Diagnostic tools for fecal incontinence: Scoring systems are the crucial first step

The main aim of this editorial is to comment on the recent article published by Garg et al in the World Journal of Gastroenterology 2023;29:4593-4603.This original research presents a new scoring system for fecal incontinence.Fecal incontinence is a chronic disease with a severe impact on the quality of life of the patients.Substantial social stigmatization often leads to significant underreporting of the condition even during visits to a specialist and could lead to further misman-agement or non-existent management of the disease.An important fact is that patients are often unable to describe their condition when not asked precisely defined questions.This problem is partially resolved by scoring questionnaires.Several scoring systems are commonly used;however,each of them has their shortcomings.For example,the absence of different kinds of leakage besides flatus and stool could further lead to underscoring the incontinence severity.Therefore,there has long been a call for a more precise scoring system.The correct identification of the presence and severity of fecal incontinence is paramount for further diagnostic approach and for choosing the appropriate therapy option.This editorial describes fecal incontinence,its effect on quality of life in general and further evaluates the diagnostic approach with a particular focus on symptom scoring systems and their implications for clinical practice.

Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress scoring system for predicting complications following abdominal surgery: A metaanalysis spanning 2004 to 2022

BACKGROUND Postoperative complications remain a paramount concern for surgeons and healthcare practitioners.AIM To present a comprehensive analysis of the Estimation of Physiologic Ability and Surgical Stress(E-PASS)scoring system’s efficacy in predicting postoperative complications following abdominal surgery.METHODS A systematic search of published studies was conducted,yielding 17 studies with pertinent data.Parameters such as preoperative risk score(PRS),surgical stress score(SSS),comprehensive risk score(CRS),postoperative complications,post-operative mortality,and other clinical data were collected for meta-analysis.Forest plots were employed for continuous and binary variables,withχ2 tests assessing heterogeneity(P value).RESULTS Patients experiencing complications after abdominal surgery exhibited significantly higher E-PASS scores compared to those without complications[mean difference and 95%confidence interval(CI)of PRS:0.10(0.05-0.15);SSS:0.04(0.001-0.08);CRS:0.19(0.07-0.31)].Following the exclusion of low-quality studies,results remained valid with no discernible heterogeneity.Subgroup analysis indicated that variations in sample size and age may contribute to hetero-geneity in CRS analysis.Binary variable meta-analysis demonstrated a correlation between high CRS and increased postoperative complication rates[odds ratio(OR)(95%CI):3.01(1.83-4.95)],with a significant association observed between high CRS and postoperative mortality[OR(95%CI):15.49(3.75-64.01)].CONCLUSION In summary,postoperative complications in abdominal surgery,as assessed by the E-PASS scoring system,are consistently linked to elevated PRS,SSS,and CRS scores.High CRS scores emerge as risk factors for heightened morbidity and mortality.This study establishes the accuracy of the E-PASS scoring system in predicting postoperative morbidity and mortality in abdominal surgery,underscoring its potential for widespread adoption in effective risk assessment.

Garg incontinence scores: New scoring system on the horizon to evaluate fecal incontinence. Will it make a difference?

The main aim of this opinion review is to comment on the recent article published by Garg et al in the World Journal of Gastroenterology 2023;29:4593–4603.The authors in the published article developed a new scoring system,Garg incon-tinence scores(GIS),for fecal incontinence(FI).FI is a chronic debilitating disease that has a severe negative impact on the quality of life of the patients.Rome IV criteria define FI as multiple episodes of solid or liquid stool passed into the clothes at least twice a month.The associated social stigmatization often leads to significant under-reporting of the condition,which further impairs management.An important point is that the complexity and vagueness of the disease make it difficult for the patients to properly define and report the magnitude of the problem to their physicians.Due to this,the management becomes even more difficult.This issue is resolved up to a considerable extent by a scoring ques-tionnaire.There were several scoring systems in use for the last three decades.The prominent of them were the Cleveland Clinic scoring system or the Wexner scoring system,St.Marks Hospital or Vaizey’s scores,and the FI severity index.However,there were several shortcomings in these scoring systems.In the opinion review,we tried to analyze the strength of GIS and compare it to the existing scoring systems.The main pitfalls in the existing scoring systems were that most of them gave equal weightage to different types of FI(solid,liquid,flatus,etc.),were not comprehensive,and took only the surgeon’s perception of FI into view.In GIS,almost all shortcomings of previous scoring systems had been addressed:different weights were assigned to different types of FI by a robust statistical methodology;the scoring system was made comprehensive by including all types of FI that were previously omitted(urge,stress and mucus FI)and gave priority to patients’rather than the physicians’perceptions while developing the scoring system.Due to this,GIS indeed looked like a paradigm shift in the evaluation of FI.However,it is too early to conclude this,as GIS needs to be validated for accuracy and simplicity in future studies.

