Objective To explore the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and disease severity in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). Methods Patients who visited the Department of Neurology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University with a confirmed diagnosis of SCA3 between July 2022 and August 2023 were selected as a case group, and healthy individuals between June 2024 and October 2024 were selected as a control group, and the BMI levels of the two groups were compared. Patient demographics and clinical statistics were collected, the severity of ataxia in SCA3 patients was assessed using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxi, and the relationship between BMI and disease severity was evaluated. Results A total of 101 patients and 101 healthy individuals were included. The BMI levels of SCA3 patients were significantly lower than those of normal controls (t=−2.370, P=0.019). The results of the multiple linear regression model showed that the BMI, disease duration and smoking history had an effect on the disease severity of SCA3 patients (P<0.05), and disease duration and disease severity had a significant effect on the disease progression in SCA3 patients (P<0.05). Conclusion There may be a correlation between BMI and disease severity in SCA3 patients, and controlling the BMI level may help to control the disease in SCA3 patients.
Objective To study the factors that affect the prognosis of status epilepticus (SE) and to improve the understanding of clinicians. Methods A retrospective analysis of 57 patients with SE witch from the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University and Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Hospital were carried out to collect their clinical data. The data were analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software. The prognosis of the patients was assessed by the Status epilepticus severity score (STESS) scale. Results A total of 57 patients were included, 53 cases improved, 4 cases were automatically discharged. Telephone follow-up showed that 4 cases of automatic discharge were dead. The mortality rate of SE was 7.02%. The most common cause of SE was acute cerebrovascular disease (17.54%), followed by intracranial infection (10.53%); The most common incidence were the occasional medication, self-medication, withdrawal (15.79%). Age, state of consciousness and concurrent infection were associated with prognosis (improvement/death) (P<0.05). STESS score of 0 to 2 points were 45 patients, all improved; score of 3 to 5 points were 12 patients, 8 patients improved, 4 patients died. There were significant differences in the prognosis between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusions Age, state of consciousness, concurrent infection were related to prognosis, more than 65 years, the state of consciousness for the sleeping or coma had the poor prognosis. STESS scale can predict the prognosis of patients effectively.
Objective To investigate the load distribution on the more painful and less painful limbs in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe bilateral knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore the compensatory mechanisms in both limbs among bilateral KOA patients with different severity levels. Methods A total of 113 participants were enrolled between July 2022 and September 2023. This cohort comprised 43 patients with mild-to-moderate bilateral KOA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3), 43 patients with severe bilateral KOA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4), and 27 healthy volunteers (healthy control group). The visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, passive knee range of motion (ROM), and hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) were used to assess walking pain intensity, joint function, and lower limb alignment in KOA patients, respectively. Motion trajectories of reflective markers and ground reaction force data during walking were captured using a gait analysis system. Musculoskeletal modeling was then employed to calculate biomechanical parameters, including the peak knee adduction moment (KAM), KAM impulse, peak joint contact force (JCF), and peak medial/lateral contact forces (MCF/LCF). Statistical analyses were performed to compare differences in clinical and gait parameters between bilateral limbs. Additionally, one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping was utilized to analyze temporal gait data. Results Mild-to-moderate KOA patients showed the significantly higher HSS score (67.7±7.9) than severe KOA patients (51.9±8.9; t=8.747, P<0.001). The more painful limb in all KOA patients exhibited significantly greater HKA and higher VAS scores compared to the less painful limb (P<0.05). While bilateral knee ROM did not differ significantly in mild-to-moderate KOA patients (P>0.05), the severe KOA patients had significantly reduced ROM in the more painful limb versus the less painful limb (P<0.05). Healthy controls showed no significant bilateral difference in any biomechanical parameters (P>0.05). All KOA patients demonstrated longer stance time on the less painful limb (P<0.05). Critically, severe KOA patients exhibited significantly higher peak KAM, KAM impulse, and peak MCF in the more painful limb (P<0.05), while mild-to-moderate KOA patients showed the opposite pattern with lower peak KAM and KAM impulse in the more painful limb (P<0.05) and a similar trend for peak MCF. Conclusion Patients with mild-to-moderate KOA effectively reduce load on the more painful limb through compensatory mechanisms in the less painful limb. Conversely, severe bilateral varus deformities in advanced KOA patients nullify compensatory capacity in the less painful limb, paradoxically increasing load on the more painful limb. This dichotomy necessitates personalized management strategies tailored to disease severity.
