Non-cardiogenic acute pulmonary edema in elderly patient with Dressier syndrome associated pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism （PE） is a common cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary illness and the incidence increases exponentially with age. Because the clinical signs and symptoms are non-specific, its diagnosis is always difficult.

Anesthetic management for intraoperative acute pulmonary embolism during inferior vena cava tumor thrombus surgery:A case report

BACKGROUND Acute pulmonary embolism(APE)is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition,even with early detection and prompt management.Intraoperative APE required specific ways for detecting since classic symptoms of APE in the awake patient could not be observed or self-reported by the patient under general anesthesia.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old man with a history of hepatic cell carcinoma was admitted for radical nephrectomy and tumor thrombectomy due to a newly found kidney tumor with inferior vena cava(IVC)tumor thrombus.APE that occurred during tumor thrombectomy with hypercapnia and desaturation.The capnography combined with the transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)provided a crucial differential diagnosis during the operation.The patient was continuously managed with aggressive intravenous fluid resuscitation and blood transfusion under continuous cardiac output monitoring to maintain hemodynamic stability.He completed the surgery under stable hemodynamics and was extubated after percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy by a certified cardiologist.There were no significant symptoms and signs or obvious discomfort in the patient’s self-report during visits to the general ward.CONCLUSION Under general anesthesia for IVC tumor thrombus surgery,a sudden decrease in end-tidal carbon dioxide is the initial indicator of APE,which occurs before hemodynamic changes.When intraoperative APE is suspected,TEE is useful in the diagnosis and monitoring before computer tomography pulmonary angiogram.Timely clinical impression and supportive treatment and intervention should be conducted to obtain a better prognosis.

A fast-track diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for acute pulmonary embolism patients at peri-operational period

Acute pulmonary embolism(APE) in operation room is a constant,lethal but treatable disease.A fast determination of APE in an operation room is currently difficult due to a non-specificity on its signs,symptoms,electrocardiograph findings,arterial blood gas abnormalities and chest X-rays.Clinically,an APE can automatically originate from a small and clinically asymptomatic embolus to massive,proximal emboli with shock during a scheduled surgery period.An accurate,brief and prompt diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for APE in a peri-operation period is crucial for anesthesiologists to make a decision on an appropriate clinical intervention to improve patients' outcomes.The purpose of this mini-review article is to illuminate a fast-track diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for APE patients in a perioperative period through a hybrid of the high sensitive and high specific viable diagnostic modality of D-dimer assay in conjunction with necessary emergent pulmonary angiography(EPA),including digital subtraction angiography(DSA),or a spiral computed tomography angiography(sCTA) for APE patients' diagnosis and treatment during operation.The postulated fast-track diagnostic and therapeutic strategy can effectively confirm or exclude highly suspected APE and simultaneously provide fast therapeutic opportunities for APE patients at an operative period.

Effects of aspirin on the expression of nuclear factor-κB in a rat model of acute pulmonary embolism

BACKGROUND:Acute pulmonary embolism(APE) is a disorder involving the pulmonary circulation resulting from a blockage of the pulmonary artery. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of aspirin on the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) activity in a rat model of APE.METHODS:A total of 108 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into six groups(n=18 rats per group):control group,sham operation group,APE model group,and low-,medium- and high-dose aspirin groups. Six,24,and 72 hours after the induction of APE,rats in the low-,medium- and high-dose aspirin groups were given aspirin at a respective daily dose of 150,300,and 600 mg/kg by gavage for three consecutive days. Rats in the other groups were treated with equal volumes of normal saline. Six rats in each group were anesthetized with 10% chloral hydrate solution at each time point,and then the lung tissues were collected and analyzed using immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS:Positive immunohistochemical staining was present in the bronchial epithelial cells,alveolar cells,macrophages,and surrounding bronchial smooth muscle cells. When compared with the APE model group,the number of positive cells was signif icantly lower in the other groups at each time point(P<0.001). Statistically signif icant differences were also observed among the aspirin-treated groups at 6 hours(P<0.05,P<0.001). Compared with the APE model group,NF-κB protein expression was reduced in the other groups at each time point(P<0.05,P<0.001). Rats from the APE model group had thrombosis,damaged alveolar walls,and pulmonary hemorrhage,along with different degrees of inf lammatory cellular inf iltration at each time point. However,pathological changes such as pulmonary hemorrhage and inf iltration of inf lammatory cells were attenuated after the aspirin treatment.CONCLUSION:Aspirin can signifi cantly inhibit NF-κB activity in the lung of rats with APE in a dose-dependent manner,and can alleviate lung injury after APE.

Increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)2/ACE axes ratio alleviates early pulmonary vascular remodeling in a porcine model of acute pulmonary embolism with cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND:Acute pulmonary embolism(APE)with cardiac arrest(CA)is characterized by high mortality in emergency due to pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH).This study aims to determine whether early pulmonary artery remodeling occurs in PAH caused by massive APE with CA and the protective effects of increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme(ACE)2-angiotensin(Ang)(1-7)-Mas receptor axis and ACE-Ang II-Ang II type 1 receptor(AT1)axis(ACE2/ACE axes)ratio on pulmonary artery lesion after return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC).METHODS:To establish a porcine massive APE with CA model,autologous thrombus was injected into the external jugular vein until mean arterial pressure dropped below 30 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and thrombolysis were delivered to regain spontaneous circulation.Pigs were divided into four groups of five pigs each:control group,APE-CA group,ROSC-saline group,and ROSC-captopril group,to examine the endothelial pathological changes and expression of ACE2/ACE axes in pulmonary artery with or without captopril.RESULTS:Histological analysis of samples from the APE-CA and ROSC-saline groups showed that pulmonary arterioles were almost completely occluded by accumulated endothelial cells.Western blotting analysis revealed a decrease in the pulmonary arterial ACE2/ACE axes ratio and increases in angiopoietin-2/angiopoietin-1 ratio and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in the APE-CA group compared with the control group.Captopril significantly suppressed the activation of angiopoietin-2/angiopoietin-1 and VEGF in plexiform lesions formed by proliferative endothelial cells after ROSC.Captopril also alleviated endothelial cell apoptosis by increasing the B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X(Bax)ratio and decreasing cleaved caspase-3 expression.CONCLUSION:Increasing the ACE2/ACE axes ratio may ameliorate pulmonary arterial remodeling by inhibiting the apoptosis and proliferation of endothelial cells after ROSC induced by APE.

Emergency Hybrid Correction in a Newborn with Critical Aortic Valve Stenosis with Acute Pulmonary Edema in the First Hour after Birth

Critical aortic valve stenosis in newborns is the cause of a severe clinical condition with the onset of symptoms during first hours after birth.We present a clinical case of a successful surgical correction of a critical aortic stenosis using a hybrid method applied in a newborn during the first day of life.The infant was diagnosed with a hypoplastic left heart complex with an intact atrial septum(aortic and mitral valves stenosis variant),that led to the cardiogenic shock and acute pulmonary edema.The procedure included bilateral banding of the pulmonary artery branches and atrioseptostomy with stenting of the interatrial septum.The surgery was performed through a median sternotomy.

Changes and Significance of Cytokines in Serum of Rabbits with Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Objective:To observe the changes of cytokines in serum of rabbits with acute pulmonary embolism,and to provide a scientific basis for clinical treatment of the disease.Methods:The animal models of pulmonary embolism were established in 26 healthy rabbits by autologous thrombus reinfusion and normal saline injection,and the serum levels of cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β,HGF)in the two groups were monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:The expression levels of serum inflamma­tory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β)increased in both groups of rabbits within 1-3 hours of the acute stage of embolism,but the expression levels of serum inflammatory cytokines in experimental group of rabbits with pulmonary embolism caused by thrombosis increased more obviously.There was no significant change in serum HGF of rabbits before and after embolization in group B.The serum HGF content of experimental rabbits at 1 h,3 h,12 h,24 h and 48 h after embolization was significantly higher than that before embolization.And in the acute stage of embolism(1-12 hours),it showed a gradual upward trend.Conclusions:The expression level of serum growth factor is different in different acute stages of pulmonary embolism.Detect­ing serum cytokines in rabbits with acute pulmonary embolism is of great reference significance for improving clinical diagnosis.

