Influence of a chronic beta-blocker therapy on perioperative opioid consumption - a post hoc secondary analysis.

Background: Beta-blocker (BB) therapy plays a central role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. An increasing number of patients with cardiovascular diseases undergoe noncardiac surgery, where opioids are an integral part of the anesthesiological management. There is evidence to suggest that short-term intravenous BB therapy may influence perioperative opioid requirements due to an assumed cross-talk between G-protein coupled beta-adrenergic and opioid receptors.

Allogeneic Blood Transfusion and Risk of Postoperative Complications in Patients with Mild and Moderate Anemia of Any Cause? A Retrospective Cohort Study in Total Revision Hip Surgery.

Introduction: Patients undergoing revision total hip surgery (RTHS) have a high prevalence of mild and moderate preoperative anemia, associated with adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions (ABT) and postoperative complications in preoperatively mild compared to moderate anemic patients undergoing RTHS who did not receive a diagnostic anemia workup and treatment before surgery.

Methods: We included 1,765 patients between 2007 and 2019 at a university hospital.

A brief questionnaire for measuring alarm fatigue in nurses and physicians in intensive care units.

When exposed to hundreds of medical device alarms per day, intensive care unit (ICU) staff can develop "alarm fatigue" (i.e., desensitisation to alarms).

Quality contract 'prevention of postoperative delirium in the care of elderly patients' study protocol: a non-randomised, pre-post, monocentric, prospective trial.

Introduction: Postoperative delirium (POD) is seen in approximately 15% of elderly patients and is related to poorer outcomes. In 2017, the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss) introduced a 'quality contract' (QC) as a new instrument to improve healthcare in Germany. One of the four areas for improvement of in-patient care is the 'Prevention of POD in the care of elderly patients' (QC-POD), as a means to reduce the risk of developing POD and its complications.

The influence of patient characteristics on the alarm rate in intensive care units: a retrospective cohort study.

Intensive care units (ICU) are often overflooded with alarms from monitoring devices which constitutes a hazard to both staff and patients. To date, the suggested solutions to excessive monitoring alarms have remained on a research level. We aimed to identify patient characteristics that affect the ICU alarm rate with the goal of proposing a straightforward solution that can easily be implemented in ICUs.

[The costs of preoperative anemia in hip joint revision surgery].

Background: Anemia is highly prevalent in patients before hip joint revision surgery (HJRS) and is associated with an increased complication rate. This paper is the first to investigate costs, real diagnosis-related group (DRG) revenues and case coverage of preoperative anemia in elective HJRS.

Methods: Medical data, transfusions, costs, and revenues of all patients undergoing HJRS at two campuses of the Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin between 2010 and 2017 were used for subgroup analyses and linear regressions.

The association of chronic pain and postoperative delirium: a prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is an acute and common complication after surgery that can increase morbidity and mortality. Few previous studies with inconsistent findings have examined the association of preoperative pain and POD. Our purpose is to investigate the association of preoperative chronic pain and POD.

Change point detection for clustered expression data.

Background: To detect changes in biological processes, samples are often studied at several time points. We examined expression data measured at different developmental stages, or more broadly, historical data. Hence, the main assumption of our proposed methodology was the independence between the examined samples over time.

A comparison of first-attempt cannulation success of peripheral venous catheter systems with and without wings and injection ports in surgical patients-a randomized trial.

Background: A peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is the most widely used device for obtaining vascular access, allowing the administration of fluids and medication. Up to 25% of adult patients, and 50% of pediatric patients experience a first-attempt cannulation failure. In addition to patient and clinician characteristics, device features might affect the handling and success rates.

Adaptation of the Oxygen Sensing System during Lung Development.

During gestation, the most drastic change in oxygen supply occurs with the onset of ventilation after birth. As the too early exposure of premature infants to high arterial oxygen pressure leads to characteristic diseases, we studied the adaptation of the oxygen sensing system and its targets, the hypoxia-inducible factor- (HIF-) regulated genes (HRGs) in the developing lung. We draw a detailed picture of the oxygen sensing system by integrating information from qPCR, immunoblotting, hybridization, and single-cell RNA sequencing data in and models.

Does adherence to a quality indicator regarding early weaning from invasive ventilation improve economic outcome? A single-centre retrospective study.

Objectives: To measure and assess the economic impact of adherence to a single quality indicator (QI) regarding weaning from invasive ventilation.

Design: Retrospective observational single-centre study, based on electronic medical and administrative records.

Setting: Intensive care unit (ICU) of a German university hospital, reference centre for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Cerebral embolisation during transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the mitral valve with the MitraClip system: a prospective, observational study.

Background: New ischaemic brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported in up to 86% of patients after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the mitral valve (TEER-MV). Knowledge of the exact procedural step(s) that carry the highest risk for cerebral embolisation may help to further improve the procedure.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the procedural step(s) that are associated with an increased risk of cerebral embolisation during TEER-MV with the MitraClip system.

Association between genetic variants of the cholinergic system and postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are frequent and serious complications after surgery. We aim to investigate the association between genetic variants in cholinergic candidate genes according to the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes - pathway: cholinergic neurotransmission with the development of POD or POCD in elderly patients.

