Evaluating the efficacy of percutaneous puncture biopsy guided by contrast-enhanced ultrasound for peripheral pulmonary lesions

BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality of lung cancer have increased annually.Accurate diagnosis can help improve therapeutic efficacy of interventions and prognosis.Percutaneous lung biopsy is a reliable method for the clinical diagnosis of lung cancer.Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lung biopsy technology has been widely promoted and applied in recent years.AIM To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)-guided percutaneous biopsy in peripheral pulmonary lesions.METHODS We retrospectively collected data on 237 patients with peripheral thoracic focal lesions who underwent puncture biopsy at Wuxi People’s Hospital.The patients were randomly divided into two groups:The CEUS-guided before lesion puncture group(contrast group)and conventional ultrasound-guided group(control group).Analyze the diagnostic efficacy of the puncture biopsy,impact of tumor size,and number of puncture needles and complications were analyzed and compared between the two groups.RESULTS Accurate pathological results were obtained for 92.83%(220/237)of peripheral lung lesions during the first biopsy,with an accuracy rate of 95.8%(113/118)in the contrast group and 89.9%(107/119)in the control group.The difference in the area under the curve(AUC)between the contrast and the control groups was not statistically significant(0.952 vs 0.902,respectively;P>0.05).However,when the lesion diameter≥5 cm,the diagnostic AUC of the contrast group was higher than that of the control group(0.952 vs 0.902,respectively;P<0.05).In addition,the average number of puncture needles in the contrast group was lower than that in the control group(2.58±0.53 vs 2.90±0.56,respectively;P<0.05).CONCLUSION CEUS guidance can enhance the efficiency of puncture biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions,especially for lesions with a diameter≥5 cm.Therefore,CEUS guidance has high clinical diagnostic value in puncture biopsy of peripheral focal lung lesions.

Sepsis-induced immunosuppression:mechanisms,diagnosis and current treatment options

Sepsis is a common complication of combat injuries and trauma,and is defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.It is also one of the significant causes of death and increased health care costs in modern intensive care units.The use of antibiotics,fluid resuscitation,and organ support therapy have limited prognostic impact in patients with sepsis.Although its pathophysiology remains elusive,immunosuppression is now recognized as one of the major causes of septic death.Sepsis-induced immunosuppression is resulted from disruption of immune homeostasis.It is characterized by the release of antiinflammatory cytokines,abnormal death of immune effector cells,hyperproliferation of immune suppressor cells,and expression of immune checkpoints.By targeting immunosuppression,especially with immune checkpoint inhibitors,preclinical studies have demonstrated the reversal of immunocyte dysfunctions and established host resistance.Here,we comprehensively discuss recent findings on the mechanisms,regulation and biomarkers of sepsis-induced immunosuppression and highlight their implications for developing effective strategies to treat patients with septic shock.

Persistent postoperative hypotension caused by subclinical empty sella syndrome after a simple surgery:A case report

BACKGROUND Empty sella is an anatomical and radiological finding of the herniation of the subarachnoid space into the pituitary fossa leading to a flattened pituitary gland.Patients with empty sella may present with various symptoms,including headache due to intracranial hypertension and endocrine symptoms related to the specific pituitary hormones affected.Here,we report a female patient who developed persistent postoperative hypotension caused by subclinical empty sella syndrome after a simple surgery.CASE SUMMARY A 47-year-old woman underwent vocal cord polypectomy under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation.She denied any medical history,and her vital signs were normal before the surgery.Anesthesia and surgery were uneventful.However,she developed dizziness,headache and persistent hypotension in the ward.Thus,intravenous dopamine was started to maintain normal blood pressure,which improved her symptoms.However,she remained dependent on dopamine for over 24 h without any obvious anesthesia-and surgery-related complications.An endocrine etiology was then suspected,and further examination showed a high prolactin level,a low normal adrenocorticotropic hormone level and a low cortisol level.Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an empty sella.Therefore,she was diagnosed with empty sella syndrome and secondary adrenal insufficiency.Her symptoms disappeared one week later after daily glucocorticoid supplement.CONCLUSION Endocrine etiologies such as pituitary and adrenal-related dysfunction should be considered in patients showing persistent postoperative hypotension when anesthesia-and surgery-related factors are excluded.

