Comparison of functional fibrinogen (FF/CFF) and FIBTEM in surgical patients - a retrospective study.

Background: Fibrinogen-based clot firmness is reported as the maximum amplitude (MA) when using the citrated functional fibrinogen (CFF) assay in thrombelastography (TEG), and as the maximum clot firmness (MCF) together with several clot amplitude parameters when using the FIBTEM assay in thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Concern is currently being raised that these two tests have different platelet inhibiting performance and consequently provide different values. This is relevant for the clinical setting of fibrinogen replacement.

The effect of intracerebroventricular application of the caspase-3 inhibitor zDEVD-FMK on neurological outcome and neuronal cell death after global cerebral ischaemia due to cardiac arrest in rats.

Background: Global cerebral ischaemia after cardiac arrest (CA) leads to programmed cell death (PCD) with characteristic signs of apoptosis in selectively vulnerable areas of the brain. The activation of caspase-3, an executioner caspase, plays a key role in the apoptotic cascade. We, therefore, studied the effects of the application of the specific caspase-3 inhibitor zDEVD-FMK on neurological outcome and neuronal cell death after experimental CA in rats.

Beneficial outcome after prostaglandin-induced post-partum cardiac arrest using levosimendan and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: Administration of high doses of prostaglandins is a frequently performed and effective method for the treatment of atonic uterine haemorrhage in order to increase uterine muscle tone. Rarely, however, these drugs may cause life-threatening complications including bronchospasm, acute pulmonary oedema and myocardial infarction caused by coronary spasms.

Methods: We discuss the management of a patient suffering post-partum atonic uterine bleeding, catecholamine-resistant cardiac arrest and fulminant pulmonary failure due to deleterious side-effects of treatment with prostaglandins.