Mesenteric venous thrombosis in a young adult:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Acute mesenteric vein thrombosis(MVT)accounts for only 2%–10%of all cases of acute mesenteric ischaemia,with an incidence rate of~0.1%in Europe and the United States.It represents<10%of mesenteric infarction cases and is seen predominantly in older adults.In younger individuals,MVT is uncommon,with 36%of cases having unidentified mechanisms and causes.CASE SUMMARY A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department on February 29,2024,with a chief complaint of intermittent abdominal pain for 3 day.He was previously in good health.As the abdominal pain was not alleviated by conventional treatment,an abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan was performed,which showed increased density in the portal and mesenteric veins.Further imaging,including portal vein ultrasound,mesenteric CT angiography,and enhanced abdominal CT,revealed widespread thrombosis of the portal vein system(including the main portal vein,left and right branches,proximal mesenteric vein,and splenic vein).After 10 day of thrombectomy and anticoagulation therapy,the patient’s abdominal pain had improved significantly.Follow-up assessments indicated that portal venous blood flow had largely returned to normal.He was discharged on March 9,2024.During a follow-up exam 2 months later,repeat abdominal enhanced CT showed that the previously detected thrombi were no longer visible.CONCLUSION Clinicians should remain vigilant for acute MVT in young patients presenting with abdominal pain,to prevent misdiagnosis of this fatal condition.

Hematopoiesis reconstitution and anti-tumor effectiveness of Pai-Neng-Da capsule in acute leukemia patients with haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND With the rapid development of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT),primary poor graft function(PGF)has become a lifethreatening complication.Effective therapies for PGF are inconclusive.New Chinese patent medicine Pai-Neng-Da(PND)Capsule exerts dual effect in promoting hematopoiesis recovery and regulating immunity.Still,the application of PND capsule in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,especially in the haplo-HSCT setting,has not yet been reported.AIM To evaluate the role of PND capsule in acute leukemia patients with haplo-HSCT.METHODS We retrospectively collected data of acute leukemia patients who underwent haplo-HSCT at the Affiliated People’s Hospital of Ningbo University between April 1,2015 and June 30,2020.Twenty-nine consecutive patients received oral PND capsule from the sixth day to the first month after haplo-HSCT were included in the PND group.In addition,31 patients who did not receive PND capsule during haplo-HSCT were included in the non-PND group.Subsequently,we compared the therapeutic efficacy according to the western medical evaluation indexes and Chinese medical symptom scores,and the survival between the PND group and the non-PND group,using the chi-square test,Fisher’s exact test,and the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS The duration of platelet engraftment was shorter in the PND group than in the non-PND group(P=0.039).The PND group received a lower frequency of red blood cells and platelet transfusions than the non-PND group(P=0.033 and P=0.035,respectively).In addition,PND capsule marginally reduced the rate of PGF(P=0.027)and relapse(P=0.043).After 33(range,4-106)months of follow-up,the 3-year relapse-free survival(P=0.046)and progression-free survival(P=0.049)were improved in the PND group than in the non-PND group.Also,the therapeutic efficacy of the PND group according to Chinese medical symptom scores was significantly better than that of the non-PND group(P=0.022).Moreover,the adverse events caused by PND capsule were mild.Nevertheless,there were no significant differences in the duration of neutrophil engraftment,the risk of infection within 100 days after haplo-HSCT,the acute graft-versus-host disease,or the 3-year overall survival between the two groups.CONCLUSION PND capsule could promote hematopoiesis reconstitution,improve the therapeutic efficacy of Chinese medical symptom scores,present anti-tumor effectiveness,and prolong the survival of acute leukemia patients with haplo-HSCT.

Clinical utility of characterizing intestinal flora in septic kidney injury

The incidence of septic acute kidney injury(AKI)is increasing,it has become a major threat to human health because of its acute onset,poor prognosis,and high hospital costs.The most common cause of AKI in critical-care units is sepsis.Septic AKI is a complex and multi-factorial process;its pathogenesis is not fully understood.In sepsis,the destruction of mucosal barriers,intestinal flora disorders,intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury,use of antibiotics,and lack of intestinal nutrients lead to an inflammatory reactions that in turn affects the metabolism and immunity of the host.Such changes further influence the occurrence and development of AKI.New technology is enabling various detection methods for intestinal flora.Clinical application of these methods in septic renal injury is expected to clarify the relationship among pathogenesis,disease progression mechanism,and intestinal flora.

Levosimendan does not reduce the mortality of critically ill adult patients with sepsis and septic shock: a meta-analysis

Background: Previous studies on whether or not levosimendan improved the prognosis of patients with sepsis and septic shock been inconsistent. We aimed to provide an updated analysis of the therapeutic value of levosimendan in adult patients with sepsis and septic shock, in order to provide evidence-based medical evidence for its use. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang Data, and CNKI were searched until August 2018 without language restriction. Randomized controlled studies of levosimendan with either inotropic drugs or placebo for the treatment of sepsis or septic shock were enrolled. The primary outcome was mortality, and cardiac index and serum lactate levels were the secondary outcomes. Results: A total of 20 randomized controlled studies were included in this meta-analysis, including 1467 patients, with 738 patients in the experimental group (levosimendan group) and 729 patients in the control group (other inotropic drugs or placebo). There were no significant differences in mortality between the levosimendan and control groups (fixed-effect relative risk [RR]= 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI][0.79, 1.03], P = 0.13). Levosimendan increased the cardiac index (VMD [weighted mean difference]= 0.51, 95% CI [0.06, 0.95], P = 0.02);and serum lactate levels were lower (VMD =—1.04, 95% CI [—1.47,—0.60], P< 0.00001). Conclusions: Based on current clinical evidence, levosimendan does not reduce mortality in adult critically ill patients with sepsis and septic shock. Physicians should use levosimendan with caution in patients with sepsis and septic shock.