Comparison of different versions of the quick sequential organ failure assessment for predicting in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients:A retrospective observational study

BACKGROUND:The quick sequential organ failure assessment(qSOFA)is recommended to identify sepsis and predict sepsis mortality.However,some studies have recently shown its poor performance in sepsis mortality prediction.To enhance its effectiveness,researchers have developed various revised versions of the qSOFA by adding other parameters,such as the lactate-enhanced qSOFA(LqSOFA),the procalcitonin-enhanced qSOFA(PqSOFA),and the modified qSOFA(MqSOFA).This study aimed to compare the performance of these versions of the qSOFA in predicting sepsis mortality in the emergency department(ED).METHODS:This retrospective study analyzed data obtained from an electronic register system of adult patients with sepsis between January 1 and December 31,2019.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analyses were performed to determine the area under the curve(AUC),with sensitivity,specificity,and positive and negative predictive values calculated for the various scores.RESULTS:Among the 936 enrolled cases,there were 835 survivors and 101 deaths.The AUCs of the LqSOFA,MqSOFA,PqSOFA,and qSOFA were 0.740,0.731,0.712,and 0.705,respectively.The sensitivity of the LqSOFA,MqSOFA,PqSOFA,and qSOFA were 64.36%,51.40%,71.29%,and 39.60%,respectively.The specificity of the four scores were 70.78%,80.96%,61.68%,and 91.62%,respectively.The LqSOFA and MqSOFA were superior to the qSOFA in predicting in-hospital mortality.CONCLUSIONS:Among patients with sepsis in the ED,the performance of the PqSOFA was similar to that of the qSOFA and the values of the LqSOFA and MqSOFA in predicting in-hospital mortality were greater compared to qSOFA.As the added parameter of the MqSOFA was more convenient compared to the LqSOFA,the MqSOFA could be used as a candidate for the revised qSOFA to increase the performance of the early prediction of sepsis mortality.

Sequential organ failure assessment score is superior to other prognostic indices in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a common surgical condition,with severe AP(SAP)potentially lethal.Many prognostic indices,including;acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score(APACHE II),bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP),Glasgow score,harmless acute pancreatitis score(HAPS),Ranson’s score,and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)evaluate AP severity and predict mortality.AIM To evaluate these indices'utility in predicting severity,intensive care unit(ICU)admission,and mortality.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 653 patients with AP from July 2009 to September 2016 was performed.The demographic,clinical profile,and patient outcomes were collected.SAP was defined as per the revised Atlanta classification.Values for APACHE II score,BISAP,HAPS,and SOFA within 24 h of admission were retrospectively obtained based on laboratory results and patient evaluation recorded on a secure hospital-based online electronic platform.Data with<10%missing data was imputed via mean substitution.Other patient information such as demographics,disease etiology,and patient outcomes were also derived from electronic medical records.RESULTS The mean age was 58.7±17.5 years,with 58.7%males.Gallstones(n=404,61.9%),alcohol(n=38,5.8%),and hypertriglyceridemia(n=19,2.9%)were more common aetiologies.81(12.4%)patients developed SAP,20(3.1%)required ICU admission,and 12(1.8%)deaths were attributed to SAP.Ranson’s score and APACHE-II demonstrated the highest sensitivity in predicting SAP(92.6%,80.2%respectively),ICU admission(100%),and mortality(100%).While SOFA and BISAP demonstrated lowest sensitivity in predicting SAP(13.6%,24.7%respectively),ICU admission(40.0%,25.0%respectively)and mortality(50.0%,25.5%respectively).However,SOFA demonstrated the highest specificity in predicting SAP(99.7%),ICU admission(99.2%),and mortality(98.9%).SOFA demonstrated the highest positive predictive value,positive likelihood ratio,diagnostic odds ratio,and overall accuracy in predicting SAP,ICU admission,and mortality.SOFA and Ranson’s score demonstrated the highest area under receiver-operator curves at 48 h in predicting SAP(0.966,0.857 respectively),ICU admission(0.943,0.946 respectively),and mortality(0.968,0.917 respectively).CONCLUSION The SOFA and 48-h Ranson’s scores accurately predict severity,ICU admission,and mortality in AP,with more favorable statistics for the SOFA score.

