To revalidate a means of assessing delirium in intensive care unit patients and to investigate the independent effect of delirium on the mortality of mechanically ventilated patients. A prospective cohort study. A 37-bed medical intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. Subjects were 102 of 131 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients. All the enrolled patients were assessed for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). Mortality rate were compared between patients with or without delirium, and the predictors of death were investigated. The two CAM-ICU assessors’ sensitivities in diagnosing delirium compared with reference standard were 91% and 95%, whereas their specificities were both 98%. They also demonstrated high interrater reliability with kappa statistics of 0.91. Delirium was present in 22 of 102 (22%) patients in the first 5 days. The delirious patients had higher intensive care unit mortality rate than nondelirious patients (63.6% vs. 32.5%, respectively), with a hazard ratio of 2.57 (95% confidence interval, 1.56–8.15). In multivariate analysis, delirium (odds ratio, 13.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.69–62.91), shock (odds ratio, 12.91; 95% confidence interval, 2.93–56.92), and illness severity (odds ratio, 9.61; 95% confidence interval, 2.24–41.18) were independent predictors of mortality. This study confirms previous work showing that delirium is an independent predictor for increased mortality among mechanically ventilated patients.

Rationale: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous family of myeloid cells that suppress T-cell immunity in tumor-bearing hosts. Their clinical relevance remains unclear. Objectives: To identify subtypes of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their clinical relevance. Methods: CD11b+CD14− and CD11b+CD14+ cells, determined and phenotyped by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of treatment-naive patients with advanced NSCLC were correlated with clinical data. T-cell activation in response to CD3/CD28 costimulation was determined by carboxy-fluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) staining and ELISA analysis of IFN-γ. The percentage of CD11b+CD14+S100A9+ cells in PBMCs was correlated with and tested as a predictor for treatment response in a cohort of patients prospectively receiving first-line cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Measurements and Main Results: Patients with NSCLC had a significantly higher ratio of CD11b+CD14+ cells than healthy subjects, which was correlated with poor performance status and poor response to chemotherapy. The depletion of these cells in the PBMC reversed the suppression of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells. Isolated CD11b+CD14+ cells suppressed CD8+ T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ production, and the former effect was attenuated by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor aminoguanidine hydrochloride, arginase inhibitor N-hydroxy-nor-l-arginine (nor-NOHA), and blocking antibodies for IL-4Rα+ and IL-10. CD11b+CD14+ cells were monocyte-like, expressing CD33+, CD15−/low, IL-4Rα+, and S100A9+ and producing iNOS, arginase, and several cytokines. The ratio of S100A9+ cells positively correlated with the suppressive ability of the CD11b+CD14+ cells, was associated with poor response to chemotherapy, and predicted shorter progression-free survival. Conclusions: CD14+S100A9+ inflammatory monocytes in patients with NSCLC are a distinct subset of MDSCs, which suppress T cells by arginase, iNOS, and the IL-13/IL-4Rα axis. The amount of these inflammatory monocytes is associated with poor response to chemotherapy. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01204307).

We evaluated whether a goal-directed protocol, without measurement of central venous oxygen saturation, would improve survival in medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients with septic shock. This is a prospective, controlled study in a 24-bed medical ICU at a tertiary care hospital. From a total of 241 consecutive patients with septic shock, 224 were randomly assigned to receive therapy with or without a written protocol using central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure, and urine output as therapeutic goals. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Implementation of goal-directed therapy caused a more rapid reversal of persistent shock (47 +/- 22.8 vs. 65.4 +/- 32.1 h, P = 0.006) and decreases of ICU (50% vs. 67.2%, P = 0.009) and in-hospital (53.7% vs. 71.6%, P = 0.006) mortality rates compared with non-goal-directed therapy. Patients receiving goal-directed therapy also had less risk for developing central nervous system or renal failure than patients without. Patients with goal-directed therapy received more fluid during the period of persistent shock (136.2 +/- 119 vs. 88.6 +/- 57.7 mL h, P = 0.034) and less delay in vasopressor administration (78 +/- 22.2 vs. 104.4 +/- 29 min, P = 0.001) than patients with non-goal therapy. Implementation of a goal-directed protocol improves survival and clinical outcomes in ICU patients with septic shock. These benefits may arise from adequate fluid resuscitation, earlier vasopressor administration, rapid shock reversal, and protection of major organ function. With central venous oxygen saturation measurement to detect tissue perfusion, the clinical outcomes may be further improved.

The self-management of asthma can improve clinical outcomes. Recently, mobile telephones have been widely used as an efficient, instant personal communication tool. This study investigated whether a self-care system will achieve better asthma control through a mobile telephone-based interactive programme.This was a prospective, controlled study in outpatient clinics. From 120 consecutive patients with moderate-to-severe persistent asthma, 89 were eventually recruited for the study, with 43 in the mobile telephone group (with a mobile telephone-based interactive asthma self-care system).In the mobile telephone group, mean±sempeak expiratory flow rate significantly increased at 4 (378.2±9.3 L·min⁻¹; n = 43; p = 0.020), 5 (378.2±9.2 L·min⁻¹; n = 43; p = 0.008) and 6 months (382.7±8.6 L·min⁻¹; n = 43; p = 0.001) compared to the control group. Mean±semforced expiratory volume in 1 s significantly increased at 6 months (65.2±3.2% predicted; n = 43; p<0.05). Patients in the mobile telephone group had better quality of life after 3 months, as determined using the Short Form-12® physical component score, and fewer episodes of exacerbation and unscheduled visits than the control group. Patients in the mobile telephone group significantly increased their mean daily dose of either systemic or inhaled corticosteroids compared with the control group.The mobile telephone-based interactive self-care system provides a convenient and practical self-monitoring and -management of asthma, and improves asthma control.

The application of a supervised endurance exercise training programme in a home setting offering convenience and prolonged effects is a challenge.In total, 48 patients were initially assessed by the incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT), spirometry and the Short Form-12 (SF-12) quality-of-life questionnaire, and then every 4 weeks for 3 months thereafter and again after 1 yr. During the first 3 months, 24 patients in the cell phone group were asked to perform daily endurance walking at 80% of their maximal capacity by following the tempo of music from a program installed on a cell phone. The level of endurance walking at home was readjusted monthly according to the result of ISWT. In the control group, 24 patients received the same protocol and were verbally asked to take daily walking exercise at home.Patients in the cell phone group significantly improved their ISWT distance and duration of endurance walking after 8 weeks. The improvements in ISWT distance, inspiratory capacity and SF-12 scoring at 12 weeks persisted until the end of the study, with less acute exacerbations and hospitalisations.In the present pilot study, the cell phone-based system provides an efficient, home endurance exercise training programme with good compliance and clinical outcomes in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.