Alpha1-microglobulin as an early biomarker of sepsis-associated acute kidney injury: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Sepsis emerges as the leading risk factor for acute kidney injury (AKI) development in critically ill patients. Much effort has been invested so far on early diagnosis of AKI using promising biomarkers. This study aimed to determine whether urine alpha1-microglobulin (α1m), a lipocaline member previously used as an indicator of proximal tubular dysfunction, can early predict the development of sepsis-associated AKI (SAAKI) in critically ill patients.

Changes of heart and respiratory rate dynamics during weaning from mechanical ventilation: a study of physiologic complexity in surgical critically ill patients.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) complexity in patients with weaning failure or success, using both linear and nonlinear techniques.

Materials And Methods: Forty-two surgical patients were enrolled in the study. There were 24 who passed and 18 who failed a weaning trial.

Relation of tricuspid annular displacement and tissue Doppler imaging velocities with duration of weaning in mechanically ventilated patients with acute pulmonary edema.

Background: Liberation from the ventilator is a difficult task, whereas early echocardiographic indices of weaning readiness are still lacking. The aim of this study was to test whether tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricular (RV) systolic (Sm) and diastolic (Em & Am) tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) velocities are related with duration of weaning in mechanically ventilated patients with acute respiratory failure due to acute pulmonary edema (APE).

Methods: Detailed quantification of left and right ventricular systolic and diastolic function was performed at admission to the Intensive Care Unit by Doppler echocardiography, in a cohort of 32 mechanically ventilated patients with APE.

Negative-pressure acute tracheobronchial hemorrhage and pulmonary edema.

Negative-pressure pulmonary edema is a well-known complication of an acute upper airway obstruction, which may rarely present as acute alveolar hemorrhage in cases of severe capillary stress failure. Hemorrhage from the central airways has also been reported as a rare manifestation of acute tracheobronchial injury, associated with severe disruption of the bronchial vasculature due to highly negative inspiratory pressure. In this clinical report, we describe a case of both acute tracheobronchial and alveolar hemorrhage in a young man, occurring immediately after extubation due to laryngospasm, diagnosed by bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), measurement of the pulmonary edema fluid/plasma protein ratio, and by thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan.

Biosignal analysis techniques for weaning outcome assessment.

Discontinuation of mechanical ventilation in critically ill patients is a challenging task and involves a careful weighting of the benefits of early extubation and the risks of premature spontaneous breathing trial. Recently, apart from studying different physiological variables by means of descriptive statistical tests, breathing pattern variability analysis has been performed for the assessment of weaning readiness. A limited number of clinical studies implementing different weaning protocols in heterogeneous groups of patients and using a variable set of signal processing techniques have appeared in the critical care literature, with varying results.

Relation of heart rate variability to serum levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and 10 in patients with sepsis and septic shock.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate possible associations between different heart rate variability (HRV) indices and various biomarkers of inflammation in 45 septic patients.

Materials And Methods: We daily assessed HRV in the time domain (SD of RR intervals [SDNN]), frequency domain (low [LF], high frequency [HF], LF/HF as an indicator of sympathovagal balance); the 2 values of SD (SD1, SD2) from the Poincaré plot; and measured C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and interleukin 10 serum levels in patients with sepsis and mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFA) 10 or lower (n = 25) and septic shock (SOFA > 10, n = 20) for 6 days.

Results: C-reactive protein exhibited significant negative correlations with LF (r = -0.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia or endotracheal tube-associated pneumonia? An approach to the pathogenesis and preventive strategies emphasizing the importance of endotracheal tube.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit, and it is associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased health care costs, and high attributable mortality. During the past several decades, numerous studies focused on the crucial role of the endotracheal tube (ETT) in the pathogenesis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. Tracheal intubation thwarts the cough reflex, compromises mucocilliary clearance, injures the tracheal epithelial surface, provides a direct conduit for rapid access of bacteria from upper into the lower respiratory tract, and allows the formation of biofilm on the ETT surface.

The impact of fluid restriction policy in reducing the use of red blood cells in cardiac surgery.

Hemodilution contributes significantly to transfusion requirements in patients undergoing CABG under CPB. We hypothesised that restriction of parenteral fluids in comparison to a liberal fluid administration policy leads to less use of packed red cells in CABG operations supported by cell salvage. After consent and approval, 130 patients operated under equal conditions were assigned prospectively and randomly either for a restrictive protocol for intravenous fluid administration (group A, 65 pts) or not (group B, 65 pts).

The propofol infusion 'syndrome' in intensive care unit: from pathophysiology to prophylaxis and treatment.