The role of quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment score as simple scoring system to predict Fournier gangrene mortality and the correlation with Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index: Analysis of 69 patients

Objective:Fournier’s gangrene is a rare but life-threatening infection disease with high mortality rate.The quick Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)is a new and simpler scoring system that may identify patients with suspected infection who are at greater risk for a poor outcome.The purpose of this study was to find out role of qSOFA in determining prognosis of Fournier’s gangrene patients.Methods:This study is a case control with retrospective review of Fournier’s gangrene patients treated at Hasan Sadikin Hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 who met inclusion criteria.Participants were divided into two groups according to qSOFA score as high qSOFA(2-3)and low qSOFA(0-1).Results:From 69 patients,the mortality rate was 24.6%.The sensitivity of qSOFA score to predict mortality was 88.2%;the specificity was 94.2%;positive predictive value was 83.3%;negative predictive value was 96.1%;positive likelihood ratio was 15.2;negative likelihood ratio was 0.12;and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of qSOFA was 94.2%.There was significant association between qSOFA scale and mortality with p-value of 0.0001.The qSOFA score has strong positive correlation with Fournier’s Gangrene Severity Index(p<0.0001,r=0.704).Conclusion:qSOFA scoring system has a high prognostic value and can be used to determine prognosis of Fournier’s gangrene patients.

Effect of neutrophil CD64 for diagnosing sepsis in emergency department

BACKGROUND:The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of neutrophil CD64(nCD64)as a novel biomarker in sepsis patients.METHODS:One hundred fifty-one adult patients diagnosed with sepsis and 20 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Patients with sepsis were further subdivided into a sepsis group and a septic shock group.nCD64 expression,serum procalcitonin(PCT)level,C-reactive protein(CRP)level,and white blood cell(WBC)count were obtained for each patient,and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores were calculated.RESULTS:nCD64 expression was higher in the sepsis group with confirmed infection than in the control group.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of nCD64 was higher than those of SOFA score,PCT,CRP and WBC for diagnosing infection.The area under the curve(AUC)of nCD64 combined with SOFA score was the highest for all parameters.The AUC of nCD64 for predicting 28-day mortality in sepsis was signifi cantly higher than those of PCT,CRP,and WBC,but slightly lower than that of SOFA score.The AUC of nCD64 or PCT combined with SOFA score was signifi cantly higher than that of any single parameter for predicting 28-day mortality.CONCLUSION:nCD64 expression and SOFA score are valuable parameters for early diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation of sepsis patients.

Prognostic value of red blood cell distribution width for severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)is a common condition in the intensive care unit(ICU)and has a high mortality.Early evaluation of the severity and prognosis is very important for SAP therapy.Recently,red blood cell distribution(RDW)was associated with mortality of sepsis patients and could be used as a predictor of prognosis.Similarly,RDW may be associated with the prognosis of SAP patients and be used as a prognostic indicator for SAP patients.AIM To investigate the prognostic value of RDW for SAP patients.METHODS We retrospectively enrolled SAP patients admitted to the ICU of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from June 2015 to June 2017.According to the prognosis at 90 d,SAP patients were divided into a survival group and a non-survival group.RDW was extracted from a routine blood test.Demographic parameters and RDW were recorded and compared between the two groups.The receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curve was constructed and Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate the prognostic value of RDW for SAP patients.RESULTS In this retrospective cohort study,42 SAP patients were enrolled,of whom 22 survived(survival group)and 20 died(non-survival group).The baseline parameters were comparable between the two groups.The coefficient of variation of RDW(RDW-CV),standard deviation of RDW(RDW-SD),Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II(APACHE II)score,and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)score were significantly higher in the non-survival group than in the survival group(P<0.05).The RDW-CV and RDW-SD were significantly correlated with the APACHE II score and SOFA score,respectively.The areas under the ROC curves(AUCs)of RDW-CV and RDW-SD were all greater than those of the APACHE II score and SOFA score,among which,the AUC of RDW-SD was the greatest.The results demonstrated that RDW had better prognostic value for predicting the mortality of SAP patients.When the RDW-SD was greater than 45.5,the sensitivity for predicting prognosis was 77.8%and the specificity was 70.8%.Both RDW-CV and RDW-SD could be used as independent risk factors to predict the mortality of SAP patients in multivariate logistic regression analysis and univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis,similar to the APACHE II and SOFA scores.CONCLUSION The RDW is greater in the non-surviving SAP patients than in the surviving patients.RDW is significantly correlated with the APACHE II and SOFA scores.RDW has better prognostic value for SAP patients than the APACHE II and SOFA scores and could easily be used by clinicians for the treatment of SAP patients.

