Early determination of the severity of Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is essential for better disease prognosis. Current predictors are suboptimal, and their clinical utility remains to be defined, highlighting the need for developing biomarkers with efficacious prognostic value. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid with a documented regulatory role in immune defense and maintenance of endothelial barrier integrity. For early diagnose of CAP and recognition of severe CAP patients, we conduct this pilot study to access the potential utility of the circulating S1P in an Emergency department setting. In the prospective study, plasma S1P levels were quantified in healthy controls and patients with CAP. Also, their discriminating power was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. The association between S1P levels and disease severity indices was assessed by Spearman correlation and logistic regression tests. Patients with CAP had significantly higher plasma S1P levels than healthy individuals (CAP: 27.54 ng/ml, IQR = 14.37–49.99 ng/ml; Controls: 10.58 ng/ml, IQR = 4.781–18.91 ng/ml; p < 0.0001). S1P levels were inversely correlated with disease severity in patients with CAP. Based on multivariate logistic regression analysis, the plasma S1P concentrations showed significant predicting power for mortality (OR: 0.909; CI: 0.801–0.985; p < 0.05), intensive care unit admission (OR: 0.89; CI: 0.812–0.953; p < 0.005) and long hospital stay (OR: 0.978; CI: 0.961–0.992; p < 0.005). Interestingly, significantly elevated levels of S1P were noted in patients who received methylprednisolone treatment during hospitalization. These results suggest that S1P may be associated with the pathogenesis of CAP and may have prognostic utility in CAP and its therapy, especially in the Emergency Department setting.

University neighborhoods in Taiwan have high-volume traffic, which may increase motorcyclists’ risk of injury. However, few studies have analyzed the environmental factors affecting motorcycle crash injury severity in university neighborhoods. In this multicenter cross-sectional study, we explored the factors that increase the severity of such injuries, especially among young adults. We retrospectively connected hospital data to the Police Traffic Accident Dataset. Areas within 500 m of a university were considered university neighborhoods. We analyzed 4751 patients, including 513 with severe injury (injury severity score ≥ 8). Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex, age ≥ 45 years, drunk driving, early morning driving, flashing signals, and single-motorcycle crashes were risk factors for severe injury. Among patients aged 18–24 years, female sex, late-night and afternoon driving, and flashing signals were risk factors. Adverse weather did not increase the risk. Time to hospital was a protective factor, reflecting the effectiveness of urban emergency medical services. Lifestyle habits among young adults, such as drunk driving incidents and afternoon and late-night driving, were also explored. We discovered that understanding chaotic traffic in the early morning, flashing signals at the intersections, and roadside obstacles is key for mitigating injury severity from motorcycle crashes in university neighborhoods.

The effect of glycemic control on the prognosis of nondiabetic patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains uncertain. We investigated whether glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is associated with adverse outcomes after AMI in nondiabetic patients. In this observational study, we enrolled nondiabetic patients with AMI in the emergency department of 2 medical centers from January 2011 to September 2014. All patients received primary percutaneous coronary intervention and were divided into 4 groups according to the interquartile range of average HbA1c level (Group I, ≤5.6%; Group II, 5.6%–5.8%; Group III, 5.8%–6.0%; and Group IV, >6.0%). Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to estimate the correlation of HbA1c with major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after AMI. In total, 267 eligible patients were enrolled; 48 patients (18%) developed MACEs within a median follow-up of 178 days. Univariate analysis showed HbA1c > 6.0%, with a higher risk of MACEs in Group IV than in Group I (odds ratio [OR]: 2.733; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.123–6.651 vs OR: 1.511; 95% CI: 0.595–3.835). Multivariate analysis revealed an approximately 3.8 times higher risk of MACEs in Group IV than in Group I (OR: 3.769; 95% CI: 1.30–10.86). The HbA1 level is a significant predictor of MACEs after AMI in nondiabetic patients.