Tumor Tissue Detection using Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent Functional MRI based on Independent Component Analysis

Accurate delineation of gliomas from the surrounding normal brain areas helps maximize tumor resection and improves outcome. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) has been routinely adopted for presurgical mapping of the surrounding functional areas. For completely utilizing such imaging data, here we show the feasibility of using presurgical fMRI for tumor delineation. In particular, we introduce a novel method dedicated to tumor detection based on independent component analysis (ICA) of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) with automatic tumor component identification. Multi-center rs-fMRI data of 32 glioma patients from three centers, plus the additional proof-of-concept data of 28 patients from the fourth center with non-brain musculoskeletal tumors, are fed into individual ICA with different total number of components (TNCs). The best-fitted tumor-related components derived from the optimized TNCs setting are automatically determined based on a new template-matching algorithm. The success rates are 100%, 100% and 93.75% for glioma tissue detection for the three centers, respectively, and 85.19% for musculoskeletal tumor detection. We propose that the high success rate could come from the previously overlooked ability of BOLD rs-fMRI in characterizing the abnormal vascularization, vasomotion and perfusion caused by tumors. Our findings suggest an additional usage of the rs-fMRI for comprehensive presurgical assessment

Hypothermia for traumatic head injury.

BACKGROUND: Hypothermia has been used in the treatment of head injury for many years. Encouraging results from small trials and laboratory studies led to renewed interest in the area and some larger trials. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effect of mild hypothermia for traumatic head injury on mortality and long-term functional outcome complications. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Injuries Group Specialised Register, Current Controlled Trials MetaRegister of trials, Zetoc, Web of Knowledge; Science Citation Index [expanded], CENTRAL, MEDLINE and EMBASE. We handsearched conference proceedings and checked reference lists of relevant articles. The search was updated on 23 May 2008. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of hypothermia to a maximum of 35 degrees C for at least 12 hours versus control in patients with any closed traumatic head injury requiring hospitalisation. Two authors independently assessed all trials. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data on death, Glasgow Outcome Scale and pneumonia were sought and extracted, either from published material or by contacting the investigators. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each trial on an intention-to-treat basis. MAIN RESULTS: We found 22 trials with a total of 1409 randomised patients. Twenty trials involving 1382 patients reported deaths. There were fewer deaths in patients treated with hypothermia than in the control group (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.97). Eight trials with good allocation concealment showed a non-significant reduction in the likelihood of death for patients treated with hypothermia (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.35). Twenty trials involving 1382 patients reported data on unfavourable outcomes (death, vegetative state or severe disability). Patients treated with hypothermia were less likely to have an unfavourable outcome than those in the control group (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.86). Eight trials with good allocation concealment showed a non-significant reduction in the likelihood of unfavourable outcome for patients treated with hypothermia (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.08). Hypothermia treatment was associated with an increase in odds of pneumonia but this increase was not statistically significant for trials with good allocation concealment (3 trials, 69 patients, OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.38 to 2.97). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Hypothermia may be effective in reducing death and unfavourable outcomes for traumatic head injured patients, but significant benefit was only found in low quality trials. Low quality trials have a tendency to overestimate the treatment effect. The high quality trials found some statistically non-significant benefit of hypothermia which could be due to the play of chance. Hypothermia may increase the risk of pneumonia. Due to uncertainties in its effects, hypothermia should only be given to patients taking part in a randomised controlled trial with good allocation concealment

Epidemiology and outcomes of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections in intensive care unit patients: the EUROBACT-2 international cohort study

Purpose In the critically ill, hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSI) are associated with significant mortality. Granular data are required for optimizing management, and developing guidelines and clinical trials. Methods We carried out a prospective international cohort study of adult patients (≥ 18 years of age) with HA-BSI treated in intensive care units (ICUs) between June 2019 and February 2021. Results 2600 patients from 333 ICUs in 52 countries were included. 78% HA-BSI were ICU-acquired. Median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 8 [IQR 5; 11] at HA-BSI diagnosis. Most frequent sources of infection included pneumonia (26.7%) and intravascular catheters (26.4%). Most frequent pathogens were Gram-negative bacteria (59.0%), predominantly Klebsiella spp. (27.9%), Acinetobacter spp. (20.3%), Escherichia coli (15.8%), and Pseudomonas spp. (14.3%). Carbapenem resistance was present in 37.8%, 84.6%, 7.4%, and 33.2%, respectively. Difficult-to-treat resistance (DTR) was present in 23.5% and pan-drug resistance in 1.5%. Antimicrobial therapy was deemed adequate within 24 h for 51.5%. Antimicrobial resistance was associated with longer delays to adequate antimicrobial therapy. Source control was needed in 52.5% but not achieved in 18.2%. Mortality was 37.1%, and only 16.1% had been discharged alive from hospital by day-28. Conclusions HA-BSI was frequently caused by Gram-negative, carbapenem-resistant and DTR pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance led to delays in adequate antimicrobial therapy. Mortality was high, and at day-28 only a minority of the patients were discharged alive from the hospital. Prevention of antimicrobial resistance and focusing on adequate antimicrobial therapy and source control are important to optimize patient management and outcomes