Clinical prediction scores predicting weaning failure from invasive mechanical ventilation:Role and limitations

Invasive mechanical ventilation(IMV)has become integral to modern-day critical care.Even though critically ill patients frequently require IMV support,weaning from IMV remains an arduous task,with the reported weaning failure(WF)rates being as high as 50%.Optimizing the timing for weaning may aid in reducing time spent on the ventilator,associated adverse effects,patient discomfort,and medical care costs.Since weaning is a complex process and WF is often multifactorial,several weaning scores have been developed to predict WF and aid decision-making.These scores are based on the patient's physiological and ventilatory parameters,but each has limitations.This review highlights the current role and limitations of the various clinical prediction scores available to predict WF.

The Sarandria Score—Discussion of a New Scoring System in Clinical Medical Oncology

This paper focuses on discussing a novel scoring for stage III rectal cancer patients and all the challenges in creating and developing a clinical score. Background: It is fundamental in my opinion to give space to new generations of scientists, medical doctors and researchers to study and, backed with evidence-based information, improve the current knowledge of clinical medical science. It is fundamental for result obtained by medical researchers to bring their findings to the scientific community. Every scientific finding is of vital importance. In this essay a new Clinical Scoring system, the Sarandria Score, developed by myself is discussed, together with the methods and path in order for a young medical researcher with an idea to bring it to the scientific community. Main topics: Colorectal Cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem, representing the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in males and the second in females. Various studies have reported relevant differences related to CRC primary location site (right-sided colon, left-sided colon, rectum) including response to adjuvant chemotherapy and prognosis. In stage III CRC patients, previous findings showed that higher density of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) was associated with better response to 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Novel findings were discovered by Dr Nicola Sarandria on the role of neutrophils in rectal cancer, which include different factors which point to an anti-tumoral role of neutrophils in rectal cancer when in presence of chemotherapeutic agents (5-fluorouracil). The clinical significance of TANs was assessed and whether it can be different depended on the location of the primary CRC (right-sided colon, left-sided colon, rectum). Conclusions: This essay officially discusses a new clinical prognostic and predictive scoring (Sarandria Score) involving intratumoral neutrophilic infiltration in rectal cancer and the possibility of a new inclusion criteria based on this infiltrate for Stage III rectal cancer patients treated with 5-FU therapy. This paper includes data published on my medical degree thesis and in a previous review (on Journal of Cancer Therapy) showing that higher levels of TANs densities were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in 5-FU treated patients affected by rectal cancer (while it was inversely related in patients without 5-FU therapy). This was also as further evidence in support possible conceptual division of what is now known as Colorectal cancer into Colon and Rectal cancer.

Bilateral Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Loss and Recovery with Teprotumumab in Thyroid Eye Disease

Background: Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) is known to alter tissues of the orbital cavity, including the optic nerve. However, its effect on measured global Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (gRNFL) is not well elucidated. This case evaluates the effect of teprotumumab on gRNFL in a patient with moderate TED. Observations: A 60-year-old female with controlled ocular hypertension and moderate TED received 8 standard IV teprotumumab infusions. Comprehensive ocular evaluations were performed pre-, during-, and post-treatment. Bilateral gRNFL thickness decreased (10 m OD;12 m OS) at 4 months post-treatment start, persisting at 8 months, but recovered at 20 months. Conclusions and Importance: Teprotumumab treatment in patients with TED led to a transient bilateral decrease in gRNFL thickness, which was restored to baseline levels with no adverse events reported. Monitoring gRNFL changes in teprotumumab-treated patients is crucial as gRNFL thinning indicates retinal ganglion cell damage. Teprotumumabs ability to dampen the IGF-IR inflammatory cascade may have reduced retinal inflammation, leading to recovery.

