The impact of bowl size, program setup, and blood hematocrit on the performance of a discontinuous autotransfusion system.

Background: Cell salvage is an essential element in the concept of blood management. Modern devices provide different bowl sizes and sensor-directed programs to optimally adjust to varying clinical situations.

Study Design And Methods: In an experimental performance study, the discontinuous autotransfusion device XTRA (LivaNova/Sorin) was evaluated using fresh donor blood anticoagulated with heparin 5 U/mL and adjusted to a hematocrit of 10% or 25%, representing orthopedic or cardiac surgery.

Adenosine A2A and A2B Receptor Substantially Attenuate Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Septic rat Hearts.

Introduction: Mechanical and morphological ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury is reduced in septic hearts. The mechanism behind this "cardioprotection" is less well understood. As adenosine receptors play a major role for cardioprotection in non-septic hearts, we investigated the influence of adenosine receptors in a model of I/R in septic hearts.

The impact of crystalloidal and colloidal infusion preparations on coronary vascular integrity, interstitial oedema and cardiac performance in isolated hearts.

Introduction: Recent data suggested an interaction between plasma constituents and the endothelial glycocalyx to be relevant for vascular barrier function. This might be negatively influenced by infusion solutions, depending on ionic composition, pH and binding properties. The present study evaluated such an influence of current artificial preparations.

Modulation of immune functions in polymorphonuclear neutrophils induced by physostigmine, but not neostigmine, independent of cholinergic neurons.

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors (Ch-I) improve survival in experimental sepsis consistent with activation of the cholinergic-anti-inflammatory-pathway. So far, less is known about whether Ch-I have a direct immunomodulatory effect on immune cells (polymorphonuclear neutrophils, PMN) in the absence of cholinergic neurons. We investigated the concentration-response-effects of physostigmine and neostigmine on the oxidative burst activity (human and rat PMN) and the expression of adhesion molecules on the surface of human PMN under in vitro conditions.

Cardiac effects of induction agents in the septic rat heart.

Introduction: The current debate about the side effects of induction agents, e.g. possible adrenal suppression through etomidate, emphasizes the relevance of choosing the correct induction agent in septic patients.