Sarcomatoid intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma mimicking liver abscess: A case report

BACKGROUND Sarcomatoid intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(SICC) is an extremely rare and highly invasive malignant tumor of the liver. To our knowledge, the imaging findings of sarcomatous cholangiocarcinoma have been rarely reported; and radiological features of this tumor mimicking liver abscess have not yet been reported.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of SICC mimicking liver abscess. The patient, a 43-year-old male, complained of repeated upper right abdominal discomfort and intermittent distension over a period of one month. Radiology examination revealed a huge focal lesion in the right liver. The lesion was hypointense on computed tomography with honeycomb enhancement surrounded by enhanced peripheral areas. It showed a hypo-signal on non-contrast T1-weighted images and a hypersignal on non-contrast T2-weighted images. Radiologists diagnosed the lesion as an atypical liver abscess. The patient underwent a hepatectomy. After surgery, he survived another 2.5 mo before passing away. A search of Pub Med and Google revealed 43 non-repeated cases of SICC reported in 20 published studies. The following is a short review in order to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic skills in cases of SICC.CONCLUSION This report presents the clinical and radiological features of SICC and imaging features which showed hypovascularity and progressive enhancement. SICC can present as a multilocular cyst on radiological images and it is necessary to distinguish this lesion from an atypical abscess. Simple surgical treatment is not the best treatment option for this disease.

Lateral position intubation followed by endoscopic ultrasoundguided angiotherapy in acute esophageal variceal rupture: A case report

BACKGROUND Massive esophageal variceal bleeding can be catastrophic,leading to high morbidity and mortality.Patients experiencing massive esophageal variceal bleeding are at high risk of aspiration and hemorrhagic shock in acute episodes.Intubation and bleeding control are the two essential steps for resuscitation of these patients.CASE SUMMARY A 47-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital with upper digestive tract bleeding.He was diagnosed with alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis and consequent esophagogastric varices.As he did not show a good response to somatostatin and Sengstaken-Blakemore tube placement,the patient was scheduled for endoscopic angiotherapy under anesthesia.Preoperative assessment showed an ASA physical status of III and Child-Pugh classification B.However,massive hemorrhage occurred just after induction of anesthesia.Intubation by video-guided laryngoscopy in the lateral decubitus position was attempted twice and was successful.After that,an experienced endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)specialist performed angiotherapy and occluded the culprit vessel.An ultra-thin gastroscope was then inserted into the endotracheal tube to extract the blood observed in the lobar bronchi.The patient suffered hemorrhagic shock with an estimated blood loss of 1500 mL in 20 min and remained in the intensive care unit for two days.The patient was discharged from our hospital eight days later without major complications.CONCLUSION Intubation in the lateral decubitus position and EUS-guided treatment can be lifesaving procedures in patients with massive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Expert consensus on the perioperative management of patients with sepsis

INTRODUCTION Sepsis is defined as an infection associated with systemic manifestations of inflammation, which has become the most common complication in the perioperative period caused by severe burn/trauma and major surgical operation.[1,2] The incidence of sepsis in adults is estimated to be 149–240/100 000 per year, and that of severe sepsis and septic shock is 56–91/100 000 per year. In the last decade, the short-term mortality of sepsis has declined to around 20% in developed countries partly due to the international Surviving Sepsis Campaign （SSC）, while the mortality remains very high （50%–80%） in 1–5 years after discharge from hospitals.[3–7] Thus, sepsis and its subsequent severe sepsis and septic shock are currently major issues in the field of medical and health care.

Single-lung transplantation for pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: A case report

BACKGROUND Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis(PAM)is a rare idiopathic lung disease characterized by the accumulation of innumerable microliths.Currently,effective therapeutics for PAM are not available,and the only treatment for end-stage lung disease is lung transplantation(LuTx).Further,there are few reports that focus on LuTx for the treatment of PAM,and the follow-up reports of postoperative imaging are even rarer.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old man presented to Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital in 2017 after experiencing shortness of breath and exacerbation.The patient was diagnosed with PAM and referred for single-LuTx(SLuTx)on March 14,2018.Preoperative imaging results from a chest X-ray demonstrated bilateral,diffuse,symmetrical,sandstorm-like radiopaque micronodules,and pneumothorax and a computed tomography scan revealed minute,calcified military nodules in both lungs.We performed a left SLuTx,and intraoperative pathology was consistent with PAM.One week after surgery,a chest X-ray revealed slight exudation of the left lung,and one month later,the left transplanted lung exhibited good dilation,mild pulmonary perfusion injury with local infection,and left pleural effusion.Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed left hyperplastic granulation at the left bronchial anastomosis.Multiple sputum cultures suggested the presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii.The last follow-up was conducted in April 2019;the patient recovered well.CONCLUSION This case presents the imaging findings of a patient with PAM before and after LuTx and confirms the effectiveness of LuTx for the treatment of this disease.

