Clin Lab
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Controlled Clinical Trial
C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) reflects renal function in patients suffering from severe sepsis or septic shock.
One of the main causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients treated on an intensive care unit (ICU) is sepsis. The identification of new biomarkers indicating the early development and future course of AKI are of utmost medical interest. The C-terminal agrin fragment (CAF) is measurable in blood serum and might reflect kidney function. Therefore, this study evaluates CAF in patients presenting to an internal ICU with severe sepsis or septic shock. Serum levels of CAF are correlated with biomarkers of kidney function, markers of systemic inflammation, and the presence of AKI and renal replacement therapy (RRT). ⋯ In patients suffering from severe sepsis and septic shock, serum levels of CAF were significantly associated with kidney function and RRT and were not influenced by severe septic conditions.
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Observational Study
Utility of uric acid as a risk marker of extubation success in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The objective of this observational study was to determine whether there is an association between extubation success and uric acid in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with mechanical ventilation admitted to the intensive care units, and identify the risk markers for extubation success in COPD patients with mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The novel finding of this study is that the extubation failure in COPD patients with respiratory failure is strongly related to serum uric acid level, APACHE II score on admission, and duration of mechanical ventilation. These results might be helpful for selecting the best time to remove the tracheal intubation and improving extubation success rate in COPD patients with respiratory failure.
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Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens in healthcare settings worldwide. The present study was conducted to analyze the genes encoding resistance to carbapenems and to determine in vitro activity of colistin and tigecycline against CRAB isolates from blood culture of hospitalized patients at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School hospital. ⋯ This study indicated the most of the CRAB isolates in our hospital carry the OXA-23 gene. Colistin and tigecycline resistance were not detected. However, significant effort must be done to prevent the spread of OXA-23-producing CRAB-isolates and continuous monitoring of drug resistance is necessary in clinical settings.
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To investigate the distribution of stenosis of intracranial and extracranial arteries of Han population patients suffering from cerebral infarction in the city of Quanzhou in Fujian and to determine the correlation of apolipoprotein A1 and apolipoprotein B with intracranial and extracranial atherosclerosis stenosis. ⋯ 1. The occurrence of atherosclerosis stenosis in intracranial arteries is more frequent than that in extracranial arteries in population with cerebral infarction; 2. Apo B is an independent risk factor of intracranial and extracranial arterial stenosis, apo A1 is associated with the degree of intracranial stenosis and an independent protector of intracranial stenosis.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of alcoholic (ASH) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in alcoholics by non-invasive biochemical markers: AshTest and NashTest. ⋯ In conclusion, the prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in alcoholics is higher than of alcoholic steatohepatitis, as estimated by non-invasive tests. Co-occurrence of alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in alcoholic patients is low and the high prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is related with high occurrence of metabolic risk factors.