Preoperative risk factor analysis in orthotopic liver transplantation with pretransplant artificial liver support therapy

AIM： To assess the value of pre-transplant artificial liver support in reducing the pre-operative risk factors relating to early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation （OLT）. METHODS： Fifty adult patients with various stages and various etiologies undergoing OLT procedures were treated with molecular adsorbent recycling system （MARS） as preoperative liver support therapy. The study included two parts, the first one is to evaluate the medical effectiveness of single MARS treatment with some clinical and laboratory parameters, which were supposed to be the therapeutical pre-transplant risk factors, the second part is to study the patients undergoing OLT using the regression analysis on preoperative risk factors relating to early mortality （30 d） after OLT. RESULTS： In the 50 patients, the statistically significant improvement in the biochemical parameters was observed （pre-treatment and post-treatment）. Eight patients avoided the scheduled Ltx due to significant relief of clinical condition or recovery of failing liver function, 8 patients died, 34 patients were successfully bridged to Ltx, the immediate outcome of this 34 patients within 30d observation was： 28 kept alive and 6 patients died. CONCLUSION： Pre-operative SOFA, level of creatinine, INR, TNF-α, IL-10 are the main preoperative risk factors that cause early death after operation, MARS treatment before transplantion can relieve these factors significantly.

Update on diagnosis and management of sepsis in cirrhosis: Current advances

Sepsis and septic shock are catastrophic disease entities that portend high mortality in patients with cirrhosis.In cirrhosis,hemodynamic perturbations,immune dysregulation,and persistent systemic inflammation with altered gut microbiota in the background of portal hypertension enhance the risk of infections and resistance to antimicrobials.Patients with cirrhosis develop recurrent lifethreatening infections that progress to multiple organ failure.The definition,pathophysiology,and treatment options for sepsis have been ever evolving.In this exhaustive review,we discuss novel advances in the understanding of sepsis,describe current and future biomarkers and scoring systems for sepsis,and delineate newer modalities and adjuvant therapies for the treatment of sepsis from existing literature to extrapolate the same concerning the management of sepsis in cirrhosis.We also provide insights into the role of gut microbiota in initiation and progression of sepsis and finally,propose a treatment algorithm for management of sepsis in patients with cirrhosis.

Role of international normalized ratio in nonpulmonary sepsis screening:An observational study

Currently,there is a lack of sepsis screening tools that can be widely used worldwide.Pulmonary sepsis can be of sufficient concern to physicians due to their noticeable symptoms,which usually rely less on screening tools.AIM To investigate the efficiency of the international normalized ratio(INR)for the early rapid recognition of adult nonpulmonary infectious sepsis.METHODS This is a prospective observational study.A total of 108 sepsis patients and 106 nonsepsis patients were enrolled according to relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria.Commonly used clinical indicators,such as white blood cell,neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio(NLCR),platelets(PLT),prothrombin time,INR,activated partial thromboplastin time,and quick Sequential“Sepsis-related”Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)scores were recorded within 24 h after admission.The diagnostic performances of these clinical indicators were analyzed and compared through multivariate logistic regression analysis,Spearman correlation,and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.The INR value of the sepsis group was significantly higher than that of the nonsepsis group.INR has superior diagnostic efficacy for sepsis,with an area under the curve value of 0.918,when those preexisting diseases which significantly affect coagulation function were excluded.The diagnostic efficacy of the INR was more significant than that of NLCR,PLT,and qSOFA(P<0.05).Moreover,INR levels of 1.17,1.20,and 1.22 could be used to categorize the relative risk of nonpulmonary infections sepsis into three categories:low,medium and high risk,respectively.CONCLUSION The INR is a promising and easily available biomarker for diagnosis,and it can be used as one of the indicators for early screening of adult nonpulmonary infectious sepsis.When its value is higher than the optimal cutoff value(1.22),high vigilance is required for adult nonpulmonary infectious sepsis.

