Anterior segment changes after pharmacologic mydriasis using Pentacam and optical coherence tomography in angle closure suspects

AIM: To compare the dynamic changes of anterior segment parameters especially iris morphology induced by pharmacologic mydriasis between angle closure suspects and normal controls. METHODS: The study group comprised 19 eyes of 19 angle closure suspects and 19 eyes of 19 age- and sexmatched normal open-angle eyes. Pentacam and optical coherence tomography measurements before and 30min after instillation of compound tropicamide eye drop were performed and compared. Biometric evaluations of iris tomography and anterior chamber angle were estimated by a customized image-processing software. RESULTS: Baseline axial length, iris cross sectional area and volume did not differ significantly between angle closure suspects and normal controls. Angle closure suspects had smaller pupil size, narrower anterior segment dimension and axial length, thinner iris with greater curve in comparison with normal controls. Pharmacologic mydriasis led to significant increments in iris thickness at 750 mu m, anterior chamber depth and volume, whereas significant decrements in iris curve, cross sectional area and volume in both groups. Angle opening distance at 500 mu M was increased significantly in normal controls (from 0.465 +/- 0.115 mm to 0.539 +/- 0.167 mm, P=0.009), but not in angle closure suspects (from 0.125 0.100 mm to 0.145 +/- 0.131 mm, P=0.326). Iris volume change per millimeter of pupil dilation (Delta IV/Delta PD) decreased significantly less in angle closure suspects than normal controls (-2.47 +/- 1.33 mm(2) vs -3.63 +/- 1.58 mm(2), P=0.019). Linear regression analysis showed that the change of angle opening distance at 500 mu M was associated most with the change of central anterior chamber depth (beta= 0.841, P=0.002) and Delta IV/Delta PD (beta=0.028, P=0.002), followed by gender (beta=0. 062, P=0.032). CONCLUSION: Smaller iris volume decrement per millimeter of pupil dilation is related significantly with the less anterior angle opening in angle closure suspects after pharmacologic mydriasis. Dynamic iris change may be as a prospective indicator of iris compressibility and angle closure glaucoma.

Progression rate to primary angle closure following laser peripheral iridotomy in primary angle-closure suspects: a randomised study

AIM:To report the progression rate(PR)to primary angle closure(PAC)following laser peripheral iridotomy(LPI)in PAC suspects(PACS).METHODS:Prospective,randomized controlled interventional clinical trial conducted at the Handan Eye Hospital,China.Totally 134 bilateral PACS,defined as non-visibility of the posterior trabecular meshwork for≥180 degrees on gonioscopy were randomly assigned to undergo LPI in one eye.Gonioscopy and Goldmann applanation tonometry were performed prior to,on day 7 and 12 mo post LPI.RESULTS:Eighty of 134 patients(59.7%)could be followed up at one year.The mean intraocular pressure(IOP)in treated eyes was 15.9±2.6 mm Hg at baseline,15.4±3.0 mm Hg on day 7;16.5±2.9 mm Hg at one month,and 15.5±2.9 mm Hg at 12 mo;the IOP in untreated eyes was similar(P=0.834).One or more quadrants of the angle opened in 93.7%of the LPI treated eyes,but 67.0%(53/79)remained closed in two or more quadrants.The PR to PAC in untreated eyes was 3.75%and one developed acute angleclosure glaucoma(AACG);the PR to PAC in treated eyes was 2.5%and none had developed peripheral anterior synechia(PAS)or AACG.CONCLUSION:LPI can open some of the occludable angle in the majority of eyes with PACS,but 67%continue to have non-visibility of the trabecular meshwork for over 180 degrees.

