Independent Risk Factors For Occurrence Research Articles

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Mortality of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients with Anti-MDA5+ Dermatomyositis: A Retrospective Study in China.

To investigate the prevalence, risk factors and prognosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 positive dermatomyositis (anti-MDA5+ DM). A retrospective analysis was conducted in anti-MDA5+ DM patients diagnosed between January 2016 and March 2023. Patients with lower respiratory tract specimens were categorized into IPA+ and IPA- groups based on the presence of IPA and their clinical characteristics and prognoses then compared. Of the 415 patients diagnosed with anti-MDA5+ DM, 28 cases had IPA (prevalence rate of 6.7%) with Aspergillus fumigatus being the most common species. The patients were categorized into IPA+ (n=28) and IPA- (n=98) groups, with no significant age or gender-related differences (P>0.05). The IPA+ group had a lower lymphocyte count, particularly the CD4+ T-cell count, and reduced serum albumin and higher serum ferritin levels (P all<0.05). An elevated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) galactomannan level was found to be the sole independent risk factor for the occurrence of IPA (adjusted OR=2.191, P=0.029) with a cut-off value of 0.585 and area under the curve of 0.779. The mortality rate in the IPA+ group was 25%. Compared to survivors, non-survivors in this group exhibited a higher incidence of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease, lower lymphocyte counts, and increased co-infection with Pneumocystis jirovecii (P all<0.05). IPA was not rare in patients with anti-MDA5+ DM, with elevated BALF galactomannan levels being an independent risk factor for IPA occurrence. Clinicians must exercise vigilance to identify patients exhibiting the aforementioned risk factors.

Prospective evaluation of acute neurological events after paediatric cardiac surgery.

Children with CHD are at heightened risk of neurodevelopmental problems; however, the contribution of acute neurological events specifically linked to the perioperative period is unclear. This secondary analysis aimed to quantify the incidence of acute neurological events in a UK paediatric cardiac surgery population, identify risk factors, and assess how acute neurological events impacted the early post-operative pathway. Post-operative data were collected prospectively on 3090 consecutive cardiac surgeries between October 2015 and June 2017 in 5 centres. The primary outcome of analysis was acute neurological event, with secondary outcomes of 6-month survival and post-operative length of stay. Patient and procedure-related variables were described, and risk factors were statistically explored with logistic regression. Incidence of acute neurological events after paediatric cardiac surgery in our population occurred in 66 of 3090 (2.1%) consecutive cardiac operations. 52 events occurred with other morbidities including renal failure (21), re-operation (20), cardiac arrest (20), and extracorporeal life support (18). Independent risk factors for occurrence of acute neurological events were CHD complexity 1.9 (1.1-3.2), p = 0.025, longer operation times 2.7 (1.6-4.8), p < 0.0001, and urgent surgery 3.4 (1.8-6.3), p < 0.0001. Unadjusted comparison found that acute neurological event was linked to prolonged post-operative hospital stay (median 35 versus 9 days) and poorer 6-month survival (OR 13.0, 95% CI 7.2-23.8). Ascertainment of acute neurological events relates to local measurement policies and was rare in our population. The occurrence of acute neurological events remains a suitable post-operative metric to follow for quality assurance purposes.

Association between Oral Cancer Surgery and Postoperative Airway Obstruction: A retrospective study

ObjectivePredicting postoperative airway obstruction during oral cancer surgery is difficult. We aimed to investigate the relationship between postoperative airway obstruction and surgery in patients. MethodsPatients (n=100, men: 72, women: 28) with oral malignancies who underwent surgery between January 2020 and December 2022 were included. The outcome was postoperative airway obstruction. Age, sex, alcohol, smoking history, BMI, tumor site, T and N classification, stage, surgical method, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, DOI, airway management, occurrence and duration of postoperative airway obstruction were investigated. We defined airway obstruction as confirmed symptoms such as dyspnoea and wheezing, drop in SpO2 below 90%, stridor auscultation and pharyngeal stenosis by endoscope.The relationship between airway obstruction and patient characteristics was analyzed using Fisher's exact test. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to assess onset of airway obstruction, and the time to onset of airway obstruction was compared using the log-rank test. Airway obstruction and surgery-related factors were evaluated using Cox regression models. ResultsAirway obstruction occurred in 6 patients within 12hours. Multivariate analysis revealed that age >65 years, lymphatic invasion and DOI (cut-off value: 7.00mm) were independent risk factors for occurrence of airway obstruction. ConclusionLocal resection of tumors ≥7mm in DOI is associated with airway obstruction owing to factors such as swelling associated with deep resection. Age, lymphatic invasion are also associated with airway obstruction, requiring ward management according to the protocols of each institution with attention to postoperative hematoma and edema that may cause airway obstruction.