A machine learning model for diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism and comparison with Wells score,revised Geneva score,and Years algorithm

Background:Acute pulmonary embolism(APE)is a fatal cardiovascular disease,yet missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis often occur due to non-specific symptoms and signs.A simple,objective technique will help clinicians make a quick and precise diagnosis.In population studies,machine learning(ML)plays a critical role in characterizing cardiovascular risks,predicting outcomes,and identifying biomarkers.This work sought to develop an ML model for helping APE diagnosis and compare it against current clinical probability assessment models.Methods:This is a single-center retrospective study.Patients with suspected APE were continuously enrolled and randomly divided into two groups including training and testing sets.A total of 8 ML models,including random forest(RF),Naïve Bayes,decision tree,K-nearest neighbors,logistic regression,multi-layer perceptron,support vector machine,and gradient boosting decision tree were developed based on the training set to diagnose APE.Thereafter,the model with the best diagnostic performance was selected and evaluated against the current clinical assessment strategies,including the Wells score,revised Geneva score,and Years algorithm.Eventually,the ML model was internally validated to assess the diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis.Results:The ML models were constructed using eight clinical features,including D-dimer,cardiac troponin T(cTNT),arterial oxygen saturation,heart rate,chest pain,lower limb pain,hemoptysis,and chronic heart failure.Among eight ML models,the RF model achieved the best performance with the highest area under the curve(AUC)(AUC=0.774).Compared to the current clinical assessment strategies,the RF model outperformed the Wells score(P=0.030)and was not inferior to any other clinical probability assessment strategy.The AUC of the RF model for diagnosing APE onset in internal validation set was 0.726.Conclusions:Based on RF algorithm,a novel prediction model was finally constructed for APE diagnosis.When compared to the current clinical assessment strategies,the RF model achieved better diagnostic efficacy and accuracy.Therefore,the ML algorithm can be a useful tool in assisting with the diagnosis of APE.

Predictive value of diaphragm ultrasound for mechanical ventilation outcome in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)is often combined with respiratory failure,which increases the patient's morbidity and mortality.Diaphragm ultrasound(DUS)has developed rapidly in the field of critical care in recent years.Studies with DUS monitoring diaphragm-related rapid shallow breathing index have demonstrated important results in guiding intensive care unit patients out of the ventilator.Early prediction of the indications for withdrawal of non-invasive ventilator and early evaluation of patients to avoid or reduce disease progression are very important.AIM To explore the predictive value of DUS indexes for non-invasive ventilation outcome in patients with AECOPD.METHODS Ninety-four patients with AECOPD who received mechanical ventilation in our hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,and they were divided into a successful ventilation group(68 cases)and a failed ventilation group(26 cases)according to the outcome of ventilation.The clinical data of patients with successful and failed noninvasive ventilation were compared,and the independent predictors of noninvasive ventilation outcomes in AECOPD patients were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.RESULTS There were no significant differences in gender,age,body mass index,complications,systolic pressure,heart rate,mean arterial pressure,respiratory rate,oxygen saturation,partial pressure of oxygen,oxygenation index,or time of inspiration between patients with successful and failed mechanical ventilation(P>0.05).The patients with successful noninvasive ventilation had shorter hospital stays and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide(PaCO_(2))than those with failed treatment,while potential of hydrogen(pH),diaphragm thickening fraction(DTF),diaphragm activity,and diaphragm movement time were significantly higher than those with failed treatment(P<0.05).pH[odds ratio(OR)=0.005,P<0.05],PaCO_(2)(OR=0.430,P<0.05),and DTF(OR=0.570,P<0.05)were identified to be independent factors influencing the outcome of mechanical ventilation in AECOPD patients.CONCLUSION The DUS index DTF can better predict the outcome of non-invasive ventilation in AECOPD patients.