Clinical use of low-dose aspirin for elders and sensitive subjects

The use of low-dose aspirin(LDA)has been a common preventive measure to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.This is attributed to aspirin’s ability to inhibit platelet activation.On the other hand,the use of LDA in human subjects has been associated with the development of gastrointestinal injuries like ulcer and bleeding,especially for those sensitive subjects such as elder human subjects.This opinion review will summarize the recent clinical reports regarding the use of LDA and the development of gastrointestinal conditions in China.Based on these reports,it seems that the use of LDA is commonly associated with gastrointestinal injuries,and stopping its use leads to recovery in elderly subjects.Therefore,we would like to suggest that gastroduodenal health and conditions should be seriously taken into consideration when LDA is recommended to the elderly,or other alternative means to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as nutritional interventions should be suggested.

Evaluation of Endotracheal Intubation with a Flexible Fiberoptic Bronchoscope in Lateral Patient Positioning： A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Background： There is an unmet need for a reliable method of airway randomized controlled two-center study was designed to evaluate the management for patients in the lateral position. This prospective feasibility of intubation using a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope in the lateral position during surgery. Methods： Seventy-two patients scheduled for elective nonobstetric surgery in the lateral decubitus position requiring tracheal intubation under general anesthesia at Lishui Central Hospital of Zhejiang Province and Jiaxing First Hospital of Zhejiang Province from April I, 2015, to September 30, 2015, were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to the supine position group （Group S, n = 38） and the lateral position group （Group L, n = 34）. Experienced anesthetists performed tracheal intubation with a fiberoptic bronchoscope after general anesthesia. The time required for intubation, intubation success rates, and hemodynamic changes was recorded. Between-group differences were assessed using the Student＇s t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, or Chi-square test. Results： The median total time to tracheal intubation was significantly longer in Group S （140.0 [135.8, 150.0] s） compared to Group L （33.0 [24.0, 38.8] s） （P 〈 0.01）. The first-attempt intubation success rate was significantly higher in Group L （97%） compared to Group S （16%）. Hemodynamic changes immediately after intubation were more exaggerated in Group S compared to Group L （P = 0.02）. Conclusion： Endotracheal intubation with a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope may be an effective and timesaving technique for patients in the lateral position. Trial Registration： Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR-IIR- 16007814; http：//www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx？proj= 13183.

An Appreciation for the Rabbit Ladderlike Modeling of Radiation-induced Lung Injury with High-energy X-Ray

Background：To evaluate the utility of rabbit ladderlike model of radiation-induced lung injury （RILI） for the future investigation of computed tomography perfusion.Methods：A total of 72 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into two groups：36 rabbits in the test group were administered 25 Gy of single fractionated radiation to the whole lung of unilateral lung;36 rabbits in the control group were sham-radiated.All rabbits were subsequently sacrificed at 1,6,12,24,48,72 h,and 1,2,4,8,1 6,24 weeks after radiation,and then six specimens were extracted from the upper,middle and lower fields of the bilateral lungs.The pathological changes in these specimens were observed with light and electron microscopy;the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-a） and transforming growth factor-βl （TGF-β1） in local lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results：（1） Radiation-induced lung injury occurred in all rabbits in the test group.（2） Expression of TNF-a and TGF-β1 at 1 h and 48 h after radiation,demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the test and control groups （each P 〈 0.05）.（3） Evaluation by light microscopy demonstrated statistically significant differences between the two groups in the following parameters （each P 〈 0.05）：thickness of alveolar wall,density of pulmonary interstitium area （1 h after radiation）,number offibroblasts and fibrocytes in interstitium （24 h after radiation）.The test group metrics also correlated well with the time ofpostradiation.（4） Evaluation by electron microscopy demonstrated statistically significant differences in the relative amounts of collagen fibers at various time points postradiation in the test group （P 〈 0.005）,with no significant differences in the control group （P 〉 0.05）.At greater than 48 h postradiation the relative amount of collagen fibers in the test groups significantly differ from the control groups （each P 〈 0.05）,correlating well with the time postradiation （r =0.99318）.Conclusions：A consistent and reliable rabbit model of RILI can be generated in gradient using 25 Gy of high-energy X-ray,which can simulate the development and evolution of RILI.

