Development and evaluation of a video program for presentation prior to elective cardiac surgery.

Background: : The objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate the effects of a preparatory videotape on endocrine stress responses of patients prior to cardiac surgery and to analyze patient acceptance of this video for preoperative preparation.

Methods: : 101 male patients prior to elective cardiac surgery were enrolled into the study. On the day before surgery, patients were assigned to one of the following groups: group 1 (n = 51) saw a video with realistic information about the upcoming perioperative procedure, and group 2 (n = 50) saw a video of the same length without surgery-related information.

Inter-individual differences in cytokine release in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) leads to a systemic inflammatory response with secretion of cytokines (e.g. IL-6, TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta and sIL-2R).

Irrigating fluid absorption during percutaneous nephrolithotripsy.

Background: The most common complication during percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PNL) is the destruction of organ structures with extravasation of the irrigation fluid into the retroperitoneal space. Consequently, there is an increased risk of a urosepsis and a complicated therapeutic course. In this study we aimed to show that extravascular absorption could be differentiated from intravascular absorption due to their unique absorption characteristics, and that these characteristics enable a prediction of possible post-operative complications.

Perioperative cytokine release during coronary artery bypass grafting in patients of different ages.

Surgical interventions and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induce a systemic inflammatory response with cytokine release. Ageing is perceived as a process of impaired immune functions: IL-1beta, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion are increased while IL-2 release is reduced in advanced age. At present, little information is available about perioperative immune reactions at different stages of ageing.

[The effect of temperature and humidity on breath samples. Measurement of breath ethanol concentration in artificially respirated patients].

Unlabelled: When looking for the possible cause of distortions in values measured for the determination of breath ethanol concentration (BEC) in artificially respirated patients, consideration must be given to the humidity and temperature of the gas examined. In the present study, the effects of humidified and warmed and of dry and cold air on the accuracy of a newly developed BEC measuring device, as compared to a reference model and to a conventional system, were examined in a lung model.

Methods: A temperature-regulated pediatric incubator was used containing a 10 I gas reservoir and a breath humidifier with temperature regulated water bath.