Prediction of Criminal Suspects Based on Association Rules and Tag Clustering

To date, not many studies have been conducted on criminal prediction. In this study, the criminal data related to city S is divided into a training data set and a validation data set at a 1:1 ratio in light of the personal tag data and the travel and accommodation data of criminals and ordinary people in city S. Firstly, the FP-growth algorithm is adopted to calculate association rules between the criminals and the ordinary people in their travel and hotel accommodation data, in order to discover criminal suspects based on association rules. Secondly, the DBSCAN algorithm is employed for clustering of the tag data of the criminals and the ordinary people, followed by similarity calculation, in order to discover criminal suspects based on tag clustering. Lastly, intersection operation is performed on the above two sets of criminal suspects, and the resulting intersection is verified against the criminal validation set for elimination of criminals who appear in the intersection so as to obtain final criminal suspects. Results show that a set of 648 criminal suspects is retrieved based on the association rules calculated by the FP-growth algorithm, while a set of 973 criminal suspects is retrieved based on DBSCAN clustering and cosine similarity of the personal tags;the number of criminal suspects is narrowed down to 567 after the intersection operation of the two sets, and 419 of the 567 criminal suspects are further verified to be criminals using the validation set, thereby leaving the other 148 to be the final criminal suspects and giving a prediction accuracy of 73.9%. The data mining method of criminal suspects based on association rules and tag clustering in this study has been successfully applied to the police system of city S, and the experiment proves the effectiveness of this method in detecting criminal suspects.

On the Perfection of Legislation on Property Rights Protection of Criminal Suspects in Investigation Process

The property rights of a criminal suspect are an important component of human rights,but,unfortunately,may be restrained by factors in the investigation process like judicial stereotypes,legal regulations,and a lack of initiative on the part of the rights holder,which,from time to time,may result in infringements of such rights.Thus it is necessary for us to probe into the reasons why such infringements occur and sort out the contents about enhancing property rights protection of criminal suspects in the amendment to Criminal Procedure Law.To counter the existing disregard for property rights protection of criminal suspects and its legislative deficiency,judicial reform must be carried out as to three aspects:procedural improvement,institutional establishment,and judicial transformation property rights ideas in criminal proceedings.

Study of Human Rights Protection Mechanisms for Suspects at the Investigation Stage

When criminal suspects are being investigated for criminal responsibil- ity, they are the most vulnerable to infringement by public power. Thus, they need more special attention and protection. It is the in- evitable requirement of the modern democratic rule of law, and also the inevitable historic choice of respecting and protecting human rights.

Exploring the Feasibility of Machine Learning to Predict Risk Stratification Within 3 Months in Chest Pain Patients with Suspected NSTE-ACS

Objective We aimed to assess the feasibility and superiority of machine learning(ML)methods to predict the risk of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events(MACEs)in chest pain patients with NSTE-ACS.Methods Enrolled chest pain patients were from two centers,Beijing Anzhen Emergency Chest Pain Center Beijing Bo’ai Hospital,China Rehabilitation Research Center.Five classifiers were used to develop ML models.Accuracy,Precision,Recall,F-Measure and AUC were used to assess the model performance and prediction effect compared with HEART risk scoring system.Ultimately,ML model constructed by Naïve Bayes was employed to predict the occurrence of MACEs.Results According to learning metrics,ML models constructed by different classifiers were superior over HEART(History,ECG,Age,Risk factors,&Troponin)scoring system when predicting acute myocardial infarction(AMI)and all-cause death.However,according to ROC curves and AUC,ML model constructed by different classifiers performed better than HEART scoring system only in prediction for AMI.Among the five ML algorithms,Linear support vector machine(SVC),Naïve Bayes and Logistic regression classifiers stood out with all Accuracy,Precision,Recall and F-Measure from 0.8 to 1.0 for predicting any event,AMI,revascularization and all-cause death(vs.HEART≤0.78),with AUC from 0.88 to 0.98 for predicting any event,AMI and revascularization(vs.HEART≤0.85).ML model developed by Naïve Bayes predicted that suspected acute coronary syndrome(ACS),abnormal electrocardiogram(ECG),elevated hs-cTn I,sex and smoking were risk factors of MACEs.Conclusion Compared with HEART risk scoring system,the superiority of ML method was demonstrated when employing Linear SVC classifier,Naïve Bayes and Logistic.ML method could be a promising method to predict MACEs in chest pain patients with NSTE-ACS.