indfulness Meditation for Primary Headache Pain： A Meta-Analysis

Background： Several studies have reported that mindfulness meditation has a potential effect in controlling headaches, such as migraine and tension-type headache; however, its role remains controversial. This review assessed the evidence regarding the effects of mindfulness meditation for primary headache pain. Methods： Only English databases （PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [the Cochrane Library], PsyclNFO, Psychology and behavioral science collection, PsyArticles, Web of Science, and Scopus） were searched from their inception to November 2016 with the keywords （＂meditation＂ or ＂mindfulness＂ or ＂vipassana＂ or ＂dzogchen＂ or ＂zen＂ or ＂integrative body-mind training＂ or ＂IBMT＂ or ＂mindfulness-based stress reduction＂ or ＂MBSR＂ or ＂＇mindfulness-based cognitive therapy＂ or ＂MBCT＂ and ＂Headache＂ or ＂Head pain＂ or ＂Cephalodynia＂ or ＂Cephalalgia＂ or ＂Hemicrania＂ or ＂Migraine＂）. Titles, abstracts, and full-text articles were screened against study inclusion criteria： controlled trials of structured meditation programs for adult patients with primary headache pain. The quality of studies included in the meta-analysis was assessed with the Yates Quality Rating Scale. The meta-analysis was conducted with Revman 5.3. Results： Ten randomized controlled trials and one controlled clinical trial with a combined study population of 315 patients were included in the study. When compared to control group data, mindfulness meditation induced significant improvement in pain intensity （standardized mean difference, -0.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.63 to 0.15; P - 0.02） and headache frequency （-0.67; - 1.24 to -0.10; P - 0.02）. In a subgroup analysis of different meditation forms, mindfulness-based stress reduction displayed a significant positive influence on pain intensity （P 〈 0.000）. Moreover, 8-week intervention had a significant positive effect （P 〈 0.000）. Conclusions： Mindfulness meditation may reduce pain intensity and is a promising treatment option tbr patients. Clinicians may consider mindfulness meditation as a viable complementary and alternative medical option for primary headache.

Plasma gelsolin level predicts acute kidney injury after cardiopulmonary bypass in infants and young children

Background Acute kidney injury(AKI)after cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB)is a common complication especially in pedi-atric population.Plasma gelsolin(pGSN)is an anti-inflammatory factor through binding with actin and pro-inflammatory cytokines in circulation.Decrease in pGSN has been reported in some pathologic conditions.The purpose of the study was to determine the alterations of pGSN level in infants and young children after CPB and the role of pGSN as a predictor for the morbidity and severity of post-CPB AKI.Methods Sixty-seven infants and young children at age≤3 years old undergoing CPB were prospectively enrolled.PGSN levels were measured during peri-operative period with enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay and normalized with plasma total protein concentration.Other clinical characteristics of the patients were also recorded.Results In patients developing AKI,the normalized pGSN(pGSN_(N))levels significantly decreased at 6 h post-operation and remained low for 24 h post-operation as compared to the patients with non-AKI.PGSNN at 6 h post-operation combining with CPB time presents an excellent predictive value for AKI.Conclusions Decreased pGSN_(N)identifies post-CPB AKI in the patients≤3 years old,and is associated with adverse clini-cal outcomes.The findings suggest that circulating GSN in post-CPB patients may have beneficial effects on diminishing inflammatory responses.

Knowledge and attitude on cardiopulmonary resuscitaton education of primary and secondary schoolteachers in China

To the Editor: Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for survival and long-term quality of life of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.[1] Training schoolchildren how to perform CPR is highly recommended by many countries and health organizations, including the World Health Organization.