Malperfusion syndrome in patients undergoing repair for acute type A aortic dissection: Presentation, mortality, and utility of the Penn classification.

Background: The current study aims to report the presentation of the malperfusion syndrome in patients with acute type A aortic dissection admitted to surgery and its impact on mortality.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the multicenter European Registry of Type A Aortic Dissection. The Penn classification was used to categorize malperfusion syndromes.

ICU- and ventilator-free days with isoflurane or propofol as a primary sedative - A post- hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To compare ICU-free (ICU-FD) and ventilator-free days (VFD) in the 30 days after randomization in patients that received isoflurane or propofol without receiving the other sedative.

Materials And Methods: A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared inhaled isoflurane via the Sedaconda® anaesthetic conserving device (ACD) with intravenous propofol for up to 54 h (Meiser et al. 2021).

Inhaled Sedation in Patients with COVID-19-Related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: An International Retrospective Study.

Background And Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the shortage of intravenous sedatives has led to renewed interest in inhaled sedation for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We hypothesized that inhaled sedation would be associated with improved clinical outcomes in COVID-19 ARDS patients.

Methods: Retrospective international study including mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19 ARDS who required sedation and were admitted to 10 European and US intensive care units.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and inhaled sedation in coronavirus disease 2019-related acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication of infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, and the primary cause of death in the current pandemic. Critically ill patients often undergo extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy as the last resort over an extended period. ECMO therapy requires sedation of the patient, which is usually achieved by intravenous administration of sedatives.

Negative drift of sedation depth in critically ill patients receiving constant minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane, sevoflurane, or desflurane: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) physicians have extended the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) to deliver and monitor long-term volatile sedation in critically ill patients. There is limited evidence of MAC's reliability in controlling sedation depth in this setting. We hypothesized that sedation depth, measured by the electroencephalography (EEG)-derived Narcotrend-Index (burst-suppression N_Index 0-awake N_Index 100), might drift downward over time despite constant MAC values.

Retinal findings in carriers of monoallelic mutations.

Aim: Biallelic mutations cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum, a systemic disease characterised by calcification of elastic tissue and a specific retinal phenotype. In this study, we investigated if monoallelic mutations are also associated with retinal alterations.

Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional, monocentre case-control study, carriers of monoallelic mutations were investigated and compared with age-matched controls.

Dose-escalation study evaluating pegylated interferon alpha-2a in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Background: This open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of subcutaneous pegylated (40 kD) interferon α-2a (PEG-IFN α-2a) in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

Patients And Methods: PEG-IFN α-2a was administered subcutaneously at 180 (n = 4), 270 (n = 6), or 360 μg (n = 3) once weekly for 12 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by the proportion of patients with complete response (CR) or partial response (PR).

Influence of cytoimmunological state on the development of tuberculosis in heart transplant recipients.

We examined the relationship between the development of tuberculosis and the cytoimmunological state of orthotopic heart transplant (HTx) recipients, which is affected by immunosuppressive therapy. Tuberculosis developed in 7 (1%) of 716 HTx recipients (four men and three women, aged 33-71 years) during a 7-year period, the standardized annualizing rate being about 1370/100000 per year, which is greater than the 17.5/100000 per year in the general population of Germany.