Clinical characteristics of bloodstream infections in adult patients with solid tumours and a nomogram for mortality prediction: a 5-year case-controlled retrospective study in a tertiary-level hospital.

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are one of the leading causes of death in cancer patients. Nevertheless, the risk factors of BSIs in solid tumors have rarely been ascertained adequately. We conducted a single-center case-controlled retrospective study from 2017 to 2021 among adults with solid tumors in a tertiary-level hospital. The BSIs and control group were matched by the propensity score matching method. We found independent risk factors of occurrence and death of BSIs using univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Additionally, a nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of mortality in BSIs. Of 602 patients with solid tumors in the study period, 186 had BSIs and 416 had non-BSIs. The incidence of BSIs was 2.0/1,000 admissions (206/102,704), and the 30-day mortality rate was 18.8% (35/186). Compared to the control group, the BSIs had longer hospital stays (24.5 days vs. 20.0 days), and higher frequency complicating with organ failure (10.5% vs. 2.4%), nephropathy (19.6% vs. 3.8%), comorbidities≥3 (35.5% vs. 20.0%), and liver-biliary-pancreatic infections (15.6% vs. 5.3%) (all P<0.001). Among the 186 patients with BSIs, 35 died within 30 days after BSIs. Gram-negative bacteria were the most frequent microorganisms (124/192, 64.6%). Liver cancer, organ failure, a high level of lactate dehydrogenase and septic shock were the independent hazardous factors for death of BSIs. What's more, a nomogram was constructed to predict the 30-day survival rate of BSIs, which was proved to have good accuracy (AUC: 0.854; 95% confidence interval: 0.785~0923) and consistency. Being aware of the risk factors of BSIs redounds to take preventive measures to reduce the incidence and death of BSIs.

Frequency and Risk Factors of Subsyndromal Delirium in the Intensive Care Units: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Subsyndromal delirium (SSD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder among the intensive care units (ICU) patients. SSD is characterized by the presence of delirium symptoms but it does not meet the diagnostic criteria of delirium, resulting in poor patient prognosis. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and risk factors for SSD among adult patients admitted to the ICU of XXX hospital in Southwest China. The study participants comprised 309 patients referred to the ICU in XXX hospital between 10th August 2021 and 5th June 2022. Demographic information, medical history, and other patient information were recorded. ICDSC assessment, physical examination and laboratory tests were performed on enrolled patients. Cognitive evaluation was conducted using the MMSE method. The results showed that out the 309 patients, 99 had possible SSD (prevalence of 32.0%), with 55 SSD1 cases (ICDSC score of 1, 17.8% prevalence), 29 SSD2 cases (ICDSC score of 2, 9.4% prevalence) and 15 SSD3 cases (ICDSC score of 3, 4.9% prevalence). Previous history of mental illness (OR, 3.741; 95% CI, 1.136-12.324; P <0.05), auxiliary ventilation (OR, 3.364; 95% CI, 1.448-7.813; P <0.01), hemodialysis (OR, 11.369; 95% CI, 1.245-103.840; P <0.05), MMSE score (OR, 0.845; 95% CI, 0.789-0.904; P <0.001) and a temperature ≥ 37.5 °C (OR, 3.686; 95% CI, 1.404-9.732; P <0.01) were independent risk factors for occurrence of SSD among ICU patients. Approximately one-third of the patients in the intensive care unit had high risk of SSD. Nursing staff should pay attention to management of the high-risk patients to prevent SSD from progressing delirium to improve patient prognosis.

Perioperative Outcomes and Risk Profile of 4730 Cosmetic Breast Surgery Cases in Academic Institutions: An ACS-NSQIP Analysis.

