Effect of high-dose intravenous iron injection on hepatic function in a rat model of cirrhosis.

Objective: To investigate the hepatic effects of high-dose intravenous (IV) iron, including those on liver function and the degree of fibrosis, in a rat model of cirrhosis.

Methods: We evenly allocated 25 Sprague-Dawley rats into five groups: normal rats (control group), cirrhotic rats receiving IV normal saline (liver cirrhosis [LC] group), and cirrhotic rats receiving 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg IV ferric carboxymaltose (LC-iron20, LC-iron40, and LC-iron80 group, respectively). Biochemical parameters were compared at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days.

Preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and mortality of off-pump coronary artery bypass graft.

Background: We sought to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP)-to-albumin ratio (CAR) for the prediction of mortality in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Methods: From January 2010 to August 2016, adult patients undergoing OPCAB were analyzed retrospectively. In a total of 2,082 patients, preoperative inflammatory markers including CAR, CRP, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were recorded.

Phase Angle as a Reliable Biomarker of Frailty to Predict Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Off-Pump Coronary Artery Grafting: A Prospective Observational Study.

Objective: To elucidate the association between phase angle (PA) and a composite adverse outcome in patients requiring off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Design: A prospective observational study.

Setting: High-volume single center.

Days alive and out of hospital at 30 days and outcomes of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) is a simple estimator based on the number of days not in hospital within a defined period. In cases of mortality within the period, DAOH is regarded as zero. It has not been validated solely in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Association of Knowledge About Dementia with Two Dimensional Attitudes Among a Community Population in South Korea.

Background: Providing correct information about dementia and people living with dementia and improving the attitude toward the disease have important implications in overcoming prejudice and negative perceptions and strengthening the social support system. However, studies are limited about which aspects of dementia knowledge affect attitudes toward it and the influence of such knowledge on particular aspects of such attitudes.

Objective: This study examined which part of dementia knowledge affects attitudes toward dementia and, furthermore, the influence of such knowledge on two aspects of attitudes in the general population.

Vasoactive inotropic score as a predictor of long-term mortality in patients after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Increased vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) is a reliable predictor of mortality and morbidity after cardiac surgery. Here, we retrospectively evaluated the association between VIS and adverse outcomes in adult patients after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). We included 2149 patients who underwent OPCAB.

Renal injury from sevoflurane in noncardiac surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Sevoflurane is metabolised into Compound A and fluoride that carry a hypothetical risk of nephrotoxicity. However, a clinically significant association between sevoflurane use and acute kidney injury (AKI) in humans has not been established.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 15 552 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery under general anaesthesia using a volatile agent lasting >3 h between July 2016 and May 2019 at a single centre.

Intravenous iron injection does not impair liver function in a rat model of cirrhosis.

Background: There is a lack of convincing data concerning the safety of iron therapy in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis (LC). This study investigated the hepatic effects of ferric carboxymaltose, an intravenous iron supplement, in a rat model of cirrhosis.

Methods: In total, 45 Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into three groups: normal rats (control group, n=15), cirrhotic rats receiving intravenous normal saline (LC group, n=15), and cirrhotic rats receiving 20 mg/kg intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (LC-iron group, n=15).

Novel KCNQ4 variants in different functional domains confer genotype- and mechanism-based therapeutics in patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss.

Loss-of-function variant in the gene encoding the KCNQ4 potassium channel causes autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNA2), and no effective pharmacotherapeutics have been developed to reverse channel activity impairment. Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP), an obligatory phospholipid for maintaining KCNQ channel activity, confers differential pharmacological sensitivity of channels to KCNQ openers. Through whole-exome sequencing of DFNA2 families, we identified three novel KCNQ4 variants related to diverse auditory phenotypes in the proximal C-terminus (p.

Nanoscale imaging of rat atrial myocytes by scanning ion conductance microscopy reveals heterogeneity of T-tubule openings and ultrastructure of the cell membrane.

In contrast to ventricular myocytes, the structural and functional importance of atrial transverse tubules (T-tubules) is not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated the ultrastructure of T-tubules of living rat atrial myocytes in comparison with ventricular myocytes. Nanoscale cell surface imaging by scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) was accompanied by confocal imaging of intracellular T-tubule network, and the effect of removal of T-tubules on atrial excitation-contraction coupling (EC-coupling) was observed.

Effect of Intraoperative Sedation with Dexmedetomidine Versus Propofol on Acute Postoperative Pain Following Major Foot Surgery under Popliteal Sciatic Nerve Block: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Intravenous (IV) dexmedetomidine is reported to prolong analgesia following peripheral nerve blocks. Popliteal sciatic nerve block provides effective postoperative analgesia, but some patients still experience severe pain during the early postoperative period. We aimed to evaluate the postoperative analgesic effects of IV dexmedetomidine versus propofol in patients undergoing foot surgeries under popliteal sciatic nerve block.

Ratchet-integrated pneumatic actuator (RIPA): a large-stroke soft linear actuator inspired by sarcomere muscle contraction.