ObjectiveTo discuss the risk factors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with severe pneumonia.MethodsData of 80 patients with severe pneumonia admitted in our ICU were analyzed retrospectively, and they were divided into two groups according to development of ARDS, which was defined according to the Berlin new definition. The age, gender, weight, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡscore, lactate, PSI score and LIPS score, etc. were collected. Statistical significance results were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis after univariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to analyze the predictive value of the parameter for ARDS after severe pneumonia.ResultsForty patients with severe pneumonia progressed to ARDS, there were 4 moderate cases and 36 severe cases according to diagnostic criteria. Univariate analysis showed that procalcitonin (t=4.08, P<0.001), PSI score (t=10.67, P<0.001), LIPS score (t=5.14, P<0.001), shock (χ2=11.11, P<0.001), albumin level (t=3.34, P=0.001) were related to ARDS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that LIPS ［odds ratio (OR) 0.226, 95%CI=4.62-5.53, P=0.013］ and PSI (OR=0.854, 95%CI=132.2-145.5, P=0.014) were independent risk factors for ARDS. The predictive value of LIPS and PSI in ARDS occurrence was significant. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of LIPS was 0.901, the cut-off value was 7.2, when LIPS ≥7.2, the sensitivity and specificity were both 85.0%. AUC of PSI was 0.947, the cut-off value was 150.5, when PSI score ≥150.5, the sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% and 90.0% respectively.ConclusionsPSI and LIPS are independent risk factors of ARDS in patients with severe pneumonia, which may be references for guiding clinicians to make an early diagnosis and treatment plan.
ObjectiveTo investigate predictive value of a new blood biochemical scoring system (CPWAG scoring system) on severity and mortality of acute pancreatitis (AP).MethodsThe AP patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in our hospital from January 2017 to June 2019 were collected, then were divided into severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group and non-SAP group according to the latest Atlanta classification. The differences of clinical characteristics and related blood biochemical indicators between the SAP group and the non-SAP group were compared. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to screen blood biochemical risk indicators related to SAP. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to obtain the best cut-off value corresponding to the maximum Youden index of statistical significant risk factors and was assigned as 0 or 1 point according to different situations. At the same time, the pleural effusion of the BISAP score was included and assigned as 0 (yes) or 1 (no) point, then the CPWAG score was obtained by adding the point of the above indexes.The areas under the ROC curve (AUC) of the CPWAG, BISAP, APACHEⅡ, CTSI, and Ranson scoring systems in predicting severity and death of AP patients were also compared.ResultsA total of 451 patients with AP were included in this study, including 85 patients with SAP and 366 patients with non-SAP. Compared with the non-SAP group, the etiology of AP was mainly biliary (P<0.05), with higher levels of white blood cell count (WBC), C reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and glucose (P<0.05), greater red blood cell distribution width value (P<0.05), longer prothrombin time (PT) and hospital stay (P<0.05), lower albumin (ALB) and blood calcium levels (P<0.05), higher BISAP, APACHEⅡ, CTSI and Ranson points (P<0.05), and higher proportions of patients with pleural effusion, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and death (P<0.05) in the SAP group. The highest score of the CPWAG scoring system included CRP, PCT, WBC, ALB, glucose, blood calcium, and pleural effusion was 7. With the increase of CPWAG score, the proportion of SAP and death patients showed an increasing trend (P<0.001). The AUC of the CPWAG scoring system in predicting SAP was 0.866, which was higher than those of Ranson (AUC=0.722, Z=5.317, P<0.001), APACHEⅡ (AUC=0.706, Z=5.019, P<0.001), and CTSI (AUC=0.805, Z=1.962, P=0.005) scoring system, but which had no statistically significant difference as compared with the BISAP scoring system (AUC=0.819, Z=1.816, P=0.070). The AUC of the CPWAG scoring system in predicting death had a high ability (AUC=0.823), which had no significant differences as compared with the Ranson, APACHEⅡ, CTSI, and BISAP scoring systems (P>0.05).ConclusionThe CPWAG score is valuable in predicting the severity and mortality of AP patients, allowing accurate and early assessment of AP patients.
