Shock : molecular, cellular, and systemic pathobiological aspects and therapeutic approaches : the official journal the Shock Society, the European Shock Society, the Brazilian Shock Society, the International Federation of Shock Societies
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Modern clinical management of the patients sustaining traumatic injuries and thermal burns has resulted in their longer survival, but the clinical and pathological effects of these traumatic injuries over the myocardium have been largely neglected. It is speculated that certain factors such as the inflammatory and degenerative lesions of the heart, prolonged clinical course, and the subsequent stress and strain may play role in hastening the death. In the present study, 125 hospitalized cases of traumatic injuries and thermal burns brought for medicolegal autopsy were examined, with the purpose to find out the incidence, its significance, and the extent of the myocardial lesions due to stress and strain following trauma. ⋯ These myocardial lesions seen in the cases of traumatic injuries can be termed as early ischemic or anoxic lesions in the absence of any specific coronary pathology. The intensity of myocardial lesions increases with increase in the survival period of the patient. The findings in the study support the concept of human stress cardiomyopathy and demonstrate the potential significance of stress in precipitating death.
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Trauma patients require early assessment of injury severity. Trauma scores, although well validated, can be unwieldy in the emergency clinical setting. We sought to evaluate the prognostic value of initial serum lactate (ISL) for mortality, operative intervention (OI), and intensive care unit admission (ICUA) in trauma patients. ⋯ The ISL did not reach significance for ICUA. The ISL is an easily measured, rapid, and inexpensive test that can help to quickly stratify injury severity in trauma patients. We have found that ISL, when used in strictly selected patients, can predict OI and mortality.
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Gut barrier failure has been implicated in the progression from single-organ injury to multiple-organ failure. The unstirred mucus layer is a major component of the physiological gut barrier; its role in acute pancreatitis (AP) is not clearly defined. Rats underwent biliopancreatic duct ligation-induced AP; two controls were used: biliopancreatic duct ligation with drainage and sham duct ligation. ⋯ These changes correlated with increased reactive oxygen species- and- reactive nitrogen intermediate-mediated mucus damage as well as decreased mucus total antioxidant capacity but were not present in the two control groups. Using a different model of AP in mice, the finding of mucus layer disruption was recapitulated at 6 h after AP, but by 24 h, rebound hypersecretion of inspissated mucus was seen. These results support the hypothesis that damage to the unstirred mucus layer with evidence of oxidative stress occurs during AP-induced gut barrier failure.
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Despite recovery of hemodynamics by fluid resuscitation after hemorrhage, development of the systemic inflammatory response and multiple organ dysfunction syndromes can nonetheless lead to death. Minocycline and doxycycline are tetracycline derivatives that are protective in models of hypoxic, ischemic, and oxidative stress. Our aim was to determine whether minocycline and doxycycline protect liver and kidney and improve survival in a mouse model of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. ⋯ Minocycline and doxycycline were similarly protective when given before as after blood resuscitation and might therefore have clinical efficacy to mitigate liver and kidney injury after resuscitated hemorrhage.
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An excessive and uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response is associated with organ failure, immunodepression, and increased susceptibility to nosocomial infection following trauma. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays a particularly prominent role in the host immune response after trauma with hemorrhage. However, as a result of its pleiotropic functions, the effect of IL-6 in trauma and hemorrhage is still controversial. ⋯ Furthermore, the shift to TH2 cytokine production and suppressed lymphocyte response were partly prevented. These results demonstrate that IL-6 is not only a biomarker but also an important driver of injury-induced inflammation and immune suppression in mice. Rapid measurement of IL-6 levels in the early phase of postinjury care could be used to guide IL-6-based interventions.