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Objective: To explore the characteristics of key ferroptosis-related genes as therapeutic targets for sepsis based on bioinformatics analysis, and describe their immune characteristics., Methods: The transcriptome datasets GSE57065, GSE9960, GSE28750, and GSE137340 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, immune-related gene (IRG) were obtained from ImmPort and InnateDB databases, and ferroptosis-related gene (FRG) were downloaded from the FerrDb database. The datasets GSE57065, GSE9960, and GSE28750 were integrated into an analysis dataset by the surrogate variable analysis (SVA) package and analyzed this analysis dataset by using the "limma" package to obtain differentially expressed gene (DEG), then the intersection set of DEG, FRG, and IRG were considered as ferroptosis and immune-related DEG (FImDEG). Gene ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using "ClusterProfiler" to understand the biological function of FImDEG. The key genes were screened by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithms, and support vector machine (SVM) analyses, and Logistic regression model was built based on above key genes. Receiver operator characteristics curve (ROC curve) was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the key genes alone or combinative. The degree of infiltration of 22 immune cells was assessed using the "CIBERSORT" package, and the correlation between the expressions of key genes and infiltration degree of immune cells was analyzed. Dataset GSE137340 was used to verify these key genes., Results: A dataset consisting of 146 sepsis samples and 61 healthy control samples was obtained by processing the database and removing batch effect. A total of 4 537 DEG were obtained, including 2 066 up-regulated genes and 2 471 down-regulated genes. 2 519 IRG and 855 FRG were obtained from the relevant database. Using the intersection of DEG, IRG and FRG, 34 FImDEG were obtained, including 20 up-regulated genes and 14 down-regulated genes. GO functional annotation showed that the biological functions of 34 FImDEG were mainly inhibition of transferase activity, regulation of DNA-binding transcription factor activity and cell response to stimulation. In terms of molecular function, it was mainly related to RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding and various protein ligase binding. Changes in cell composition occurred mainly in promyelocytic leukemia protein and chromatin silencing complexes. Enrichment analysis of KEGG pathway showed that the major pathways involved in 34 FImDEG included cell aging, expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) checkpoint pathways in cancer, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, lipid and atherosclerosis, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Four key genes, including cytochrome b-245 β chain (CYBB), mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and V-relreticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homology A (RELA), were screened through PPI network and LASSO and SVM machine learning. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) of the four key genes for diagnosing sepsis was all greater than 0.65, and the AUC of MAPK14 was 0.911. Logistic regression model was constructed based on four key genes, and the AUC was 0.956. Immunoinfiltration analysis showed that compared with healthy control samples, the infiltration degree of neutrophils and macrophages M0 was significantly increased in sepsis samples, while the infiltration degree of resting natural killer cell (NK cell), naive CD4 + T cell and CD8 + T cell was significantly lowered. Correlation analysis showed that the positive correlation between MAPK14 expression and the infiltration degree of neutrophils was the highest. Validation results in the GSE137340 dataset showed that compared with healthy control samples, the expressions of CYBB and MAPK14 in sepsis samples were significantly up-regulated, however, the expressions of PTGS2 and RELA were significantly down-regulated, similar to the expression trend in the above analysis dataset., Conclusions: Four key genes, including CYBB, MAPK14, PTGS2, and RELA, in the development of sepsis were identified through bioinformatics analysis, which play an important role in the immune process, and MAPK14 may be an important target for immune intervention.