Cosmetic breast surgery (CBS) can be subdivided into augmentation, mastopexy, reduction, and reconstruction. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze a multi-institutional national database to investigate the outcomes of CBS and identify clinical patterns to optimize care. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2008-2020) was reviewed to identify female patients who underwent CBS. Postoperative outcomes (30-day surgical and medical complications, reoperation, readmission, and mortality) and risk factors for complications were assessed. In total, 4733 patients were identified (mean age, 40 [13] years; mean BMI, 24 [4.5] kg/m2) with augmentation accounting for 54% of cases. There were complications in 2.0% of cases. Age >65 years (P = .002), obesity (P < .0001), setting (P < .0001), and diabetes (P = .04) were risk factors for any complication. Age >65 years (P = .02), obesity (P = .03), diabetes (P = .01), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (P = .002) and congestive heart failure (P < .0001), smoking in the past year (P = .003), setting (P = .007), and increased American Society of Anesthesiology score (P < .0001) were predictors of surgical complications such as dehiscence and infection. Multivariable analysis confirmed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity Class 1 and 3, and inpatient status were independent risk factors for occurrence of any complication (P = .0005, .0003, < .0001 and <.0001, respectively). Additionally, multiple procedures (P = .02) and smoking (P = .005) were found to be risk factors for surgical complications. This study confirms the positive safety profile of CBS. Healthy BMI is a protective factor, while complications were more likely among inpatient procedures. A correlation between multiple procedures and increased surgical complications was identified. Awareness of these risk factors can assist surgeons to further refine their perioperative protocols.

Postoperative Delirium (POD) in Cancer Patients its Incidence and Risk Factors a Prospective Observational Study

Background: In cancer patients, surgery is an essential part of the multimodality treatment to remove solid tumors and nearly 50% of the cancer patients underwent surgery for the treatment of cancer usually experienced post-operative delirium (POD). Currently, screening for delirium in the surgical wards at many cancer hospitals in China isn’t the component of everyday clinical care. Objectives: This study aims to examine the existing situation of suspected post-operative delirium in cancer patients undergoing surgery during the first 72 hours after surgery, and to identify the risk factors associated with postoperative delirium (POD). Study Design: Prospective/observational study Place and Duration: Hunan cancer Hospital. 1st December 2019 and 31st December 2019 Methods: Chinese Cancer patients scheduled for surgery, aged 18 years or elders were prospectively observed by bedside nurses for 03 consecutive postoperative days for the presence of delirium by using Nursing delirium screening scale (Nu-DESC Chinese version). Results: Among the 319 included cancer patients, 39 (12.2%) developed suspected POD. Univariate analysis showed that cancer surgical patient with comorbidity of hypertension and chronic hepatitis, surgical specialty, duration of surgery &gt;3 hours, post-operative use of benzodiazepine and opioids to be significantly associated with suspected POD. Binary logistic regression model showed hypertension (OR 7.857 95% CI 3.484–17.718 p=&lt;.001), chronic hepatitis (OR 44.087 95% CI 2.517–772.3 p=0.01), and duration of surgery &gt;3 hours (OR 2.908 95% CI 1.285–6.580 p=0.01), to be independent risk factors for occurrence of suspected POD. Conclusion: The 12.2% incidence of suspected postoperative delirium (POD) in cancer patients is significant. Recognizing of cancer patients by the nurses and clinicians who may be at risk for developing POD and addressing the modifiable risk factors are extremely essential to lower the risk of its developing. Keywords: Delirium; Postoperative delirium; Cancer; risk factors; Nu-DESC

Early enlarging cavitation after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of lung tumors: Incidence, risk factors and outcome

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to retrospectively determine the incidence of early enlarging cavitation after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of lung tumor and identify risk factors associated with their occurrence. Patients and methodsA total of 245 patients (140 men, 105 women; mean age, 62.7 ± 11.8 [SD] years; age range: 31–87 years) with 605 lung tumors who were treated using 401 RFA sessions from April 2010 to March 2020 were included. Of which, 31 patients with 38 early enlarging cavitation and control group (151 patients with 228 tumors) were analyzed. Early enlarging cavitation was defined as cavities with an enlarged size (>3 cm) occurring on ablated lesions within seven days after RFA. Incidence of cavitation, risk and post-procedural factors of occurrence, major adverse events (AEs) that occurred in RFA sessions with cavitation, and course of cavitation were evaluated. AEs were classified using the CIRSE classification system for complications. ResultsThirty-eight cavities (6.3%, 38/605 tumors) in 31 patients occurred in an average of 3.1 ± 1.7 days (range, 1–7 days) after 32 RFA sessions. Distance from pleura ≥ 20 mm, contact with vessel ≥ 3 mm, multitined expandable electrode ≥ 3 cm, and bronchus ≥ 2 mm encompassed in the ablation zone were independent risk factors of occurrence. Fever ≥ 38.5 °C, white blood cell count ≥ 10,000/μl one day after RFA, and steroid therapy were independent post-procedural factors of occurrence. Twenty-four Grade 3 and two Grade 6 AEs occurred. Twenty-nine cavities disappeared within a mean duration of 111.9 ± 64.9 (SD) days (range: 44–274 days) and four remained with a mean follow-up of 279.2 ± 174 (SD) days; five patients were lost to follow-up. ConclusionsEarly enlarging cavitation occurs in 6.3% of lung tumors treated with RFA and are associated with 26 major AEs in 32 sessions. Aforementioned procedural factors and post-procedural inflammation were significant risk factors of occurrence.

