ObjectiveTo summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with acute diffuse lung changes and respiratory failure.MethodsThe clinical data of patients in the Department of Critical Care Medicine, Dazhou Central Hospital between January 2016 and December 2018 were retrospectively collected, whose main clinical manifestation was acute respiratory distress syndrome with acute onset (<3 weeks) and main imaging manifestation was diffuse changes in both lungs. The clinical characteristics of patients were summarized, and the causes of the disease were explored.ResultsA total of 65 patients with acute diffuse lung changes and respiratory failure were enrolled, including 42 males (64.6%) and 23 females (35.4%). The average age was (57.1±18.4) years, the average time from onset to treatment was (7.5±5.9) d, and the average length of stay in the intensive care unit was (8.9±4.1) d. A total of 23 cases died, with a case-fatality rate of 35.4%. Among the 65 patients, there were 50 case (76.9%) of infectious diseases, including 36 cases of bacterial infections (including 4 cases of tuberculosis), 8 cases of viral infections (all were H1N1 infections), and 6 cases of fungal infections (including 1 case of pneumocystis infection); and there were 15 cases (23.1%) of non-infectious diseases, including 4 cases of acute left heart failure, 2 cases of interstitial pneumonia, 2 cases of vasculitis, 1 case of myositis dermatomyositis, 1 case of aspiration pneumonia, 1 case of acute pulmonary embolism, 1 case of acute drug lung injury, 1 case of neurogenic pulmonary edema, 1 case of drowning, and 1 case of unknown origin.ConclusionsInfectious diseases are the main cause of acute diffuse lung changes and respiratory failure, while among non-infectious diseases, acute heart failure and immune system diseases are common causes.
Objective To describe the disease characteristics of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who experiencing prolonged glucocorticoid (GC) exposure. Methods Between January 2016 and June 2019, 449 SLE patients meeting the criteria were recruited from multiple centers. Hip MRI examinations were performed during screening and regular follow-up to determine the occurrence of ONFH. The cohort was divided into ONFH and non-ONFH groups, and the differences in demographic baseline characteristics, general clinical characteristics, GC medication information, combined medication, and hip clinical features were compared and comprehensively described. ResultsThe age at SLE diagnosis was 29.8 (23.2, 40.9) years, with 93.1% (418 cases) being female. The duration of GC exposure was 5.3 (2.0, 10.5) years, and the cumulative incidence of SLE-ONFH was 9.1%. Significant differences (P<0.05) between ONFH and non-ONFH groups were observed in the following clinical characteristics: ① Demographic baseline characteristics: ONFH group had a higher proportion of patients with body mass index (BMI)<20 kg/m2 compared to non-ONFH group. ② General clinical characteristics: ONFH group showed a higher proportion of patients with cutaneous and renal manifestations, positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and anticardiolipin antibodies, severe SLE patients [baseline SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score ≥15], and secondary hypertension. Fasting blood glucose in ONFH group was also higher. ③ GC medication information: ONFH group had higher initial intravenous GC exposure rates, duration, cumulative doses, higher cumulative GC doses in the first month and the first 3 months, higher average daily doses in the first 3 months, and higher proportions of average daily doses ≥15.0 mg/d and ≥30.0 mg/d, as well as higher full-course average daily doses and proportion of full-course daily doses ≥30.0 mg/d compared to non-ONFH group. ④ Combined medications: ONFH group had a significantly higher rate of antiplatelet drug use than non-ONFH group. ⑤ Hip clinical features: ONFH group had a higher proportion of hip discomfort or pain and a higher incidence of hip joint effusion before MRI screening than non-ONFH group. Conclusion The incidence of ONFH after GC exposure in China’s SLE population remains high (9.1%), with short-term (first 3 months), medium-to-high dose (average daily dose ≥15 mg/d) GC being closely associated with ONFH. Severe SLE, low BMI, certain clinical phenotypes, positive aPLs, and secondary hypertension may also be related to ONFH.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of resectable esophageal small cell carcinoma after surgical resection.MethodsA retrospective study of patients with resectable esophageal small cell carcinoma undergoing surgical resection from January 2009 to June 2015 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sichuan Provincial Fourth People's Hospital and Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University was performed. Survival analysis was conducted by Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test. Cox regression model was used for identifying independent prognostic factors.ResultsA total of 53 patients with resectable esophageal small cell carcinoma were included for analysis. The mean age was 58.4 ± 8.3 years and there were 42 male patients and 11 female patients. Forty-two patients were diagnosed as pure esophageal small cell carcinoma while 11 patients were diagnosed with mixed esophageal small cell carcinoma, who were all mixed with squamous cell carcinoma. Most of the esophageal small cell carcinomas were located in the middle (58.5%) and lower (32.1%) segments of the esophagus. Thirty patients (56.6%) were found to have lymph node metastasis, and 7 patients (13.2%) were found to have lymphovascular invasion. According to the 2009 TNM staging criteria for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, there were 12 patients with stage Ⅰ disease, 19 patients with stage Ⅱ disease, and 22 patients with stage Ⅲ disease. Most of the patients underwent left thoracotomy with two-field lymphadenectomy. Postoperatively, only twenty-two patients (41.5%) received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The median survival time of these patients was 20.1 months, and the 1- and 3-year survival rate was 75.5% and 33.1%, respectively. For