An early scoring system to predict mechanical ventilation for botulism: a single-center-based study

BACKGROUND: Early identification of patients requiring ventilator support will be beneficial for the outcomes of botulism. The present study aimed to establish a new scoring system to predict mechanical ventilation(MV) for botulism patients.METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted to identify risk factors associated with MV in botulism patients from 2007 to 2022. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out risk factors for constructing a prognostic scoring system. The area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was calculated.RESULTS: A total of 153 patients with botulism(66 males and 87 females, with an average age of 43 years) were included. Of these, 49 patients(32.0%) required MV, including 21(13.7%) with invasive ventilation and 28(18.3%) with non-invasive ventilation. Multivariate analysis revealed that botulinum toxin type, pneumonia, incubation period, degree of hypoxia, and severity of muscle involvement were independent risk factors for MV. These risk factors were incorporated into a multivariate logistic regression analysis to establish a prognostic scoring system. Each risk factor was scored by allocating a weight based on its regression coefficient and rounded to whole numbers for practical utilization([botulinum toxin type A: 1], [pneumonia: 2], [incubation period ≤1 day: 2], [hypoxia <90%: 2], [severity of muscle involvement: grade Ⅱ, 3;gradeⅢ, 7;grade IV, 11]). The scoring system achieved an area under the ROC curve of 0.82(95% CI 0.75–0.89, P<0.001). At the optimal threshold of 9, the scoring system achieved a sensitivity of 83.7% and a specificity of 70.2%.CONCLUSION: Our study identified botulinum toxin type, pneumonia, incubation period, degree of hypoxia, and severity of muscle involvement as independent risk factors for MV in botulism patients. A score ≥9 in our scoring system is associated with a higher likelihood of requiring MV in botulism patients. This scoring system needs to be validated externally before it can be applied in clinical settings.

Optimal Cyber Attack Strategy Using Reinforcement Learning Based onCommon Vulnerability Scoring System

Currently,cybersecurity threats such as data breaches and phishing have been on the rise due to the many differentattack strategies of cyber attackers,significantly increasing risks to individuals and organizations.Traditionalsecurity technologies such as intrusion detection have been developed to respond to these cyber threats.Recently,advanced integrated cybersecurity that incorporates Artificial Intelligence has been the focus.In this paper,wepropose a response strategy using a reinforcement-learning-based cyber-attack-defense simulation tool to addresscontinuously evolving cyber threats.Additionally,we have implemented an effective reinforcement-learning-basedcyber-attack scenario using Cyber Battle Simulation,which is a cyber-attack-defense simulator.This scenarioinvolves important security components such as node value,cost,firewalls,and services.Furthermore,we applieda new vulnerability assessment method based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System.This approach candesign an optimal attack strategy by considering the importance of attack goals,which helps in developing moreeffective response strategies.These attack strategies are evaluated by comparing their performance using a variety ofReinforcement Learning methods.The experimental results show that RL models demonstrate improved learningperformance with the proposed attack strategy compared to the original strategies.In particular,the success rateof the Advantage Actor-Critic-based attack strategy improved by 5.04 percentage points,reaching 10.17%,whichrepresents an impressive 98.24%increase over the original scenario.Consequently,the proposed method canenhance security and risk management capabilities in cyber environments,improving the efficiency of securitymanagement and significantly contributing to the development of security systems.

