Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with death in critically ill patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia( CAP) .Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out in 125 hospitalized patients with severe CAP admitted from July 2008 to February 2012. Earlier clinical features were compared between 109 survival patients and 16 dead patients, and logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results The death group had more underlying diseases than the survival group( P lt;0. 05) . The heart rate at admission in the death group was significantly higher than that in the survival group( P lt;0.05) . The ratio and number of complication, the highest temperature before admission, the platelet count, the arterial blood pH, PaO2 and PaO2 /FiO2 in the death group were significantly lower than those in the survival group( P lt; 0. 05) . Logistic regression analysis showed that the number of underlying diseases, heart rate and PaO2 were predictors of death in the patients with severe pneumonia. Conclusion The number of underlying diseases, heart rate and PaO2 has highly predictive value of death for severe CAP.
Abstract： Objective To analyze the influence of preoperative left atrial dimension （LAD） on the effectiveness of surgical radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation （AF） through a 5-year postoperative follow-up of AF patients after surgical radiofrequency ablation. Methods Clinical data of 433 patients with persistent or permanent AF who received bipolar radiofrequency ablation procedures during concomitant cardiac surgery in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from 2006 to 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were divided into 4 groups according to their preoperative LAD：Group A， 75 patients with their LAD＜50 mm， including 22 males and 53 females with their average age of 56.50±10.05 years；Group B， 89 patients with their LAD ranging from 50 to 60 mm， including 32 males and 57 females with their average age of 55.63±10.28 years；Group C， 117 patients with their LAD ranging from 60 to 70 mm， including 41 males and 76 females with their average age of 55.13±10.96 years；and Group D， 152 patients with their LAD＞70 mm， including 68 males and 84 females with their average age of 53.22±11.49 years. Postoperative ECG records right after surgery， before discharge， at 6 months and 1，2，3，4 and 5 years during follow-up were collected. The relationship between preoperative LAD and postoperative sinus rhythm restoration rate was analyzed. Results There was statistical difference in sinus rhythm restoration rate right after surgery（P=0. 011）， before discharge（P=0. 002）， at 6 months（P＜ 0. 001） and 1 year （P＜0. 001）， 2 years（P＜0. 001）， 3 years（P＜0. 001）， 4 years（P＜0. 001） and 5 years（P= 0. 006） during follow-up among the 4 groups. Postoperative sinus rhythm restoration rates right at 6 months and 1，2，3， 4 and 5 years during follow-up was 90.4%， 89.9%， 90.3%， 91.3%， 89.1%， and 90.9% in Group A， 80.2%，79.0%，78.1%， 76.1%，72.5%，70.0% in Group B，74.7%，74.0%，71.2%，72.4%，70.0%， and 64.7% in Group C， and 61.8%，57.6%，56.8%，53.9%，50.7%，and 48.6% in Group D， respectively. Conclusion Patients with a larger preoperative LAD have a lower postoperative sinus rhythm restoration rate after surgical radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of AF.
Objective To compare the long-term outcome between breast-conserving therapy with mastectomy therapy for early stage invasive breast cancer through a Meta analysis of the randomized controlled trials published worldwide. Methods Cochrane systematic evaluation was used to search through Cochrane libraries of clinical comparative trials, PubMed, Embase, Cancer Lit, and so on. The quality of literatures was independently evaluated and cross-checked by two evaluators, indicators for assessment including death number at the end of follow-up, locoregional and total recurrence. The results were analyzed with RevMan 4.2.2 software. Results Six articles were involved in the Meta analysis with total 3 933 patients. No statistical difference was found in the death at the end of follow-up between breast-conserving therapy group and mastectomy therapy group (OR=1.05, 95% CI=0.93—1.19， P=0.45). Locoregional and total recurrence rate of breast-conserving therapy group were statistical higher than those in mastectomy therapy group (OR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.10—2.44， P=0.01； OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.22—1.64， Plt;0.01). Conclusions Breast-conserving therapy and mastectomy therapy have comparable effects on mortality in patient with early stage invasive breast cancer, even after long-term follow up. However, breast-conserving therapy is associated with significantly greater risk of locoregional recurrence.