prognosis, age, gender, pathological type, tumor location, and lymphovascular invasion had no significant impact on long-term survival of these patients. However, TNM stage (1 year survival rate: stage Ⅰ: 91.7%; stage Ⅱ: 78.9%; stage Ⅲ: 63.6%; P=0.004) and postoperative adjuvant therapy (1 year survival rate: 81.8% vs. 71.0%; P=0.005) had significant impact on the survival of patients with esophageal small cell carcinoma. In multivariate analysis, TNM stage and postoperative adjuvant therapy were independent prognostic factors for long-term prognosis of patients with esophageal small cell carcinoma.ConclusionEsophageal small cell carcinoma is very rare, with high malignancy and poor prognosis. For patients with resectable esophageal small cell carcinoma, the TNM staging system of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma can be used to direct the choice of treatment options. For early stage esophageal small cell carcinoma (stage Ⅰ/Ⅱ), surgery plus postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy can be the prior therapeutic choice, while for locally advanced esophageal small cell carcinoma (stage Ⅲ), chemoradiotherapy should be the preferred treatment.
Objective To analyze the relationship between the residence and oncological characteristics of colorectal patients served by Sichuan University West China Hospital as a regional center in the current version of the Database from Colorectal Cancer (DACCA). Methods The DACCA version selected for this data analysis was the updated version on January 5, 2022. The data items analyzed included: residence, precancerous lesions, family history of cancer, tumor location, tumor morphology, tumor orientation, tumor pathology, tumor differentiation and preoperative TNM staging. According to the regional distribution of colorectal cancer patients' residence in the database, they were divided into Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group, and the Sichuan group was further divided into Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group. Results The DACCA database was filtered by conditions to obtain 7 232 valid data. ① The composition ratio of precancerous lesions in different places of residence: The difference between the Sichuan group and the non-Sichuan group was statistically significant (χ2=14.462, P=0.003), and the difference between the Sichuan-Chengdu group and the Sichuan-non-Chengdu group was not statistically significant (χ2=7.591, P=0.101). ② Composition ratio of family history of cancer in different places of residence: In the family history of cancer in oneself, the difference between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group as well as between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group were not statistically significant (χ2=1.121, P=0.606; χ2=1.047, P=0.621). In the family history of cancer in relatives, the differences in the composition ratio of different tumor histories between the Sichuan group and the non-Sichuan group, and between the Sichuan-Chengdu group and the Sichuan-non-Chengdu group were not statistically significant (χ2=0.813, P=0.692; χ2=2.696, P=0.262). ③ Tumor site composition ratios in different places of residence: The difference between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group was not statistically significant (χ2=0.476, P=0.490), and the difference between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group was statistically significant (χ2=36.216, P<0.001). ④ Tumor morphology composition ratio in different places of residence: The difference between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group was statistically significant (χ2=19.560, P<0.001), and the difference between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group was not statistically significant (χ2=5.377, P=0.247). ⑤ Composition ratio of tumor orientation in different places of residence: The differences in composition ratio of tumor orientation between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group and between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group were statistically significant (χ2=17.484, P=0.005; χ2=26.820, P<0.001). ⑥ Composition ratio of tumor pathological properties under different residence: The differences in the comparison of pathological properties between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group as well as between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group of CRC patients were not statistically significant (χ2=8.136, P=0.408; χ2=7.278, P=0.506). ⑦ Composition ratio of tumor differentiation degree under different residence groupings: the differences in the composition ratio of tumors with different degrees of differentiation were not statistically significant between Sichuan group and non-Sichuan group, and between Sichuan-Chengdu group and Sichuan-non-Chengdu group (H=0.289, P=0.591; H=0.156, P=0.693). ⑧ The composition ratio of TNM staging of tumors before operation in different places of residence: between the Sichuan group and the non-Sichuan group, the difference in the composition ratio of preoperative TNM staging of CRC patients was statistically significant (H=8.023, P=0.005); between the Sichuan-Chengdu group and the Sichuan-non-Chengdu group, the difference in the composition ratio of preoperative TNM staging of CRC patients was not statistically significant (H=0.218, P=0.640). Conclusions Data analysis in DACCA reveal multiple associations between the place of residence and oncological characteristics of CRC patients. There are differences in the composition of the types of precancerous lesions among CRC patients in different places of residence. The proportion of CRC is higher in the family history of cancer. In terms of the site of tumor occurrence, the proportion of tumors located in the rectum is higher than that in the colon. In the composition of tumor morphology in all regions, the ulcerative type is the most frequent. The composition of tumor orientation is different in patients with CRC, and those who has involved a circle of the intestinal wall are the most frequent. Most CRC patients are already in middle or late stage when the tumor is discovered, and the proportion of middle or late stage patients in non-Sichuan provinces was even higher.