Multicentered prospective investigator initiated study to evaluate the clinical outcomes with extracorporeal cytokine adsorption device (CytoSorb®) in patients with sepsis and septic shock

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a severe clinical syndrome related to the host response to infection.The severity of infections is due to an activation cascade that will lead to an auto amplifying cytokine production:The cytokine storm.Hemoadsorption by CytoSorb®therapy is a new technology that helps to address the cytokine storm and to regain control over various inflammatory conditions.AIM To evaluate prospectively CytoSorb®therapy used as an adjunctive therapy along with standard of care in septic patients admitted to intensive care unit(ICU).METHODS This was a prospective,real time,investigator initiated,observational multicenter study conducted in patients admitted to the ICU with sepsis and septic shock.The improvement of mean arterial pressure and reduction of vasopressor needs were evaluated as primary outcome.The change in laboratory parameters,sepsis scores[acute physiology and chronic health evaluation(APACHE II)and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)]and vital parameters were considered as secondary outcome.The outcomes were also evaluated in the survivor and nonsurvivor group.Descriptive statistics were used;a P value<0.05 was considered RESULTS Overall,45 patients aged≥18 and≤80 years were included;the majority were men(n=31;69.0%),with mean age 47.16±14.11 years.Post CytoSorb®therapy,26 patients survived and 3 patients were lost to follow-up.In the survivor group,the percentage dose reduction in vasopressor was norepinephrine(51.4%),epinephrine(69.4%)and vasopressin(13.9%).A reduction in interleukin-6 levels(52.3%)was observed in the survivor group.Platelet count improved to 30.1%(P=0.2938),and total lung capacity count significantly reduced by 33%(P<0.0001).Serum creatinine and serum lactate were reduced by 33.3%(P=0.0190)and 39.4%(P=0.0120),respectively.The mean APACHE II score was 25.46±2.91 and SOFA scores was 12.90±4.02 before initiation of CytoSorb®therapy,and they were reduced significantly post therapy(APACHE II 20.1±2.47;P<0.0001 and SOFA 9.04±3.00;P=0.0003)in the survivor group.The predicted mortality in our patient population before CytoSorb®therapy was 56.5%,and it was reduced to 48.8%(actual mortality)after CytoSorb®therapy.We reported 75%survival rate in patients given treatment in<24 h of ICU admission and 68%survival rates in patients given treatment within 24-48 h of ICU admission.In the survivor group,the average number of days spent in the ICU was 4.44±1.66 d;while in the nonsurvivor group,the average number of days spent in ICU was 8.5±15.9 d.CytoSorb®therapy was safe and well tolerated with no adverse events reported.CONCLUSION CytoSorb®might be an effective adjuvant therapy in stabilizing sepsis and septic shock patients.However,it is advisable to start the therapy at an early stage(preferably within 24 h after onset of septic shock).

Management of sepsis in a cirrhotic patient admitted to the intensive care unit:A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a severe medical condition that occurs when the body's immune system overreacts to an infection,leading to life-threatening organ dysfunction.The"Third international consensus definitions for sepsis and septic shock(Sepsis-3)"defines sepsis as an increase in sequential organ failure assessment score of 2 points or more,with a mortality rate above 10%.Sepsis is a leading cause of intensive care unit(ICU)admissions,and patients with underlying conditions such as cirrhosis have a higher risk of poor outcomes.Therefore,it is critical to recognize and manage sepsis promptly by administering fluids,vasopressors,steroids,and antibiotics,and identifying and treating the source of infection.AIM To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature on the management of sepsis in cirrhotic patients admitted to the ICU and compare the management of sepsis between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients in the ICU.METHODS This study is a systematic literature review that followed the PRISMA statement's standardized search method.The search for relevant studies was conducted across multiple databases,including PubMed,Embase,Base,and Cochrane,using predefined search terms.One reviewer conducted the initial search,and the eligibility criteria were applied to the titles and abstracts of the retrieved articles.The selected articles were then evaluated based on the research objectives to ensure relevance to the study's aims.RESULTS The study findings indicate that cirrhotic patients are more susceptible to infections,resulting in higher mortality rates ranging from 18%to 60%.Early identification of the infection source followed by timely administration of antibiotics,vasopressors,and corticosteroids has been shown to improve patient outcomes.Procalcitonin is a useful biomarker for diagnosing infections in cirrhotic patients.Moreover,presepsin and resistin have been found to be reliable markers of bacterial infection in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis,with similar diagnostic performance compared to procalcitonin.CONCLUSION This review highlights the importance of early detection and management of infections in cirrhosis patients to reduce mortality.Therefore,early detection of infection using procalcitonin test and other biomarker as presepsin and resistin,associated with early management with antibiotics,fluids,vasopressors and low dose corticosteroids might reduce the mortality associated with sepsis in cirrhotic patients.

