ArticleRespiratory research2025
A causal forest model integrating quantitative CT scores to predict benefit from flexible bronchoscopy in pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia: a two-center retrospective study.
Article in Respiratory research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Unfolded Protein Response Pathways in Cancer: Mechanisms, Tumor Biology and Therapeutic Opportunities.Molecular diagnosis & therapy · 2026Review
- Prediction of atelectasis inFrontiers in pediatrics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFlexible bronchoscopy (FB) is recommended for pediatric Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) with persistent consolidation or atelectasis, though substantial heterogeneity in treatment effects exists. This study aimed to develop a causal forest-based predictive model to identify pediatric MPP patients most likely to benefit from FB.
methodsThis retrospective two-center study enrolled pediatric MPP patients in derivation (n = 753) and validation (n = 139) cohorts. Clinical, laboratory, and AI-quantified computed tomography (CT) data were analyzed. Individual treatment effects (ITEs) were estimated using causal forest algorithms. FB-beneficial subgroups were defined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of ITEs, with the varying treatment effect across the subgroups validated via multivariable linear regression. Subgroup characteristics, feature importance, and heatmap-based feature interactions were also analyzed.
resultsFB treatment significantly reduced total fever duration in identified FB-beneficial subgroups in both derivation (β = - 1.16, p < 0.001) and validation (β = - 0.68, p = 0.04) cohorts. These beneficial subgroups exhibited significantly higher consolidation/atelectasis volume (CAV), pneumonia attenuation (PA), and consolidation-to-pneumonia ratio (CAR) compared to non-beneficial groups (all p < 0.001). Heatmap analyses confirmed that increased CAV combined with elevated PA or lymphocyte counts could improve FB efficacy.
conclusionsThis study developed and validated an individualized prediction model to identify pediatric MPP patients most likely to benefit from FB treatment. Our model may serve as a tool to support clinicians in optimizing FB utilization, potentially reducing unnecessary interventions and associated risks. An accessible online tool of this model facilitates practical clinical implementation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.