Concordance between bio-impedance analysis and clinical score in fluid-status assessment of maintenance haemodialysis patients: A single centre experience

BACKGROUND The burden of chronic kidney disease(CKD)is rising rapidly globally.Fluid overload(FO),an independent predictor of mortality in CKD,should be accurately assessed to guide estimation of the volume of fluid to be removed during haemodialysis(HD).Clinical score(CS)and bio-impedance analysis(BIA)have been utilized in assessment of FO and BIA has demonstrated reproducibility and accuracy in determination of fluid status in patients on HD.There is need to determine the performance of locally-developed CSs in fluid status assessment when evaluated against BIA.AIM To assess the hydration status of patients on maintenance HD using BIA and a CS,as well as to evaluate the performance of that CS against BIA in fluid status assessment.METHODS This was a single-centre,hospital-based cross-sectional study which recruited adult patients with CKD who were on maintenance HD at Kenyatta National Hospital.The patients were aged 18 years and above and had been on maintenance HD for at least 3 mo.Those with pacemakers,metallic implants,or bilateral limbs amputations were excluded.Data on the patients’clinical history,physical examination,and chest radiograph findings were collected.BIA was performed on each of the study participants using the Quantum®II bio-impedance analyser manufactured by RJL Systems together with the BC 4®software.In evaluating the performance of the CS,BIA was considered as the gold standard test.A 2-by-2 table of the participants’fluid status at each of the CS values obtained compared to their paired BIA results was constructed(either++,+-,--or-+for FO using the CS and BIA,respectively).The results from this 2-by-2 table were used to compute the sensitivity and specificity of the CS at the various reference points and subsequently plot a receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve that was used to determine the best cut-off point.Those above and below the best CS cut-off point as determined by the ROC were classified as being positive and negative for FO,respectively.The proportions of participants diagnosed with FO by the CS and BIA,respectively,were computed and summarized in a 2-by-2 contingency table for comparison.McNemar’s chi-squared test was used to assess any statistically significant difference in proportions of patients diagnosed as having FO by CS and BIA.Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess whether the variables for the duration of dialysis,the number of missed dialysis sessions,advisement by health care professional on fluid or salt intake,actual fluid intake,the number of anti-hypertensives used,or body mass index were associated with a patient’s odds of having FO as diagnosed by BIA.RESULTS From 100 patients on maintenance HD screened for eligibility,80 were recruited into this study.Seventy-one(88.75%)patients were fluid overloaded when evaluated using BIA with mean extracellular volume of 3.02±1.79 L as opposed to the forty-seven(58.25%)patients who had FO when evaluated using the CS.The difference was significant,with a P value of<0.0001(95%confidence interval:0.1758-0.4242).Using CS,values above 4 were indicative of FO while values less than or equal to 4 denoted the best cut-off for no FO.The sensitivity and specificity for the CS were 63%and 78%respectively.None of the factors evaluated for association with FO showed statistical significance on the multivariable logistic regression model.CONCLUSION FO is very prevalent in patients on chronic HD at the Kenyatta National Hospital.CS detects FO less frequently when compared with BIA.The sensitivity and specificity for the CS were 63%and 78%respectively.None of the factors evaluated for association with FO showed statistical significance on the multivariable logistic regression model.

A predictive score for retinopathy of prematurity by using clinical risk factors and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels

AIM：To detect the impact of insulin-like growth factor-1（IGF-1）and other risk factors for the early prediction of retinopathy of prematurity（ROP）and to establish a scoring system for ROP prediction by using clinical criteria and serum IGF-1 levels.METHODS：The study was conducted with 127 preterm infants.IGF-1 levels in the 1st day of life,1st,2nd,3rd and4th week of life was analyzed.The score was established after logistic regression analysis,considering the impact of each variable on the occurrences of any stage ROP.A validation cohort containing 107 preterm infants was included in the study and the predictive ability of ROP score was calculated.RESULTS：Birth weights（BW）,gestational weeks（GW）and the prevalence of breast milk consumption were lower,respiratory distress syndrome（RDS）,bronchopulmonarydysplasia（BPD）and necrotizing enterocolitis（NEC）were more frequent,the duration of mechanical ventilation and oxygen supplementation was longer in patients with ROP（P〈0.05）.Initial serum IGF-1 levels tended to be lower in newborns who developed ROP.Logistic regression analysis revealed that low BW（〈1250 g）,presence of intraventricular hemorrhage（IVH）and formula feeding increased the risk of ROP.Afterwards,the scoring system was validated on 107 infants.The negative predictive values of a score less than 4 were 84.3%,74.7%and 79.8%while positive predictive values were 76.3%,65.5%and71.6%respectively.CONCLUSION：In addition to BW〈1250 g and IVH,formula consumption was detected as a risk factor for the development of ROP.Breastfeeding is important for prevention of ROP in preterm infants.