P120 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SERUM ESTRADIOL LEVELS AND MEN WITH GROIN HERNIA : A CASE - CONTROL STUDY

Abstract Aim To assess if increased serum levels of estradiol is an independent risk factor for occurrence of groin hernia in men. Material and Methods We performed a hospital based case-control study. Men diagnosed with groin hernia were taken as cases and men who did not have groin hernia but were admitted for other elective surgery were taken as controls. Cases were matched to controls based on age and BMI. Morning fasting blood sample was collected from both cases and controls used to measure serum estradiol levels. Results A total of 46 hernia cases and 91 non-hernia controls were included in the study. The mean age and BMI of both cases and controls were not significantly different. The mean serum estradiol level for cases was 53.5 ±7.11 pg/ml. This value was significantly higher (p &amp;lt; 0.001) than for the control group which was 28.3 ± 3.14 pg/ml. A strong positive association was observed between increasing serum estradiol levels and hernia incidence. Men in 4th (highest) quartile of estradiol levels had a relative risk of 2.27 (95% CI:1.33-3.04) compared to men in 2nd quartile. Men in 1st (lowest) quartile didn’t have any hernia cases. Conclusions The knowledge may allow treatment or prevention with novel nonsurgical approaches. Therapy with aromatase inhibitors might prevent recurrence after hernia repair or even help men avoid surgery in the first place. Prevention of hernia will lead to decrease in morbidity and cost burden due to surgical treatment to a long extent.

Illusion of coronary artery chronic total occlusion-associated ventricular arrhythmia: results from a multi-centre study

Abstract Background/Introduction Coronary artery chronic total occlusion (CTO) is frequently encountered in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) with a reported incidence of more than thirty percent in this population (1). A previous large single-centre study established CTO as an independent risk factor for occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with ICD and ischemic heart disease (2). The significance of CTO in all-comers has not been investigated. In this large retrospective data, it was analysed that there is no significant difference in ventricular arrhythmia occurrence in patients with CTO versus those with CAD and no CTO. Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the association between CTO and ventricular arrhythmia in patients with CAD using a pooled de-identified database. Methods This retrospective observational study used IBM Explorys, which is a pooled de-identified multi-institutional database of more than 60 million unique patients in the United States. A search was done to identify patients with CTO and those with CAD with the exclusion of CTO diagnosis. The data were analysed for ventricular tachycardia (VT) and/or ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurrence. The data were stratified by presence of systolic HF to identify possible effect modification. Statistical analysis was performed by calculating odds ratios (OR) with associated confidence intervals. Results Among the 190 patients with the diagnosis of CTO, 11.8% had VT/VF. Of the 2,796,600 patients with CAD and no CTO, 6.9% had VT/VF. The diagnosis of CTO was associated with an increased risk for VT/VF with OR 1.7143 (1.0786, 2.7247), p&amp;lt;0.05. Upon stratification by presence or absence of systolic HF, there was no statistically significant difference in occurrence of VT/VF in the two strata. In the systolic HF group, the OR was 1.4331 (0.6708, 3.0619), p=0.47; the no systolic HF group had OR 0.9717 (0.5123, 1.843), p=0.92. In patients with CAD, the diagnosis of systolic HF was associated with an increased risk of CTO with OR 2.5616 (1.7268, 3.7999), p&amp;lt;0.05. Conclusion Stratification by presence or absence of systolic HF yielded inconsistent and statistically insignificant odds ratios compared to the all-comers group, suggesting effect modification by HF with no statistically significant association between CTO and VT/VF. These findings from this large multicentre retrospective data suggest that CTO itself is not an independent risk factor for ventricular arrhythmia in patients with CAD. Limitations of this study include that it is a retrospective pooled analysis without individualised data on ejection fraction and the inability to distinguish if the CTO was infarct-related. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the significance of CTO in patients with CAD as it pertains to ventricular arrhythmia. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Semiautomatic analysis of tumor proportion in colon cancer: Lessons from a validation study