Objective To explore a simple, effective and stable method for the isolation and purification of Kupffer cells from rat liver, enabling further study on the structure and function of these cells in vitro. Methods After laparotomy, a catheter was inserted into the portal vein and secured with artery clamp. Then, the rat liver was perfused and digested with solution Ⅰ and solution Ⅱ containing 0.05% collagenase Ⅳ respectively. The cell suspension was centrifuged with isopycnic sedimentation in a two-step Percoll gradient to harvest Kupffer cells. The isolated Kupffer cells were purified by selective adherence after 30 min of cultivation, and identified by evaluation of phagocytosis of India ink and peroxidase staining with DAB through light and electron microscopy. Results It was verified that the viability of isolated Kupfffer cells was more than 90% through Trypan blue staining. Those Kupffer cells could attach to plastic quickly and phagocytose ink, and had the appearance of “fried eggs” in positive peroxidase staining with a purity of 95%. Under the light microscopy, the appearance of newly isolated Kupffer cells was round with uniform shape and size. After two days of culture, Kupffer cells appeared to distend with irregular or stellate shape. The typical features were observed in the transmission electron micrographs. There were numerous pseudopods and occasional cup-like indentations in the cell membrane of Kupffer cells. The cytoplasm contained numerous types of lysosomes and other phagocytotic vesicles. Conclusion The method for isolating and culturing Kupffer cells in this study is effective and stable, and the biological characters are preserved in the cultured cells.
Objective To summarize the nutritional management strategies of patients undergoing electively gastrointestinal surgery. Methods This article reviewed the recent researches on perioperative nutritional management in electively gastrointestinal surgery, including four major directions: preoperative nutritional evaluation, glucose level control, nutritional type, and immunonutrition. Results At present, preoperative nutritional evaluation methods included anthropometry, laboratory tests, subjective global assessment (SGA), nutritional risk screening (NRS) 2002, Reilly nutritional risk screening, nutritional risk indicator (NRI), and so on. For preoperative nutritional assessment system, however, current data could not single out superiority for any nutritional assessment methods in the ability to predict surgery-related complications. The usage of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol to reduce surgical stress and preclude postoperative insulin resistance had recently been clearly linked to reductions in postoperative morbidity and adverse outcomes. There were specific criterias for perioperative parenteral and enteral nutrition in undernourished patients, who were defined in clinical guidelines recently, such as the Guidelines for Adult Perioperative Nutrition Support issued by Chinese Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (CSPEN). Several systematic reviews showed that immunonutrition could reduce both morbidity and length of stay after major electively gastrointestinal surgery. Conclusion Perioperative nutritional management can ensure patients benefit from nutritional support by nutritional assessment, can reduce the nutritional risk and metabolic disorder caused by operation, can achieve the goal of optimal nutrition support in surgical patients, and can ultimately reduce postoperative complications.
Abstract： Objective To determine the risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) after thoracic aortic arch replacement surgery under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 139 patients who underwent thoracic aortic arch replacement surgery under DHCA between January 2004 and December 2008 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital University of Medical Sciences. The patients were divided into two gro-ups according to whether AKI occurred after thoracic aortic arch replacement surgery. In the AKI gro-up (n=48), there were 39 males and 9 females with an age of 57.67±9.56 years. In the normal renal function gro-up (n=91), there were 69 males and 22 females with an age of 41.30±13.37 years. We observed the clinical data of the patients in both gro-ups, including left ventricular ejecting fraction (LVEF) before operation, diameter of the left ventricle, diameter of the ascending aorta, renal function, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic crossclamp time, and DHCA time. The risk factors for AKI and death after operation were evaluated by univariate analysis and stepwise logistic regression analysis. Results Among all the patients, AKI occurred in 48 (34.53%), 17 (12.23%) of whom underwent continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Respiratory failure occurred in 27 patients (19.42%). Twentynine patients (20.86%) had cerebral complications, including temporary cerebral dysfunction in 26 patients and permanent cerebral dysfunction in 3 patients. In all the patients, 14 (10.07%) died, including 4 patients of heart failure, 9 patients of multiple organ failure, and 1 patient of cerebral infarction. There were 3 (3.30%)deaths in the normal renal function gro-up and 11 (22.92%) deaths in the AKI gro-up with a significant difference of mortality rate between the two gro-ups (P=0.011). A total of 118 patients were followed -up and 7 were lost. The follow-up time was from 5 to 56 months with an average time of 42 months. During the follow-up period, 7 patients died, including 3 patients of heart failure, 2 patients of cerebral apoplexy, and 2 patients of unknown reasons. The logistic regression analysis revealed that creatinine level was greater than 13260 μmol/L before operation (OR=1.042, P=0.021) and respiratory failure (OR=2.057, P=0.002) were independent determinants for AKI after the operation. Conclusion AKI is the most common complication of thoracic aortic arch replacement surgery under DHCA, and is the risk factor of mortality after the surgery. It is important to enhance perioperative protection of the renal function.
