The effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors on survival parameters in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a retrospective study

ObjectiveThere is a paucity of data concerning the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of G-CSF use on relapse-free and overall survival in 358 consecutive, newly diagnosed pediatric ALL patients uniformly treated at the same institution between April 2012 and April 2020.Materials and MethodsPatients were evaluated in two separate periods, based on the G-CSF treatment approach. All patients who underwent ALL treatment between April 2012 and December 2016 received G-CSF (G-CSF⁺ arm; n: 245) in the course of the protocol for reducing the risk of febrile neutropenia and/or inducing neutrophil recovery to prevent any treatment delay. No patients after December 2016 received G-CSF, even if they belonged to the high-risk group, and these were included in the G-CSF^? arm (n: 113).ResultsEstimated mean relapse-free (106.5 months; 95 % CI 102?110.8 vs 82 months 95 % CI 75.2?88.9; p: 0.794) and overall survival (111.4 months; 95 % CI 108?114.8 vs 85 months 95 % CI 80.4?89.8; p: 0.431) rates were similar between the G-CSF⁺ and G-CSF^? groups.ConclusionsOur findings indicate that G-CSF use during ALL treatment had no effect on relapse rates or overall survival.     

Efficacy,immunogenicity, and safety of available vaccines in children on biologics: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Vaccinations are essential for preventing infectious diseases in children with chronic diseases as they have increased risk of infection from frequent use of biologics. Response to immunizations in this group is not well known.ObjectiveA systematic review was performed to evaluate three primary outcomes: efficacy; immunogenicity; and safety of vaccines in children with chronic conditions treated with biologics.MethodsThe protocol for our systematic review and meta-analysis was registered and published with PROSPERO. We searched electronic bibliographic databases for studies published from 2009 to 2019, focusing on vaccinations in children with chronic conditions treated with biologics.ResultsWe retrieved 532 records. Thirty-one full-text articles were selected, and 14 were included in the meta-analysis. No significant publication bias was found. Efficacy: limited data are available regarding the efficacy of vaccination, as most studies have focused on immunogenicity as surrogate outcome for efficacy. Immunogenicity: patients receiving anti-TNF-alpha therapy had a statistically significant risk of poor seroconversion (p = 0.028) and seroprotection by the serotype B influenza vaccine [inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) p = 0.013; juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) p = 0.004]. We found adequate responses with H1N1 and H3N2 serotypes. Few studies existed for pneumococcal, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, varicella-zoster virus, Measles Mumps Rubella virus, and multiple vaccine administration. Safety: vaccine administration was not associated with serious side effects, but JIA patients on anti-TNF alpha therapy had a statistically significant risk of presenting with myalgia or arthralgia postinfluenza vaccine (p = 0.014).ConclusionsMore evidence concerning efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of vaccinations is needed to guide physicians in the vaccine decision process for this pediatric population.     

Oxygen sensing,anaesthesia and critical care: a narrative review

In 2019, the scientists who discovered how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability were awarded the Nobel Prize. This elegant sensing pathway is conserved throughout evolution, and it underpins the physiology and pathology that we, as clinicians in anaesthesia and critical care, encounter on a daily basis. The purpose of this review is to bring hypoxia-inducible factor, and the oxygen-sensing pathway as a whole, to the wider clinical community. We describe how this unifying mechanism was discovered, and how it orchestrates diverse changes such as erythropoiesis, ventilatory acclimatisation, pulmonary vascular remodelling and altered metabolism. We explore the lessons learnt from genetic disorders of oxygen sensing, and the wider implications in evolution of all animal species, including our own. Finally, we explain how this pathway is relevant to our clinical practice, and how it is being manipulated in new treatments for conditions such as cancer, anaemia and pulmonary hypertension.     

原发性肺鳞癌中EGFR和ALK基因突变的临床研究北大核心

目的:探讨赣南地区原发性肺鳞癌患者EGFR和ALK基因突变的特点,科学指导此类患者优选靶向用药。方法:入组73例原发性肺鳞癌病例,采用ARMS-PNA技术检测EGFR基因第18、19、20、21外显子突变,应用不平衡法检测其中60例病例的ALK融合基因,回顾性分析EGFR和ALK基因突变患者的临床病理特征。结果:EGFR基因突变8例,阳性率为10.96%(8/73),4例为L858R突变,3例为19del突变,1例为G719X突变。女性患者突变率(66.67%,2/3)明显高于男性患者(8.57%,6/70)(P=0.030),EGFR基因突变在高龄(≥60岁)、进展期(N_(1-3)、Ⅲ+Ⅳ期)患者中相对较高,但差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。EGFR基因突变与吸烟史、T分期以及肿瘤分布位置均无相关性(P>0.05);ALK融合基因表达2例,阳性率3.33%(2/60),与患者性别、年龄、吸烟史、TNM分期及肿瘤分布类型等各临床病理特征均无相关性(P>0.05);未发现EGFR和ALK基因共存突变病例。结论:赣南地区原发性肺鳞癌患者EGFR和ALK基因突变率相对不高,EGFR基因突变以L858R和19del突变为主,且好发于女性患者,可能是患者病情进展的预测因子之一。     

Moral Distress and Burnout in NICU Nurses

The objectives of this study were to factor analyze the Moral Distress Scale–Revised (MDS-R) in NICU nurses and to evaluate the relationships among dimensions of the MDS-R and the demoralization, exhaustion, and loss of motive dimensions of the Burnout Measure (BM). A total of 142 NICU nurses completed modified pen-and-paper versions of the MDS-R and BM. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the MDS-R-14 was a relatively good fit for the data. The compromised care dimension predicted BM demoralization (β = 0.24) and exhaustion (β = 0.22), the futile care dimension predicted BM exhaustion (β = 0.18), and the untruthful care dimension predicted BM demoralization (β = .25). Strategies to mitigate moral distress and resulting burnout in NICU nurses should address futile care, compromised care, and untruthful care.     

Management of sagittal craniosynostosis: morphological comparison of eight surgical techniques

The aim of this study was to carry out a retrospective multicentre study comparing the morphological outcome of 8 techniques used for the management of sagittal synostosis versus a large cohort of control patients. Computed tomographic (CT) images were obtained from children CT-scanned for non-craniosynostosis related events (n = 241) and SS patients at preoperative and postoperative follow-up stages (n = 101). No significant difference in morphological outcomes was observed between the techniques considered in this study. However, the majority of techniques showed a tendency for relapse. Further, the more invasive procedures at older ages seem to lead to larger intracranial volume compared to less invasive techniques at younger ages. This study can be a first step towards future multicentre studies, comparing surgical results and offering a possibility for objective benchmarking of outcomes between methods and centres.     

南京某国际高中学生艾滋病知识知晓率及影响因素分析

目的 分析南京市某国际高中学生艾滋病知识知晓率及其影响因素,为制定高中生艾滋病健康教育策略提供依据。方法 对南京市某国际高中所有学生开展纸质问卷调查,统计分析艾滋病知识知晓率及其影响因素。 共纳入171名高中生为调查对象,艾滋病和梅毒的知识知晓率分别为56.1%和46.8%;有过性行为的占14.6%,其艾滋病知识知晓率最高为32.0%,(χ2=10.799,P=0.005);有吸毒史的学生占9.3%,其艾滋病知识知晓率最高为31.2%,(χ2=21.062,P<0.001);梅毒知识知晓者与不知晓者的艾滋病知识知晓率差异具有统计学意义(χ2=21.716,P<0.001)。 该国际高中学生性病和艾滋病知识知晓率较低,对高中生开展毒品危害教育和性病艾滋病防治应作为健康教育工作重点。