The tumor stroma ratio (TSR) is a promising histopathologic prognostic biomarker, which could allow for more accurate risk stratification and improved patient management in colorectal cancer. The purpose of our research was to validate the results of a previous study, which had suggested that not only a low but also a high tumor proportion (TP) might be an independent risk factor for occurrence of distant metastasis and worse overall survival using a semiautomatic image analysis approach with the open-source software ImageJ. We investigated 253 pT3 and pT4 adenocarcinomas of no special type. The previously established thresholds (PES-cut-offs) used to classify the patients (previous 3-tiered-classification) according to the tumor proportion (TP) in a highTP (TP ≥ 54%), a mediumTP (TP < 54% ∩ TP >15%) and a lowTP (TP ≤ 15%) group did not show a significant risk stratification. Even the adjustment of these threshold revealed no significant results. Therefore, a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to establish the cut-off with the most significant predictive power and a “new 2-tiered-classification” using this cut-off (40% at MinTP) showed a significantly shorter absence of metastasis for patients with a low TP (p = 0.007). These results confirm that a low TP is associated with an adverse prognosis. This study did not confirm the previous assumption that a high TP might also be a risk factor for occurrence of metastasis. Furthermore, it demonstrates that this semiautomatic technique is not superior to the established method, so that approaches to enhance prognostic techniques should continue.

Risk factors and nutritional status analysis in patients with liver cirrhosis and concomitant chronic periodontitis

Objective: To study and explore the prevalence, characteristics, preliminary risk factors, as well as their relationship with nutritional scores in liver cirrhotic patient with chronic periodontitis. Methods: 163 patients with liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized in the Hepatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine at Tianjin Third Central Hospital from June to September 2018 were enrolled as the case group, while the control group consisted 140 healthy individuals enrolled during the same period. Periodontal examination, biochemical examination and oral hygiene habits were investigated. The prevalence of periodontitis in the two groups was compared, and the risk factors of severe periodontitis were conducted by multivariate regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of chronic periodontitis was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy control population, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The prevalence of severe periodontitis and full edentulous jaws was significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Compared with the healthy control group, the depth of periodontal pocket and the degree of attachment loss were significantly increased in the liver cirrhosis group (P < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis showed that liver cirrhosis was the independent risk factors for both groups of patients with severe periodontitis (χ (2) = 11.046, P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed that toothbrushing frequency, nutritional risk score, prealbumin level and Child-Pugh grade were independent risk factors for occurrence of severe periodontitis in liver cirrhotic patient (χ (2) = 5.252, P = 0.022; χ (2) = 24.162, P < 0.001; χ (2) = 4.159, P = 0.041; χ (2) = 9.249, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The prevalence of periodontitis is significantly higher in patients with liver cirrhosis than healthy individuals, and liver cirrhosis is an independent risk factor for the occurrence of severe periodontitis. Toothbrushing frequency, nutritional risk score, prealbumin level and Child-Pugh grade are risk factors for severe periodontitis in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Effects of opioids on respiration assessed by a contact-free unconstraint respiratory monitor with load cells under the bed in patients with advanced cancer.

Nocturnal periodic breathing of chronic opioid users has been predominantly documented by the use of polysomnography. No previous studies have assessed the opioid effects of respiratory rhythms throughout the day without the use of physical restraint. We recently developed a contact-free unconstraint vital sign monitoring system with four load cells placed under the bed legs, which allows continuous measurements of respiratory change at the center of gravity on the bed. We aimed to reveal details of the patient's 24-h respiratory status under a monitoring system and to test the hypothesis that respiratory rhythm abnormalities are opioid dose-dependent and worsen during the night time. Continuous 48-h respiratory measurements were successfully performed in 51 patients with advanced cancer (12 opioid-free patients and 39 opioid-receiving patients). Medians of respiratory variables with minimal body movement artifacts were calculated for each 8-h split time period. Compared with opioid-free patients, opioid-receiving patients had slower respiratory rate with higher respiratory rate irregularity without changing tidal centroid shift regardless of the time period. Irregular ataxic breathing was only identified in opioid-receiving patients (33%, P = 0.023) whereas incidence rate of periodic breathing did not differ between the groups. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that opioid dose was an independent risk factor for occurrence of irregular breathing [odds ratio 1.81 (95% CI: 1.39-2.36), P < 0.001], and ataxic breathing [odds ratio 2.08 (95% CI: 1.60-2.71), P < 0.001]. Females developed the ataxic breathing at lower opioid dose compared with males. We conclude that respiratory rhythm irregularity is a predominant specific feature of opioid dose-dependent respiratory depression particularly in female patients with advanced cancer.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Through usage of a novel contact-free unconstraint vital sign monitoring system with four load cells placed under the bed legs allowing continuous measurements of respiratory changes of center of gravity on the bed, this study is the first to assess detailed respiratory characteristics throughout day and night periods without interference of daily activities in patients with advanced cancer receiving opioids. Respiratory rhythm irregularity is a predominant specific feature of opioid dose-dependent respiratory depression particularly in female patients with advanced cancer.