Value of quality of life analysis in liver cancer: A clinician's perspective

Health related quality of life(HRQOL) is increasingly recognized as an important clinical parameter and research endpoint in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). HRQOL in HCC patients is multifaceted and affected by medical factor which encompasses HCC and its complications, oncological and palliative treatment for HCC, underlying liver disease, as well as the psychological, social or spiritual reaction to the disease. Many patients presented late with advanced disease and limited survival, plagued with multiple symptoms, rendering QOL a very important aspect in their general well being. Various instruments have been developed and validated to measure and report HRQOL in HCC patients, these included general HRQOL instruments, e.g., Short form(SF)-36, SF-12, Euro Qo L-5D, World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment 100(WHOQOL-100), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment abbreviated version; general cancer HRQOL instruments, e.g., the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC) QLQ-C30, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy(FACT)-General, Spitzer Quality of Life Index; and liver-cancer specific HRQOL instruments, e.g., EORTC QLQ-HCC18, FACT-Hepatobiliary(FACT-Hep), FACT-Hep Symptom Index, Trial Outcome Index. Important utilization of HRQOL in HCC patients included description of symptomatology and HRQOL of patients, treatment endpoint in clinical trial, prognostication of survival, benchmarking of palliative care service and health care valuation. In this review, difficulties regarding the use of HRQOL data in research and clinical practice, including choosing a suitable instrument, problems of missing data, data interpretation, analysis and presentation are examined. Potential solutions are also discussed.

Assessing the prognosis of cirrhotic patients in the intensive care unit:What we know and what we need to know better

Critically ill cirrhotic patients have high in-hospital mortality and utilize significant health care resources as a consequence of the need for multiorgan support.Despite this fact,their mortality has decreased in recent decades due to improved care of critically ill patients.Acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF),sepsis and elevated hepatic scores are associated with increased mortality in this population,especially among those not eligible for liver transplantation.No score is superior to another in the prognostic assessment of these patients,and both liver-specific and intensive care unit-specific scores have satisfactory predictive accuracy.The sequential assessment of the scores,especially the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)and Chronic Liver Failure Consortium(CLIF)-SOFA scores,may be useful as an auxiliary tool in the decision-making process regarding the benefits of maintaining supportive therapies in this population.A CLIF-ACLF>70 at admission or at day 3 was associated with a poor prognosis,as well as SOFA score>19 at baseline or increasing SOFA score>72.Additional studies addressing the prognostic assessment of these patients are necessary.

Early thrombomodulin-α administration outcome for acute disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in gastrointestinal surgery

AIMTo investigate the efficacy of thrombomodulin (TM)-&#x003b1; for treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) in the field of gastrointestinal surgery.METHODSThirty-six peri-operative DIC patients in the field of gastrointestinal surgery who were treated with TM-&#x003b1; were retrospectively investigated. The relationships between patient demographics and the efficacy of TM-&#x003b1; were examined. Analysis of survival at 28 d was also performed on some parameters by means of the Kaplan-Meier method. Relationships between the initiation of TM-&#x003b1; and patient demographics were also evaluated.RESULTSAbscess formation or bacteremia was the most frequent cause of DIC (33%), followed by digestive tract perforation (31%). Twenty-six patients developed DIC after surgery, frequently within 1 wk (81%). TM-&#x003b1; was most often administered within 1 d of the DIC diagnosis (72%) and was continued for more than 3 d (64%). Although bleeding tendency was observed in 7 patients (19%), a hemostatic procedure was not needed. DIC scores, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) scores, quick-sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) scores, platelet counts, and prothrombin time ratios significantly improved after 1 wk (P &#x0003c; 0.05, for all). The overall survival rate at 28 d was 71%. The duration of TM-&#x003b1; administration (&#x02265; 4 , &#x02264; 6) and improvements in DIC-associated scores (DIC, SIRS and qSOFA) at 1 wk were significantly better prognostic factors for 28-d survival (P &#x0003c; 0.05, for all). TM-&#x003b1; was administered significantly earlier to patients with severe clinical symptoms, such as high qSOFA scores, sepsis, shock or high lactate values (P &#x0003c; 0.05, for all).CONCLUSIONEarly administration of TM-&#x003b1; and improvements in each parameter were essential for treatment of DIC. The diagnosis of patients with mild symptoms requires further study.

