The Value of Neutrophil:Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet:Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting Clinical Severity in Children with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning with hippocampi lesions on MRI: cases report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is now one of the leading causes of poisoning-related mortality worldwide. The central nervous system is the most vulnerable structure in acute CO poisoning. MRI is of great significance in the diagnosis and prognosis of CO toxic encephalopathy. The imaging features of CO poisoning are diverse. We report atypical hippocampal lesions observed on MRI in four patients after acute CO exposure.

CASE PRESENTATIONS

We report four patients who presented to the emergency department with loss of consciousness. The diagnosis of CO poisoning was confirmed on the basis of their detailed history, physical examination and laboratory tests. Brain MRI in all of these patients revealed abnormal signal intensity in hippocampi bilaterally. They all received hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The prognosis of all four patients was poor.

CONCLUSION

Hippocampi, as a relatively rare lesion on MRI of CO poisoning, is of important significance both in the early and delayed stages of acute CO poisoning. In this article, we summarize the case reports of hippocampal lesions on MRI in patients with CO poisoning in recent years, in order to provide reference for the diagnosis and prognosis of CO poisoning.

Is the prognosis of traumatic critically ill pediatric patients predictable? : A multicenter retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

In this retrospective study the effects of the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte to lymphocyte ratio (MLR), mean platelet volume to platelet count ratio (MPV/PC) values as well as C‑reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels on the severity and mortality in critically ill child trauma cases were evaluated.

METHODS

A total of 80 trauma cases aged 31 days to 16 years that were followed-up in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were included in the study. The data of the patients on the first day of hospitalization (T1), the median day of intensive care admission (T2), and before discharge or exitus (T3) were analyzed. The cases were divided into three groups according to the injury severity score (ISS) as minor, moderate, and severe.

RESULTS

Of the 80 cases 59 (73.75%) were male and 21 (26.25%) were female. The mean age of all the cases was 54.5 ± 47.8 months, and the mean PICU stay was 7.35 ± 6.64 days. Of the cases 19 (23.75%) due to motor vehicle accidents and 61 (76.25%) due to falling from heights were followed-up. The mortality rate was found to be 13.75% (11 cases). The T1, T2 and T3 NLR, MLR, MPV/PC and PCT values did not differ between the groups. The T1 and T2 CRP levels were higher in the moderate trauma group than in the severe trauma group. Also, ISS and pediatric risk of mortality 3 (PRISM-3) scores were higher while the revised injury severity classification version II (RISC II), RISC II survival and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) scores were lower in the nonsurvivors. While the T3 MLR value was lower in nonsurvival cases, the T3 MPV/PC value was found to be higher.

CONCLUSION

The NLR, MLR, and MPV/PC values do not predict the severity of the trauma in children. In children with severe trauma, low MLR and high MPV/PC values can be used to predict mortality.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics Predicting the Severity of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Children: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVES

Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is extremely common throughout the world. The purpose of this study was to assess the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics predicting the severity COP in children.

METHODS

The study included 380 children diagnosed with COP between January 2017 and January 2021 and 380 healthy controls. Carbon monoxide poisoning was diagnosed based on the medical history and a carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) level of more than 5%. The patients were classified as mild (COHb 10%), moderate (COHb 10%-25%), or severely (COHb > 25%) poisoned.

RESULTS

The mean age of the severe group was 8.60 ± 6.30, for the moderate group was 9.50 ± 5.81, for the mild group was 8.79 ± 5.94, and for the control group was 8.95 ± 5.98. The most common place of exposure was at home and all cases were affected accidentally. The coal stove was the most common source of exposure, followed by natural gas. The most common symptoms were nausea/vomiting, vertigo, and headache. Neurologic symptoms such as syncope, confusion, dyspnea, and seizures were more common in the severe group. A total of 91.3% of the children had hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 3.8% were intubated, and 3.8% were transferred to intensive care in the severe group, whereas no death or sequela was observed. Mean platelet volume and red cell distribution width had the highest area under the curve in the receiver operating characteristic analysis (0.659; 0.379). A positive and low statistically significant relationship was found between COHb levels and troponin and lactate levels in the severe group ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Carbon monoxide poisoning progressed more severely in children presented with neurological symptoms and have elevated red cell distribution width and mean platelet volume. Even in severe COP cases, satisfactory results have been obtained with early and appropriate treatment.

Short-term impacts of air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio among urban adults in China

The short-term impacts of urban air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remain obscure. In this study, we included 3487 urban adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort. Individual inhalation exposure to air pollutants was estimated by combining participants' daily breath volume and ambient concentrations of six air pollutants (including fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O₃)). The cumulative impacts were assessed by applying lag structures of up to 7 days before the survey date. Associations of air pollutants with PLR and NLR were assessed using a linear mixed model and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model. We found that PLR was negatively related to PM_2.5 (lag02-lag06), PM₁₀ (lag02-lag07), NO₂ (lag02-lag07), and SO₂ (lag03-lag05) and NLR was negatively related to PM₁₀ (lag05 and lag07). In the BKMR model, a negative joint association between the six-air-pollutant mixture and PLR and NLR was observed, whereas PM₁₀ and NO₂ appeared to be more important than the other pollutants in the mixture. The negative impact of air pollutants was stronger in males, participants with lower body mass index (< 24 kg/m²), those cooking meals at home, drinkers, and non-exercisers. In conclusion, short-term exposure to air pollutants is significantly related to PLR and NLR in peripheral blood. PLR and NLR may provide new insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the adverse health impact of air pollutants.