Objective: To observe the dynamic changes of platelet counts in septic shock patients within first week, and to explore their predictive value for prognosis., Methods: Retrospective analysis of clinical data of patients with septic shock admitted to the department of intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2020 to December 2021 was conducted. The baseline data on gender, age and primary diseases, clinical indicators on infection site, pathogenic microbial type, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), laboratory indicators and the trend of platelet count (PLT) on day 1, 3, 5 and 7 admitting ICU and patients prognosis of in-hospital were collected. Binary Logistic regression was used to assess the independent risk factors of in-hospital death in septic shock patients. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive power of each index for in-hospital mortality., Results: A total of 193 patients with sepsis were enrolled. Among them, 73 patients died and 120 patients survived. Univariate analysis showed that the age, proportion of hypertension and respiratory system infection, APACHE II score, SOFA score and blood lactic acid (Lac) in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group, while the proportion of urinary system infection, white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil (NEU) were significantly lower in the death group. Within 7 days after admitting ICU, the platelet (PLT) firstly decreased and then rebounded in the survival group, whereas it's showed a continuous downward trend in the death group. And the PLT count in both day 5 and 7 were significantly higher in the survival group compared with the dead group [×10 9 /L: 94.5 (54.0, 182.0) vs. 50.0 (30.5, 87.5), 135.0 (86.8, 205.8) vs. 46.0 (23.5, 71.5), all P < 0.05]. Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.059, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.002-1.118], hypertension (OR = 6.108, 95%CI was 1.340-27.851), respiratory system infection (OR = 5.300, 95%CI was 1.116-25.118), APACHE II score (OR = 1.158, 95%CI was 1.054-1.273), SOFA score (OR = 1.494, 95%CI was 1.060-2.107) and PLT on day 7 after admitting ICU (OR = 0.926, 95%CI was 0.894-0.958) were independent risk factors for in-hospital prognosis in septic shock patients (all P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that APACHE II score, SOFA score and PLT on day 7 after admitting ICU all had good predictive value for in-hospital prognosis in septic shock patients, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PLT on day 7 (AUC = 0.899, 95%CI was 0.857-0.941) was significantly higher than that of APACHE II score (AUC = 0.748, 95%CI was 0.680-0.816), SOFA score (AUC = 0.767, 95%CI was 0.702-0.833)., Conclusions: Clinicians should pay close attention to the dynamic changes of platelet counts in septic shock patients, especially the platelet counts on day 7 after admitting ICU. And active intervention should be provided to improve the prognosis.

Objective: To investigate the influence of hypomagnesemia on the prognosis of patients with severe sepsis., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. The clinical data of 207 septic patients admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 1, 2016 to December 21, 2020 were analyzed, including gender, age and laboratory indicators within 24 hours after sepsis diagnosis [procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood lactic acid (Lac), pH value and blood magnesium, calcium, chlorine and phosphorus levels]. The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and 28-day prognosis were collected. The patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group according to the prognosis, and the clinical data and laboratory indexes were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between clinical indicators. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors affecting the prognosis. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the potential prognostic indicators., Results: Among the 207 septic patients, 102 survived and 105 died on the 28th day, and the 28-day mortality was 50.72%. There were no significant differences in gender, age, CRP, pH value, blood chlorine or blood phosphorus levels between the two groups. The blood magnesium and blood calcium levels in the non-survival group were significantly lower than those in the survival group [blood magnesium (mmol/L): 0.68±0.14 vs. 0.80±0.12, blood calcium (mmol/L): 1.93±0.21 vs. 2.01±0.20, both P > 0.01], and PCT, Lac, APACHE II score and SOFA score were significantly higher than those in the survival group [PCT (mg/L): 8.32 (1.64, 55.01) vs. 3.55 (0.97, 12.31), Lac (mmol/L): 2.90 (1.70, 4.30) vs. 2.10 (1.03, 3.89), APACHE II score: 21.24±6.40 vs. 17.42±7.02, SOFA score: 9.14±3.55 vs. 6.91±3.31, all P > 0.01]. Among the 207 patients, 96 patients had normal blood magnesium level (0.75-1.25 mmol/L) and 111 patients had hypomagnesemia (> 0.75 mmol/L). The 28-day mortality of septic patients in the hypomagnesemia group was significantly higher than that in the normal magnesium group [61.26% (68/111) vs. 38.54% (37/96), P < 0.01]. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the blood magnesium level of sepsis patients was negatively correlated with PCT (r = -0.173, P < 0.05), and it was positively correlated with APACHE II score (r = 0.159, P < 0.05), but it had no correlation with CRP or SOFA score (r values were -0.029 and 0.091, both P > 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that serum magnesium, APACHE II score and SOFA score were independent risk factors for 28-day death in patients with sepsis [serum magnesium: odds ratio (OR) < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.000-0.002, P < 0.001; APACHE II score: OR = 1.092, 95%CI was 1.022-1.168, P = 0.010; SOFA score: OR = 1.168, 95%CI was 1.026-1.330, P = 0.019]. ROC curve analysis showed that blood magnesium and APACHE II score had a certain predictive value for 28-day mortality in patients with severe sepsis [AUC (95%CI) was 0.723 (0.655-0.791) and 0.680 (0.607-0.754), respectively]. When the blood magnesium threshold was 0.64 mmol/L, the sensitivity was 41.0% and the specificity was 93.1%. When APACHE II score threshold was 16.50, the sensitivity was 78.1% and the specificity was 55.9% indicating that the specificity of serum magnesium was higher than that of APACHE II score., Conclusions: Severe septic patients complicated with hypomagnesemia have a poor prognosis. Serum magnesium level can be used as a prognostic indicator for severe septic patients.