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) have a wide range of robotics applications, especially in soft robots, for their ability to generate linear force and displacement with the soft, lightweight, compact, and safe characteristics as well as high power densities. However, the compressibility of the air causes a spring-like behavior of PAMs, resulting in several common issues of limited stroke, load-dependent stroke lengths, difficulty in maintaining their length against disturbance, and necessity of accurate pressure control system. To address these issues, this study borrows inspiration from a biological soft linear actuator, a muscle, and proposes a ratchet-integrated pneumatic actuator (RIPA).

Role of reactive oxygen species at reperfusion stage in isoflurane preconditioning-induced neuroprotection.

In this in vivo and in vitro study, we aimed to investigate whether isoflurane preconditioning-induced neuronal protection is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling at the reperfusion stage. In the in vivo study, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and in the in vitro study, rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were subjected to oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). Isoflurane preconditioning was carried out prior to MCAO or OGD and the ROS scavenger, N-2-mercaptopropiopylglycine (2-MPG), was administered at the start of reperfusion.

Effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 on postoperative blood loss and kidney injury in off-pump coronary arterial bypass grafting: A retrospective study.

We retrospectively evaluated the effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 on postoperative blood loss and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).Electronic medical records of 771 patients who underwent OPCAB in our hospital between July 2012 and July 2014 were reviewed, and 249 patients without intraoperative HES-exposure (group NoHES) were matched 1:N with intraoperative HES-exposed 413 patients (group HES) based on propensity score.

Evaluation of augmented pulse pressure variation using the Valsalva manoeuvre as a predictor of fluid responsiveness under open-chest conditions: A prospective observational study.

Background: Pulse pressure variation (PPV) is a well known dynamic preload indicator of fluid responsiveness. However, its usefulness in open-chest conditions remains controversial.

Objective: We evaluated whether augmented PPV during a Valsalva manoeuvre can predict fluid responsiveness after sternotomy.

Exposure of isoflurane-treated cells to hyperoxia decreases cell viability and activates the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Isoflurane has either neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects. High-dose oxygen is frequently used throughout the perioperative period. We hypothesized that hyperoxia will affect cell viability of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells that were exposed to isoflurane and reactive oxygen species (ROS) may be involved.

A comparison among infusion of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine alone and in combination in subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass graft: a randomized trial.

Background: Previous studies have reported the cardioprotective effect of dexmedetomidine and lidocaine. We compared the effect of lidocaine and dexmedetomidine infusion during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB).

Methods: 153 patients undergoing OPCAB were enrolled.

The anesthetic experience of implantable left ventricular assist device insertion: a case report.

Because of insufficient number of donor hearts for cardiac transplantation, the use of implantable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been increasing as an alternative. During this procedure, the fundamental role of anesthesiologists would be to maintain stable hemodynamics. This report describes the anesthetic case of a 75-year-old man who underwent implantable LVAD placement as a destination therapy of his heart failure in Korea.

Fibrinogen recovery and changes in fibrin-based clot firmness after cryoprecipitate administration in patients undergoing aortic surgery involving deep hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Background: Cryoprecipitate may be used to treat bleeding in cardiac surgery. Its effects on plasma fibrinogen and fibrin clotting in this setting are poorly defined.

Study Design And Methods: Patients undergoing on-pump aortic surgery with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) were recruited prospectively.

Simplified clinical risk score to predict acute kidney injury after aortic surgery.

Objective: The authors identified risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) defined by risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage (RIFLE) criteria after aortic surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and constructed a simplified risk score for the prediction of AKI.

Design: Retrospective and observational.

Setting: Single large university hospital.

The effect of passive leg elevation and/or trendelenburg position on the cross-sectional area of the internal jugular vein in infants and young children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease.

Background: In this study we evaluated the effect of passive leg elevation (LE) and Trendelenburg (T) position on the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the internal jugular vein (IJV) in infants and young children undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. A secondary aim was to compare the CSA of the IJV between subjects with right-to-left (RL) shunt and left-to-right (LR) shunt.

Methods: Ninety infants and small children from 10 days to 31 months old weighing from 1.

Air embolism during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery -A case report-.

There have been several reports of gas embolism occurring during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery. However, all these cases of air embolism were associated with the repair of venous circulation, using a CO(2) blower. In this report, we describe a rare case of air embolism in the coronary arteries associated with the use of a CO(2) blower during OPCAB.

Dilution and slow injection reduces the incidence of rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements in children.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether slow injection of diluted rocuronium could reduce rocuronium-induced withdrawal movements effectively in children.

Methods: After loss of consciousness, rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg was administered into 171 children according to the pre-assigned groups as follows: Group CF, injection of non-diluted rocuronium over 5 seconds; Group CS, injection of non-diluted rocuronium over 1 minute; Group DF, injection of diluted rocuronium (10 times) over 5 seconds; Group DS, injection of diluted rocuronium over 1 minute.

The effect of anesthetic techniques on neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio after laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

Background: Surgical stress can induce postoperative systemic leukocytic alterations, including leukocytosis, neutrophilia, or lymphopenia. The present study investigated whether the anesthetic technique could affect the leukocytic alterations, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (N/L) ratio, after gynecologic laparoscopy.

Methods: Forty patients scheduled for laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy were randomly assigned into two groups: PR group, which received total intravenous anesthesia with propofol and remifentanil, and S group, which received inhalational anesthesia with sevoflurane.