BackgroundFibrinogen plays a pivotal role in the inflammatory cascade and is intricately linked to the pathogenesis of sepsis. Nevertheless, its significance as a prognostic marker for sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the association between fibrinogen levels and 28-day mortality with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury.MethodThe fibrinogen levels of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between 2008 and 2019 were retrospectively assessed, and those diagnosed with SA-AKI were divided into low, middle and high fibrinogen level groups according to tertiles. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the 28-day mortality risk of the SA-AKI patients.ResultsA total of 3,479 patients with SA-AKI were included in the study. Fibrinogen demonstrated an independent association with 28-day mortality, yielding a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.961 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.923-0.999, P = 0.0471). Notably, a non-linear relationship between fibrinogen levels and 28-day mortality was observed, with the threshold observed at approximately 1.6 g/l. The effect sizes and corresponding CIs below and above this threshold were 0.509 (0.367, 0.707) and 1.011 (0.961, 1.064), respectively. Specifically, the risk of mortality among SA-AKI patients decreased by 49.1% for every 1 g/l increment in fibrinogen, provided that fibrinogen levels were less than 1.6 g/l.ConclusionIn patients with SA-AKI, a non-linear relationship was identified between fibrinogen levels and 28-day mortality. Particularly, when their fibrinogen levels were less than 1.6 g/l, a concomitant decrease in 28-day mortality was observed as fibrinogen levels increased.

Background: There are no guidelines in China or worldwide that clearly recommend indicators for the early diagnosis of sepsis in the emergency department. Simple and unified joint diagnostic criteria are also scarce. We compare the Quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score and inflammatory mediator concen-trations in patients with normal infection, sepsis, and sepsis death.Methods: This study used a prospective and consecutive manner, including 79 patients with sepsis in the Emergency Department of Shenzhen People's Hospital from December 2020 to June 2021, and 79 patients with common infections (non-sepsis) matched by age and sex during the same period. The sepsis patients were then divided into a sepsis survival group (n = 67) and a sepsis death group (n = 12) based on whether they survived within 28 days. The baseline characteristics, qSOFA scores, the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1b, IL-8, IL-10, procalcitonin (PCT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) and other indicators were collected in all subjects.Results: PCT and qSOFA were independent risk factors for predicting sepsis in the emergency department. The AUC value of PCT was the largest (0.819) among all diagnostic indicators of sepsis, with a cut-off value of 0.775 ng/ml and sensitivity and specificity of 0.785 and 0.709, respectively. The AUC of qSOFA combined PCT was the largest (0.842) in the combination of the 2 indicators, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.722 and 0.848, respectively. IL-6 was an independent risk factor for predicting death within 28 days. IL-8 had the largest AUC value (0.826) among all indicators predicting sepsis death, with a cut-off value of 215 pg/ml and sensitivity and specificity of 0.667 and 0.895, respectively. Among the combination of two indicators, qSOFA combined with IL -8 had the largest AUC value (0.782) and sensitivity and specificity of 0.833 and 0.612, respectively.Conclusions: QSOFA and PCT are independent risk factors for sepsis, and qSOFA combined with PCT may be an ideal combination for early diagnosis of sepsis in the emergency department. IL-6 is an independent risk factor for death within 28 days of sepsis, and qSOFA combined with IL-8 may be an ideal combination for early pre-diction of death within 28 days in sepsis patients in the emergency department.

Objective:To assess the effect of exercise prescription on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory failure through meta-analysis.Methods:A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from the database establishment date to February 1, 2023. The search included randomized controlled trials that involved exercise prescription for patients with COPD and respiratory failure. Two independent researchers conducted literature searches, data extraction, and methodological quality evaluation. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.Results:A total of 11 studies with 862 patients were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis revealed that the exercise prescription was beneficial in improving lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1): standardized mean difference ( SMD)=1.53(95% CI: 1.28, 1.78), P<0.001; forced vital capacity (FVC): SMD=1.55(95% CI: 0.25, 2.84), P=0.020; FEV 1/FVC: SMD=1.68(95% CI: 0.81, 2.55), P<0.001], gas exchange ability [arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2): SMD=1.13(95% CI: 0.92, 1.34), P<0.001; arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2): SMD=-1.23(95% CI:-1.60, -0.85), P<0.001], improving 6 minutes walking distance test (6MWT) [ SMD=2.20(95% CI: 1.13, 3.27), P<0.001], relieving dyspnea [Borg score: SMD=-1.74(95% CI:-3.26, -0.22), P=0.020; St George′ respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) score: SMD=-1.10(95% CI:-1.53, 0.66), P<0.001], and reducing mechanical ventilation time [ SMD=-2.08(95% CI:-3.33, -0.83), P=0.001]. Conclusion:Exercise prescription can improve the pulmonary function, gas exchange ability, cardiorespiratory endurance, quality of life, dyspnea and reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and negative outcomes for patients with COPD and respiratory failure.

Background Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by spirochete “genus” leptospira. The clinical presentations of leptospirosis range from an influenza-like presentation of fever and myalgia, to severe forms. Leptospirosis can potentially lead to a misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis when clinical similarities exist. Case presentation A 63-year-old man presented with fever, shock and thrombocytopenia followed by diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage. Peripheral blood Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing (mNGS) reported Leptospira interrogans. The patient was treated with piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP) plus doxycycline and improved dramatically after 7 days. Conclusion We conclude that leptospirosis can potentially lead to a misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis. Correctly evaluation of thrombocytopenia in acute febrile illnesses facilitates the differential diagnosis of leptospirosis. mNGS can accurately detect Leptospira DNA during the early stage of the infection.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated with heart failure (HF) in the elderly, and to construct a clinical prediction scoring model and evaluate its predictive value.Methods:This was a case-control study.By searching the electronic medical record system, 53 patients with AECOPD complicated with HF who were hospitalized in Shenzhen People′s Hospital from January 2020 to September 2021 were collected by non-random sampling, and 53 patients with pure AECOPD were matched in the same period.The general clinical data and main laboratory indicators of the two groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the independent risk factors for HF in AECOPD patients.Each risk factor was scored and a clinical prediction model was constructed.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the predictive ability of the clinical prediction model.The Hosmer-Lemeshow test and Bootstrap method were used for internal verification of the model and for testing the accuracy of the model.Results:Age, diabetes mellitus, history of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, history of hyperuricemia, pulmonary hypertension, potassium ion, and fasting blood glucose in AECOPD complicated with HF group were significantly higher than those in the pure AECOPD group (all P<0.05). Low density lipoprotein cholesterol and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were significantly lower than those in pure AECOPD group (all P<0.05). Risk factors, including age >80 years, history of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, and hyperuricemia, were screened out based on univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and a clinical prediction model was constructed on this basis.For the elderly AECOPD patients complicated with HF, the model predicted that the AUC was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.97, P<0.001), the best cut-off score was 34, and the sensitivity and specificity were respectively 94.3% and 79.2%.The Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed no statistically significant difference between the actual probability and the predicted probability of concurrent HF in elderly patients with AECOPD ( P=0.769). After internal verification by Bootstrap, the model still had high discrimination ability. Conclusions:Age >80 years old, history of coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, and hyperuricemia are independent risk factors for HF in elderly AECOPD patients.The clinical prediction scoring model constructed based on the above indicators has certain predictive value for the risk of elderly AECOPD patients complicated with HF.