Comparative study of prescribing patterns of tigecycline for trial patients versus non-trial patients.

Background: Comparing published trial patients and non-trial patients in clinical practice, clinicians often doubt whether critically ill patients are sufficiently represented in randomised clinical trials.

Patients And Methods: This study evaluated the extent of infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, anti-microbial combination therapy, off-label use and targeted-treatment in trial patients versus non-trial patients.

Results: Tigecycline therapy was prescribed for off-label use in more than half of the non-trial patients; 77% of trial patients received study medication as first-line therapy in contrast to 25% of non-trial patients (p<0.

Patients enrolled in randomised clinical trials are not representative of critically ill patients in clinical practice: observational study focus on tigecycline.

It is being increasingly recognised by clinicians and scientists that participants in randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of antibiotics of last resort do not represent the patients who will later be treated with these drugs. Data on this subject are limited and have not been investigated systematically. This observational study aimed to examine this hypothesis quantitatively, using the example of tigecycline.

Reactive metabolites and AGE-RAGE-mediated inflammation in patients following liver transplantation.

Recent investigations have indicated that reactive metabolites and AGE-RAGE-mediated inflammation might play an important role in the pathogenesis of ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver transplantation. In this observational clinical study, 150 patients were enrolled following liver transplantation from deceased donors. The occurrence of short-term complications within 10 days of transplantation was documented.

Cell death biomarkers as early predictors for hepatic dysfunction in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Background: Valid prognostic factors for early identification of a complicated course after orthotopic liver transplantation from deceased donors are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of different cell death biomarkers and inflammatory markers in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation from deceased donors.

Methods: In total, 100 patients were evaluated for short-term complications within 10 days after orthotopic liver transplantation from deceased donors.

Right ventricular function during orthotopic liver transplantation: three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and thermodilution.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is an important aspect of anesthesia management during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Because of its geometrical complexity, assessment of RV dimensions with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a difficult task. The aim of this prospective single-site study was to investigate the feasibility of intraoperative assessment of RV parameters based on reconstructive three-dimensional (3D) TEE and to compare the measurements to thermodilution-derived values acquired with a modified pulmonary artery catheter.

Left ventricular outflow tract: intraoperative measurement and changes caused by mitral valve surgery.

Background: The impact of mitral valve surgery on left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) dimensions is unclear. Real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography permits excellent visualization of the LVOT and might improve standard two-dimensional measurements. In this study, LVOT area and shape were assessed before and after mitral valve surgery.

Redox responses in patients with sepsis: high correlation of thioredoxin-1 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor plasma levels.

Background. Redox active substances (e.g.

Effects of ketamine on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in the isolated perfused lungs of endotoxaemic mice.

Background And Objective: During sepsis and endotoxaemia, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) is impaired. Sedation of septic patients in ICUs is performed with various anaesthetics, most of which have pulmonary dilatory properties. Ketamine is a sympathetic nervous system-activating anaesthetic that preserves cardiovascular stability.

Role of endogenous nitric oxide in endotoxin-induced alteration of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in mice.

Pulmonary vasoconstriction in response to alveolar hypoxia (HPV) is frequently impaired in patients with sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome or in animal models of endotoxemia. Pulmonary vasodilation due to overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by NO synthase 2 (NOS2) may be responsible for this impaired HPV after administration of endotoxin (LPS). We investigated the effects of acute nonspecific (N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, L-NAME) and NOS2-specific [L-N6-(1-iminoethyl)lysine, L-NIL] NOS inhibition and congenital deficiency of NOS2 on impaired HPV during endotoxemia.