Objective To explore the predictive value of Composite Congestion Score (CCS) in predicting adverse events within 180 days in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) in emergency intensive care unit (EICU). Methods The patients with AHF who were admitted to EICU of Zigong Fourth People’s Hospital between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2020 were included consecutively. The patients were followed up for 180 days, and were divided into poor prognosis group and good prognosis group according to whether there were adverse events. Logistic regression equation was used to screen independent risk factors for predicting adverse events in patients with AHF within 180 days after leaving EICU. To compare the discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of independent risk factors at EICU discharge and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Assessment SystemⅡ (APACHEⅡ) score at EICU admission to predict the occurrence of adverse events of AHF. Results A total of 71 patients were included, including 32 patients with good prognosis and 39 patients with poor prognosis. Except for age, APACHEⅡscore at EICU admission and CCS score at EICU discharge (P<0.05), there was no significant difference in other indicators between the two groups (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that CCS score at EICU discharge [odds ratio (OR)=2.806, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.428, 5.512), P=0.003], age [OR=1.086, 95%CI (1.017, 1.159), P=0.013] were independent risk factors for predicting death or returning to hospital within 180 days. Among them, the CCS score at EICU discharge combining with age had a positive improvement ability compared with the CCS score at EICU discharge, the age, and the APACHE Ⅱ score at EICU admission. The calibration curves of the four scoring methods for predicting adverse events within 180 days showed that the CCS score at EICU discharge had the highest calibration and the calibration of age was the lowest. The decision curve showed that the clinical usefulness of age, the CCS score at EICU discharge and the CCS score at EICU discharge combining with age was better than the APACHE Ⅱ score at EICU admission. Conclusions The CCS score of patients with AHF at EICU discharge is closely related to adverse events within 180 days. The CCS score is designed based on clinical variables, simple and practical. The combination of age and the CCS score at EICU discharge will further enhance its clinical application value.
ObjectiveTo investigate nurses' attitude on the reporting of clinical adverse events and analyze its correlated factors in the Emergency Department. MethodsA total of 130 nurses in a class-3 grade-A hospital were recruited in our study by convenience sampling method during November and December 2014. The Chinese version of Reporting of Clinical Adverse Events Scale was applied to assess nurses' attitude on reporting adverse events. ResultsThe nurses' willingness to report adverse events in the Emergency Department was generally low, and the attitude scores of nurses in the triage zone, rescue zone, monitoring zone and observation zone were respectively 65.62±1.16, 65.49±0.58, 65.06±0.80, and 63.20±0.86, without any significant difference among these zones (P>0.05). The attitude scores of nurses with a seniority of 1-2, 3-5, 6-9, and ≥ 10 years were respectively 67.37±3.27, 64.49±3.98, 63.77±4.82, and 64.30±4.52, with significant differences among these seniority groups (P＜0.05). The attitude scores of nurses with a rank of nurse-in-charge, primary nurse, and nurse were respectively 61.25±4.02, 63.97±4.52, and 65.92±4.02, also with significant differences among these groups (P＜0.05). ConclusionsThe willingness of reporting clinical adverse events in emergency nurses is not high. It is necessary to strengthen the training of nurses on their cognition of adverse events and encourage reporting, thus to create a non-punishment hospital security culture.
Tumor immunotherapy includes immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), tumor vaccines, and adoptive cell therapy. Immunotherapy, as the main systemic treatment for advanced malignant tumors, kills tumor cells by activating the immune system and prolongs the survival of patients. However, excessive immune responses can cause immune-related adverse events (irAE), causing damage to systemic tissues. ICI are the main tumor immunotherapy drugs that cause optic nerve irAE. The most common optic nerve irAE are optic neuritis, only a few patients appeared arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Sudden painless loss of bilateral vision is the most common clinical manifestation. In severe cases, the vision decrease to no light perception. Early diagnosis and early adequate glucocorticoid treatment can improve the symptoms. Therefore, neuro-ophthalmologists and oncologists should know the clinical characteristics of optic nerve irAE, in order to diagnose and treat early and improve the prognosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the common causes and the clinical pathological characteristics of infant death which occurred after vaccination. MethodsThe study retrospectively analyzed the data of 13 cases of infant death occurring after vaccination from January 2009 to September 2014 in West China Medico-legal Expertise Center. ResultsAmong the 13 cases of infant death, 12 were dead from lethal respiratory system and cardiovascular system diseases, 1 from mechanic asphyxia caused by milk intake. All cases were coupling disease death and had no direct correlation with vaccination. ConclusionSystematic and comprehensive forensic pathological examination is helpful to clarify the cause of death, reveal the relationship between vaccination and the cause of death, and contribute to proper processing of such incidents.