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detecting pathogens in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for pulmonary infection in solid organ transplant patients in intensive care unit (ICU)., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, the BALF samples from 46 patients with post organ transplant pneumonia/suspected pneumonia admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from August 2018 to August 2021 were collected, all tested by simultaneous mNGS and conventional comprehensive microbial test (CMT), and the results of CMT were used as the reference standard to compare the differences in the diagnostic value of mNGS and CMT for pulmonary infections in solid organ transplant patients, and to analyze the diagnostic value of mNGS for mixed infections., Results: (1) Pneumonia pathogens: a total of 31 pathogens were detected in 35 patients, including bacteria (16 species), fungi (9 species) and viruses (6 species). Among them, 25 pathogens were detected by mNGS and CMT, and only 19 pathogens were detected by mNGS. Among the microorganisms isolated by mNGS method, the detection rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were higher [51.4% (18/35), 42.9% (15/35), 31.4% (11/35), respectively]; Candida albicans, Aspergillus and Pneumocystis carinii were the most commonly detected fungi [31.4% (11/35), 22.9% (8/35), 22.9% (8/35), respectively]; 20 patients were positive for the virus, and the most commonly detected viruses were cytomegalovirus, herpesvirus and EB virus [28.6% (10/35), 20.0% (7/35), 17.1% (6/35), respectively]. In addition, one case of Brucella was detected by mNGS. (2) Diagnostic efficiency: as far as bacterial detection is concerned, 20 cases of negative results were obtained by CMT detection of 35 samples included in the study, and a total of 10 cases of positive results were obtained by mNGS detection of negative samples; the percentage of mNGS positive samples was significantly higher than that of CMT positive samples [odds ratio (OR) = 5.5, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.2-24.8, P = 0.02]. When compared with CMT, the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were 93.3% and 50.0%, and the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 58.3%, 91.1%. As far as fungal detection was concerned, there was no significant difference in the percentage of positive samples between the two methods (OR = 1.5, 95%CI = 0.5-4.2, P = 0.60); the sensitivity and specificity of mNGS were 72.2% and 64.7%, and the PPV and NPV were 68.4%, 68.8%; CMT test of the 35 included samples produced 17 negative results, and mNGS test of the negative samples produced 6 positive results. A total of 20 patients tested positive for the virus by mNGS. In addition, 23 patients (65.7%) were diagnosed with pulmonary mixed infection., Conclusions: The use of mNGS to detect pathogens in BALF can improve the sensitivity and specificity of bacterial identification of pulmonary infection in critically ill organ transplant patients, and mNGS has obvious advantages in detecting virus and identifying mixed infections.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the whole disease process, and provide reference for etiological diagnosis and treatment., Methods: The clinical data of patients with COVID-19 admitted in the Infectious Diseases Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 22nd, 2020 to March 8th, 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. According to whether there were gastrointestinal symptoms (poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea), all patients were divided into gastrointestinal symptom group and asymptomatic group. The characteristics of gastrointestinal symptoms, such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea were counted and analyzed, and the correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and gender, age, basic diseases, disease severity, laboratory examination and drug treatment were analyzed., Results: A total of 80 COVID-19 patients were involved, 43 cases (53.8%) presented with poor appetite, 17 cases (21.3%) had nausea and vomiting, and 33 cases (41.3%) had diarrhea. Among them, 5 cases, 1 case and 4 cases respectively preformed poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea before admission, while the others experienced gastrointestinal symptoms within 48 hours after admission. Duration of poor appetite, nausea/vomiting and diarrhea (days) of all patients were 5.3±2.1, 2.2±1.0 and 1.4±0.9, respectively. The patients with poor appetite were older than those without symptoms (years old: 48.2±17.6 vs. 39.3±15.1), albumin (Alb) level and the lymphocytes ratio were lower than those in asymptomatic group [Alb (g/L): 39.8 (35.7, 45.1) vs. 46.1 (42.6, 49.4), lymphocytes ratio: 0.19 (0.09, 0.28) vs. 0.28 (0.17, 0.35)], while the neutrophil ratio, the levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were higher than those in asymptomatic group [the neutrophil ratio: 0.74 (0.61, 0.85) vs. 0.64 (0.52, 0.76), CRP (mg/L): 21.4 (3.9, 52.9) vs. 5.6 (2.4, 14.0), D-dimer (mg/L): 0.2 (0.2, 0.5) vs. 0.2 (0.1, 0.3), LDH (μmol×s -1 ×L -1 ): 4.49 (3.59, 5.19) vs. 3.12 (2.77, 4.90)]; at the same time, more traditional Chinese medicine was used in the patients with gastrointestinal symptoms [65.1% (28/43) vs. 40.5% (15/37), all P < 0.05]. In addition, 14 cases of 18 patients with cardiovascular diseases presented with poor appetite, 7 patients had nausea and vomiting symptoms. All of the 3 patients with chronic kidney disease presented with poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, and 2 of them had diarrhea., Conclusions: The gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with COVID-19 are common. Whether it is caused by the virus or related drugs, diet and mental conditions, clinicians should analyze the causes of these symptoms timely, and then provide a better treatment for patients with COVID-19.

