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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In this study, the isolated use of methylene blue (MB) in the treatment of anaphylactic shock induced by Compound 48/80 (C48/80), a potent histamine releaser, was examined, and the study of the effects of MB on the function of the aorta artery endothelium was accomplished in vitro. MB was used in a single 3.0 mg/kg dose, and C48/80 was used in a single 4.5 mg/kg dose. The study protocol included the following experimental groups, containing six animals each: group I (control), animals in the absence of any drug action; group II (MB), MB infusion; Group III (C48/80), anaphylactic shock induced by using C48/80; group IV (C48/80 + MB), anaphylactic shock treated with MB infusion at the moment of major hypotension; and group V (MB + C48/80), prevention of anaphylactic shock with MB by means of MB infusion minutes before the 4.5 mg/kg C48/80 infusion. ⋯ After the in vivo studies were performed, an in vitro study was conducted using segments of the abdominal aortas of the rabbits to determine the effect of MB on the arterial endothelium. The results obtained in the present investigation have shown that MB intravenous infusion does not change the mean arterial pressure when compared with the control group (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05); that C48/80 is effective in producing experimental anaphylactic shock (n = 6, P < 0.05); that the attempt to prevent anaphylactic shock with MB results in a mean prolongation of animal survival ranging from 17 to 34 min (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05); that MB is effective in reversing anaphylactic shock in all the studied rabbits (n = 6, P < 0.05); that absolute and percentage plasma nitrate values obtained with the experimental groups do not differ (n = 6, each group, P < 0.05); and that the in vitro study of segments of abdominal aorta has shown that there has not been endothelial dysfunction in any of the groups (n = 6 in each group, P < 0.05). The good results obtained in this study open a research path that may offer data to define new paradigms for treating anaphylaxis.
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Several studies have noted gender differences in adult mortality related to thermal injury, however, little is published on gender-related outcomes of burn patients 17 years of age or less. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between mortality, gender, prepubertal and during puberty, ethnic origin, and age, with or without identified sepsis in severely burned children. Seven hundred forty-seven children admitted to our burn hospital from March 1985 to January 2005 with burns greater than 40% total body surface area were studied. ⋯ Nearly 60% of the male nonsurvivors and 48% of the female nonsurvivors in this study had identifiable sepsis at postmortem. The mortality rate was higher in infants and toddlers, age 0 to 2.9 years, compared with children and adolescents, age 3 to 17 years; however, there was no significant difference in rate of mortality between genders, prepuberty versus puberty, those with septic episodes, or ethnic origin. Burn mortality among infants and toddlers, children, and adolescents with greater than 40% total body surface area burns with or without identified sepsis could not be shown to be gender or ethnic origin dependent.
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The insult from severe hemorrhage is a multifactorial injury involving ischemia/reperfusion with inflammatory dysfunction. Our laboratories and others have demonstrated that the administration of exogenous carbon monoxide (CO) at low concentrations provides cytoprotection in vivo and in vitro. The purpose of these investigations was to test the hypothesis that CO protects against hemorrhagic shock- and resuscitation-induced systemic inflammation and end-organ damage. ⋯ CO protects against systemic effects of hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation. The precise cellular mechanisms involved require further elucidation. CO may prove to be an adjunctive therapy that could be instituted rapidly and with ease as an out-of-hospital therapeutic modality for severe blood loss after trauma.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Plasma cytokine measurements augment prognostic scores as indicators of outcome in patients with severe sepsis.
Despite recent advances in the prospective identification of the patient with sepsis who may benefit from anti-inflammatory or antithrombotic therapies, successful treatment regimens have been fairly modest. We have explored whether determination of several proinflammatory cytokine or mediator concentrations can complement physiologic scoring systems to identify patients with severe sepsis who will survive or expire within 28 days. The design of the study included an exploratory analysis performed in conjunction with a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, clinical trial and involved 33 academic institutions in the United States. ⋯ Selected baseline proinflammatory cytokine concentrations and APACHE II score were correlated (P < 0.01). IL-6 concentration is a strong candidate for predicting clinical outcome in patients with severe sepsis alone, or when combined with the APACHE II or MOD scores. The potential usefulness of the combination of cytokine measurements and prognostic scores to identify patients who may benefit from treatment with anti-inflammatory or antithrombotic therapies should be further evaluated.
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Resuscitation from hemorrhagic shock (50% of blood volume, BV) followed by continuous bleeding (20% of BV per hour, over the entire observation time, 90 min) was studied in the unanesthetized hamster chamber window model. Blood losses equaled 100% of total BV. A single volume infusion (resuscitation) was performed 60 min after hemorrhage using 25% of the BV with 10% hydroxyethyl starch (HES 200, group HES4), or a mixture of HES 200 with 0.3% or 0.6% (w/v) alginate (groups HES7 and HES10, respectively) leading to solutions with a uniform colloidal oncotic pressure (84-87 mmHg) and viscosities ranging from 3.8 to 9.8 cp. ⋯ All microvascular parameters 90 min after resuscitation with low viscosity fell back to the shock level. Improved recovery obtained with a hyperviscous plasma expander was related to microcirculation shear stress preservation, leading to improve blood flow by lowering peripheral vascular resistance when compared with low viscosity resuscitation. These findings suggest the possibility of using hyperviscous plasma expanders to prolong the period for initial treatment of blood losses and definitive institution therapy.