Value of optical coherence tomography measurement of macular thickness and optic disc parameters for glaucoma screening in patients with high myopia

BACKGROUND The basic method of glaucoma diagnosis is visual field examination,however,in patients with high myopia,the diagnosis of glaucoma is difficult.AIM To explore the value of optical coherence tomography(OCT)for measuring optic disc parameters and macular thickness as a screening tool for glaucoma in patients with high myopia.METHODS Visual values(contrast sensitivity,color vision,and best-corrected visual acuity)in three groups,patients with high myopia in Group A,patients with high myopia and glaucoma in Group B,and patients with high myopia suspicious for glaucoma in Group C,were compared.Optic disc parameters,retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thickness,and ganglion cell layer(GCC)thickness were measured using OCT technology and used to compare the peri-optic disc vascular density of the patients and generate receiver operator characteristic(ROC)test performance curves of the RNFL and GCC for high myopia and glaucoma.RESULTS Of a total of 98 patients admitted to our hospital from May 2018 to March 2022,totaling 196 eyes in the study,30 patients with 60 eyes were included in Group A,33 patients with 66 eyes were included in Group B,and 35 patients with 70 eyes were included in Group C.Data were processed for Groups A and B to analyze the efficacy of RNFL and GCC measures in distinguishing high myopia from high myopia with glaucoma.The area under the ROC curve was greater than 0.7,indicating an acceptable diagnostic value.CONCLUSION The value of OCT measurement of RNFL and GCC thickness in diagnosing glaucoma in patients with high myopia and suspected glaucoma is worthy of development for clinical use.

In Hospital Death among under Five Years Children Hospitalized with Meningitis in the Eastern of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: Meningitis is a major public health problem needing timely diagnosis, appropriate treatment, prevention and control. Despite the advances in diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, meningitis is still considered as an important cause of mortality and morbidity, especially in the paediatric population of lower income countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). In this study, we aimed to analyse the fatality aspect of suspected meningitis among children under five years. Materials and Methods: A prospective, descriptive study was carried out in the Paediatrics departments of four hospitals in the South-Kivu province in the Eastern part of the DR Congo from April 2021 to March 2022. Of the 1386 children enrolled, 251 children were suspected of meningitis. This study captures data generated in the framework of routine medical practice, which includes medical history, clinical diagnosis and results of locally conducted laboratory tests. Results: Throughout the study period, a total of 251 patients (18.1%) aged 1 month to 59 months with suspected meningitis were recruited out of 1386 children hospitalized in the Paediatrics. The fatality among hospitalized children with suspected meningitis during the study period was 27.9%, however the mortality linked to meningitis decreases with age, ranging from 37.5% among children under 2 years to 19.4% among those over 2 years old. Children hospitalized for meningitis with malnutrition as an underlying conditions, had a 3.5 times greater risk of dying. The case fatality rate was higher in transferred and not vaccinated children respectively (2.3 and 2.5 times). We observe that the death occurs early within the first 3 days. Conclusion: Our study noted a higher fatality rate in children with suspected meningitis that could probably be linked to the gape in vaccination and malnutrition as underline condition.

Role of lumbar puncture in clinical outcome of suspected acute bacterial meningitis