Objective To systematically review the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (F1DM) in China. Methods The CNKI, WanFang Data, CBM and PubMed databases were searched to collect Chinese F1MD case reports from January 1, 2000 to March 30, 2022. Data analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software and RevMan 5.3 software. Results A total of 874 cases were included in 233 papers, involving 410 males (46.91%) and 464 females (53.09%). The age of onset was 29.32±1.09 years and the course of disease was 3.74±0.63 days. The BMI was 21.18±0.52 kg/m2, HbA1c was 6.58%±0.08%, the level of fasting C-peptide was 0.04±0.010 ng/mL, level of C-peptide 2 h after meal was 0.09±0.020 ng/mL, the level of blood glucose at the doctor’s office was 34.72±2.89 mmol/L, and the level of arterial blood gas pH was 7.09±0.015. Among them, 734 patients had diabetic ketoacidosis (84.55%), 496 patients had infection of the upper respiratory or digestive tract before onset (56.75%), 4 patients died (0.46%), 78 patients were GADA positive, 11 patients were ICA positive, 13 patients were IAA positive, and 109 were pregnant patients (90 fetal deaths, 82.57%). Conclusion Chinese F1DM is a special but common subtype of diabetes. Its characteristics include a relatively young age of onset, devastating islet damage, and rapid progression, and it is often accompanied by severe metabolic disorders, complications, and grim prognosis. Clinicians should pay more attention to F1DM.
Coronary heart disease is the second leading cause of death worldwide. As a preventable and treatable chronic disease, early screening is of great importance for disease control. However, previous screening tools relied on physician assistance, thus cannot be used on a large scale. Many facial features have been reported to be associated with coronary heart disease and may be useful for screening. However, these facial features have limitations such as fewer types, irregular definitions and poor repeatability of manual judgment, so they can not be routinely applied in clinical practice. With the development of artificial intelligence, it is possible to integrate facial features to predict diseases. A recent study published in the European Heart Journal showed that coronary heart disease can be predicted using artificial intelligence based on facial photos. Although this work still has some limitations, this novel technology will be promise for improving disease screening and diagnosis in the future.
ObjectiveTo enhance the cognition about the clinical characteristics of diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB). MethodsThe data of patients with DPB searched out on the computer from January 1996 to September 2013 were retrospectively studied. ResultsThe 91 patients had a male to female ratio of 2︰1, and the mean age at onset was (40.5± 18.4) years old. The median course of disease was 7 years. The main clinical profiles included chronic cough, sputum production, exertional dyspnea, and crackles. A history of sinusitis occurred in 90.1% (82/91) of the patients. Positive rate of cold hemoagglutinin and HLA-B54 were 46.1% (30/65) and 42.1% (8/19), respectively. All patients' CT scans showed bilateral, diffuse, small centrilobular nodules. Lung function assessment showed an obstructive ventilation disfunction in 60.0% (51/85) of the patients and a mixed obstructive-restrictive pattern in 36.5% (31/85) of the patients. Thirty-four patients underwent lung biopsy. A total of 65.9% (60/91) of the patients had been misdiagnosed, and 98.8% (84/85) of the patients achieved significant improvement after the macrolide therapy. ConclusionDPB is not rare in China, but tends to be misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. Macrolides can improve the prognosis of DPB.
