Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response of the body to an antigen and can become a life-threatening condition by triggering a cascade of changes leading to multiple organ failure such as heart failure. The aim of the present study was to examine the changes of the plasma levels of N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) in patients with sepsis and to analyze their prognostic significance. A total of 38 hospitalized patients with sepsis were included in the present study. The patients were divided into the survival and death groups, based on their prognosis. The plasma levels of NT-proBNP and cTnT for the two groups were measured for all the patients on the 1st, 3rd and 7th day of admission. The plasma levels of NT-proBNP and cTnT between the two groups were compared and their association with prognosis were analyzed. The plasma levels of NT-proBNP and cTnT in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group (P<0.05). Additionally, a positive assocciation of the plasma levels of NT-proBNP and cTnT was identified (P<0.05). In conclusion, the plasma levels of NT-proBNP and cTnT may be used as routine clinical biomarkers to assess the prognosis of patients with sepsis.

Background Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis. However, GBS was infrequently reported in the developing world in contrast to western countries. This study assessed the prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women in Jiangsu, East China, and revealed the difference of GBS infection between culture and PCR. Methods A total of 16,184 pregnant women at 34 to 37 weeks’ gestation aged 16–47 years were recruited from Nanjing Kingmed Center for Clinical Laboratory. Nine thousand twenty-two pregnant women received GBS screening by PCR detection only. Seven thousand one hundred sixty-two pregnant women received GBS screening by bacterial culture and GBS-positive samples were tested for antibiotic resistance. Results The overall GBS positive rate was 8.7% by PCR and 3.5% by culture. Colonization rate was highest in the “25–29 years” age group. The 249 GBS-positive samples which detected by culture were all sensitive to penicillin. The prevalence of resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, and levofloxacin was 77.5, 68.3, and 52.2%, respectively. Conclusions This study revealed the data on the prevalence of GBS colonization in pregnant women at 34 to 37 weeks’ gestation in Jiangsu, East China. It compared the difference of the sensitivity to detect GBS between PCR and culture. PCR was expected to become a quick method in pregnancy women conventional detection of GBS infection.

Septic shock, also known as infectious or toxic shock, is a medical condition caused by severe infection and sepsis. Early identification, timely diagnosis and effective treatments are imperative to prevent this medical condition. The aim of the present study was to examine the application of pulse index continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) technique in the treatment of septic shock patients. Fifty septic shock patients were randomly divided into the conventional detection group (group C, n=25) and the PiCCO detection group (group P, n=25). A central venous catheter and radial artery catheter were placed into the patients of group C and a central venous catheter and PiCCO catheter (through femoral artery) were placed in the patients of group P to detect haemodynamics, which was managed and treated according to early goal-directed therapy (EGDT). PiCCO was applied to monitor and guide the application of fluid resuscitation, vasoconstriction drugs (dopamine) and positive inotropic drugs (dobutamine). The EGDT qualified rate of patients from the two groups at the 6th h of treatment, changes of post-resuscitation relevant parameters [blood lactate level, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2), central venous pressure (CVP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and urine volume], positive fluid balance quantity and the dosage of dopamine and dobutamine at the 6th, 24th and 48th h were observed. In comparison to group C, group P showed an increase in the EGDT qualified rate and ScvO2 at the 6th h of treatment while the blood lactate level was decreased. The positive fluid balance quantity at the 6th and 24th h and the dosage of dobutamine were increased while the dosage of dopamine was reduced (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in terms of the differences of positive fluid balance quantity and the dosage of dopamine and dobutamine in the two groups at the 48th h of treatment (P>0.05). There was also no statistical significance in terms of the differences of CVP, MAP and urine volume in the two groups (P>0.05). In conclusion, under the monitoring and guidance of the PiCCO technique, EGDT treatment should be applied to septic shock patients together with early fluid resuscitation and positive inotropic drugs instead of using only vasoconstriction drug, which cause elevation of blood pressure.

Bacterial infections are common but have become increasingly resistant to drugs. The aim of the present study was to examine the combined treatment of traditional Chinese and Western medicine in 30 cases of pulmonary infection with multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. Patients were divided into groups A and B according to drug treatments. Cefoperazone or sulbactam and tanreqing were administered in group A, and cefoperazone or sulbactam in group B. The curative effect and prognosis of the two groups were recorded and the remaining treatments were performed routinely in the clinic. For the combined therapy group, which was administered sulperazone and tanreqing, 8 patients were recovered, 6 patients had significant effects, 3 patients exhibited some improvement and 1 patient had no response. One of the patients did not survive after 28 days. By contrast, there were 4 patients that were successfully treated, 3 patients with significant effects, 2 patients with some improvement and 2 patients had no response in the sulperazone group, and 4 patients did not survive after 28 days. In conclusion, the combined therapy of cefoperazone or sulbactam supplemented with tanreqing was identified to be more effective than cefoperazone or sulbactam as monotherapy, for treating multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.