BACKGROUND Meningitis remains a significant source of mortality and morbidity,with an incidence of 1 per 100000 persons in the United States.Guidelines recommend obtaining blood cultures and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)studies in patients presenting with acute meningitis syndrome,and beginning treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics based on the age and certain predisposing conditions.In some patients however,the diagnostic lumbar puncture(LP)is not performed due to a multitude of reasons,ranging from increased intracranial pressure to failed attempt.In such situations,appropriate therapy is initiated empirically and often continued without establishment of a definitive diagnosis.AIM To determine whether a diagnostic LP in acute meningitis syndrome was associated with a better outcome and less duration of antibiotic therapy,along with potential causes for deferral of procedure.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted amongst the patients presenting to a 360 bedded community hospital in central Massachusetts with a diagnosis of acute meningitis syndrome between January 2010-September 2022.The electronic health records were accessed to collect necessary demographic and clinical data,including etiology of meningitis,lumbar puncture results,reason for procedure deferral,duration of antibiotic therapy and clinical outcome.The patients were subsequently divided into two groups based on whether they received a LP or not,and data was analyzed.RESULTS A total of 169 patients admitted with acute meningitis syndrome between September 2010-2022 were included in the study.The mean age of the participants was 54.3 years(SD+/-19.2 years).LP was performed for 130(76.9%)participants,out of which,28(21.5%)showed some growth in CSF culture.The most commonly identified organism was streptococcus pneumoniae.Amongst the 39 patients in whom LP was deferred,the major reasons recorded were:Body habitus(n=6,15.4%),and unsuccessful attempt(n=4,10.3%).While 93(71.5%)patients with LP received antibiotic therapy,only 19(48.7%)patients without LP received the antibiotics,with the principal reason being spontaneous improvement in sensorium without any diagnosed source of infection.The mean duration of antibiotic use was 12.3 days(SD+/-5.6)in the LP group and 11.5 days(SD+/-7.0)in the non-LP group(P=0.56;statistically not significant).We observed higher long term sequalae in the non-LP group(n=6,15.4%)compared to the LP group(n=9,6.9%).Similarly,the death rate was higher in the non-LP group(n=7,18.0%)compared to the LP group(n=9,6.9%).CONCLUSION LP remains the cornerstone for diagnosing meningitis,but often CSF results are unavailable,leading to empiric treatment.Our study identified that body habitus and unsuccessful attempts were the most common reasons for LP not being performed,leading to empiric antibiotic coverage.There was no difference between the duration of antibiotics received by the two groups,but a lower proportion of patients without LP received antibiotics,attributed to a spontaneous improvement in sensorium.However,the residual neurological sequelae and death rates were higher in patients without LP,signifying a potential under-treatment.A LP remains crucial to diagnose meningitis,and a lack of CSF analysis predisposes to under-treatment,leading to higher neurological sequelae and increased chances of death.

客票系统Sybase数据库故障的解决

suspect故障是Sybase数据库系统的常见故障,介绍铁路客票发售与预订系统中发生这一故障时的现象,并探讨发生原因及解决方法.

Comparison of GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay in Broncho Alveolar Lavage and Gastric Lavage Samples

Objective: To compare the yield from Gastric lavage (GL) and Broncho alveolar lavage (BAL) samples in adult patients suspected case of Tuberculosis but not producing sputum. Methodology: 80 adults with suspected case of tuberculosis but not producing sputum were recruited. 72 patients were then subjected to one gastric lavage followed by Broncho-alveolar lavage in the same morning. The collected samples were subjected to GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay. Result: Of the 72 patients samples, the mean age was 38.6 years. 41 (56.9%) were male and 31 (43.1%) were female. History of TB contact was present in 25 (34.7%) patients. 37 (51.4%) patients had GeneXpert MTB/RIF positive on BAL and/or GL samples. The GeneXpert MTB/RIF of BAL fluid was positive on 35 (48.6%), which was not significantly greater than that for specimens from GL, which was 28 (38.9%) (p > 0.05). In 26 (36.1%) cases, GeneXpert MTB/RIF was positive in both BAL and GL samples. Conclusion: This study showed the yield of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in GL was comparable to BAL to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Patients who can’t produce sputum, GL can be a good alternative to BAL to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in resource poor areas and patients who do not tolerate Bronchoscopy.

《英语》第四册重难点提示及考试指南(2)

七.阅读理解(15分)Telling one Country About AnotherWhen I arrived in Washington in thelate thirties,I was one of the only four Brit-ish correspondents.