Relation between coffee consumption and risk of seizure‐related respiratory dysfunction in patients with drug‐resistant focal epilepsy

Caffeine is an antagonist of the adenosine pathway, which is involved in regulation of breathing. Extracellular concentrations of adenosine are increased in the immediate aftermath of a seizure. Seizure-related overstimulation of adenosine receptors might promote peri-ictal apnea. However, the relation between caffeine consumption and risk of seizure-related respiratory dysfunction in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy remains unknown. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data collected in patients included in the SAVE study in Lyon's epilepsy monitoring unit at the Adult Epilepsy Department of the Lyon University Hospital between February 2016 and October 2018. The video-electroencephalographic recordings of 156 patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy included in the study were reviewed to identify those with ≥1 focal seizure (FS), valid pulse oximetry (SpO2 ) measurement, and information about usual coffee consumption. This latter was collected at inclusion using a standardized self-questionnaire and further classified into four groups: none, rare (≤3 cups/week), moderate (4 cups/week to 3 cups/day), and high (≥4 cups/day). Peri-ictal hypoxemia (PIH) was defined as SpO2 < 90% for at least 5s occurring during the ictal period, the post-ictal period, or both. Ninety patients fulfilled inclusion criteria, and 323 seizures were analyzed. Both the level of usual coffee consumption (p=.033) and the level of antiepileptic drug withdrawal (p=.004) were independent risk factors for occurrence of PIH. In comparison with FS in patients with no coffee consumption, risk of PIH was four times lower in FS in patients with moderate consumption (odds ratio [OR]=.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]=.07-.91, p=.036) and six times lower in FS in patients with high coffee consumption (OR=.16, 95% CI=.04-.66, p=.011). However, when PIH occurred, its duration was longer in patients with moderate or high consumption than in those with no coffee consumption (p=.042). Coffee consumption may be a protective factor for seizure-related respiratory dysfunction, with a dose-dependent effect.

The development of a predictive risk model on post-ablation hemobilia: a multicenter matched case-control study.

Objective:This study aimed to develop a predictive risk model for post-ablation hemobilia.Methods:This was a retrospective, multicenter, matched case–control study. The case group comprised patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who developed post-ablation hemobilia (n = 21); the control group (n = 63) comprised patients with hepatocellular carcinoma but no post-ablation hemobilia; for each case, we included three controls matched for age, sex, platelet count, year of ablation therapy, and center. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for hemobilia. A risk score model was developed based on adjusted odds ratios (ORs).Results:The independent risk factors for occurrence of post-ablation hemobilia were maximum tumor diameter >47 mm [OR = 5.983, 95% CI (1.134–31.551)] and minimum distance from the applicator to the portal trunk ≤8 mm [OR = 4.821, 95% CI (1.225–18.975)]. The risk model was developed using the adjusted ORs; thus a score of 6 was assigned to the former and a score of 5 for the latter. The area under the curve of this risk model was 0.76. Significant hemodynamic instability and inaccurate embolization might increase the risk of recurrence of hemobilia.Conclusion:Tumor size >47 mm and distance of the applicator from the portal trunk ≤8 mm are independent risk factors for hemobilia. A predictive risk model for post-ablation hemobilia was developed using these risk factors.Advances in knowledge:This is the first study that developed a risk score model of post-ablation hemobilia. Risk factors of the recurrence of post-ablation hemobilia were also been identified.

Conduction disorders after aortic valve replacement with rapid-deployment bioprostheses: early occurrence and one-year evolution.

