As a marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) was widely used in clinical practice. NIOX VERO (VERO) and SUNVOU-CA2122 (CA2122) are two commonly used eNO analyzers in China. However, what’s the difference and agreement between the two devices and whether the two types of devices can be replaced by each other in the application of common respiratory diseases have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to compare the two types of devices and to evaluate the difference between them in clinical use and whether they could be replaced. FeNO levels in 244 respiratory patients (including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic cough) were measured by CA2122 analyzer and VERO analyzer, respectively. The FeNO values obtained by the two devices were compared and the differences were analyzed. The success rate, the number of attempts and the total time required for a successful measurement by CA2122 and VERO were compared. The FeNO values measured by CA2122 online and offline were also compared. FeNO values obtained by CA2122 were slightly higher than those of VERO [median(range): 29.0(9–271) parts per billion (ppb) vs 25.5 (5–263) ppb, P = 0.000]. There was a high correlation between FeNO values measured by the two types of devices (r = 0.964, P = 0.000). By comparison, there was a high degree of agreement between the FeNO values measured by two devices, in all patients with different respiratory diseases. FeNO values measured online and offline by CA2122 were highly correlated and there was a high degree of agreement between online and offline methods. The success rate of CA2122 was higher than VERO, and the number of attempts (2.1 vs 2.4) and the total time (110.5 ± 35.7 vs 117.5 ± 48.1 s) required for a successful measurement by CA2122 were lower than those of VERO. CA2122 and VERO can be replaced by each other, and FeNO values can be converted if necessary. CA2122 has some advantages in success rate, the mean attempts and time required for successful measurement of FeNO.

Background: Torsade de pointes (TdP) is a malignant arrhythmia that can be induced by QT internal prolongation due to a variety of factors. Here we report an elderly patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had sudden TdP during hospitalization, which was caused by multiple factors such as osimertinib, moxifloxacin and patient self-factors. Case presentation: An 85-year-old man with advanced NSCLC with brain andbone metastasis was initially treated with gefitinib targeted therapy. After 4 months treatment, the patient developed drug resistance and a second genetic testing revealed that the T790M mutation was positive. And the patient was then changed to targeted therapy with osimertinib, followed by adverse reactions of varying severity such as diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance, decreased cardiac function, leukopenia, and prolonged QTc interval. Six months after the administration of osimertinib, the patient was admitted to the hospital, chest CT showed the lesion progressed again, and during which hospital-acquired infection occurred. After concomitant use of moxifloxacin, the patient had sudden TdP, and finally died of this cardiac event. Conclusions: It is suggested that clinicians need to identify patients with high risk factors of TdP, and consider comprehensively in concomitant medication to avoid such events to the greatest extent.

Background To investigate whether prone position can reduce the risk of patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 who progress to severe or critical illness. Methods The prone position group was treated in prone position on the day of admission in addition to conventional treatment. Indicators such as saturation of pulse oximetry (SpO2), heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and prone position-related adverse events were recorded before prone ventilation, 5 min after prone position and 30 min after prone position. Meanwhile, the cases of severe and critical patients, the percentage of transformation and the final clinical outcome of this group were analyzed. Conversion rates and mortality were calculated for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 retrieved from the database who received only conventional care without combined prone positioning as control group. Results (1) A total of 34 patients were included in prone position group. There were significant differences in SpO2 between the first 4 days after admission and the day of discharge (F = 3.17, P < 0.001). (2) The main complications were back and neck muscle soreness (55.9%), followed by abdominal distension (8.9%). (3) In control group, a total of 4873 cases of mild and moderate patients were included from 19 literatures, with an average deterioration rate of 22.7% and mortality rate of 1.7%. (4) In prone position group, there were no severe or critical transformation cases and also no death cases. The prone position group had a significantly lower deterioration rate when compared with the control group (χ2 = 9.962, P < 0.01). Conclusion Prone position improves SpO2 in patients with mild or moderate COVID-19. It can also reduce the percentage of mild or moderate patients progressing to severe or critical patients. The application of prone position is a simple, feasible, safe and effective treatment method in such patients.

Background The utilization of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) is becoming more and more common, especially in patients with acute or chronic respiratory failure. The purpose of our study is to analyze the factors that influence the efficacy of NPPV in the treatment of respiratory failure caused by a variety of etiology. Methods From May 2011 to April 2020, patients treated with NPPV during hospitalization in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were enrolled. According to the clinical outcome of NPPV treatment and whether converted to invasive mechanical ventilation, patients were divided into the success group and the failure group. The clinical data and the characteristics of NPPV application were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 3312 patients were enrolled, including 2025 patients in the success group and 1287 patients in the failure group. Univariate analysis suggested that there were no statistical differences in patients' age, gender, use of analgesia and/or sedation, complicated with barotrauma, inspiratory positive airway pressure and expiratory positive airway pressure between the success and failure groups (P > 0.05). However, there were statistically significant differences in serum albumin levels, Ca2+ concentration, blood glucose levels, duration of NPPV treatment and length of hospital stay between the success and failure groups (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that serum albumin levels and duration of NPPV treatment had statistical significance on the therapeutic effect of NPPV (P < 0.05). Conclusion Serum albumin levels and duration of NPPV treatment were independent risk factors for the efficacy of NPPV treatment in respiratory failure.

Oral anticancer drugs have the advantages of convenient and flexible administration, however, they also face some new problems related to their oral preparation. Herein we describe a case of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patient treated with gefitinib who had long-term adverse reactions of rashes and diarrhea, and his rashes disappeared after taking alkaline soda, and then reappeared after stopping drinking it. Imaging progress was also observed. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the effect of alkaline food on gefitinib-induced rashes dynamic change. In this case, the rash acted as a signal of therapeutic efficacy. Clinicians and pharmacists should be aware of potential and common factors that affect drug efficacy and strive to achieve the best therapeutic results.