Methods: This analysis is part of the European BioCog project ( www.

Perioperative Electroencephalogram Spectral Dynamics Related to Postoperative Delirium in Older Patients.

Background: Intraoperative electroencephalography (EEG) signatures related to the development of postoperative delirium (POD) in older patients are frequently studied. However, a broad analysis of the EEG dynamics including preoperative, postinduction, intraoperative and postoperative scenarios and its correlation to POD development is still lacking. We explored the relationship between perioperative EEG spectra-derived parameters and POD development, aiming to ascertain the diagnostic utility of these parameters to detect patients developing POD.

Outcomes in Critically Ill Patients Sedated with Intravenous Lormetazepam or Midazolam: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

The benzodiazepine, midazolam, is one of the most frequently used sedatives in intensive care medicine, but it has an unfavorable pharmacokinetic profile when continuously applied. As a consequence, patients are frequently prolonged and more deeply sedated than intended. Due to its distinct pharmacological features, including a cytochrome P450-independent metabolization, intravenous lormetazepam might be clinically advantageous compared to midazolam.

High Central Venous Pressure after Cardiac Surgery Might Depict Hemodynamic Deterioration Associated with Increased Morbidity and Mortality.

Background: Cardiac surgery patients represent a high-risk cohort in intensive care units (ICUs). Central venous pressure (CVP) measurement seems to remain an integral part in hemodynamic monitoring, especially in cardio-surgical ICUs. However, its value as a prognostic marker for organ failure is still unclear.

Infectious Complications after Etomidate vs. Propofol for Induction of General Anesthesia in Cardiac Surgery-Results of a Retrospective, before-after Study.

Background: Etomidate is typically used as an induction agent in cardiac surgery because it has little impact on hemodynamics. It is a known suppressor of adrenocortical function and may increase the risk for post-operative infections, sepsis, and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether etomidate increases the risk of postoperative sepsis (primary outcome) and infections (secondary outcome) compared to propofol.

The barrier functions of crude cervical mucus plugs against HIV-1 infection in the context of cell-free and cell-to-cell transmission.

Objective: The cervical mucus plugs are enriched with proteins of known immunological functions. We aimed to characterize the anti-HIV-1 activity of the cervical mucus plugs against a panel of different HIV-1 strains in the contexts of cell-free and cell-associated virus.

Design: A cohort of consenting HIV-1-negative and HIV-1-positive pregnant women in labour was recruited from Mthatha General Hospital in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, from whom the cervical mucus plugs were collected in 6 M guanidinium chloride with protease inhibitors and transported to our laboratories at -80 °C.

Contribution of IQ in young adulthood to the associations of education and occupation with cognitive ability in older age.

Background: Studies suggest that a higher education and occupation are each associated with a higher late-life cognitive ability, but their inter-relationships in their association with cognitive ability and the contribution of peak IQ in young adulthood ('pre-morbid IQ') often remain unclear.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 623 participants aged ≥65 years of the BioCog study. Education was coded according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED; range 1 to 6).

Instruments to measure outcomes of post-intensive care syndrome in outpatient care settings - Results of an expert consensus and feasibility field test.

Background: There is no consensus on the instruments for diagnosis of post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). We present a proposal for a set of outcome measurement instruments of PICS in outpatient care.

Methods: We conducted a three-round, semi-structured consensus-seeking process with medical experts, followed each by exploratory feasibility investigations with intensive care unit survivors (n = 5; n = 5; n = 7).

Preoperative medication use and development of postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction.

Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative (neuro-)cognitive disorder (POCD) are frequent and serious complications after operations. We aim to investigate the association between pre-operative polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications and the development of POD/POCD in elderly patients. This investigation is part of the European BioCog project (www.

Estimands in epigenome-wide association studies.

Background: In DNA methylation analyses like epigenome-wide association studies, effects in differentially methylated CpG sites are assessed. Two kinds of outcomes can be used for statistical analysis: Beta-values and M-values. M-values follow a normal distribution and help to detect differentially methylated CpG sites.

Preoperative Comparison of Three Anticholinergic Drug Scales in Older Adult Patients and Development of Postoperative Delirium: A Prospective Observational Study.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent and serious complication after surgery. Evidence of a relationship between anticholinergic medication and the development of delirium is inconclusive, but studies on POD are rare.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the anticholinergic load of preoperative medication in older adult patients and its association with the development of POD.

The optimal cut-off values for tumor size, number of lesions, and CEA levels in patients with surgically treated colorectal cancer liver metastases: An international, multi-institutional study.

Background And Objectives: Despite the long-standing consensus on the importance of tumor size, tumor number and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels as predictors of long-term outcomes among patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), optimal prognostic cut-offs for these variables have not been established.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent resection of CRLM and had available data on at least one of the three variables of interest above were selected from a multi-institutional dataset of patients with known KRAS mutational status. The resulting cohort was randomly split into training and testing datasets and recursive partitioning analysis was employed to determine optimal cut-offs.