Discriminating performance of macular ganglion cellinner plexiform layer thicknesses at different stages of glaucoma

AIM: To determine the discriminating performance of the macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer(GCIPL) parameters between all the consecutive stages of glaucoma(from healthy to moderate-to-severe glaucoma), and to compare it with the discriminating performances of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) parameters and optic nerve head(ONH) parameters.METHODS: Totally 147 eyes(40 healthy, 40 glaucoma suspects, 40 early glaucoma, and 27 moderate-to-severe glaucoma) of 133 subjects were included. Optical coherence tomography(OCT) was obtained using Cirrus HD-OCT 5000. The diagnostic performances of GC-IPL, RNFL, and ONH parameters were evaluated by determining the area under the curve(AUC) of the receiver operating characteristics. RESULTS: All GC-IPL parameters discriminated glaucoma suspect patients from subjects with healthy eyes and moderate-to-severe glaucoma from early glaucoma patients(P<0.017, for all). Also, minimum, inferotemporal and inferonasal GC-IPL parameters discriminated early glaucoma patients from glaucoma suspects, whereas no RNFL or ONH parameter could discriminate between the two. The best parameters to discriminate glaucoma suspects from subjects with healthy eyes were superonasal GC-IPL, superior RNFL and average c/d ratio(AUC=0.746, 0.810 and 0.746, respectively). Discriminating performances of all the parameters for early glaucoma vs glaucoma suspect comparison were lower than that of the other consecutive group comparisons, with the bestGC-IPL parameters being minimum and inferotemporal(AUC=0.669 and 0.662, respectively). Moreover, minimum GC-IPL, average RNFL, and rim area(AUC=0.900, 0.858, 0.768, respectively) were the best parameters for discriminating moderate-to-severe glaucoma patients from early glaucoma patients.CONCLUSION: GC-IPL parameters can discriminate glaucoma suspect patients from subjects with healthy eyes, and also all the consecutive stages of glaucoma from each other(from glaucoma suspect to moderate-tosevere glaucoma). Further, the discriminating performance of GC-IPL thicknesses is comparable to that.

Comparison of diagnostic validity of two autism rating scales for suspected autism in a large Chinese sample

BACKGROUND Autism is the most common clinical developmental disorder in children.The childhood autism rating scale(CARS)and autistic autism behavior checklist(ABC)are the most commonly used assessment scales for diagnosing autism.However,the diagnostic validations and the corresponding cutoffs for CARS and ABC in individuals with suspected autism spectrum disorder(ASD)remain unclear.Furthermore,for suspected ASD in China,it remains unclear whether CARS is a better diagnostic tool than ABC.Also unclear is whether the current cutoff points for ABC and CARS are suitable for the accurate diagnosis of ASD.AIM To investigate the diagnostic validity of CARS and ABC based on a large Chinese sample.METHODS A total of 591 outpatient children from the ASD Unit at Beijing Children’s Hospital between June and November 2019 were identified.First,the Clancy autism behavior scale(CABS)was used to screen out suspected autism from these children.Then,each suspected ASD was evaluated by CARS and ABC.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to compare diagnostic validations.We also calculated the area under the curve(AUC)for both CARS and ABC.RESULTS We found that the Cronbach alpha coefficients of CARS and ABC were 0.772 and 0.426,respectively.Therefore,the reliability of the CARS was higher than that of the ABC.In addition,we found that the correlation between CARS and CABS was 0.732.Next,we performed ROC curve analysis for CARS and ABC,which yielded AUC values of 0.846 and 0.768,respectively.The cutoff value,which is associated with the maximum Youden index,is usually applied as a decision threshold.We found that the cutoff values of CARS and ABC were 34 and 67,respectively.CONCLUSION This result indicated that CARS is superior to ABC in the Chinese population with suspected ASD.