Depression, anxiety and influencing factors in patients with acute pulmonary embolism

Background Psychological distress has been widely studied in many cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, but the condition in acute pulmonary embolism （APE） is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate levels of depression and anxiety and their influencing factors in APE patients. Methods Sixty consecutive patients with APE were subjected to investigation of depression and anxiety by the Beck Depression Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and 60 community-based subjects were enrolled as controls. APE patients were stratified as high-risk, intermediate-risk and low-risk according to the disease severity. Scores of depression and anxiety were compared by statistical analysis using paired t tests between APE patients and controls, and by analysis of variance within the APE patients with the three risk stratification. Factors influencing depression and anxiety were evaluated. Results The mean age of the patients （38 males and 22 females） was （52＋12） years. APE patients displayed higher scores of depression （P=0.04） and anxiety （P=0.001） compared with controls. Patients in the high-risk group displayed higher scores of depression （P=0.004） and anxiety （P=0.001） compared with those in the intermediate- and low-risk groups. Depression scores were highly correlated with anxiety scores （r=0.60, P 〈0.001）. Both depression and anxiety inversely related to risk stratification （P 〈0.01）, age （P 〈0.05）, and arterial blood oxygen pressure （PaO2） （P 〈0.05）. Linear regression analysis showed that PaO2 was independently inversely related to both depression （P 〈0.01） and anxiety （P 〈0.05）; risk stratification and age were independently inversely related to anxiety （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Patients of APE suffered high levels of depression and anxiety, which were negatively influenced by PaO2 risk stratification and age.

Effects of thrombolytic drugs and a selective endothelin-1 receptor antagonist on acute pulmonary thromboembolism in dogs

Background It has been shown that neurohumoral factors other than mechanical obstruction are involved in the pathophysiology of acute pulmonary thromboembolism （APTE）. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of thrombolytic drugs, a selective endothelin-1 receptor （ET-1 R） antagonist alone or their combination on APTE in a canine model. Methods Twenty dogs were randomly assigned to five groups： sham, model, urokinase （UK）, BQ123, and combination （UK plus BQ123）. The dogs in the sham group underwent sham surgery. APTE was induced in the other four groups by intravenous injection of autologous blood clots. Dogs in the UK, BQ123 and combination groups received UK, BQ123 （a selective ET-1R antagonist）, or UK plus BQ123, respectively. The dogs in the model group were given saline. Mean pulmonary artery pressure （mPAP）, serum concentrations of ET-1, thromboxane （TXB2）, and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α were determined at different time points following the induction of APTE. Results UK and BQ123 alone markedly decreased mPAP in APTE. By comparison, the reduction was more significant in the combination group. Compared with the sham group （（-0.90±0.61） mmHg）, mPAP increased by （7.44±1.04）, （3.42±1.12） and （1.14±0.55） mmHg in the model group, UK alone and BQ123 alone groups, respectively, and decreased by （2.24±0.67） mmHg in the combination group （P 〈0.01）. Serum ET-1 concentrations in the BQ123 and combination groups were （52.95±8.53） and （74.42±10.27） pg/ml, respectively, and were significantly lower than those in the model and UK groups （（84.56±7.44） and （97.66±8.31） pg/ml respectively; P 〈0.01）. Serum TNF-α concentrations were significantly lower in the BQ123 group than in the model, UK and combination groups （P 〈0.05）. Conclusions Our results indicate that the selective ET-1R antagonist BQ123 not only reduces the increase of mPAP and serum ET-1 level, but also inhibits the production of TNF-α, and attenuates the local inflammatory response induced by APTE. Selective ET-1R antagonists may be beneficial to the treatment of APTE, particularly when used in combination with a thrombolytic agent.

Acute Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Local Resection of Choroidal Melanoma

Uveal melanoma is the most malignancy in adults, with 6-7 cases/million people.^-~j common primary ocular an annual incidence of The choroid is the most common site of involvement occurring in more than 90% patients.TM We conducted a retrospective study for uveal melanoma at Yongren Eye Center from 1997 to 201 I. A total of 682 cases of uveal melanoma were recorded. Among them, 176 （25.8%） cases received local resection surgery. Most of them survived after surgery and had good recovery. However, life-threatening complication of acute pulmonary embolism （APE） occurred in 3 choroidal melanoma patients shortly after surgery. Till now, to the best of our knowledge, there are few reports of severe postsurgical complications of choroidal melanoma.