Objective: To evaluate the in vitro activity of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) alone or in combination with colistin (COL) against clinically isolated extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (XDR-PA)., Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 16 clinical XDR-PA isolates was determined by broth dilution method and chessboard design when CAZ-AVI and COL were used alone or in combination, then the combined inhibitory concentration index (FICI) was calculated. Class A [Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase β-lactamase (bla KPC ), Guiana extended-spectrum β-lactamase (bla GES )], Class B [imipenemase β-lactamase (bla IMP ), Verona-Integronmetallo β-lactamase (bla VIM ), New Delhi metallo β-lactamase (bla NDM ), German imipenemase β-lactamase (bla GIM ), Sao Paulo metallo-β-lactamase (bla SPM )], Class C [AmpC β-lactamase (bla AmpC )], Class D [oxacillinase β-lactamase (bla OXA )] β-lactamase-related resistance genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Drug-resistant mutation frequencies of each strain were determined on a drug-containing plate. The time kill curves of three XDR-PA were plotted by colony counting method. A biofilm model was established in vitro, and the synergistic effect of CAZ-AVI and COL on biofilm inhibition was detected by methythiazolyl tetrazolium assay (MTT)., Results: The MICs of 16 XDR-PA for CAZ-AVI ranged from 1 mg/L to 128 mg/L, and three of the isolates showed resistance (MIC > 8 mg/L). The FICI range of CAZ-AVI combined with COL was 0.312-1.000. Four isolates were synergistic, while the other 12 isolates were additive. Three isolates resistant to CAZ-AVI contained Class B resistance genes such as bla IMP and bla VIM , while 13 susceptible isolates carried resistance genes belonging to Class A, C or D. The logarithm values of mutation frequencies of drug resistance in CAZ-AVI group, COL group and combination group were -4.81±0.88, -7.06±0.69 and -9.70 (-9.78, -9.53), respectively. There were significant differences among the three groups (H = 33.601, P < 0.001), and between every two groups (adjusted P < 0.05). In time kill curves, the phytoplankton load of three XDR-PA decreased more than 6 log CFU/L when these two drugs were used together, and number of PA1819 planktonic bacteria decreased more than 5.1 log CFU/L compared with monotherapy group. Viable quantity in biofilm (A 490 ) of normal saline group, CAZ-AVI group, COL group and CAZ-AVI-COL group were 0.665±0.068, 0.540±0.072, 0.494±0.642 and 0.317±0.080, respectively. There was significant difference between the other two groups (all P < 0.001), except for that between CAZ-AVI group and COL group (P = 0.109)., Conclusions: CAZ-AVI combined with COL can effectively improve the bactericidal effect of each drug alone on XDR-PA. The regimen can also reduce the production of drug-resistant bacteria and inhibit the formation of biofilm. Therefore, it is a potential treatment for XDR-PA infection.