Investigation on Blood Glucose Control Nursing of ICU Severe Patients

Objective:To analyze the effect of blood glucose control mursing in intensive care umit (ICU)patients.Methods:The clinical data of 70 severe patients in ICU of ou hospital fom January 2019 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The climical data of 34 patients with routine intervention were divided into the control group,and the clinical data of 36 patients with routine intervention and blood glucose control mursing were divided into the observation group,all were intervened for 14 days.The blood glucose levels and prognosis of the two groups were compared before intervention and at the end of 14 days of intervention,the time required o achieve the standard blood glucose level of the two groups was recorded Results:After 14 days of intervention,the fasting blood glucose level of the observation group was lower than the control group,the difference was satisically significant(P<0.05);the time of blood glucose reaching the standard in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05);on the 14th day of intervention,the sequential organ failure asessment score(SOFA)score of the two groups was lower than before intervention,the SOFA score of the observation group was lower than control group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:The effect of blood glucose control mursing in ICU is better,which effectively controlled the blood glucose level of patients and improved the prognosis of patients.

Ideal scoring system for acute pancreatitis:Quest for the Holy Grail

Clinical scoring systems are required to predict complications,severity,need for intensive care unit admission,and mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis.Over the years,many scores have been developed,tested,and compared for their efficacy and accuracy.An ideal score should be rapid,reliable,and validated in different patient populations and geographical areas and should not lose relevance over time.A combination of scores or serial monitoring of a single score may increase their efficacy.

Effect of the Early Introduction of Mild Mobilization Performed by Nurses on the Recovery of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Rationale: Recent studies have reported the effectiveness of the early introduction of rehabilitation for preventing muscle weakness in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The early introduction of full-scale rehabilitation by a physical therapist is difficult in some cases because of disease severity and/or patient conditions. However, mild mobilization by a nurse (MMN), as a part of standard care performed, may have a positive effect on patient recovery. We examined the effect of the early introduction of MMN on the recovery of patients in the ICU. Methods: We retrospectively examined patients admitted to Niigata University Hospital’s ICU during between April 2014 and March 2015 who were receiving mechanical ventilation for 7 days or more. Patients were divided into two groups according to the date of initiation of MMN: group L comprised patients for whom MMN was started after 72 hours and group E comprised patients for whom MMN was started within 72 hours after ICU admission. The data were analyzed using the Fisher test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Wilcoxon test. Statistical significance was defined as P Results: Sixty-three patients were included: 42 patients in group L and 21 in group E. There was no significant difference between the two groups in patients’ background, including the type of illness, steroid use, presence of sepsis or diabetes, and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on ICU admission;however, the SOFA score at ICU discharge was significantly decreased in group E compared to that in group L (6.21 versus 4.30;P = 0.034). Conclusion: Our results indicate that MMN may reduce disease severity if started within 72 hours after ICU admission.

Predictive value of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment score in sepsis

Background The prognostic power of n-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） in sepsis is disputable and unstable among different models. We attempt to evaluate the prognostic potential of NT-proBNP in combination with the sequential organ failure assessment （SOFA） score in sepsis. Methods In this retrospective study, 100 consecutive sepsis patients were enrolled. Clinical data such as admission SOFA, the Acute Physiologic and Chronic Health Evaluation score, shock prevalence, use of lung protective ventilation, vasopressors, and glucocorticoids were recorded. Additionally, serum creatinine （Scrl and Scr3） and NT-proBNP （NT-proBNP1 and NT-proBNP3） were assayed and evaluated at admission and on day 3 respectively. Results ANT-proBNP （NT-proBNP3 minus NT-proBNP1） （P 〈0.001, Hazard ratio （HR）=1.245, 95% confidence interval （CI）, 1.137-1.362） and admission SOFA （P 〈0.001, HR=1.197, 95% CI, 1.106-1.295） were independently related to in-hospital mortality. Their combination was a more robust predictor for in-hospital mortality than either of them individually. Patients with high ANT-proBNP and SOFA had the poorest prognosis. Conclusions In our study, both ANT-proBNP and SOFA were independent predictors of septic patients＇ prognosis. Moreover, the combination of ,~NT-proBNP and admission SOFA provided a novel strategy that contained information regarding both the response to treatment and sepsis severity.