Rapid-deployment bioprostheses represent one of the newest aortic valve substitutes introduced into clinical practice. The aim of this retrospective single-center study was to evaluate the occurrence of conduction disorders (CDs) after rapid-deployment aortic valve implantation at discharge and at 1-year follow-up, and to identify risk factors for CDs and permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI). All patients who reached 1-year follow-up after isolated or combined aortic valve replacement (AVR) with rapid-deployment bioprostheses (Intuity Elite, Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) at our institution were included in this study. Standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded before the procedure (within 24 hours), after the procedure as soon as the patient was moved to the intensive care unit (ICU), every day during in-hospital stay and at 1-year follow-up. The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative CDs at discharge and at 1-year follow up. Patients were divided in two groups: those who developed the primary endpoint (Group CD) and those who didn't (Group Non-CD). A total of 98 consecutive patients were included in the study. At discharge, the primary endpoint occurred in 40 patients (40.8%). In particular, new CDs and PPI occurred in 33 (33.7%) and in 7 (7.1%) patients, respectively. Valve size was the only independent predictor of primary endpoint at discharge. At 1-year, 30 patients (31.3%) presented with CDs or pacemaker-induced rhythm. In particular, in 25 patients of Group CD (64.1%), 1-year follow-up ECG revealed the persistence of the same CD as at discharge or pacemaker-induced rhythm, while 14 patients (35.9%) showed recovery of their CD. Age and prosthesis size were identified as independent predictors of CDs/pacemaker-induced rhythm at 1-year follow-up. According to our data, nearly 40% of patients develop a new CD after rapid-deployment aortic valve implantation. Of these, one third recover after one year. Bioprosthesis size and age were identified as independent risk factors for occurrence of CD after surgery.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts acute kidney injury occurrence after gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery.

BACKGROUNDPostoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex pathological process involved intrarenal and systemic inflammation caused by renal hypoperfusion, nephrotoxic drugs and urinary obstruction. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of inflammation reflecting the progress of many diseases. However, whether NLR at admission can predict the occurrence of AKI after surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unknown.AIMTo clarify the relationship between NLR and the occurrence of AKI in patients with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery in the ICU.METHODSA retrospective analysis of 282 patients receiving surgical ICU care after gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery in our hospital from December 2014 to December 2018 was performed.RESULTSPostoperative AKI occurred in 84 patients (29.79%) in this cohort. NLR by the multivariate analysis was an independent risk factor for occurrence of postoperative AKI in patients with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery in the ICU. In this cohort, receiver operating characteristic curves of AKI occurrence showed that the optimal cut-off value of NLR was 8.380. NLR was found to be significantly correlated with the white blood cell count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, arterial lactate and dialysis (P < 0.05). Additionally, NLR value at admission was higher in AKI patients compared with the non-AKI patients and increased with the severity of AKI. Patients with NLR ≥ 8.380 exhibited significantly higher incidences of postoperative AKI and severe AKI than patients with NLR < 8.380 (AKI: 38.12% vs 14.85%, P < 0.001; severe AKI: 14.36% vs 1.98%, P = 0.001).CONCLUSIONNLR at admission is a predictor of AKI occurrence in patients with gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery in ICU. NLR should be included in the routine assessment of AKI occurrence.

Study on the relationship between Plasma Pro amino terminal brain natriuretic peptide, left ventricular mass index and the prognosis in elderly heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction

Objective To investigate the clinical value of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)and Left ventricular mass index(LVMI )in evaluating the prognosis of elderly heart failure patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Methods From January 2018 to December 2018, 170 patients with heart failure (age≥65years old) in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were selected as the subjects of prospective study.According to the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the patients were divided into two groups: the heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) group (100 cases), the heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) group (70 cases), and the healthy subjects (58 cases) as the control group.Left atrial diameter (LAD), interventricular septum thickness (IVST), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), LVEF, left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were compared among the three groups.The study group was followed up for 6 months after standardized treatment to observe the occurrence of major cardiovascular adverse events (MACE). Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between the above indexes and the occurrence of mace.ROC curve was used to analyze the predictive value of NT proBNP and LVMI. Results There were significant differences in LAD, IVSTt, LVPWT, LVEDD, LVEF and LVMI among each group (F value was 110.878, 75.838, 74.044, 137.985, 495.267 and 122.810, respectively, all P<0.001 ). The LAD, IVST, LVPWT, LVEDD, and LVMI in the HFpEF group((40.81 ±4.46) mm, (9.39±1.15) mm, (9.68±1.11) mm, (55.54±3.67) mm, (125.45±19.17) g/m2) were higher than those in the control group ((32.9±3.20) mm, (7.62±0.64) mm, (7.81±0.58) mm, (47.05±3.13) mm, (77.72±11.79) g/m2), and the LVEF was lower than that of the control group ((59.63±5.23)% vs.(67.7±4.35)%) with statistical significance (all P<0.05). IVST, LVPWT, LVEF in HFpEF group( (9.39±1.15) mm, (9.68±1.11) mm, (9.63±5.23)%) were higher than those in HFrEF group ((7.59±1.28) mm, (8.01±1.39) mm, (36.9±7.63 )%) ; and the LAD, LVEDD in HFpEF group ((40.81±4.46) mm, (55.54±3.67) mm) were lower than those in HFrEF group ((45.51±6.1) mm, (64.77±9.55) mm), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The plasma NT-proBNP concentration was the lowest in the control group, followed by the HFpEF group and the highest in the HFrEF group(56.0 (30.0, 78.56), 2 624.5 (1 190.5, 5 558.5), 8 528.5 (2 651.0, 21 582.75), F=81.355, P<0.01). Multivariant Logistic regression analysis showed that NT-proBNP and LVMI were independent risk factors for occurrence of MACE in patients with HFpEF(OR=4.796, 95%CI: 2.348-5.127, P=0.035; OR=1.957, 95%CI: 1.810-3.327, P=0.016). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of cardiovascular adverse events predicted by NT-proBNP and LVMI for 6 months was 0.888(95%CI: 0.825-0.950, P<0.001) and 0.713(95%CI: 0.613-0.812, P=0.013). Conclusion NT-proBNP and LVMI have important value for prognosis evaluation in elderly patients with HFpEF. Key words: Heart failure; Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; Left ventricular mass index; Prognosis

Tumor proportion in colon cancer: results from a semiautomatic image analysis approach

The tumor stroma ratio (TSR) is a promising prognostic biomarker in colon cancer, which could provide additional risk stratification for therapy adaption. The objective of our study was the investigation of the prognostic significance of TSR at different tumor sites in a simple semiautomatic approach with the open-source program ImageJ. We investigated 206 pT3 and pT4 adenocarcinomas of no special type. According to our established thresholds, 31 tumors (15%) were classified as low tumor proportion (TP) (≤ 15% TP), 42 tumors (20%) were classified as high TP (≥ 54% TP), and 133 tumors (65%) were classified as medium TP. High and low TP were associated with an adverse overall survival in comparison to medium TP (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03). Furthermore, the TP was an independent risk factor of occurrence of distant metastasis next to T status, microsatellite status, and tumor budding. The 5-year survival rate was 49% in patients with high TP, 48% in patients with low TP, and 68% in patients with medium TP (p = 0.042, n = 160). Patients with a high TP had less often tumor budding (p = 0.012), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.049), and less harvested lymph nodes (p = 0.042) in comparison to low TP tumors. The results provide first evidence that a high tumor proportion/low stroma proportion is also associated with an adverse prognosis and that this subgroup might be difficult to identify with other classical histopathologic characteristics that are linked to an adverse prognosis.

Pentraxin 3, TNF-α, and LDL-C Are Associated With Carotid Artery Stenosis in Patients With Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Carotid artery stenosis (CAS), typically resulting from atherosclerotic progression, is more common than intracranial atherosclerotic disease in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Prior literature has incompletely established the relationship of Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and CAS complexity and severity. This study aims to more thoroughly evaluate the association of plasma PTX3 levels and the prevalence and severity of CAS in patients with cerebrovascular disease.Methods: Two hundred and six patients with ischemic stroke underwent multiphase computerized tomography angiography (CTA) of the head and neck to assess the presence and severity of carotid artery stenosis. Patients were divided into groups with either no carotid artery stenosis (CAS-free) or carotid artery stenosis (CAS). The CAS group was further divided into groups based on the degree of stenosis and the number of involved vessels. The PTX3 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentration were measured by ELISA.Results: Plasma levels of PTX3, TNF-α, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were increased significantly in the CAS group patients vs. the CAS-free group (p = 0.000, 0.002, 0.002, respectively). Within the CAS group, PTX3, TNF-α, and LDL-C were significantly elevated in stenosis of ≥50% group compared to <50% group (p = 0.001, 0.002, 0.049, respectively). The multivariate logistic binary regression analysis revealed that increased age, elevated levels of PTX3, LDL-C, and TNF-α were all independent risk factors for occurrence of carotid stenosis. PTX3 level correlated with the severity of carotid stenosis.Conclusions: High plasma PTX3 levels, TNF-α, and LDL-C are significantly correlated with the prevalence and severity of carotid artery stenosis. PTX3 may be a more powerful predictor for the severity of carotid artery stenosis.