Clinical and electrocardiographic characteristics of acute pulmonary embolism with ST elevation in the right precordial leads

Background ST-segment elevation （STE） in the right precordial leads is an ECG manifestation of acute pul- monary embolism （APE） and some patients present with concomitant STE in the inferior leads. This clinical enti- ty apparently deserves careful attention. Methods We included 42 APE patients presenting with i〉 0.1 mV STE in leads V1-V3/V4. Clinical and ECG characteristics in 15 patients with and 27 without STE in the inferior leads were included for comparison. Results Of the 42 patients, 98% were classified as high or intermediate risk patients, 79% showed ECG signs of right ventricular strain （RVS） and 83% showed the maximal amplitude of STE in leads V1-V2. The patients with STE in the inferior leads presented with faster heart rate （131±30 vs. 108_＋21 beats/min, P=0.015）, lower systolic blood pressure （107±22 vs. 123_＋26 mmHg, P=0.043）, higher incidence of ele- vated troponin （87% vs. 56%, P=0.040） and need to intensify therapy （73% vs. 33%, P=0.013）. Conclusions STE in the right precordial leads is an ECG manifestation of intermediate to high risk in APE patients. The ECG characteristics include the maximal amplitude of STE in leads V1-V2 and the RVS pattern. Simultaneous STE in the inferior and right precordial leads is associated with hemodynamic instability and need for intensified therapy.

Electrocardiographic differentiation between acute coronary syndrome and acute pulmonary embolism associated with inverted T waves in precordial leads

Background Inverted T waves in precordial leads are often seen in patients with acute pulmonary embolism （APE） and acute coronary syndrome （ACS）. The purpose of this study was to analyze the electrocardiogram （ECG） difference between APE and ACS related inverted T waves in precordial leads. Methods The ECG difference among 62 patients with APE and 125 patients with ACS related inverted T waves in precordial leads were compared. Results Compared with ACS, Patients with APE were more frequently associated with incomplete or complete RBBB or slurred S wave in lead V1, the sum of the depth of inverted T waves in leads V1 and V2 not less than in lead V3 and V4 （inverted TV1 ＋ V2 ≥ inverted TV3 ＋ V4）, and inverted T waves in leads V1 and Ⅲ. Conclusions Complete or incomplete RBBB or slurred S wave in lead V1, inverted T waves in leads V1 and III, and inverted TV1 ＋ V2 ≥ inverted TV3 ＋ V4 are useful criteria for predicting APE.

Acute pulmonary embolism immediately after cesarean section despite dilatation of the left ventricle:a case report and literature review

Introduction Pulmonary embolism is a lethal complication during pregnancy and the puerperium.Compared with vaginal delivery,the risk of pulmonary disease is almost twice as high with cesarean section.However,diagnosing a pulmonary embolism can be challenging.Case presentation A 31-year-old nulliparous woman underwent cesarean section.Postoperatively,the patient suddenly developed dyspnea and dull pain in the left back region and cardiopulmonary function deteriorated rapidly.Venous ultrasonography confirmed thrombosis of the left common iliac vein.Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a normal right heart and a dilated left ventricle with a patent foramen ovale.An acute pulmonary embolism was confirmed by pulmonary angiography.Catheter-directed thrombus fragmentation and thrombolysis were then performed.Conclusion Dilated left ventricular echocardiography does not exclude postpartum acute pulmonary embolism.In extreme emergencies,when acute pulmonary embolism is the most likely diagnosis and life-threatening,catheter-directed angiography may be preferred over other approaches.