Development of a prognostic scoring system for hepatic vena cava Budd-Chiari syndrome with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a serious complication of hepatic vena cava Budd-Chiari syndrome(HVC-BCS)that significantly reduces the survival time of patients.Our study aimed to analyze the prognostic factors influencing the survival of HVC-BCS patients with HCC and to develop a prognostic scoring system.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 64 HVC-BCS patients with HCC who received invasive treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2015 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to analyze the survival curve of patients and the difference in prognoses between the groups.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to analyze the influence of biochemical,tumor,and etiological characteristics on the total survival time of patients,and a new prognostic scoring system was developed according to the regression coefficients of the independent predictors in the statistical model.The prediction efficiency was evaluated using the time-dependent receiver operating characteristics curve and concordance index.Results:Multivariate analysis showed that serum albumin level<34 g/L[hazard ratio(HR)=4.207,95%confidence interval(CI):1.816-8.932,P=0.001],maximum tumor diameter>7 cm(HR=8.623,95%CI:3.771-19.715,P<0.001),and inferior vena cava stenosis(HR=3.612,95%CI:1.646-7.928,P=0.001)were independent predictors of survival.A prognostic scoring system was developed according to the above-mentioned independent predictors,and patients were classified into grades A,B,C and D.Significant differences in survival were found among the four groups.Conclusions:This study successfully developed a prognostic scoring system for HVC-BCS patients with HCC,which is helpful for clinical evaluation of patient prognosis.

Development of a novel difficulty scoring system for laparoscopic liver resection procedure in patients with intrahepatic duct stones

BACKGROUND For intrahepatic duct(IHD)stones,laparoscopic liver resection(LLR)is currently a reliable treatment.However,the current LLR difficulty scoring system(DSS)is only available for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.AIM To explore the development of a DSS for IHD stone patients with LLR and the validation of its reliability.METHODS We used clinical data from 80 patients who received LLR for IHD stones.Forty-six of these patients were used in multiple linear regression to construct a scoring system.Another 34 patients from different centers were used as external validation.The completeness of our DSS was then evaluated in patients with varying degrees of surgical difficulty based on documented surgical outcomes in the study group of patients.RESULTS The following five predictors were ultimately included and scored by calculating the weighted contribution of each factor to the prediction of operative time in the training cohort:Location of stones,number of stones≥3,stones located in the bile ducts of several grades,previous biliary surgery less than twice,distal bile duct atrophy.Subsequently,the data set was validated using a DSS developed from the variables.The following variables were identified as statistically significant in external validation:Operative time,blood loss,intraoperative transfusion,postoperative alanine aminotransferase,and Clavien-Dindo grading≥3.These variables demonstrated statistically significant differences in patients with three or more grades.CONCLUSION Patients with IHD stones have varying degrees of surgical difficulty,and the newly developed DSS can be validated with external data to effectively predict risks and complications after LLR surgery.

Recurrence scoring system predicting early recurrence for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing pancreatectomy and portomesenteric vein resection

BACKGROUND Pancreatectomy with concomitant portomesenteric vein resection(PVR)enables patients with portomesenteric vein(PV)involvement to achieve radical resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,however,early recurrence(ER)is frequently observed.AIM To predict ER and identify patients at high risk of ER for individualized therapy.METHODS Totally 238 patients undergoing pancreatectomy and PVR were retrospectively enrolled and were allocated to the training or validating cohort.Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were performed to construct serum recurrence score(SRS)based on 26 serum-derived parameters.Uni-and multivariate Cox regression analyses of SRS and 18 clinicopathological variables were performed to establish a Nomogram.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy.Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.RESULTS Independent serum-derived recurrence-relevant factors of LASSO regression model,including postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9,postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen,postoperative carbohydrate antigen 125,preoperative albumin(ALB),preoperative platelet to ALB ratio,and postoperative platelets to lymphocytes ratio,were used to construct SRS[area under the curve(AUC):0.855,95%CI:0.786–0.924].Independent risk factors of recurrence,including SRS[hazard ratio(HR):1.688,95%CI:1.075-2.652],pain(HR:1.653,95%CI:1.052-2.598),perineural invasion(HR:2.070,95%CI:0.827-5.182),and PV invasion(HR:1.603,95%CI:1.063-2.417),were used to establish the recurrence nomogram(AUC:0.869,95%CI:0.803-0.934).Patients with either SRS>0.53 or recurrence nomogram score>4.23 were considered at high risk for ER,and had poor long-term outcomes.CONCLUSION The recurrence scoring system unique for pancreatectomy and PVR,will help clinicians in predicting recurrence efficiently and identifying patients at high risk of ER for individualized therapy.