Propofol is a short-acting intravenous anesthetic agent widely used for sedation in anesthesia and intensive care. However, during the last 15 years there have been quite a lot of publications reporting unexplained deaths among pediatric and adult critically ill patients. These cases shared common symptoms and signs unrelated with initial admission diagnosis and were under long-term propofol infusion at high doses.

A step-by-step diagnosis of exclusion in a twin pregnancy with acute respiratory failure due to non-fatal amniotic fluid embolism: a case report.

Introduction: Respiratory failure may develop during the later stages of pregnancy and is usually associated with tocolysis or other co-existing conditions such as pneumonia, sepsis, pre-eclampsia or amniotic fluid embolism syndrome.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 34-year-old healthy woman with a twin pregnancy at 31 weeks and 6 days who experienced acute respiratory failure, a few hours after administration of tocolysis (ritodrine), due to preterm premature rupture of the membranes. Her chest discomfort was significantly ameliorated after the ritodrine infusion was stopped and a Cesarean section was performed 48 hours later under spinal anesthesia; however, 2 hours after surgery she developed severe hypoxemia, hypotension, fever and mild coagulopathy.

Apneic oxygenation for elimination of respiratory motion artefact in an intubated patient undergoing helical computed tomography pulmonary angiography.

Respiratory motion artifact in intubated and mechanically ventilated patients often reduces the quality of helical computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Apneic oxygenation is a well established intra-operative technique that allows adequate oxygenation for short periods (up to 10 min) in sedated and paralyzed patients. We describe the use of the apneic oxygenation for elimination of respiratory motion artefact in an intubated patient undergoing CTPA.

A fatal case of recurrent amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis after percutaneous tracheotomy: a case report.

Background: Amiodarone is a widely used antiarrythmic drug, which may produce secondary effects on the thyroid. In 14-18% of amiodarone-treated patients, there is overt thyroid dysfunction, usually in the form of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis, which can be difficult to manage with standard medical treatment.

Case Presentation: Presented is the case of a 65-year-old man, under chronic treatment of atrial fibrillation with amiodarone, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit with acute cardio-respiratory failure and fever.

Changes in blood flow of anterior and middle cerebral arteries following carotid endarterectomy: a transcranial Doppler study.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes in blood flow of anterior and middle cerebral arteries following carotid endarterectomy, using transcranial Doppler (TCD) flow studies.

Patients And Methods: This study included 100 patients (72 men, mean age 65 years) who underwent carotid endarterectomy because of high-grade carotid stenosis or symptoms of ischemic stroke. Endarterectomy was performed by a distal shunt between the common carotid and internal carotid arteries.

Investigating the failure to aspirate subglottic secretions with the Evac endotracheal tube.

Background: Aspiration of subglottic secretions is a widely used intervention for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia. However, using the Hi-Lo Evac endotracheal tube (Hi-Lo Evac; Mallinckrodt; Athlone, Ireland) (Evac ETT), dysfunction of the suction lumen and subsequent failure to aspirate the subglottic secretions are common. Our objective in this study was to determine the causes of suction lumen dysfunction experienced with the Evac ETT.

Non-programmed clamping of superior vena cava. The anesthesiologist's Achilles' heel.

This case presentation focuses on the hemodynamic alterations due to acute clamping of superior vena cava (SVC) during a right pneumonectomy for lung cancer and on the alternatives for drug administration. In a 71-yr-old female patient without clinical manifestations of SVC syndrome, this large vein was clamped for 22 minutes for patch placement after sudden and unpredictable hemorrhage. The patient became acutely cyanotic and edematous in the face and upper extremities, arterial blood pressure dropped and the venous pressure in the right internal jugular vein was elevated.

Prophylactic intravenous ondansetron and dolasetron in intrathecal morphine-induced pruritus: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study.

Pruritus is the most common side effect of intrathecal morphine for postoperative pain relief. Activation of central 5-hydroxytryptamine subtype 3 (5-HT3) receptors is one of its possible mechanisms. The role of 5-HT3 antagonists in the prevention of pruritus has not been clearly established.

Coronary sinus venoarterial CO2 difference in different hemodynamic states.

Myocardial metabolic rate and coronary flow are closely related limiting thus the diagnostic value of coronary sinus saturation monitoring as an indicator of flow. Regional venoarterial CO2 gradient was found elevated during low flow in various clinical and experimental conditions, in animals and humans. This study was undertaken to examine the impact of the variations of cardiac mechanical work on veno-arterial CO2 content and partial pressure difference (deltaPCO2) of the coronary sinus blood.