[Pregnancy and coma: more than one dilemma].

A previously healthy 33-year-old woman presented at 13 weeks gestation in a comatose state after a new onset of seizures. Evaluation revealed an intraventricular haemorrhage from an arterioventricular malformation. Coma in pregnancy is a rare event.

Large-pore hemodialytic procedures in pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis; a randomized study.

In order to define further the therapeutic role of hemodialytic procedures in acute hepatic failure, 20 pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis underwent randomized hemodialysis against an electrolyte solution (n = 6), hemofiltration with re-infusion of an electrolyte solution (n = 5), control hemofiltration with re-infusion of autologous ultrafiltrate (n = 4) or no extracorporeal procedure at all (n = 5). Pigs on hemodialytic procedures survived significantly longer (51 +/- 11 hrs) than controls (36 +/- 8 hrs). There were no differences in the duration of survival between hemodialysis and hemofiltration, nor between controls undergoing and those not undergoing an extracorporeal procedure.

Incidence of endotoxemia in pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis treated by hemodialysis. Prevention of endotoxemia with lactulose.

The incidences of endotoxemia and bacteremia were evaluated in 30 pigs with ischemic hepatic necrosis treated by hemodialytic procedures. Prior to induction of hepatic ischemia, ten pigs underwent bowel cleansing by means of an oral dose of magnesium sulfate, and 20 received a combination of magnesium sulfate and lactulose. Endotoxemia and bacteremia seldom occurred during the development of hepatic encephalopathy, but the incidence of both increased markedly shortly before death.

Comparison of large-pore membrane haemodialysis and cross-dialysis in acute hepatic insufficiency in pigs.

We studied the duration of survival and the removal of putative toxins in forty pigs with ischaemic hepatic necrosis, undergoing haemodialysis or cross-dialysis with a large-pore membrane. Ischaemic hepatic necrosis was induced in conscious animals by tightening a loop around the hepatic artery 3 days after construction of a portocaval shunt. Pigs treated by a dialysis procedure survived significantly longer (45.