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.

Improved resuscitation after cardiac arrest in rats expressing the baculovirus caspase inhibitor protein p35 in central neurons.

Background: Global cerebral ischemia is associated with delayed neuronal death. Given the role of caspases in apoptosis, caspase inhibitors may provide neuronal protection after cardiac arrest. To this end, the authors generated a transgenic rat line expressing baculovirus p35, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, in central neurons.

Complete recovery after 2 h of cardiopulmonary resuscitation following high-dose prostaglandin treatment for atonic uterine haemorrhage.

We report the case of a 31-year-old woman who delivered twins by Caesarean section in whom atonic uterine haemorrhage developed 6 h postoperatively. During conservative treatment with the high-dose prostaglandin analogs sulprostone (PGE(2)) and dinoprost (PGF(2alpha)), acute pulmonary oedema and cardiac decompensation developed and, subsequently, the patient suffered cardiopulmonary arrest. After a 2h-period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), it was possible to restore and stabilize circulation under the highest dose of catecholamines.

Global cerebral ischemia due to cardiocirculatory arrest in mice causes neuronal degeneration and early induction of transcription factor genes in the hippocampus.

To analyze the role of specific genes and proteins in neuronal signaling cascades following global cerebral ischemia, it would be useful to have a reproducible model of global cerebral ischemia in mice that potentially allows the investigation of mice with specific genomic mutations. We first report on the development of a model of reversible cardiocirculatory arrest in mice and the consequences of such an insult to neuronal degeneration and expression of immediate early genes (IEG) in the hippocampus. Cardiocirculatory arrest of 5 min duration was induced via ventricular fibrillation in mechanically ventilated NMRI mice.

The cerebral 'no-reflow' phenomenon after cardiac arrest in rats--influence of low-flow reperfusion.

Objective: Experimental data indicate that early microcirculatory reperfusion is disturbed after cardiac arrest. We investigated the influence of prolonged cardiac arrest and basic life support (BLS) procedures on the quality of cerebral microcirculatory reperfusion.

Materials And Methods: In mechanically ventilated male Wistar rats anesthetized with N2O and halothane, cardiac arrest was induced by electrical fibrillation.

Inhibitory postsynaptic actions of taurine, GABA and other amino acids on motoneurons of the isolated frog spinal cord.

The actions of glycine, GABA, alpha-alanine, beta-alanine and taurine were studied by intracellular recordings from lumbar motoneurons of the isolated spinal cord of the frog. All amino acids tested produced a reduction in the amplitude of postsynaptic potentials, a blockade of the antidromic action potential and an increase of membrane conductance. Furthermore, membrane polarizations occurred, which were always in the same direction as the IPSP.