Non-coronary predictors of elevated high-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) levels in an unselected emergency patient cohort.

Background: Aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of hs-cTnT in a non-ACS patient cohort admitted to the emergency department.

Hypothesis: Atrial fibrillation and hypertension may not always be sufficient for elevation for hs-cTnT.

Methods: We performed a retrospective, single center study encompassing in total 1003 patients.

Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Patients with Rheumatologic Diseases Admitted to the ICU.

Objective: To assess the outcomes in a large cohort of patients suffering from rheumatic diseases admitted to the ICU of a tertiary university medical center.

Methods: A retrospective chart analysis was performed in 108 patients suffering from various rheumatic diseases and the outcomes, including morbidity and mortality, were assessed in relation to the underlying diseases, treatments and complications.

Results: Overall, 48 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, five patients with spondyloarthritis, 14 patients with vasculitis, 30 patients with connective tissue diseases and 11 patients suffering from other rheumatologic conditions were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Soluble CD163 is increased in patients with acute pancreatitis independent of disease severity.

Macrophages are crucially involved in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis. Soluble CD163 (sCD163) is specifically released from macrophages and systemic levels are increased in inflammatory diseases. Here, sCD163 was measured in serum of 50 patients with acute pancreatitis to find out possible associations with disease activity.

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis: laboratory, clinical, and imaging findings as predictors of patient outcome.

Objective: In patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis, we analyzed whether laboratory and clinical findings determined in the early phase of disease and morphologic features on contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) at the beginning of the late phase of disease are helpful in predicting patient outcome and whether CECT findings provide additional information in establishing prognosis compared with the laboratory and clinical findings.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 99 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis was performed. Four laboratory variables (albumin, calcium, C-reactive protein, WBC count) and three clinical variables (Acute Physiology, Age, Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II score; Simplified Acute Physiology Score [SAPS] II; persistent organ failure) were assessed.

B cell activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) behaves as an acute phase reactant in acute pancreatitis.

Objective: To determine if B cell activating factor of the tumor necrosis factor family (BAFF) acts as an acute phase reactant and predicts severity of acute pancreatitis.

Methods: 40 patients with acute pancreatitis were included in this single center cohort pilot study. Whole blood and serum was analyzed on day of admission and nine consecutive days for BAFF, c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), procalcitonin (PCT), and leucocyte numbers.

Extracorporeal albumin dialysis with the molecular adsorbent recirculating system in acute-on-chronic liver failure: the RELIEF trial.

Unlabelled: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a frequent cause of death in cirrhosis. Albumin dialysis with the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) decreases retained substances and improves hemodynamics and hepatic encephalopathy (HE). However, its survival impact is unknown.

Admission levels of soluble CD137 are increased in patients with acute pancreatitis and are associated with subsequent complications.

The progression of acute pancreatitis to necrotizing pancreatitis which often results in high morbidity and mortality is difficult to predict. Here we report that serum concentrations of sCD137 are increased in patients with acute pancreatitis. Admission levels and 10-day median sCD137 levels positively correlate with markers of biliary pancreatitis and the 10-day sCD137 median is significantly higher in metabolic than in alcoholic pancreatitis.

Admission visfatin levels predict pancreatic and peripancreatic necrosis in acute pancreatitis and correlate with clinical severity.

Objectives: Adipocytes of peripancreatic and intrapancreatic adipose tissue secret adipocytokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and resistin. For resistin, a role as an early predictor of peripancreatic necrosis and clinical severity in acute pancreatitis has been reported. It was the aim of this study to investigate whether the adipocytokine visfatin is able to serve as an early marker predicting peripancreatic necrosis and clinical severity.

Admission resistin levels predict peripancreatic necrosis and clinical severity in acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: Peripancreatic necrosis determines clinical severity in acute pancreatitis. Early markers predicting peripancreatic necrosis and clinical severity are lacking. Because adipocytes of peripancreatic adipose tissue secret highly active adipocytokines, the aim of the study was to investigate whether adipocytokines are able to serve as early markers predicting peripancreatic necrosis and clinical severity.

Cardiac arrest: composition of resuscitation teams and training techniques: results of a hospital survey in German-speaking countries.

Background: The long-term outcome of patients requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation depends heavily on swift and appropriate care. The aim of this study was to obtain data on the composition and training of resuscitation teams in specialist departments for internal medicine and anesthesiology.

Methods: Between October 2006 and February 2007, 440 questionnaires were sent to departments for anesthesiology and internal medicine in Germany (hospitals with more than 300 beds) and to university hospitals in Switzerland and Austria.

Continuous non-invasive arterial pressure technique improves patient monitoring during interventional endoscopy.

Introduction: Close monitoring of arterial blood pressure (BP) is a central part of cardiovascular surveillance of patients at risk for hypotension. Therefore, patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with the use of sedating agents are monitored by discontinuous non-invasive BP measurement (NIBP). Continuous non-invasive BP monitoring based on vascular unloading technique (CNAP, CN Systems, Graz) may improve patient safety in those settings.

Significance of scintigraphy for the localisation of obscure gastrointestinal bleedings.

Aim: To determine the role of scintigraphy in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding of unknown localisation.

Methods: We performed retrospective analyses on 92 patients receiving scintigraphies from 1993 to 2000 in the University of Regensburg hospital, which were done for localisation of GI bleeding as a diagnostic step after an unsuccessful endoscopy. In addition to the scintigraphies, further diagnostic steps such as endoscopy, angiography or operations were performed.