Contribution of Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score Combined with Electrocardiography in Risk Stratification of Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background： The quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment （qSOFA） score emerged recently. We investigated its contribution to risk stratification in acute pulmonary embolism （PE） by combining with electrocardiography （ECG）. Methods： Acute PE patients diagnosed in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from 2008 to 2018 were retrospectively studied and divided into high- and low-risk groups by imaging and biomarkers. The ECG scores consisted oftachycardia, McGinn-White sign （S1Q3T3）, right bundle branch block, and T-wave inversion of leads V1-V3. A new combination of qSOFA scores and ECG scores by logistic regression for predicting high-risk stratification patients with acute PE was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results： Totally 1318 patients were enrolled, including 271 in the high-risk group and 1047 in the low-risk group. A combination predictive scoring system named qSOFA-ECG = qSOFA score ＋ ECG score was created. The optimal cutoffvalue for qSOFA-ECG was 2, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 81.5%, 72.3%, 43.2%, and 93.8%, respectively. For predicting high-risk stratification and reperfusion therapy, the qSOFA-ECG is superior to PE Severity Index （PESI） and simplified PESI. Conclusions： The qSOFA score contributes to identify acute PE patients with potentially hemodynamic decompensation that need monitoring and possible reperfusion therapy at the emergency department arrival when used in combination with ECG score.

Performance and comparison of assessment models to predict 30-day mortality in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia

Background:Hospital-acquired pneumonia(HAP)is the most common hospital-acquired infection in China with substantial morbidity and mortality.But no specific risk assessment model has been well validated in patients with HAP.The aim of this study was to investigate the published risk assessment models that could potentially be used to predict 30-day mortality in HAP patients in non-surgical departments.Methods:This study was a single-center,retrospective study.In total,223 patients diagnosed with HAP from 2012 to 2017 were included in this study.Clinical and laboratory data during the initial 24 hours after HAP diagnosis were collected to calculate the pneumonia severity index(PSI);consciousness,urea nitrogen,respiratory rate,blood pressure,and age≥65 years(CURB-65);Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II(APACHE II);Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA);and Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(qSOFA)scores.The discriminatory power was tested by constructing receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and the areas under the curve(AUCs)were calculated.Results:The all-cause 30-day mortality rate was 18.4%(41/223).The PSI,CURB-65,SOFA,APACHE II,and qSOFA scores were significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors(all P<0.001).The discriminatory abilities of the APACHE II and SOFA scores were better than those of the CURB-65 and qSOFA scores(ROC AUC:APACHE II vs.CURB-65,0.863 vs.0.744,Z=3.055,P=0.002;APACHE II vs.qSOFA,0.863 vs.0.767,Z=3.017,P=0.003;SOFA vs.CURB-65,0.856 vs.0.744,Z=2.589,P=0.010;SOFA vs.qSOFA,0.856 vs.0.767,Z=2.170,P=0.030).The cut-off values we defined for the SOFA,APACHE II,and qSOFA scores were 4,14,and 1.Conclusions:These results suggest that the APACHE II and SOFA scores determined during the initial 24 h after HAP diagnosis may be useful for the prediction of 30-day mortality in HAP patients in non-surgical departments.The qSOFA score may be a simple tool that can be used to quickly identify severe infections.

Significance of adverse outcome pathways in biomarker-based environmental risk assessment in aquatic organisms

In environmental risk assessments（ERA）, biomarkers have been widely used as an early warning signal of environmental contamination. However, biomarker responses have limitation due to its low relevance to adverse outcomes（e.g., fluctuations in community structure, decreases in population size, and other similar ecobiologically relevant indicators of community structure and function）. To mitigate these limitations, the concept of adverse outcome pathways（AOPs） was developed. An AOP is an analytical, sequentially progressive pathway that links a molecular initiating event（MIE） to an adverse outcome. Recently, AOPs have been recognized as a potential informational tool by which the implications of molecular biomarkers in ERA can be better understood. To demonstrate the utility of AOPs in biomarker-based ERA, here we discuss a series of three different biological repercussions caused by exposure to benzo（a）pyrene（Ba P）, silver nanoparticles（Ag NPs）, and selenium（Se）. Using mainly aquatic invertebrates and selected vertebrates as model species, we focus on the development of the AOP concept. Aquatic organisms are suitable bioindicator species whose entire lifespans can be observed over a short period; moreover, these species can be studied on the molecular and population levels.Also, interspecific differences between aquatic organisms are important to consider in an AOP framework, since these differences are an integral part of the natural environment.The development of an environmental pollutant-mediated AOP may enable a better understanding of the effects of environmental pollutants in different scenarios in the diverse community of an ecosystem.