Transplantation in Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: Feasibility and Futility.

Content available: Author Interview and Audio Recording.

A low threshold to ECG-gated repeat CTA reduces the risk of false-positive diagnosis of type A dissection in interhospital referrals: a case series study.

Background: False-positive diagnosis of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (AAD) on computed tomography angiography (CTA) is still an issue and may lead to substantial consequences. Given that electrocardiography (ECG)-gated CTA provides greater diagnostic safety, it may be assumed that interhospital referrals with a diagnosis of AAD based on non-ECG-gated pre-referral CTA carry an elevated risk of false-positive diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed a series of patients in whom a diagnosis of AAD based on non-ECG-gated pre-referral CTA was subsequently proven false by ECG-gated CTA.

Inhaled levosimendan reduces mortality and release of proinflammatory mediators in a rat model of experimental ventilator-induced lung injury.

Objectives: Mechanical ventilation during critical care can cause structural and functional disturbances in the lung with subsequent release of proinflammatory mediators, termed ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). VILI progressively provokes decreased efficiency of gas exchange with subsequent hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction leading to cardiopulmonary alterations, such as pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure. We therefore aimed to evaluate whether inhalation therapy with levosimendan, a calcium-sensitizer with pulmonary vasodilating properties, could attenuate VILI and improve short-term survival in a rat experimental model.

The beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol counteracts anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane in rat endotoxemia.

Background: Recent studies suggest that volatile anaesthetics have anti-inflammatory and preconditioning properties and that beta-adrenoceptors are involved in the signalling pathways for these effects. Concurrently, the blockade of beta-adrenoceptors has been shown to augment the release of inflammatory mediators in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli. We therefore aimed to investigate whether the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol might modulate the anti-inflammatory effects of isoflurane on the systemic and pulmonary release of pro-inflammatory cytokines in endotoxemic rats.

Targeting caspase-1 by inhalation-therapy: effects of Ac-YVAD-CHO on IL-1 beta, IL-18 and downstream proinflammatory parameters as detected in rat endotoxaemia.

Objective: We set out to investigate whether the nebulized and inhaled specific caspase-1 inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CHO has the potential to attenuate the pulmonary and systemic release of the caspase-1-dependent cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) as well as their downstream enzymes iNOS and COX-2 in rat experimental endotoxaemia.

Design And Setting: Controlled, randomized animal study in a university research facility.

Subject: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=32) were randomly treated as follows: Inhaled Ac-YVAD-CHO was administered in eight rats at a inhaled total dosage of 5 mg and in eight rats at a inhaled total dose of 0.

Effects of revisional ACL surgery in semi-professional athletes in "high-risk pivoting sports" with chronic anterior instability of the knee.

This is a retrospective study of semi-professional athletes in "high-risk pivoting sports" after repetitive injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with chronic anterior instability of the knee. Effects of revisional ACL surgery on the progression of osteoarthritis, sport capacity, and knee pain were observed. Twenty-four patients, with an average age of 25.