Objective To evaluate the impact of total thyroidectomy on health-related quality of life （HRQOL） in patients with nodular goiter. Methods The patients who underwent total thyroidectomy from Jan. 2009 to Dec. 2011 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed with regard to the quality of life （total thyroidectomy group）. The patients with similar demographic features who underwent hemithyroidectomy during the same period were matched as control （hemi-thyroidectomy group）. The validated HRQOL instrument， which was the Euro quality of life-5D （EQ-5D）， was applied to measure the HRQOL. Comparison of HRQOL in patients of 2 groups was performed， meanwhile， the data of total thyroidectomy group was compared with data of normal population who were obtained from The Forth National Health Survey. Results There were 26 and 28 valid questionnaires returned for the total thyroidectomy group and hemithyroi-dectomy group respectively. The demographic features of patients in 2 groups were comparable. No significant variancecould be found between the 2 groups that there were no significant differences on the mobility， self-care， usual activities，pain/discomfort， anxiety/depression， and visual analogous scales （P＞0.05）. Furthermore， no significant differences in HRQOL were found in EQ-5D questionnaire compared with normal population derived from The Forth National Health Survey （P＞0.05）， except that there were more patients complained of moderate and severe pain/discomfort in the total thyroidectomy group 〔30.8% （8/26） vs.9.2% （16 330/177 501）， P＜0.01〕. Conclusion Total thyroidectomy appears to have little impact on the quality of life in the patients with nodular goiter.
Objective To assess the risk factors associated with postoperative infection after elective abdominal operation for elderly in department of general surgery. Methods One hundred and fifty-nine consecutive elderly patients admitted to the department of general surgery in our hospital for elective abdominal operation between May 2010 and February 2012 were considered for inclusion and retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-eight patients （23.90%）with postoperative infection were taken as the infection group and 121 patients without postoperative infection as noninfection group. The differences in the objective physiological indicators， subjective health status indicators， operation status， the incidence of postoperative infective complications， and mortality were compared between the two groups. Results Of enrolled 159 patients in this study， the incidence of postoperative infective complications was 23.90% （38/159）； 2 patients died， and the postoperative mortality rate was 1.26%. Single factor and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative malnutrition risk， history of diabetes， and chronic respiratory system disease were the independent risk factors of postoperative infection complications in elective abdominal surgery for elderly patients. Conclusion Improving preoperative respiratory function， diabetes mellitus， and nutritional status would help to reduce incidence of postoperative infection for elderly patients with elective abdominal operation.
Objective To investigate the indications and prevention of complications of total thyroidectomy in the management of thyroid diseases. Methods Eighty five patients who received total thyroidectomy between Jan. 2009 and Dec. 2011 were retrospectively analyzed with regard to the surgical procedures and postoperative complications. There were 46 thyroid cancers， 38 nodular goiters， and 1 Hashimoto thyroiditis. Results The postoperative pathological exam-inations revealed that 9 （19.6%） of 46 thyroid cancers were bilateral， and all of nodular goiters were also bilateral multiple nodule. Bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves were exposed in all of the patients in which 4 recurrent laryngeal nerves were invaded by cancer and 1 was sacrificed. There were 5 patients whose parathyroids were not identified and protected during the operation. Two patients developed postoperative bleeding and needed reoperation， 6 patients developed hoarseness of whom 5 patients recovered except for the one whose nerve was sacrificed. And in terms of hypoparathyroidism， 33 （38.8%） patients developed transient hypocalcemia related symptoms. The permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred only in 2 patients. Conclusions Total thyroidectomy is a safe procedure in the management of thyroid cancer and bilateral nodular goiter. Exposing the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid is an effective method to prevent major complica-tions. Invasion of recurrent laryngeal nerve by thyroid cancer might not lead to hoarseness.
Objective To evaluate if performing thyroidectomy through small incision has any notable aesthetic impact on patients compared with larger incision. Methods Thirty consecutive patients underwent thyroidectomy were enrolled from March 2008 to June 2008 in this prospective randomized pilot study. The incision length was 6 cm in the small incision group and 9 cm in the larger incision group. After 3 years follow-up，the scar aesthetics were evaluated by patients and surgeons using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale （POSAS），Vancouver Scar Scale （VSS），respectively. Digital photographs about scars were taken and assessed by non-research related viewers. Results There were 13 cases who received scar aesthetic assessment in both groups. The demographic characteristics of both groups were comparative. The overall patients’ satisfactions for the small incision group and the larger incision group were （2.5±1.9） scores and （2.2±1.5）scores， respectively （P=0.55）. There were no significant differences in scar assessment scale score as for other scar assessment scales （including VSS score，PSAS score，and OSAS score） between the two groups. The evaluation of digital photographs about scars by non-research related viewers was no significant difference （P＞0.05）. Conclusion Larger cervical scar in thyroidectomy does not decrease patients’ satisfaction with their scar results.