Factors influencing the end-of-life decisionmaking process about care in hospitalized patients.

The quality of end-of-life care of hospitalized patients is an important topic, but so far little explored in the Czech Republic. The aim of this study was to map the factors influencing the end-of-life care decision-making process in selected Czech hospitals and to describe it based on data from medical records and from the perspective of a doctor. The research included data obtained from the medical records of 240 deceased patients (mean age 76.

Azithromycin added to hydroxychloroquine for patients admitted to intensive care due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-protocol of randomised controlled trial AZIQUINE-ICU.

Background: Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is known to be susceptible in vitro to exposure to hydroxychloroquine and its effect has been found to be potentiated by azithromycin. We hypothesise that early administration of hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin can prevent respiratory deterioration in patients admitted to intensive care due to rapidly progressive COVID-19 infection.

Methods: Design: Prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial (RCT).

Respiratory induced heart rate variability during slow mechanical ventilation : Marker to exclude brain death patients.

Background: Respiratory induced heart rate variability (rHRV) was analysed in mechanically ventilated patients during two levels of sedation and brain death. Our aim was to determine whether rHRV can distinguish between different levels of sedation and especially between brain death and sedated patients.

Methods: In this study 30 critically ill and 23 brain death patients were included and four respiratory rates of 15, 12, 8 and 6 breaths per minute, each lasting 5 min were used.

The impact of sedation on pulse pressure variation.

Objective: Pulse pressure variations (PPV) are mainly influenced by ventilation. The impact of sedation on PPV is not known. The aim of the study was to test the influence of sedation on pulse pressure variation in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients and to compare PPV in critically ill and brain dead patients.

Regional differences of vasodilatation and vasomotion response to local heating in human cutaneous microcirculation.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the vasodilatation and vasomotion response to local heating in the cutaneous microcirculation of the ankle, dorsum of foot and forearm. Recently, it has been suggested that this response differs between the forearm and the leg.

Probands And Methods: Twenty-nine young healthy adults were recruited.

Simvastatin impairs the induction of pulmonary fibrosis caused by a western style diet: a preliminary study.

The role of an atherogenic diet in causing pulmonary fibrosis has received little attention and simvastatin has been shown to reduce pulmonary fibrosis in animal models. To determine if an atherogenic diet can induce pulmonary fibrosis and whether simvastatin treatment is beneficial by up-regulating heat shock protein 70 and 90. New Zealand white rabbits (n = 15) were divided: Group 1 (control); Group 2 (MC) received a normal rabbit diet with 1% methionine plus 0.

Intravenous insulin therapy during lung resection does not affect lung function or surfactant proteins.

Background: The surgical resection of lung disrupts glucose homeostasis and causes hyperglycemia, as in any other major surgery or critical illness. We performed a prospective study where we carefully lowered hyperglycemia by insulin administration during the surgery, and for the first time we monitored immediate insulin effects on lung physiology and gene transcription.

Methods: The levels of blood gases (pH, pCO2, pO2, HCO3-, HCO3- std, base excess, FiO2, and pO2/FiO2) were measured at the beginning of surgery, at the end of surgery, and two hours after.

Differential effects of insulin and dexamethasone on pulmonary surfactant-associated genes and proteins in A549 and H441 cells and lung tissue.

In this study, the effects of insulin and dexamethasone on the expression and mRNA transcription of 4 pulmonary surfactant-associated proteins [surfactant protein (SFTP)A, SFTPB, SFTPC and SFTPD] were examined. The commercially available cell lines, A549 and H441, were used as acceptable models of lung surfactant-producing cells. Subsequently, the effects of insulin on the expression of surfactant-associated proteins were examined in patients with lung adenocarcinoma during lung resection.

Temperature corrected thromboelastography in hypothermia: is it necessary?

Context: Hypothermia is known to influence thromboelastography (TEG). TEG reproducibility is generally low.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rationale of TEG temperature adjustment in patients during hypothermia.

Postintubation tracheal rupture: case report.

Tracheobronchial rupture after tracheal intubation has been infrequently reported. Successful diagnosis often requires a high level of suspicion. A laceration of the distal membranous trachea usually has been repaired through a right thoracotomy.