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and blood glucose fluctuations after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and adverse events in non-diabetic patients, thus providing theoretical support for intensive preoperative blood glucose management in patients undergoing CABG surgery.MethodsA total of 304 patients undergoing CABG with or without valvular surgery from October 2013 to December 2017 were enrolled in this prospective, single-center, observational cohort study. We classified them into two different groups which were a low-level group and a high-level group according to the HbA1c level. There were 102 males and 37 females, aged 36–85 (61.5±9.5) years in the low-level group, and 118 males and 47 females aged 34–85 (63.1±9.4) years in the high-level group. The main results were different in hospital mortality and perioperative complications including in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, sternal incision infection, new stroke, new-onset renal failure and multiple organ failure. To assess the effects of confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used.Results Postoperative blood glucose fluctuation was more pronounced in the high-level group than that in the low-level group before admission [0.8 (0.6, 1.2) mmol/L vs. 1.0 (0.8, 1.8) mmol/L, P<0.01]. This study also suggested that the incidence of major adverse events was significantly lower in the low-level group compared with the high-level group (P=0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analyses to correct the influence of other confounding factors showed that HbA1c (OR=2.773, P=0.002) and postoperative blood glucose fluctuations (OR=3.091, P<0.001) could still predict the occurrence of postoperative adverse events.ConclusionHbA1c on admission can effectively predict blood glucose fluctuations in 24 hours after surgery. Secondly, HbA1c on admission and postoperative blood glucose fluctuations can further predict postoperative adverse events. It is suggested that we control the patient's preoperative HbA1c at a low level, which is beneficial to control postoperative blood glucose fluctuation and postoperative adverse events.
ObjectiveZero-events studies frequently occur in systematic reviews of adverse events, which consist of an important source of evidence. We aimed to examine how evidence of zero-events studies was utilized in the meta-analyses of systematic reviews of adverse events.MethodsWe conducted a survey of systematic reviews published in two periods: January 1, 2015 to January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2008, to April 25, 2011. Databases were searched for systematic reviews that conducted at least one meta-analysis of any healthcare intervention and used adverse events as the exclusive outcome. An adverse event was defined as any untoward medical occurrence in a patient or subject in healthcare practice. We summarized the frequency of occurrence of zero-events studies in eligible systematic reviews and how these studies were dealt with in the meta-analyses of these systematic reviews.ResultsWe included 640 eligible systematic reviews. There were 406 (63.45%) systematic reviews involving zero-events studies in their meta-analyses, among which 389 (95.11%) involved single-arm-zero-events studies and 223 (54.93%) involved double-arm-zero-events studies. The majority (98.71%) of these systematic reviews incorporated single-arm-zero-events studies into the meta-analyses. On the other hand, the majority (76.23%) of them excluded double-arm-zero-events studies from the meta-analyses, of which the majority (87.06%) did not discuss the potential impact of excluding such studies. Systematic reviews published at present (2015-2020) tended to incorporate zero-events studies in meta-analyses than those published in the past (2008-2011), but the difference was not significant [proportion difference=–0.09, 95%CI (–0.21, 0.03), P=0.12].ConclusionSystematic review authors routinely treated studies with zero-events in both arms as "non-informative" carriers and excluded them from their reviews. Whether studies with no events are "informative" or not, largely depends on the methods and assumptions applied, thus sensitivity analyses using different methods should be considered in future meta-analyses.
In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, China. The lung imaging finding is like that of the lung cancer immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) associated pneumonia. Therefore, we speculated that they may have similar pathogenesis and treatment strategies, which is reviewed in this article in order to provide some reference to timely and effectively reduce the fatality rate of COVID-19.