Objective: To investigate the effect of serum calcium level on the prognosis of patients with sepsis., Methods: Clinical data of 119 patients with sepsis admitted to intensive care medicine (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of the University of Science and Technology of China from January 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Gender, age, and C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), serum calcium levels, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure score (SOFA) within 24 hours of diagnosis, and 28-day mortality were collected. The patients were divided into the normal serum calcium group (serum calcium 2.00-2.67 mmol/L) and the hypocalcemia group (serum calcium < 2.00 mmol/L) according to their serum calcium level. The patients were divided into survival group and death group according to 28-day prognosis. Pearson correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between serum calcium level and clinical indicators. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the predictive value of serum calcium level on prognosis., Results: A total of 119 patients with sepsis were included, including 50 patients with normal serum calcium, with serum calcium level of (2.14±0.10) mmol/L; and 69 patients of hypocalcemia, and the incidence of hypocalcemia was 57.98%, with serum calcium level of (1.81±0.14) mmol/L. In the hypocalcemia group, except that the APACHE II score was significantly higher than that of the normal serum calcium group (25.59±5.52 vs. 22.28±4.89, P < 0.01), there was no significant difference in gender, age, CRP, PCT and SOFA score between the two groups. The 28-day mortality rate of the hypocalcemia group was significantly higher than that of the normal serum calcium group [78.26% (54/69) vs. 48.00% (24/50), χ 2 = 10.45, P < 0.01]. The level of serum calcium in the death group was significantly lower than that in the survival group (mmol/L: 1.90±0.20 vs. 2.04±0.19), while the APACHE II score was significantly higher than the survival group (25.78±5.25 vs. 21.20±4.68), with statistically significant differences (both P < 0.01). There was a negative correlation between serum calcium level and PCT, APACHE II scores in patients with sepsis (r 1 = -2.10, P 1 = 0.04; r 2 = -3.91, P 2 < 0.01), but no correlation with CRP and SOFA score (r 1 = 0.75, P 1 = 0.46; r 2 = -1.21, P 2 = 0.23). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients with serum calcium level was 0.70 [95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.602-0.798], and the best cut-off value was 1.92 mmol/L, with the sensitivity was 52.56%, and the specificity was 82.93%., Conclusions: The prognosis of sepsis patients with hypocalcemia is poor. Serum calcium level can be used as a predictor of prognosis in patients with sepsis.

Objective: To estimate the incidence and risk factors for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) treated in the intensive care unit (ICU)., Methods: 105 patients with TBI admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from January 2016 to June 2018 were enrolled [Glasgow coma scale (GCS) 3-8; concise injury score for other parts ≤ 3]. All patients did not receive any medication or physical measures to prevent DVT during hospitalization. Bilateral compression Doppler ultrasounds of the double lower limbs and upper limbs were performed to clarify the occurrence of DVT on the first day of admission and twice a week until ICU discharge or the death of patient. The examination was performed by a senior ultrasound doctor. It was defined as DVT as long as any deep vein had thrombosis. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether DVT occurred or not during hospitalization. Clinical data such as body mass index (BMI), coagulation index, platelet count (PLT) and deep venous catheterization were obtained from the clinical chemistry laboratory database and patient files. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of DVT. Binary Logistic regression was used to calculate the predictive probability of risk factors. The predictive value of risk factors and predictive probability to the occurrence of DVT was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve., Results: In 105 patients with simple TBI, 42 patients developed DVT during hospitalization, and the incidence of DVT was 40%. Univariate Logistic regression showed that high BMI [odds ratio (OR) = 1.490, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.174-1.891, P = 0.001], high PLT (OR = 1.023, 95%CI = 1.006-1.040, P = 0.007), shorten activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT; OR = 0.913, 95%CI = 0.853-0.978, P = 0.010) and catheterization in deep vein (OR = 0.114, 95%CI = 0.026-0.493, P = 0.004) were risk factors for DVT. It was shown by multivariate regression analysis that high BMI (OR = 1.378, 95%CI = 1.411-1.665, P = 0.001), high PLT (OR = 1.017, 95%CI = 1.003-1.032, P = 0.020), low APTT (OR = 0.920, 95%CI = 0.860-0.982, P = 0.012) and catheterization in deep vein (OR = 0.113, 95%CI = 0.029-0.443, P = 0.002) were independent risk factors for DVT. The predictive probability formula: Logit P = -4.673+0.321×BMI-0.083×APTT+0.017×PLT-2.181×catheterization in deep vein. It was shown by ROC curve analysis that high BMI, high PLT, low APTT and catheterization in deep vein could predict the occurrence of DVT in severe TBI patients, and the area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.775, 0.709, 0.709 and 0.680, respectively. The AUC of prediction probability was 0.890, and its sensitivity and specificity were respectively increased to 88.10% and 85.71%., Conclusions: The incidence of DVT was higher in patients with simple severe TBI. High coagulation, high BMI, high PLT and catheterization in deep vein are the independent risk factors for DVT.