Retinal nerve fiber layer changes based on historic CD4 nadir among HIV positive patients undergoing glaucoma evaluation

AIM: To determine relationships between retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL) thickness and nadir CD4 cell count in human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) positive patients evaluated for glaucoma suspicion.METHODS: Data were reviewed for 329 HIV positive patients evaluated for glaucoma suspicion. High-definition optical coherence tomography(OCT) RNFL measurements were obtained at least 6 mo apart. Analyses were performed to identify relationships between nadir CD4 count and RNFL thickness.RESULTS: Totally 110 eyes of 55 patients met inclusion criteria, of which 46 eyes were from subjects with nadir CD4<200 cells/mm^3 and 64 had nadir CD4≥200 cells/mm^3. Patients with nadir CD4<200 cells/mm^3 had significantly thicker superior(119.7±18.6 μm) and temporal(63.8±11.7 μm) quadrants at time of initial OCT compared to the superior(112.8±16.8 μm, P=0.048) and temporal(57.1±11.9 μm, P=0.004) quadrants of patients with higher nadir CD4. This trend toward thicker RNFL among subjects with lower nadir CD4 cell counts persisted at the time of follow up OCT where participants with nadir CD4<200 cells/mm^3 showed average RNFL thickness in the superior and temporal quadrants of 117.9±18.3 μm and 63.8±12.8 μm, respectively, compared to a superior thickness of 110.5±16.9 μm(P=0.034) and temporal thickness of 57.3±11.6 μm(P=0.007) among those with higher nadir CD4. CONCLUSION: Patients with lower nadir CD4 cell counts have thicker RNFL in the superior and temporal quadrants compared to those with higher nadir CD4 counts. RNFL thickness in HIV positive patients may be affected by historic HIV disease control and should be considered when evaluating HIV positive patients for glaucoma.

Primary stratification and identification of suspected corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19) from clinical perspective by a simple scoring proposal

In this Commentary,we would like to comment on the article titled"A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV)infected pneumonia(standard version)"as a featured article in Military Medical Research.In the guideline,except for"confirmed cases","suspected cases","close contact"and"suspicious exposure"were defined by clinical perspective based on epidemiological risk,clinical symptoms and auxiliary examination.Combined with our experience,we introduced a simple scoring proposal additionally based on not only CT imaging as strongly recommended by the guideline but also blood routine test,especially for primary screening of such patients in the out-patient department.

Analysis and Comparison of the Tongue Picture of 34 Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

Objective: To explore the changes of tongue pictures in the developing process of disease in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and to compare the tongue pictures of SARS patients with those of suspected SARS patients. Methods: Materials of tongue picture were dynamically collected from 34 SARS patients and 35 suspected SARS patients, and the difference and similarity between them were analyzed. Meanwhile, the changes in clinic symptoms and tongue picture after integrative medicinal treatment were observed. Results: Characteristics of tongue picture in SARS patients were changed along with the progress of the disease, showing that there existed a tendency of the pathogen invading from exterior to interior, from surface to the deep. Also the tongue pictures were varied due to the coexistence of dampness pathogen; the time of the early stage was generally 1 - 1.5 days, shorter than that of other stages. While in the patients with suspected SARS, the tongue picture was mostly red with thin white or yellow coating, comparatively steady and showing no obvious change along with the development of the disease. Conclusion: Observing the tongue picture and its changes in different stages can be helpful to understanding the property of pathogenic evil and its developing rules, thus offering a basis for clinical treatment.