Predictive utility of the Rockall scoring system in patients suffering from acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage

BACKGROUND Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding(ANVUGIB)represents a sig-nificant clinical challenge due to its unpredictability and potentially severe out-comes.The Rockall risk score has emerged as a critical tool for prognostic asse-ssment in patients with ANVUGIB,aiding in the prediction of rebleeding and mo-rtality.However,its applicability and accuracy in the Chinese population remain understudied.AIM To assess the prognostic value of the Rockall risk score in a Chinese cohort of patients with ANVUGIB.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 168 ANVUGIB patients’medical records was condu-cted.The study employed statistical tests,including the t-test,χ^(2) test,spearman correlation,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis,to assess the re-lationship between the Rockall score and clinical outcomes,specifically focusing on rebleeding events within 3 months post-assessment.RESULTS Significant associations were found between the Rockall score and various clinical outcomes.High Rockall scores were significantly associated with rebleeding events(r=0.735,R2=0.541,P<0.001)and strongly positively correlated with adverse outcomes.Low hemoglobin levels(t=2.843,P=0.005),high international normalized ratio(t=3.710,P<0.001),active bleeding during endoscopy(χ^(2)=7.950,P=0.005),large ulcer size(t=6.348,P<0.001),and requiring blood transfusion(χ^(2)=6.381,P=0.012)were all significantly associated with rebleeding events.Furthermore,differences in treatment and management strategies were identified between patients with and without rebleeding events.ROC analysis indicated the excellent discriminative power(sensitivity:0.914;specificity:0.816;area under the curve:0.933;Youden index:0.730)of the Rockall score in predicting rebleeding events within 3 months.CONCLUSION This study provides valuable insights into the prognostic value of the Rockall risk score for ANVUGIB in the Chinese population.The results underscore the potential of the Rockall score as an effective tool for risk strati-fication and prognostication,with implications for guiding risk-appropriate management strategies and optimizing care for patients with ANVUGIB.

Security Vulnerability Analyses of Large Language Models (LLMs) through Extension of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Framework

Large Language Models (LLMs) have revolutionized Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tasks, becoming an integral part of various applications in society, including text generation, translation, summarization, and more. However, their widespread usage emphasizes the critical need to enhance their security posture to ensure the integrity and reliability of their outputs and minimize harmful effects. Prompt injections and training data poisoning attacks are two of the most prominent vulnerabilities in LLMs, which could potentially lead to unpredictable and undesirable behaviors, such as biased outputs, misinformation propagation, and even malicious content generation. The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) framework provides a standardized approach to capturing the principal characteristics of vulnerabilities, facilitating a deeper understanding of their severity within the security and AI communities. By extending the current CVSS framework, we generate scores for these vulnerabilities such that organizations can prioritize mitigation efforts, allocate resources effectively, and implement targeted security measures to defend against potential risks.

Effectiveness of Combined Application of Shock Index and Early Warning Scoring System in Patients with Acute Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Objective:To explore the effect of the combined application of the Shock Index(SI)and the Early Warning Score(EWS)in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding.Methods:Seventy patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding admitted to a hospital from June 2022 to May 2024 were selected and randomly divided into two groups:the control group and the observation group,with 35 patients in each group.The control group received conventional emergency care measures,while the observation group received SI combined with NEWS emergency care measures.The treatment effects in both groups were compared.Results:The observation group had shorter waiting times for consultation(4.45±1.59 minutes),intravenous access establishment(6.79±2.52 minutes),hemostasis time(4.41±1.52 hours),and hospital stays(8.39±2.13 days)compared to the control group,which had times of 5.46±1.34 minutes,8.41±2.16 minutes,5.16±1.47 hours,and 10.26±2.98 days,respectively.The differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Before management,there were no significant differences in the levels of hemoglobin,prealbumin,and serum protein between the two groups(P>0.05).However,after systematic emergency management,the serum indexes in both groups significantly improved,with the observation group showing greater improvement than the control group,and these differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).In the observation group,only one case of cardiovascular complications occurred during the rescue period,with an incidence rate of 2.86%.In contrast,the control group experienced eight cases of complications,including hemorrhagic shock,anemia,multi-organ failure,cardiovascular complications,and gastrointestinal rebleeding,with an incidence rate of 22.85%.The difference between the groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:The application of SI combined with EWS emergency care measures in patients with acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage can effectively improve serum indexes,shorten resuscitation time and hospital stay,and reduce the risk of complications such as hemorrhagic shock,anemia,infection,multi-organ failure,cardiovascular complications,acute renal failure,and gastrointestinal rebleeding.This approach has positive clinical application value.