Objective Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using a new generation of artificial ligaments (NGAL) gained popularity in China owing to its good effectiveness and early functional recovery, but iatrogenic surgical failures and preconceived misconceptions have seriously affected its standardized clinical application. A specialist consensus is now developed to provide guidance and reference for orthopaedic sports medicine doctors when adopting or considering the NGAL for ACL reconstruction. Methods The consensus on the core techniques and adverse events in ACL reconstruction using the NGAL was developed by a modified Delphi method, referring exclusively to the NGAL for ACL reconstruction approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Consensus specialists were selected from the members of the Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (CAOS) and the Chinese Society of Sports Medicine (CSSM). The drafting team summarized the draft consensus terms based on medical evidence and organized rounds of investigation: two rounds of online questionnaire investigation and the final round of face-to-face meeting. After discussion, revision, and voting, a consensus on the draft consensus term was reached when the agreement rate exceeded 85%. The consensus terms were categorized as “strong” (agreement rate: 95.0%-100%), “moderate” (agreement rate: 90.0%-94.9%), and “basic” (agreement rate: 85.0%-89.9%). ResultsThirty-one specialists completed the questionnaire investigation. They all practiced in university teaching hospitals (Grade-A tertiary hospitals) from 16 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. Among them, 28 were chief physicians and 3 were associate chief physicians; 22 were professors and 7 were associate professors; the average seniority in orthopedic sports medicine was 25.2 years (range, 12-40 years); the average seniority in performing ACL reconstruction procedures was 13.2 years (range, 7-23 years); in terms of the number of ACL reconstruction using the NGAL, 18 completed more than 100 cases, of which 6 had more than 300 cases; in terms of research, 28 had published more than 1 related paper in the past 5 years, of which 13 had published more than 3 related papers. Twenty-six specialists attended the face-to-face meeting and reached a consensus on 9 terms, including 8 strong terms and 1 moderate term. Conclusion ACL reconstruction using the NGAL must deploy “isometric” or “near-isometric” reconstruction and should preserve the natural ACL remnants as much as possible. Bone tunnel positioning can be performed using intraoperative radiographic measurements or the lateral femoral intercondylar ridge as reference marks. Incorrect positioning of the bone tunnel is the main reason of surgical failure, and there is a lack of consensus on handling interference screws during revision. Bone tunnel enlargement exists after reconstruction but rarely causes related symptoms. Synovitis and infection are uncommon complications. The aging effect of polyethylene terephthalate fiber on the long-term clinical outcomes is unknown and deserves attention.
Chemotherapy-induced mucositis, one of the most common complications of chemotherapy, can be subdivided in oral and gastrointestinal mucositis. The patients always suffer from oral pain and ulcers, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. 5-Fluorouracil- and irinotecan-based regimens are frequently associated with a higher risk and more severe grade of mucositis. The onset of mucositis is also influenced by the patient’s characteristics including age, sex, genetic polymorphisms, systemic comorbidities. At present, the diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced mucositis is mainly based on medical history, physical examination and gastroenteroscopy, lack of reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis. The principles of diagnosis and treatment mainly refer to the clinical practice guidelines issued. Therefore, this article will review the mechanism, diagnosis, latest preventive and treatment strategies of chemotherapy-induced mucositis for helping clinicians to further correctly understand and deal with the adverse reactions.
ObjectiveTo explore the risk factors and countermeasures of the perfusionist-related near-miss event (NME) in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). MethodsThe clinical data of the patients who underwent cardiac surgery in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from March 2020 to July 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether NME occurred during the operation, the patients were divided into an NME group and a non-NME group. The clinical data of the two groups were compared, and the risk factors for NME were analyzed. ResultsA total of 702 patients were enrolled, including 424 males and 278 females with a median age of 56.0 years. There were 125 patients in the NME group and 577 patients in the non-NME group. The occurrence rate of NME was 17.81%. Univariate analysis showed that there were statistical differences between the two groups in the gender, body surface area, CPB time, European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation score, emergency surgery, type of surgery, night CPB initiation, modified ultrafiltration use, multi-device control, average operation time, et al. (all P<0.05). The above variables were dimensionality reduction processed by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, and the λ of minimum mean square error of 10-fold cross validation was 0.014. The variables of the corresponding model were selected as follows: multi-device control, night CPB initiation, minimum hematocrit, modified ultrafiltration use, CPB time. The results of multivariate logistic regression showed that night CPB initiation [OR=9.658, 95%CI (4.735. 19.701), P<0.01] and CPB time [OR=1.003, 95%CI (1.001, 1.006), P=0.014] were independent risk factors for NME. ConclusionNight CPB initiation and CPB time are independent risk factors for NME during CPB, which should be recognized and early warned in clinical work.