Diagnosis and treatment of an elderly patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Gansu Province:A case report

BACKGROUND In December 2019,the first patient with 2019-novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV)was reported in Wuhan,China,and the disease spread rapidly across the country and surrounding countries within 2 mo.As of February 29,2020,a total of 91 confirmed cases had been reported in Gansu Province.This case report of the diagnosis and treatment of an elderly patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia complicated by acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Gansu Province aims to provide a better reference for the treatment of patients in the future.CASE SUMMARY The patient,a 94-year-old female,lived in Maiji District of Tianshui,Gansu Province,China.On January 30,2020,she was admitted to the Fourth People’s Hospital of Tianshui after 9 d of close contact with a patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia.She was subsequently admitted to Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for isolation and transferred to Tianshui Gansu Provincial Hospital of Infectious Diseases on February 3,2020 for treatment.Upon initial examination,her body temperature was 36.7°C,pulse was 80,breathing was 20,and blood pressure was 130/80 mmHg.She was conscious with normal development and normal nutrition.The pharynx was not red,and bilateral tonsils were not red and swollen.The lungs sounded slightly coarse with no dry or wet rales.The first symptoms were cough and fatigue on 2 February.The patient was hospitalized for 12 d.After active treatment,she was discharged on February 14 with a good prognosis.CONCLUSION A history of exposure to the affected area or patient is a major cause of 2019-nCoV infection,and population clustering is a high risk factor for transmission.Patients may not necessarily have respiratory system symptoms as the only clinical manifestation but may also have concomitant or first onset digestive symptoms.Attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.Nucleic acid testing is extremely important and needs to be repeated several times.Laboratory and auxiliary examination indicators during the first week of admission are extremely important.It is feasible to carry out dynamic and continuous index monitoring,which can predict and guide the prevention and treatment of multiple organ dysfunction and the prognosis of the disease.

Helmet-based noninvasive ventilation for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A case report

BACKGROUND Noninvasive ventilation(NIV)reduces intubation rates,mortalities,and lengths of hospital and intensive care unit stays in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Helmet-based NIV is better tolerated than oronasal mask-based ventilation,and thus,allows NIV to be conducted for prolonged periods at higher pressures with minimal air leaks.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old man with a previous diagnosis of COPD stage 4 was admitted to our medical intensive care unit with chief complaints of cough,sputum,and dyspnea of several days’duration.For 10 mo,he had been on oxygen at home by day and had used an oronasal mask-based NIV at night.At intensive care unit admission,he breathed using respiratory accessory muscles.Hypercapnia and signs of infection were detected,and infiltration was observed in the right lower lung field by chest radiography.Thus,we diagnosed AECOPD by communityacquired pneumonia.After admission,respiratory distress steadily deteriorated and invasive mechanical ventilation became necessary.However,the patient refused this option,and thus,we selected helmet-based NIV as a salvage treatment.After 3 d of helmet-based NIV,his consciousness level and hypercapnia recovered to his pre-hospitalization level.CONCLUSION Helmet-based NIV could be considered as a salvage treatment when AECOPD patients refuse invasive mechanical ventilation and oronasal mask-based NIV is ineffective.

Clinical study of NFNC in the treatment of acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with respiratory failure

BACKGROUND Most patients with acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)have respiratory failure that necessitates active correction and the improvement of oxygenation is particularly important during treatment.High flow nasal cannula(HFNC)oxygen therapy is a non-invasive respiratory aid that is widely used in the clinic that improves oxygenation state,reduces dead space ventilation and breathing effort,protects the loss of cilia in the airways,and improves patient comfort.AIM To compare HFNC and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of patients with AECOPD.METHODS Eighty AECOPD patients were included in the study.The patients were in the intensive care department of our hospital from October 2019 to October 2021.The patients were divided into the control and treatment groups according to the different treatment methods with 40 patients in each group.Differences in patient comfort,blood gas analysis and infection indices were analyzed between the two groups.RESULTS After treatment,symptoms including nasal,throat and chest discomfort were significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the control group on the 3rd and 5th days(P<0.05).Before treatment,the PaO_(2),PaO_(2)/FiO_(2),PaCO_(2),and SaO_(2)in the two groups of patients were not significantly different(P>0.05).After treatment,the same indicators were significantly improved in both patient groups but had improved more in the treatment group compared to the control group(P<0.05).After treatment,the white blood cell count,and the levels of C-reactive protein and calcitonin in patients in the treatment group were significantly higher compared to patients in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION HFNC treatment can improve the ventilation of AECOPD patients whilst also improving patient comfort,and reducing complications.HFNC is a clinically valuable technique for the treatment of AECOPD.