沉默短片断的实质的发生内视镜地在一个成年日本主要照顾惯例怀疑了食道的组织变形

AIM: To determine the incidence and characteristics of endoscopically suspected esophageal metaplasia (ESEM) in a primary adult care institution. METHODS: Eight hundred and thirty two consecutive individuals (mean age, 67.6 years) undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between January 2009 and December 2010 were included in this study. The diagnosis of ESEM was based on the criteria proposed by the Japan Esophageal Society, and was classified as long segment ESEM (3 cm or more) or short segment ESEM (【 3cm). Short segment ESEM was further divided into circumferential and partial types. Age, gender, hiatus hernia, esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-suggested symptoms, and antacid medications were recorded as background factors. Esophagitis was graded according to the Los Angeles classification. Hiatus hernia was divided into absent and at least partially present. RESULTS: Long and short segment ESEM were found in 0 and 184 (22.1%) patients, respectively (mean age of short segment ESEM patients, 68.3 years). Male gender and hiatus hernia were shown to be signifi cant factors affecting short segment ESEM by both univariate (P = 0.03 and P = 9.9x10-18) and multivariate [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.45; P = 0.04, and OR = 43.3; P = 1.5x10-7)] analyses. Two thirds of patients with short segment ESEM did not have GERD-suggested symptoms. There was no correlation between short segment ESEM and GERD-suggested symptoms.

Suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection with fever and coronary heart disease:A case report

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is an emerging infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).Suspected cases accounted for a large proportion in the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak.The deviation of the nucleic acid test by throat swab(the current gold standard of COVID-19)caused by variation in sampling techniques and reagent kits and coupled with nonspecific clinical manifestations make confirmation of the suspected cases difficult.Proper management of the suspected cases of COVID-19 is crucial for disease control.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old male presented with fever,lymphopenia,and chest computed tomography(CT)images similar to COVID-19 after percutaneous coronary intervention.The patient was diagnosed as having bacterial pneumonia with cardiogenic pulmonary edema instead of COVID-19.This was based on four negative results for throat swab detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay and one negative result for serological antibody of SARS-CoV-2 with the serological assay.Additionally,the distribution of ground-glass opacities and thickened blood vessels from the CT images differed from COVID-19 features,which further supported the exclusion of COVID-19.CONCLUSION Distinguishing COVID-19 patients from those with bacterial pneumonia with cardiogenic pulmonary edema can be difficult.Therefore,it requires serious identification.

Highly sensitive troponin I assay in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in patients with suspected stable angina

BACKGROUND Evaluation of suspected stable angina patients with probable coronary artery disease(CAD)in the community is challenging.In the United Kingdom,patients with suspected stable angina are referred by community physicians to be assessed by specialists within the hospital system in rapid access chest pain clinics(RACPC).The role of a highly sensitive troponin I(uscTnI)assay in the diagnosis of suspected CAD in a RACPC in a“real-life”setting in a non-academic hospital has not been explored.AIM To examine the diagnostic value of uscTnI(detection limit 0.12 ng/L,upper reference range 8.15 ng/L,and detected uscTnI in 96.8%of the reference population),in the evaluation of stable CAD in a non-selected patient group,with several co-morbidities,who presented to the RACPC.METHODS One hundred and seventy two RACPC patients were assigned to either functional or anatomical testing according to the hospital protocol.RESULTS The investigations offered to patients were exercise tolerance test 7.6%,24 h ECG 1.2%,Echocardiogram 14.5%,stress echocardiogram 8.1%,coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)12.8%,coronary angiogram 13.4%,17.4%were diagnosed with non-cardiac chest pain,3.5%treated as stable angina,8.2%reviewed by cardiologists,electronic medical records were not available in 10.4%.Receiver operating characteristic curves for CAD used uscTnI values measured in patients who underwent functional testing,angiogram or CCTA.Values>0.52 ng/L showed 100%sensitivity and at>11.6 ng/L showed 100%specificity.In the range>0.52-11.6 ng/L,uscTnI may not have the same diagnostic potential.In patients assigned to coronary angiogram higher concentrations of uscTnI was associated with severe CAD.Low levels of uscTnI and low pre-test probability of CAD(QRISK3)may decrease patient numbers assigned to CCTA.CONCLUSION The uscTnI diagnostic cut-off values in a RACPC will depend on patient population and their presenting co-morbidity.In the presence of clinical comorbidities and previous CAD the uscTnI needs to be used in conjunction with clinical assessment.