Construction and application of a three-dimensional vascular variation-based nephrometry scoring system for completely endophytic renal tumors

Background:Completely endophytic renal tumors(CERT)pose significant challenges due to their anatomical complexity and loss of visual clues about tumor location.A facile scoring model based on three-dimensional(3D)reconstructed images will assist in better assessing tumor location and vascular variations.Methods:In this retrospective study,80 patients diagnosed with CERT were included.Forty cases underwent preoperative assessment using 3D reconstructed imaging(3D-Cohort),while the remaining 40 cases were assessed using two-dimensional imaging(2D-Cohort).Vascular variations were evaluated by ascertaining the presence of renal arteries>1,prehilar branching arteries,and arteries anterior to veins.The proposed scoring system,termed RAL,encompassed three critical components:(R)adius(maximal tumor diameter in cm),(A)rtery(occurrence of arterial variations),and(L)ocation relative to the polar line.Comparison of the RAL scoring system was made with established nephrometry scoring systems.Results:A total of 48(60%)patients exhibited at least one vascular variation.In the 2D-Cohort,patients with vascular variations experienced significantly prolonged operation time,increased bleeding volume,and extended warm ischemia time compared with those without vascular variations.Conversely,the presence of vascular vari-ations did not significantly affect operative parameters in the 3D-Cohort.Furthermore,the 2D-Cohort demon-strated a notable decline in both short-and long-term estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)changes com-pared with the 3D-Cohort,a trend consistent across patients with warm ischemia time≥25 min and those with vascular variations.Notably,the 2D-Cohort exhibited a larger margin of normal renal tissue compared with the 3D-Cohort.Elevated RAL scores correlated with larger tumor size,prolonged operation time,extended warm is-chemia time,and substantial postoperative eGFR decrease.The RAL scoring system displayed superior predictive capabilities in assessing postoperative eGFR changes compared with conventional nephrometry scoring systems.Conclusions:Our proposed 3D vascular variation-based nephrometry scoring system offers heightened proficiency in preoperative assessment,precise prediction of surgical complexity,and more accurate evaluation of postoper-ative renal function in CERT patients.

Training and Implementation of Subjective Questions Scoring System Based on the Baidu Qianfan Model Platform

Leveraging the Baidu Qianfan model platform,this paper designs and implements a highly efficient and accurate scoring system for subjective questions,focusing primarily on questions in the field of computer network technology.The system enhances the foundational model by utilizing Qianfan’s training tools and integrating advanced techniques,such as supervised fine-tuning.In the data preparation phase,a comprehensive collection of subjective data related to computer network technology is gathered,cleaned,and labeled.During model training and evaluation,optimal hyperparameters and tuning strategies are applied,resulting in a model capable of scoring with high accuracy.Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed model performs well across multiple dimensions-content,expression,and development scores-yielding results comparable to those of manual scoring.