The Clinical Value of Syntax Scores in Predicting Coronary Artery Disease Outcomes

The Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery(SYNTAX)score(SS)has significantly improved angiographic risk stratification.By analyzing angiographic variables,this score characterizes coronary artery disease qualitatively and quantitatively.To date,combining this score with other non-angiographic clini-cal scores has broadened perspectives regarding risk estimation,and future research on this topic appears promising.

Role of Lung Ultrasound in the Assessment of Hydration Status of Chronic Haemodialysis Patients

Background: Fluid overload is frequent in Haemodialysis (HD) and is one of the major factors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for chronic HD patients. The main challenge with chronic haemodialysis patients is indeed the maintenance of a normal extracellular volume through dry weight determination. Our study aimed at assessing the role of lung ultrasound in the detection of B-lines for the determination of hydration status in chronic HD patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 31 patients undergoing chronic HD treatment for at least 3 months, in the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital dialysis unit. Lung ultrasonography and clinical examinations were performed immediately before dialysis, and 30 minutes after dialysis. Differences between clinical and ultrasound variables before and after dialysis were measured to assess the effects of dialysis. Association between categorical variables was assessed with the Chi-squared test or Fischer test, and Rho’s Spearman coefficient for quantitative variables. Results: There was a reduction in the median of B-lines score after dialysis [12 (7 - 26) versus 8 (5 - 13)], clinical score [2 (1 - 3) versus 0 (-1 - 2)], mean of systolic blood pressure (164.74 ± 26.50 versus 158.48 ± 27.89), frequency of dyspnoea in patients (32.3% versus 6.5%);and raising of the frequency of cramps in patients (0% versus 19.4%) and all statistically significant (p ≤ 0.031). B-lines score before and after dialysis was associated with dyspnoea and raised jugular venous pressure (p Conclusion: Lung ultrasound for the detection of B-lines reflects the variation of extracellular volume during dialysis and can even capture pulmonary oedema at a pre-clinical stage. It is then a reliable and sensible method for assessing extravascular lung water and thus hydration status of haemodialysis patients. It could constitute a better alternative for an objective and accurate definition of dry weight, specifically in the African and Cameroonian context, with its assets being low cost, availability, and easiness to perform in a large population of HD patients. We, therefore, recommend further multicentric studies in order to design a standardized protocol of ultrasound follow-up for all chronic HD patients’ hydration status assessments.

Medical imaging for pancreatic diseases:Prediction of severe acute pancreatitis complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome

In this editorial we comment on the article published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology[2022;28(19):2123-2136].We pay attention to how to construct a simpler and more reliable new clinical predictive model to early identify patients at high risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)associated with severe acute pancreatitis(SAP),and to early predict the severity of organ failure from chest computed tomography(CT)findings in SAP patients.As we all know,SAP has a sudden onset,is a rapidly changing condition,and can be complicated with ARDS and even multiple organ dysfunction syndrome,and its mortality rate has remained high.At present,there are many clinical scoring systems for AP,including the bedside index for severity in AP,acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II,systemic inflammatory response syndrome,Japanese severe score,quick sepsis-related organ failure assessment,etc.However,some of these scoring systems are complex and require multiple and difficult clinical parameters for risk stratification.Although the aforementioned biomarkers are readily available,their ability to predict ARDS varies.Accordingly,it is extremely necessary to establish a simple and valuable novel model to predict the development of ARDS in AP.In addition,the extra-pancreatic manifestations of AP patients often involve the chest,among which pleural effusion and pulmonary consolidation are the more common complications.Therefore,by measuring the semi-quantitative indexes of chest CT in AP patients,such as the amount of pleural effusion and the number of lobes involved as pulmonary consolidation,it has important reference value for the early diagnosis of SAP complicated with ARDS and is expected to provide a basis for the early treatment of ARDS.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for suspected malignancies adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract

AIM: To investigate the impact of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in association with a multidisciplinary team evaluation for the detection of gastrointestinal malignancies.