Objective To investigate the values of pneumonia severity index ( PSI) , CURB-65,plasma procalcitonin ( PCT) , C-reactive protein ( CRP) measurements for evaluation the severity of healthcare-associated pneumonia ( HCAP) .Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted on 92 hospitalized patients with HCAP admitted between June 2010 and December 2011. They were divided into different groups according to different severity assessment criteria. The variance and correlation of PCT,CRP,WBC and percent of neutrophil ( Neu% ) levels were compared among different groups. ROC curvewas established to analyze PSI, CURB-65, PCT and CRP levels for predicting the motality of HCAP patients.Results In the severe HCAP group, PSI and CURB-65 scoring and serum PCT, CRP, WBC, Neu% levels were significantly higher than those in the non-severe HCAP group( P lt; 0. 05) . In the high-risk HCAP group, PCT, CRP, WBC and Neu% levels were significantly higher than those in the low-risk HCAP group according to the PSI and CURB-65 scoring criteria( P lt;0. 05) .WBC and Neu% levels were also significantly higher than those in the moderate-risk group. PSI and CURB-65 scoring were positively correlated with PCT and CRP levels. PSI scoring gt;120 points or CURB-65 scoring gt;2 points on admission were predictors of mortality. Conclusions PSI and CURB-65 scoring are correlated with severity of HCAP. Combining serum PCT and CRP levels can improve the predictive accuracy of the severity of HCAP.
ObjectiveTo explore the consistency and clinical application value of Balthazar CT classification and extra-pancreatic inflammation on computed tomography (EPIC) score in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). MethodsA total of 100 continuous patients with AP were included in the Hainan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2019 to April 2021, who were divided into mild (n=41), moderate (n=37), and severe (n=22) AP, and all of them underwent the abdominal CT examination. The Balthazar CT classification score, EPIC score, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE-Ⅱ) score were compared and the correlations were analyzed among 3 groups. The consistency of Balthazar CT classification score or EPIC score and clinical classification was analyzed. ResultsThere were statistical differences in the Balthazar CT classification score [(1.58±0.29) points vs. (2.43±0.36) points vs. (3.20±0.51) points, F=13.261, P<0.001], EPIC score [(2.56±0.30) points vs. (4.29±0.77) points vs. (5.68±0.82) points, F=14.672, P<0.001], and APACHE-Ⅱ score [(21.40±6.22) points vs. (29.13±7.31) points vs. (39.37±8.18) points, F=13.906, P<0.001] among mild, moderate, and severe 3 groups. The points of the three indexes increased statistically with the severity of AP (P<0.05). The Balthazar CT classification score was positively correlated with APACHE-Ⅱ score and EPIC score (r=0.537, P<0.001; r=0.609, P<0.001), and EPIC score was positively correlated with APACHE-Ⅱ score (r=0.582, P<0.001). The Kappa values of Balthazar CT classification score or EPIC score and clinical classification for assessing the severity of AP were 0.731 and 0.704, respectively. ConclusionsFrom the preliminary results of this study, Balthazar CT classification score and EPIC score increase obviously with the aggravation of AP and which has a higher consistency, and are positively correlated with APACHE-Ⅱ score. It is suggested that abdominal CT has a good clinical application value in the assessment of severity of AP.