基于ENDITS-2.1的CENDL-3.2临界基准检验

中国评价核数据库CENDL-3.2于2020年6月正式发布,并在ND2019上介绍了基于系统化宏观检验工具包ENDITS-1.0的临界基准检验结果。为更广泛测试新评价数据库的临界计算准确度并为将来的评价数据改进提供反馈,中国核数据中心发展了ENDITS-2.1,并用其中2237个来自国际核临界安全手册ICSBEP2006的临界基准实验对国际最新版本的评价核数据库进行了临界基准检验。利用趋势分析方法和统计卡方对检验计算结果进行了分析,确定了获得改进的临界系统和评价数据,确认CENDL-3.2较CENDL-3.1有明显改进,临界计算准确度达国际领先水平。最后,结合对灵敏核素相关统计卡方的分析以及皮尔逊卡方检查,提出了CENDL-3.2库高优先级待改进核素清单,确定了CENDL库需要优先改进235,238U、239,240Pu、232Th等16种核素的核反应数据。

Reflections on the Automated Essay Scoring System of English Writing in Vocational Colleges

English Teaching in higher vocational colleges emphasizes the principle of "practical use and adequate sufficiency". English courses should not only lay a good foundation for language, but also pay more attention to the training of practical language skills, especially the ability to use English to deal with daily and foreign business activities. Higher vocational college students who are relatively weak in their basic English writing are particularly prominent,far from the regulated requirements. Because of the poor basic learning ability of higher vocational college students, it is very important for teachers to supervise and get feedback. But the ratio of students to English teachers in some higher vocational colleges has reached 130 : 1, so it is becoming more and more important for teachers to adopt computer aided correction composition system.

Ti含量对分别采用废料和全新料熔铸的Al-6.2Zn-2.1Mg-2.1Cu合金铸锭晶粒细化效果的影响

在用废料重熔和全新料熔炼的Al-6.2Zn-2.1Mg-2.1Cu合金中以AlTi5B1丝状中间合金的方式分别加入质量分数为0.005%、0.01%、0.02%、0.04%和0.06%的Ti,将铝液浇入铁模,获得小铸锭,研究Ti含量对铸锭晶粒细化效果的影响。结果表明,晶粒细化效果来源于新添加Ti,当添加w(Ti)=0.02%~0.04%时,Al-6.2Zn-2.1Mg-2.1Cu合金铸锭晶粒细化效果最佳。

Evil-hunter: a novel web shell detection system based on scoring scheme

In order to detect web shells that hackers inject into web servers by exploiting system vulnerabilities or web page open sources, a novel web shell detection system based on the scoring scheme is proposed, named Evil-hunter. First, a large set of malicious function samples normally used in web shells are collected from various sources on the Internet and security forums. Secondly, according to the danger level and the frequency of using these malicious functions in the web shells as well as in legal web applications, an assigning score strategy for each malicious sample is devised. Then, the appropriate score threshold value for each sample is obtained from the results of a statistical analysis. Finally, based on the threshold value, a simple algorithm is presented to identify files that contain web shells in web applications. The experimental results show that compared with other approaches, Evil-hunter can identify web shells more efficiently and accurately.

Comparison of scoring systems in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis

AIM:To investigate the prognostic usefulness of several existing scoring systems in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis(AP).METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed the prospectively collected clinical database from consecutive patients with AP in our institution between January 2011 and December 2012.Ranson,Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE)-Ⅱ,and bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP)scores,and computed tomography severity index(CTSI)of all patients were calculated.Serum C-reactive protein(CRP)levels were measured at admission(CRPi)and after 24h(CRP24).Severe AP was defined as persistent organ failure for more than 48 h.The predictive accuracy of each scoring system was measured by the area under the receiver-operating curve(AUC).RESULTS:Of 161 patients,21(13%)were classified as severe AP,and 3(1.9%)died.Statistically significant cutoff values for prediction of severe AP were Ranson≥3,BISAP≥2,APACHE-Ⅱ≥8,CTSI≥3,and CRP24≥21.4.AUCs for Ranson,BISAP,APACHE-Ⅱ,CTSI,and CRP24 in predicting severe AP were 0.69(95%CI:0.62-0.76),0.74(95%CI:0.66-0.80),0.78(95%CI:0.70-0.84),0.69(95%CI:0.61-0.76),and0.68(95%CI:0.57-0.78),respectively.APACHE-Ⅱdemonstrated the highest accuracy for prediction of severe AP,however,no statistically significant pairwise differences were observed between APACHE-Ⅱand the other scoring systems,including CRP24.CONCLUSION:Various scoring systems showed similar predictive accuracy for severity of AP.Unique models are needed in order to achieve further improvement of prognostic accuracy.