Application of fiberoptic bronchscopy in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease during sequential weaning of invasive-noninvasive mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND:Early withdrawal of invasive mechanical ventilation(IMV) followed by noninvasive MV(NIMV) is a new strategy for changing modes of treatment in patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) with acute respiratory failure(ARF).Using pulmonary infection control window(PIC window) as the switch point for transferring from invasive to noninvasive MV,the time for early extubation can be more accurately judged,and therapy efficacy can be improved.This study aimed to prospectively investigate the clinical effectiveness of fiberoptic bronchscopy(FOB) in patients with AECOPD during sequential weaning of invasive-noninvasive MV.METHODS:Since July 2006 to January 2011,106 AECOPD patients with ARF were treated with comprehensive medication and IMV after hospitalization.Patients were randomly divided into two groups according to whether fiberoptic bronchoscope is used(group A,n=54) or not(group B,n=52) during sequential weaning from invasive to noninvasive MV.In group A,for sputum suction and bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL),a fiberoptic bronchoscope was put into the airway from the outside of an endotracheal tube,which was accompanied with uninterrupted use of a ventilator.After achieving PIC window,patients of both groups changed to NIMV mode,and weaned from ventilation.The following listed indices were used to compare between the groups after treatment:1) the occurrence time of PIC,the duration of MV,the length of ICU stay,the success rate of weaning from MV for the first time,the rate of reventilatJon and the occurrence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP);2) the convenience and safety of FOB manipulation.The results were compared using Student's f test and the Chi-square test.RESULTS:The occurrence time of PIC was(5.01 ±1.49) d,(5.87±1.87) d in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.05);the duration of MV was(6.98±1.84) d,(8.69±2.41) d in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.01);the length of ICU stay was(9.25±1.84) d,(11.10±2.63) d in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.01);the success rate of weaning for the first time was 96.30%,76.92%in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.01);the rate of reventilation was 5.56%,19.23%in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.05);and the occurrence rate of VAP was 3.70%,23.07%in groups A and B,respectively(P<0.01).Moreover,it was easy and safe to manipulate FOB,and no side effect was observed.CONCLUSIONS:The application of FOB in patients with AECOPD during sequential weaning of invasive-noninvasive MV is effective in ICU.It can decrease the duration of MV and the length of ICU stay,increase the success rate from weaning MV for the first time,reduce the rate of reventilation and the occurrence rate of VAP.In addition,such a method is convenient and safe in patients of this kind.

Eff ects of early standardized enteral nutrition on preventing acute muscle loss in the acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND:To investigate the eff ects of early standardized enteral nutrition(EN)on the crosssectional area of erector spine muscle(ESMcsa),plasma growth diff erentiation factor-15(GDF-15),and 28-day mortality of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD)patients with invasive mechanical ventilation(MV).METHODS:A total of 97 AECOPD patients with invasive MV were screened in the ICUs of the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang.The conventional EN group(stage Ⅰ)and early standardized EN group(stage Ⅱ)included 46 and 51 patients,respectively.ESMcsa loss and GDF-15 levels on days 1 and 7 of ICU admission and 28-day survival rates were analyzed.RESULTS:On day 7,the ESMcsa of the early standardized EN group was significantly higher than that of the conventional EN group,while the plasma GDF-15 levels were significantly lower than those in the conventional EN group(ESMcsa:28.426±6.130 cm^(2) vs.25.205±6.127 cm^(2);GDF-15:1661.608±558.820 pg/mL vs.2541.000±634.845 pg/mL;all P<0.001).The 28-day survival rates of the patients in the early standardized EN group and conventional EN group were 80.40%and 73.90%,respectively(P=0.406).CONCLUSION:ESMcsa loss in AECOPD patients with MV was correlated with GDF-15 levels,both of which indicated acute muscular atrophy and skeletal muscle dysfunction.Early standardized EN may prevent acute muscle loss and intensive care unit-acquired weakness(ICU-AW)in AECOPD patients.