Effect of traditional Chinese preparation Xuebijing on inflammatory markers in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia

Objective:To observe the effect of Xuebijing,a complex traditional Chinese preparation,on inflammation and prognosis of patients with pneumonia.Methods:The patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia in the intensive care unit(ICU)were randomly divided into the control group and the treatment group with 35 cases in each group.Both groups were given routine treatment such as anti-inflammatory drugs,rehydration,expectorant,and nutritional support,while the treatment group was additionally given Xuebijing injection.Serum C-reactive protein(CRP),clinical pulmonary infection score(CPIS),acute physiology,and chronic health scoreⅡ(APACHEⅡ)were recorded before treatment,the 3rd and 7th day after treatment.The duration of antibiotic use,mechanical ventilation,ICU stay,and mortality during 28 days was recorded.Results:There was no significant difference in CRP,CPIS,and APACHEⅡbetween the two groups before treatment(P>0.05).The improvement of CRP,CPIS,and APACHEⅡin the treatment group was better than those in the control group on the 3 and 7 days after treatment,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The duration of antibiotic use,mechanical ventilation,and ICU stay in the treatment group were less than those in the control group(P<0.05).The 28-day mortality of the treatment group was lower than that of the control group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusions:Xuebijing injection can improve the inflammatory indexes of patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia,and can partly improve the prognosis.

Comparison between hepatocellular carcinoma prognostic scores:A 10-year single-center experience and brief review of the current literature

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)represents the most common primitive liver malignancy.A relevant concern involves the lack of agreement on staging systems,prognostic scores,and treatment allocation algorithms.AIM To compare the survival rates among already developed prognostic scores.METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 140 patients with HCC diagnosed between February 2006 and November 2017.Patients were categorized according to 15 prognostic scoring systems and estimated median survivals were compared with those available from the current medical literature.RESULTS The median overall survival of the cohort of patients was 35(17;67)mo,and it was statistically different in relation to treatment choice,ultrasound surveillance,and serum alpha-fetoprotein.The Italian Liver Cancer(ITA.LI.CA)tumor staging system performed best in predicting survival according to stage allocation among all 15 evaluated prognostic scores.Using the ITA.LI.CA prognostic system,28.6%,40.7%,22.1%,and 8.6%of patients fell within stages 0-1,2-3,4-5 and>5 respectively.The median survival was 57.9 mo for stages 0-1,43 mo for stages 2-3,21.7 mo for stages 4-5,and 10.4 mo for stage>5.The 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates were respectively 95%,65%,and 20%,for stages 0-1;94.7%,43.9%and 26.3%for stages 2-3;71%,25.8%and 16.1%for stages 4-5;and 50%,16.7%and 8.3%for stage>5.At the same time,although statistically significant in prognostic stratification,the most commonly used Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer system showed one of the most relevant differences in median survival,especially for stages A and C,when compared to the medical literature.In fact,10.7%,59.3%,27.1%,1.4%,and 0%of patients were stratified into stages 0,A,B,C,and D respectively.The median survival was>81.1 mo for stage 0,44.9 mo for stage A,21.3 mo for stage B,and 3.1 mo for stage C.The 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates were respectively 86.7%,60%,and 46.7%for stage 0;91.6%,50.6%,and 20.5%for stage A;73.7%,23.7%and 13.2%for stage B;and 2%,0%and 0%for stage C.CONCLUSION Survival analysis shows excellent prognostic ability of the ITA.LI.CA scoring system compared to other staging systems.

Integrating polygenic and clinical risks to improve stroke risk stratification in prospective Chinese cohorts

The utility of the polygenic risk score(PRS)to identify individuals at higher risk of stroke beyond clinical risk remains unclear,and we clarified this using Chinese population-based prospective cohorts.Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the 10-year risk,and Fine and Gray’s models were used for hazard ratios(HRs),their 95%confidence intervals(CIs),and the lifetime risk according to PRS and clinical risk categories.A total of 41,006 individuals aged 30–75 years with a mean follow-up of 9.0 years were included.Comparing the top versus bottom 5%of the PRS,the HR was 3.01(95%CI 2.03–4.45)in the total population,and similar findings were observed within clinical risk strata.Marked gradients in the 10-year and lifetime risk across PRS categories were also found within clinical risk categories.Notably,among individuals with intermediate clinical risk,the 10-year risk for those in the top 5%of the PRS(7.3%,95%CI 7.1%–7.5%)reached the threshold of high clinical risk(≥7.0%)for initiating preventive treatment,and this effect of the PRS on refining risk stratification was evident for ischemic stroke.Even among those in the top 10%and 20%of the PRS,the 10-year risk would also exceed this level when aged≥50 and≥60 years,respectively.Overall,the combination of the PRS with the clinical risk score improved the risk stratification within clinical risk strata and distinguished actual high-risk individuals with intermediate clinical risk.