Objective: To investigate the effect of early rehabilitation physiotherapy on muscle quality and function in critical patients., Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was performed. Adult critically ill patients admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) of Anhui Provincial Hospital from October 1st, 2016 to August 31st, 2017 who had been hospitalized for more than 7 days and had acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) > 8 were enrolled, and they were divided into treatment group and control group according to random number table method. All patients were given routine treatment, and on this basis, the treatment group was given rehabilitation therapy within 24 hours after admission, including limb active/passive activities, respiratory muscle function training and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, etc. Bedside ultrasound was used to measure the area and cross sectional thickness of left rectus femoris muscle and the cross sectional thickness of middle thigh muscle of patients at 1, 4 and 7 days after treatment; at the same time, the muscle strength of sober patients was evaluated by medical research council (MRC) muscle strength evaluation method, and the mechanical ventilation time, ICU hospitalization time and ICU expenses were recorded., Results: Forty patients were enrolled in this study, with 20 in each group. Compared with the control group, the difference of left rectus femoris muscle area between 1 day and 4 days, 4 days and 7 days, 1 day and 7 days (cm 2 : 0.19±0.02 vs. 0.31±0.19, 0.02±0.01 vs. 0.08±0.05, 0.04±0.02 vs. 0.38±0.23), and the difference in left rectus femoris thickness (cm: 0.01±0.01 vs. 0.14±0.13, 0.03±0.03 vs. 0.16±0.14) and the difference in middle thigh muscle thickness (cm: 0.02±0.02 vs. 0.11±0.09, 0.03±0.02 vs. 0.16±0.12) between 1 day and 4 days, 1 day and 7 days in the treatment group were significantly reduced (all P < 0.01). The MRC strength score in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group at 7 days (52.06±3.52 vs. 47.94±3.96, P < 0.05). The mechanical ventilation time in the treatment group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 13) were (138.5±34.5) hours and (185.0±40.9) hours, respectively, and the difference between two groups were statistical significance (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the incidence rate of ICU acquired muscle weakness (ICUAW) in the treatment group was significantly decreased [5.0% (1/20) vs. 40.0% (8/20), P < 0.05], the length of ICU stay was significantly shortened (days: 17.67±4.91 vs. 22.06±5.94, P < 0.05), and the ICU expenses were significantly reduced (ten thousand yuan: 7.53±2.09 vs. 9.55±1.73, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Early rehabilitation physiotherapy can improve the muscle quality and function in critical patients, and decrease the length of ICU stay.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of colistimethate sodium (CMS) for the treatment of critical patients infected by pan-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (PDR-AB) or pan-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PDR-PA)., Methods: 321 isolates of PDR-AB and 204 isolates of PDR-PA from critical patients admitted to 35 intensive care units (ICUs) of grade two or above were collected from the Anhui Antimicrobial Resistance Investigation Net (AHARIN) program from September 2012 to September 2015, while the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of colistin were determined by the E-test. A series of Monte Carlo simulations was performed for CMS regimens (1 MU q8h, 2 MU q8h, and 3 MU q8h, and MU meant a million of unit), and the probability of achieving a 24-hour area under the drug concentration time curve (AUC 24 )/MIC ratio > 60 and risk of nephrotoxicity for each dosing regimen was calculated. Each simulation was run over three CL Cr ranges: < 60, ≥ 60-90, ≥ 90-120 mL/min. The probability of target attainment (PTA) for the AUC 24 /MIC ratio was calculated using the partial MIC value, while the cumulative fraction of response (CFR) was determined by integrating each PTA with the MIC distributions, the value greater than or equal to 90% or more than 80% was set as the optimal dosing regimen or suboptimal dosing regimen respectively. The probability of average 24-hour serum concentrations