Objective To explore the clinical and inflammatory characteristics and risk factors of severe asthma to improve clinicians' awareness of the disease. Methods The general information of patients with asthma who visited the Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2018 to May 2021, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, personal history, comorbidities, auxiliary examination, asthma control test (ACT) score were collected. A total of 127 patients were included, including 40 in the severe asthma group and 87 in the mild-to-moderate asthma group. Chi-square test, independent sample t test and logistic regression were used to analyze the clinical characteristics, inflammatory markers and risk factors of severe asthma. Results Compared with the patients with mild to moderate asthma, the patients with severe asthma were more older (51.0±12.0 years vs 40.7±12.8 years, P<0.05), had more smokers (32.5% vs. 14.9%, P<0.05), and more males (67.5% vs. 40.2%, P<0.05). The patients with severe asthma got poor FEV1%pred [(56.1±23.8)% vs. (93.2±18.0)%, P<0.05] and FEV1/FVC [(56.7±13.2)% vs. (75.8±9.0)%, P<0.05)], and more exacerbations in the previous year (2.7±3.1 vs. 0.1±0.4, P<0.05), lower ACT score (14.4±3.7 vs. 18.0±5.0, P<0.05), and higher blood and induced sputum eosinophil counts [(0.54±0.44)×109/L vs. (0.27±0.32)×109/L, P<0.05; (25.9±24.2)% vs. (9.8±17.5)%, P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in the proportion of neutrophils in the induced sputum or FeNO between the two groups (P>0.05). Analysis of related risk factors showed that smoking (OR=2.740, 95%CI 1.053 - 7.130), combined with allergic rhinitis (OR=14.388, 95%CI 1.486 - 139.296) and gastroesophageal reflux (OR=2.514, 95%CI 1.105 - 5.724) were risk factors for severe asthma. Conclusions Compared with patients with mild to moderate asthma, patients with severe asthma are characterized by poor lung function, more exacerbations, and a dominant eosinophil inflammatory phenotype, which is still poorly controlled even with higher level of treatment. Risk factors include smoking, allergic rhinitis, and gastroesophageal reflux, etc.
Objective To analyze the demographic and clinical characteristics of inpatients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) and provide a basis for clinical prevention and treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 744 inpatients diagnosed with OVCF between January 2017 and December 2021 who met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 146 were male and 598 were female, with age ranging from 50 to 95 years (mean, 69.37 years). The demographic characteristics (gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, regional distribution, urban-rural distribution, and seasonal incidence) and clinical features [causes of injury, history of vertebral fractures, smoking and drinking history in males, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, cerebral infarction), body mass index (BMI), blood lipid levels, menopausal age in females, vertebral bone mineral density T-value, number of vertebral fractures, and fracture segment distribution] of OVCF patients were analyzed. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of vertebral osteoporosis. Results The demographic analysis indicated that female patients with OVCF were significantly younger than male patients (P<0.05). Significant differences were observed in the age distribution of OVCF between males and females (P<0.05), with the highest proportion of male patients in the 70-79 years group (37.0%) and the highest proportion of female patients in the 60-69 years group (40.0%). From 2017 to 2021, the age of onset for OVCF gradually increased, with a similar trend observed for both genders. The distribution of occupations between genders also showed significant differences (P<0.05); with the top three occupations for males being farmers (48.6%), retirees (24.7%), and workers (13.7%), while for females, the leading occupations were farmers (51.5%), retirees (19.4%), and service workers (10.0%). Female OVCF patients had higher BMI, vertebral bone mineral density T-value, history of vertebral fractures, hypertension prevalence, and blood lipid levels compared to male patients (P<0.05). No significant difference between the males and the females was found in ethnicity, seasonal distribution, regional distribution, urban-rural distribution, causes of injury, number of vertebral fractures, or prevalence of comorbidities (except hypertension) (P>0.05). Among the 744 OVCF patients, a total of 1 309 vertebrae were involved, with 628 thoracic vertebrae (48.0%) and 681 lumbar vertebrae (52.0%). The most common fracture segments were L1 (22.5%), T12 (21.2%), followed by L2 (12.2%) and T11 (10.2%). No significant gender difference was observed in the distribution of fracture segments (P>0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that older age, female, and lower BMI were independent risk factors for vertebral osteoporosis (P<0.05). ConclusionThe age of onset of OVCF patients is increasing year by year. The number of fractured vertebral bodies, age distribution of morbidity, occupational distribution, BMI, history of vertebral fracture, hypertension, and blood lipid levels are related to gender. The occurrence of OVCF is mainly in the thoracolumbar segment. The female, older age, and lower BMI are independent risk factors of osteoporosis.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of rural alone-two-child policy (RAC policy) on zero population growth, high sex ratio at birth (SRB), and aging population in China. MethodsRural areas of cities which implement the RAC policy were included. Data from the fifth and the sixth population censes were used to analyze the variation of the total fertility rate (TFR), SRB, and the number of teenagers of every household (NTH) in context of different social and economic levels. ResultsThe implementation of RAC policy in rural areas with middle and upper social economic levels showed a long-term effect of increasing the TFR and decreasing the SRB. The implementation of rural girl policy mixed with RAC policy in areas with middle social economic level showed a long-term effect of decreasing the TFR and increasing the SRB; but the long-term effect in areas with low social economic level was uncertain. The NTHs were decreased in all included areas. According to the urban and rural birth preference, we made inferences that the implementation of alone-two-child policy in cities could result in the increase of TFR and the decrease of SRB. ConclusionThe long-term effect of RAC policy implemented in rural areas with middle social economic level could solve the problems of zero population growth and the high SRB, but the long-term effect of mixed policy implemented in rural areas with middle social economic level may aggravate the two problems above. The RAC policy cannot solve the aging population problem in rural area.