BackgroundSevere community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) caused by human adenovirus (HAdV), especially HAdV type 55 (HAdV-55) in immunocompetent adults has raised increasing concerns. Clinical knowledge of severe CAP and acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by HAdV-55 is still limited, though the pathogen has been fully characterized by whole-genome sequencing.MethodsWe conducted a multicentre retrospective review of all consecutive patients with severe CAP caused by HAdV in immunocompetent adults admitted to the Emergency Department Intensive Care Unit of two hospitals in Northern China between February 2012 and April 2014. Clinical, laboratory, radiological characteristics, treatments and outcomes of these patients were collected and analyzed.ResultsA total of 15 consecutive severe CAP patients with laboratory-confirmed adenovirus infections were included. The median age was 30 years and all cases were identified during the winter and spring seasons. HAdV-55 was the most frequently (11/15) detected HAdV type. Persistent high fever, cough and rapid progression of dyspnea were typically reported in these patients. Significantly increased pneumonia severity index (PSI), respiratory rate, and lower PaO2/FiO2, hypersensitive CRP were reported in non-survivors compared to survivors (P = 0.013, 0.022, 0.019 and 0.026, respectively). The rapid development of bilateral consolidations within 10 days after illness onset were the most common radiographic finding, usually accompanied by adjacent ground glass opacities and pleural effusions. Total mortality was 26.7% in this study. Corticosteroids were prescribed to 14 patients in this report, but the utilization rate between survivors and non-survivors was not significant.ConclusionsHAdV and the HAdV-55 sub-type play an important role among viral pneumonia pathogens in hospitalized immunocompetent adults in Northern China. HAdV should be tested in severe CAP patients with negative bacterial cultures and a lack of response to antibiotic treatment, even if radiologic imaging and clinical presentation initially suggest bacterial pneumonia.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of various triglyceride (TG)-lowering therapies on hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTGAP). A total of 132 patients with HTGAP were retrospectively divided into an insulin intensive therapy (IIT), a plasma exchange (PE) and a non-intensive insulin therapy (NIIT) group according to the TG-lowering therapies they had received. The clinical and biochemical data of the subjects were analyzed. The baseline data, including sex, age, TG, amylase, severe acute pancreatitis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome were not significantly different among the three groups (P>0.05). The 24-h TG clearance rate (χ 2 =7.74, P=0.021), onset to treatment time (χ 2 =14.50, P<0.001) and the time required to reach the target TG level (χ 2 =6.12, P=0.047) were different in these three groups, but no significant differences were observed between the IIT and NIIT groups (P>0.05). The incidence of therapy-associated complications in the PE group (30.23%) was higher than that in the IIT (2.17%) and NIIT (4.65%) groups. The difference in the incidence of therapy-associated complications was significant among the three groups (P<0.001), but no significant difference was present between the IIT and NIIT groups (P>0.05). In the PE group, the length of stay was increased compared with that in the IIT and NIIT groups (χ 2 =7.05, P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the IIT and NIIT groups (P>0.05). The present study suggested that NIIT at presentation had a similar therapeutic efficacy to that of IIT to improve the prognosis of HTGAP, and NIIT and IIT were associated with fewer complications than PE treatment. NIIT may favorably perform in patients presenting early after symptom onset and may be considered for clinical application.

Background: Emergency department (ED) enlargement became a trend with its development. However, there came some problems such as ED overcrowding and increasing medical disputes. Here we did a survey about the development tendency of EDs in 3A grade hospitals in China, analysed the problems we facing and rendered some solutions combining some special characteristics in China. Methods: We randomly selected 17 3A grade general hospitals from 12 provinces from the 50 members of Chinese College of Emergency Physician. A questionnaire survey was conducted. The basic information and problems of EDs were collected and analysed.Results: The gross area, the number of beds and the attention paid by the hospitals of EDs increased during the development, so did the patients admitted to EDs, also more doctors and nurses devoted into emergency medicine. But it had become more difficult for doctors to admit ED patients to inpatient wards.Besides the problem of increasing crowding degree, EDs faced more medical disputes and complains during the development. Conclusions: ED expanding was the result of emergency medicine development, but the enlargement of ED should be more rational. We should improve our doctors' medical skills, optimize the health system, pay more attention to preventive medicine and push hard for health-care reform instead of forcing ED enlargement to satisfy the need for ED.

Objective To investigate the effects of parenteral nutrition (PN) including ω-3 fish-oil emulsion on nutritional state, inflammatory response, and prognosis in patients with acute paraquat poisoning. Methods Patients randomized to receive medium chain triglycerides (MCT)/long chain triglycerides (LCT)-based PN (control group) or MCT/LCT-based PN containing ω-3 fish-oil emulsion (intervention group) were compared for 90-day survival and short-term treatment efficacy. Results Tumour necrosis factor-α levels were significantly lower in the intervention group ( n = 101) versus controls ( n = 73) on treatment days 4 and 7. Intervention group C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly increased on day 4, decreased to baseline (day 1) levels on day 7, and were significantly lower than baseline on day 10. Control group CRP levels were significantly increased on days 4 and 7 versus baseline, and returned to baseline levels on day 10. On day 7, retinol binding protein had recovered to baseline levels in the intervention group only. Intervention group mortality rate (36.6%) was significantly lower than controls (57.5%). ω-3 fish-oil PN was associated with reduced risk of death (hazard ratio 0.52; 95% confidence interval 0.33, 0.82). Conclusion In patients with acute paraquat poisoning, MCT/LCT with ω-3 fish-oil emulsion PN plus combination treatment advantageously attenuated the inflammatory response, modified the nutritional state, and was associated with significantly improved 90-day survival versus treatment without ω-3 fish oil.

ObjectivePulse oximetry, which noninvasively detects the blood flow of peripheral tissue, has achieved widespread clinical use. We have noticed that the better the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the better the appearance of pulse oximetry plethysmographic waveform (POP). We investigated whether the area under the curve (AUC) and/or the amplitude (Amp) of POP could be used to monitor the quality of CPR.DesignProspective, randomized controlled study.SettingAnimal experimental center in Peking Union Medical Collage Hospital, Beijing, China.SubjectsHealthy 3-month-old male domestic swine.Interventions34 local pigs were enrolled in this study. After 4 minutes of untreated ventricular fibrillation, animals were randomly assigned into two resuscitation groups: a “low quality” group (with a compression depth of 3cm) and a “high quality” group (with a depth of 5cm). All treatments between the two groups were identical except for the depth of chest compressions. Hemodynamic parameters [coronary perfusion pressure (CPP), partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2)] as well as AUC and Amp of POP were all collected and analyzed.Measurements and FindingsThere were statistical differences between the “high quality” group and the “low quality” group in AUC, Amp, CPP and PETCO2 during CPR (P<0.05). AUC, Amp and CPP were positively correlated with PETCO2, respectively (P<0.01). There was no statistical difference between the heart rate calculated according to the POP (FCPR) and the frequency of mechanical CPR at the 3rd minute of CPR. The F CPR was lower than the frequency of mechanical CPR at the 6th and the 9th minute of CPR.ConclusionsBoth the AUC and Amp of POP correlated well with CPP and PETCO2 in animal models. The frequency of POP closely matched the CPR heart rate. AUC and Amp of POP might be potential noninvasive quality monitoring markers for CPR.