up to 4 mg/L for three dosage regimens was used to predict the risks of nephrotoxicity., Results: All 321 isolates of PDR-AB and 204 isolates of PDR-PA were susceptible to colistin, the MIC 50/90 against PDR-AB were 0.5 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L, and those against PDR-PA were 0.5 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L, respectively. When recommended dose (1 MU q8h) was used for patients with CL Cr of < 60 mL/min, high CFR value (89.78% for PDR-AB, 81.06% for PDR-PA) were obtained, but with a high risks of nephrotoxicity (> 32.51%). Moreover, low value of PTA (< 66.56%) was yielded for isolates with MIC of ≥ 1 mg/L. Recommended dose also yielded a low CFR value (56.97%-69.31% for PDR-AB, 44.76%-56.94% for PDR-PA) in patients with CL Cr of ≥ 60-120 mL/min. When dose was increased to 2 MU q8h, CFR (77.45%-92.87%) and the risks of nephrotoxicity (< 0.15%) was optimal for patients with CL Cr ≥ 60-120 mL/min, but low value of PTA (< 75.36%) was also yielded for isolates with MIC of ≥ 1 mg/L. The most aggressive dose of 3 MU q8h provided high CFR (> 89.24%) even in patients with CL Cr ≥ 90-120 mL/min, and PTA was < 76.20% only for isolates with MIC of ≥ 1.5 mg/L, but this dosing scheme was associated with unacceptable risks of nephrotoxicity (> 33.68%)., Conclusions: Measurement of MIC, individualized CMS therapy and therapeutic drug-level monitoring should be considered to achieve the optimal drug exposure and ensure the safety of CMS.

Objective: To investigate the possible mechanism of natural killer cells (NK cells) in immune dysfunction in sepsis by monitoring the phenotype and function of periphery NK cells in patients with sepsis., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. The patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, n=59) or sepsis (n=65) admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of Anhui Provincial Hospital from August 2011 to August 2013 were enrolled. Blood samples were collected within 48 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission, the phenotype and function of periphery NK cells were determined by flow cytometry. Twenty-eight healthy people served as controls., Results: The proportion and number of peripheral blood CD3⁻ CD56⁺ NK cells in SIRS and sepsis groups were normal, and no statistical difference was found when compared with those of the healthy control group [cell proportion: 0.102 ± 0.019, 0.102 ± 0.108 vs. 0.106 ± 0.018, F = 0.018, P = 0.982; cell number (× 10⁶/L): 182.46 ± 65.98, 172.97 ± 63.51 vs. 179.25 ± 60.44, F=0.349, P=0.706]. It was shown by NK cell degranulation detection that there was no significant difference in the expression of CD107 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretion [CD107: 0.135 ± 0.050, 0.140 ± 0.058, 0.128 ± 0.070, F = 0.583, P = 0.560; IFN-γ (kU/L): 14.36 ± 4.74, 12.49 ± 4.21, 13.45 ± 5.04, F=1.616, P=0.202] among healthy control group, SIRS group, and sepsis group. It was shown by antibody dependent cytotoxic effect (ADCC) test that there was no difference in the expression of CD107 among healthy control group, SIRS group, and sepsis group (0.574 ± 0.166, 0.643 ± 0.165, 0.581 ± 0.157, F = 0.808, P = 0.448). When compared with healthy controls, the secretion of IFN-γ was increased in SIRS patients (kU/L: 40.5 ± 13.2 vs. 28.4 ± 9.6, P = 0.001), while reduced in sepsis patients (kU/L: 19.8 ± 6.7 vs. 28.4 ± 9.6, P<0.01). Compared with SIRS group, only NK cell surface inhibitory receptors CD158e (KIR 3DL1) expression in sepsis group was significantly increased (0.203 ± 0.057 vs. 0.079 ± 0.021, t = 15.762, P<0.001), and there were no significant differences in the other phenotype between the two groups. Compared with SIRS group, the IFN-γ production of the sepsis group was significantly lowered (kU/L: 0.280 ± 0.040 vs. 0.310 ± 0.038, t = 3.390, P = 0.009), and the level of IL-12 was also significantly decreased (ng/L: 0.15 ± 0.03 vs. 0.30 ± 0.08, t = 32.832, P < 0.001)., Conclusions: It was showed by NK cell phenotype and function assay that the function of NK cells in patients with sepsis was impaired and led to a poor production of IFN-γ. The IFN-γ mediated immune dysfunction may be a main reason for the disorder of NK cell function, which laid the foundation of the clinical immune intervention practice to improve to NK cell function.