Prognostic value of risk scoring systems for cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding

BACKGROUND Acute variceal bleeding is one of the deadliest complications of cirrhosis,with a high risk of in-hospital rebleeding and mortality.Some risk scoring systems to predict clinical outcomes in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding have been developed.However,for cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding,data regarding the predictive value of these prognostic scores in predicting in-hospital outcomes are limited and controversial.AIM To validate and compare the overall performance of selected prognostic scoring systems for predicting in-hospital outcomes in cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding.METHODS From March 2017 to June 2019,cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding were retrospectively enrolled at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University.The clinical Rockall score(CRS),AIMS65 score(AIMS65),Glasgow-Blatchford score(GBS),modified GBS(mGBS),Canada-United Kingdom-Australia score(CANUKA),Child-Turcotte-Pugh score(CTP),model for endstage liver disease(MELD)and MELD-Na were calculated.The overall performance of these prognostic scoring systems was evaluated.RESULTS A total of 330 cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding were enrolled;the rates of in-hospital rebleeding and mortality were 20.3%and 10.6%,respectively.For inhospital rebleeding,the discriminative ability of the CTP and CRS were clinically acceptable,with area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(AUROCs)of 0.717(0.648-0.787)and 0.716(0.638-0.793),respectively.The other tested scoring systems had poor discriminative ability(AUROCs<0.7).For inhospital mortality,the CRS,CTP,AIMS65,MELD-Na and MELD showed excellent discriminative ability(AUROCs>0.8).The AUROCs of the mGBS,CANUKA and GBS were relatively small,but clinically acceptable(AUROCs>0.7).Furthermore,the calibration of all scoring systems was good for either inhospital rebleeding or death.CONCLUSION For cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding,in-hospital rebleeding and mortality rates remain high.The CTP and CRS can be used clinically to predict in-hospital rebleeding.The performances of the CRS,CTP,AIMS65,MELD-Na and MELD are excellent at predicting in-hospital mortality.

Bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis:comparison with other scoring systems in predicting severity and organ failure

BACKGROUND:The early identification of severe acute pancreatitis is important for the management and for improving outcomes.The bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP)has been considered as an accurate method for risk stratification in patients with acute pancreatitis.This study aimed to evaluate the comparative usefulness of the BISAP.METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed 303 patients with acute pancreatitis diagnosed at our hospital from March 2007to December 2010.BISAP,APACHE-II,Ranson criteria,and CT severity index(CTSI)of all patients were calculated.We stratified the number of patiants with severe pancreatitis,pancreatic necrosis,and organ failure as well as the number of deaths by BISAP score.We used the area under the receiveroperating curve(AUC)to compare BISAP with other scoring systems,C-reactive protein(CRP),hematocrit,and body mass index(BMI)with regard to prediction of severe acute pancreatitis,necrosis,organ failure,and death.RESULTS:Of the 303 patiants,31(10.2%)were classified as having severe acute pancreatitis.Organ failure occurred in 23(7.6%)patients,pancreatic necrosis in 40(13.2%),and death in6(2.0%).A BISAP score of 2 was a statistically significant cutoff value for the diagnosis of severe acute pancreatitis,organ failure,and mortality.AUCs for BISAP predicting severe pancreatitis and death were 0.80 and 0.86,respectively,which were similar to those for APACHE-II(0.80,0.87)and Ranson criteria(0.74,0.74)and greater than AUCs for CTSI(0.67,0.42).The AUC for organ failure predicted by BISAP,APACHE-II,Ranson criteria,and CTSI was 0.93,0.95,0.84 and 0.57,respectively.AUCs for BISAP predicting severity,organ failure,and death were greater than those for CRP(0.69,0.80,0.72),hematocrit(0.45,0.35,0.14),and BMI(0.41,0.47,0.17).CONCLUSION:The BISAP predicts severity,death,and especially organ failure in acute pancreatitis as well as APACHE-II does and better than Ranson criteria,CTSI,CRP,hematocrit,and BMI.