ObjectiveTo investigate correlation of bedside index for severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP) and computed tomography severity index(CTSI), modified computed tomography severity index(MCTSI), or extra-pancreatic inflammation on CT(EPIC) score, respectively, in assessing severity of acute pancreatitis. MethodsForty-five patients confirmed SAP from July 2015 to November 2015 in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were prospectively included into this study. Contrast-enhanced multi-detector-row CT scan was performed for all the patients. The abnormal imaging features, such as pancreatic and peri-pancreatic inflammatory changes, involvement of other organs and local complications, were observed and used to calculate three CT severity indexes(CTSI, MCTSI, and EPIC). The clinical data were also colle-cted to calculate BISAP and as compared with CT severity indexes. Correlation between the CT indexes points and BISAP score was estimated using the Spearman test. Interobserver agreement for CTSI, MCTSI or EPIC was calculated using the Kappa statistic. ResultsThe results of BISAP score were as follows: 4 cases gradeⅠ, 22 cases gradeⅡ, 19 cases gradeⅢ. The results of CTSI score were as follows: 6 cases gradeⅠ, 22 cases gradeⅡ, 17 cases gradeⅢ. The results of MCTSI score were as follows: 1 case gradeⅠ, 13 cases gradeⅡ, 31 cases gradeⅢ. The results of EPIC score were as follows: 6 cases gradeⅠ, 11 cases gradeⅡ, 28 cases gradeⅢ. The score of BISAP, CTSI, MCIST, or EPIC was 2.41±0.82, 6.02±1.96, 7.91± 2.11, and 5.57±1.52, respectively. Interobserver agreements for CTSI, MCTSI, and EPIC were good(CTSI: Kappa=0.748, 95% CI 0.000-0.076, P < 0.01; MCTSI: Kappa=0.788, 95% CI 0.000-0.076, P < 0.01; EPIC: Kappa=0.768, 95% CI 0.000-0.076, P < 0.01). Spearman statistic showed there was a positive correlation between CTSI score(rs=0.439, P=0.003), MCTSI score(rs=0.640, P=0.000), or EPIC(rs=0.503, P=0.001) and BISAP score. ConclusionThere is a positive correlation between MCTSI or EPIC and BISAP score, and MCTSI is more strongly correlated with BISAP as compared with EPIC.
Objective To investigate the value of fibrinogen to albumin ratio (FAR) combined with pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) in the assessment of severity and prognosis of patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE). Methods A retrospective study of hospitalized patients with confirmed APTE admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from September 2013 to August 2021, divided into low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups according to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Pulmonary Thromboembolism, and divided into survival groups and death groups according to the 30-day prognosis. The general data of all patients and relevant blood laboratory tests within 2 hours after admission were collected to calculate PESI and FAR. FAR and PESI levels were compared in APTE patients with different severity of disease and different prognosis. Independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in APTE patients were analyzed using logistic regression. Subject working characteristic curves were drawn to assess the differences in sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve of FAR, PESI and FAR combined with PESI in predicting 30-day death. Results Total of 235 APTE patients were included, divided into 85 in the low-risk group, 110 in the intermediate-risk group, and 40 in the high-risk group; 192 in the survival group and 43 in the death group according to 30-day survival. The differences in age, albumin (ALB), high-sensitivity troponin, D-dimer, fibrinogen (FIB), FAR, and PESI of APTE patients with different disease severity were statistically significant (P<0.05). FAR increased progressively with increasing severity of disease (P<0.05), and correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between FAR and PESI (r=0.614, P<0.05). Elevated FIB, FAR, PESI and decreased ALB were independent risk factors for 30-day death in patients with APTE (P<0.05). FAR, PESI, and FAR combined with PESI all had predictive value for 30-day death in APTE patients, and FAR combined with PESI predicted the largest area under the 30-day death curve. Conclusions FAR correlated with the severity and prognosis of APTE patients. FAR combined with PESI was more valuable in assessing the 30-day prognosis of APTE patients than FAR alone or PESI alone.
Objective To systematic investigate whether phase angle of bioelectrical impedance is associated with the functionality, severity, and prognosis of individuals afflicted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Relevant literature from the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, and WanFang databases was retrieved, and literature screening and data extraction in accordance with standardized methods were conducted. Literature quality was assessed by utilizing Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Subsequently, data pertaining to the results was extracted for summarization and induction, and descriptive analyzed through qualitative synthesis. Results A total of 11 studies, encompassing 2189 subjects, were included in this review, and the overall quality of the literature was deemed relatively high. Of these studies, three examined the correlation between phase angle and the severity of COPD, eight studies examined the correlation between phase angle and pulmonary and physical function in COPD, and seven studies reported the association between phase angle and adverse outcomes such as hospitalization time, nutritional risk, acute exacerbation and mortality in COPD. The collective findings suggestted that reduced levels of phase angle are linked to severe illness, diminished function, and unfavorable prognosis among individuals with COPD. Phase angle emerged as an independent predictor of lung function, physical exercise endurance, acute exacerbation and mortality in COPD patients. Conclusion The phase angle level of COPD patients is associated with their disease severity, function, and prognosis, and is an potential available indicator for clinical management of COPD patients.