT) and hemoglobin were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the non-critical group, the proportion of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ cells in critical group was lower (P<0.05), and the proportion of CD8+ cells was higher (P<0.05). Combined atelectasis, increased course of disease, fever peak and fever course, increased WBC, CRP, D-D, CD8+ and PCT levels, and decreased CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ and Hb levels were independent risk factors for the occurrence of critical pneumonia (P<0.05). The nomogram prediction model based on independent influencing factors had high discrimination, accuracy and clinical applicability. There was a certain nonlinear relationship between pneomonia severity index and CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+. Conclusions Lymphocyte subsets in pleural effusion are closely related to the severity of pneumonia complicated with pleural effusion. If CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ are abnormal, attention should be paid to the occurrence of severe pneumonia.
Objective To observe the changes of soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cell-1 ( sTREM-1) and inflammatory mediators levels in plasma of severe pneumonia patients, and explore the significance of systemic inflammatory response state.Methods Plasma levels of sTREM-1, tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α) and interleukin-10 ( IL-10) were examined in 40 patients with severe pneumonia, 25 patients with uncomplicated pneumonia, and 15 healthy volunteers. Plasma levels of TNF-α,IL-10 and sTREM-1 in survival and non-survival severe pneumoniawere observed on days 1,4, 7 and the day of discharge or death.Results Plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-10, and sTREM-1 [ ( 44. 25 ±10. 81) pg/mL,( 58. 21 ±16. 41) pg/mL, ( 51. 75 ±18. 51) pg/mL, respectively] in the patients with severe pneumonia were higher than those with uncomplicated pneumonia [ ( 24.6 ±6. 45) pg/mL, ( 24. 56 ±7. 1) pg/mL,( 25. 55 ±7. 72) pg/mL, respectively] and the normal controls [ ( 13. 82 ±4. 04) pg/mL, ( 15. 30 ±4. 45)pg/mL, ( 14. 37 ±4. 82) pg/mL, respectively] ( P lt;0. 001) . Plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-10, and sTREM-1 were gradually decreased in the survivors, while maintained at high levels or increased in the non-survivors.The levels of these mediators were all significantly higher in the non-survivors than the survivors at all time points. The ratio of TNF-α/ IL-10 level was higher in the severe pneumonia patients than the uncomplicated pneumonia patients and the control subjects ( 1. 286 ±0. 177 vs. 1. 077 ±0. 410 and 0. 932 ±0. 154) on day 1.The ratio of TNF-α/IL-10 level was higher in the non-survivors than the survivors at all time points. There was negative correlation between plasma levels of sTREM-1 and TNF-αon day 1 ( r = - 0. 479, P =0. 002) ,and positive correlation between plasma levels of sTREM-1 and IL-10 on day 1 ( r = 0. 326, P = 0. 040) .Conclusions There are excessive release of inflammatory mediators and unbalanced systemic inflammatory response in patients with severe pneumonia, especially in non-survivors. sTREM-1, TNF-α and IL-10 are involved in the inflammatory response, and their levels may reflect the prognosis.
Objective To explore the effects of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and its components on the condition and prognosis of patients with Severe Pneumonia. Methods 306 patients with severe pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to July 2023 were included as study subjects.The patients were divided into MS and non-MS groups according to whether they were combined with MS,and into survival and death groups according to 28-day prognosis,and the general data, laboratory indexes, condition and prognostic indexes of the two groups were compared; multifactorial logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with severe pneumonia. ResultsThe levels of test indicators such as body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), blood lactate,white blood cell count(WBC),urea phosphate (Urea), creatinine (SCr),as well as the incidence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), shock,multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), rate of endotracheal intubation and mortality, ICU treatment cost,and total treatment cost of the MS group were significantly higher than those of the non-MS group; the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and oxygenation index (OI) of the MS group were significantly lower than those of the non-MS group (P<0.05).Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of death from severe pneumonia was 1.276 times higher in combined MS than in no combined MS (95%CI: 1.013, 5.114, P=0.047). Subgroup analyses also showed that the risk of death from non-viral severe pneumonia was 2.147 times higher in those with MS than those without (95%CI: 1.175, 8.428, P=0.023). ConclusionSevere pneumonia with MS may be more severe and may have a worse prognosis.
ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in order to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.MethodThe epidemiological histories, clinical characteristics, laboratory examinations, chest images, and treatment outcomes of 20 confirmed cases of severe COVID-19 admitted to Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from January 16th to February 5th, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsAmong the 20 patients with severe COVID-19, 12 were male and 8 were female. The age ranged from 34 to 84 years old, with an average of (57.4±16.5) years old. Thirteen patients (65.0%) had one or more co-existing diseases, such as hypertension (9 cases), diabetes (6 cases), and coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (4 cases). Eleven cases (55.0%) had a history of living or traveling in Wuhan, 4 cases (20.0%) had a history of living in non-Wuhan areas of Hubei Province, 3 cases (15.0%) had a history of contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, while 2 cases had no above-mentioned epidemiological history, but had a history of traveling in non-epidemic areas. The main symptoms were fever (100.0%), cough (100.0%), shortness of breath (75.0%), and fatigue (65.0). Some patients developed into acute respiratory distress syndrome in 3-10 d after onset. The white blood cell count of the patients was normal or decreased, the hypersensitive C-reactive protein and serum amyloid protein significantly increased, while the CD4+ T lymphocyte count and CD56+ natural killer cell count significantly decreased. Sixteen patients (80.0%) were given transnasal hyperbaric oxygenation [among whom 6 patients (30.0%) were transferred to non-invasive ventilator after no improvement], 3 patients (15.0%) were given tracheal intubated ventilator, and 1 patient (5.0%) was treated by tracheal intubated ventilator combined with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to support breathing. By April 8th, 2020, 3 patients died and the remaining 17 had been cured and discharged, with an average length of hospital stay of 21.4 d. The 3 death cases were all elderly with underlying diseases such as heart disease and pulmonary disease.ConclusionsSevere COVID-19 is associated with hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and other basic diseases, and some patients develope acute respiratory distress syndrome. Respiratory support may help to improve prognosis.
Objective To investigate the role of mitochondrial autophagy mediated by PINK1 (homologous phosphatase tensin induced kinase 1) /Parkin (Parkinson’s protein) signaling pathway in severe pneumonia of rats. Methods Twenty rats were randomly divided into control group and model group (severe pneumonia model), with 10 rats in each group, to explore the effects of severe pneumonia on lung function and pathology in rats. Then, 30 rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and mdivi-1 (mitochondrial autophagy inhibitor) group, with 10 rats in each group, to further explore the effects of severe pneumonia on mitochondrial autophagy indicators of rats. ResultsCompared with the control group, the resting ventilation volume [(3.44±0.22) vs. (1.58±0.18) mL/min] and airway resistance ratio (77.48±3.84 vs. 47.76±5.54) in the model group were decreased (P<0.05). In the model group, the lung tissue was injured and a large number of inflammatory cells were infiltrated. The protein and mRNA expression levels of Parkin, PINK1 and microtubule-associated protein1 light chain 3 in lung tissues of model group were increased (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the ratio of resting ventilator-to-airway resistance in mdivi-1 group increased (P<0.05). The injury and inflammatory infiltration of lung tissue were improved in mdivi-1 group. The expression levels of Parkin, PINK1 and microtubule-associated protein1 light chain 3 protein and mRNA in lung tissues of mdivi-1 group were decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion Mdivi-1 can improve the abnormal lung function structure in rats with severe pneumonia, and the mechanism may be related to mitochondrial autophagy mediated by PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway.
Objective To explore the effect of early rehabilitation treatment on complications and prognosis of elderly patients with sever pneumonia undergoing mechanical ventilation. Methods The patients who meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into an early rehabilitation group and a control group, with 35 cases in each group. On basis of same routine treatment, the early rehabilitation group was treated with early rehabilitation. The early rehabilitation methods included exercise therapy, electrical stimulation therapy, swallowing therapy, cough training and wheelchair-bed transfer training, etc. The patients received individual training methods according to their conditions. The difference of two groups were observed in the rates of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW), ventilator-associate pneumonia (VAP), the incidence of delirium, the mechanical ventilation time, ICU-hospital time, total hospital time, 30-day hospital mortality, extubation fail rate and tracheotomy rate. Results Compare with the control group, the incidence of ICU-AW (14.28% vs. 37.14%), VAP (8.57% vs. 28.57%), and delirium (40.00% vs. 65.71%) in the early rehabilitation group were significantly reduced (all P<0.05). The duration of delirium [(3.50±1.31) dvs. (6.40±1.47) d], the ventilation time [(6.32±2.19) d vs. (9.40±4.43) d], ICU hospitalization time [(10.80±3.64) d vs. (15.31±3.85) d] and total hospitalization time [(22.52±7.56) d vs. (30.22±11.54) d] of the early rehabilitation group were significantly lower than the control group (all P<0.001). The tracheotomy rate and 30-day hospital mortality of the early rehabilitation group were significantly lower than the control group (25.71%vs. 51.42% and 28.57% vs. 54.28%, both P<0.05). There was no significant difference in extubation fail rate (5.71%vs. 11.42%, P>0.05). In the early rehabilitation group, there were no complications such as pipe prolapse, limb injury or serious arrhythmia. Conclusion Early rehabilitation can reduce the incidence of ICU-AW, VAP, delirium in elderly patients with severe pneumonia, help to shorten the mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time and total hospitalization time, reduce extubation failure rate and tracheotomy rate, so it is safe and effective, and worthy of being popularized and applied.