Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2010
Review Meta AnalysisProne positioning improves survival in severe ARDS: a pathophysiologic review and individual patient meta-analysis.
Prone positioning has been used for over 30 years in the management of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This maneuver has consistently proven capable of improving oxygenation in patients with acute respiratory failure. Several mechanisms can explain this observation, including possible intervening net recruitment and more homogeneously distributed alveolar inflation. ⋯ The available randomized clinical trials, however, have failed to demonstrate that prone positioning improves the outcomes of patients with ARDS overall. In contrast, the individual patient meta-analysis of the four major clinical trials available clearly shows that with prone positioning, the absolute mortality of severely hypoxemic ARDS patients may be reduced by approximately 10%. On the other hand, all data suggest that long-term prone positioning may expose patients with less severe ARDS to unnecessary complications.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2010
ReviewBiomarkers of acute kidney injury in anesthesia, intensive care and major surgery: from the bench to clinical research to clinical practice.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after major surgery and reportedly occurs in approximately 36% of ICU patients (RIFLE Risk/Injury/ Failure categories). It is associated with increased mortality, greater cost, and prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and hospital stay, despite attempts to develop therapies to prevent or attenuate AKI, which have had limited success. One major reason for this lack of success may be the result of delayed implementation due to the inability to detect AKI early. ⋯ They can be used to evaluate the effect of new techniques and therapies on kidney function, as safety markers to monitor toxicity and as measures of treatment effect. For example, NGAL and cystatin C have been used in a safety monitoring trial of hydroxyethylstarch therapy and to detect AKI early, during or immediately after cardiac surgery. Clinical use beyond research settings is rapidly expanding.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2010
Effects of hemoperfusion with an immobilized polymyxin-B fiber column on cytokine plasma levels in patients with abdominal sepsis.
The beneficial role of hemofiltration with immobilized polymyxin-B fiber (PMX) columns in sepsis, especially sepsis due to gram-negative bacteria, has previously been emphasized. Although the efficacy of PMX-B fiber-mediated hemofiltration in reducing plasma levels of cytokines has been reported, other studies did not confirm this observation. Here we report the effects of PMX-B fiber-mediated hemofiltration on outcome and cytokine plasma levels in patients with abdominal sepsis. ⋯ Hemofiltration with a PMX fiber column was able to reduce plasma levels of IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-a, especially in patients surviving at 28 days. Use of the technique was associated with lower norepinephrine support and an increased PaO2/FiO2 ratio.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2010
Nitrous oxide discretely up-regulates nNOS and p53 in neonatal rat brain.
Animal studies suggest that neuronal cell death often results from anesthetic administration during synaptogenesis. Volatile anesthetics are strongly involved in triggering neuronal apoptosis, whereas other inhalational agents (xenon) demonstrate protective effects. Nitrous oxide (N2O) has modest pro-apoptotic effects on its own and potent, synergistic toxic effects when combined with volatile agents. Recent findings suggest that, during periods of rapid brain development, the enhanced neurodegeneration triggered by anesthetic drugs may be caused by a compensatory increase in intracellular free calcium, a potent activator of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). Anesthesia-induced neuro-apoptosis is also activated via the intrinsic and the extrinsic apoptotic pathways because both pathways involve p53, a key regulatory gene. The molecular events related to neuronal cell apoptosis are not completely understood. To gain further insight into the events underlying neuro-apoptosis, we analyzed the transcriptional consequences of N2O exposure on nNOS, iNOS and p53 mRNA levels. ⋯ Our preliminary data show that N2O induced a selective increase in nNOS and p53 transcription. These new findings provide evidence of pro-apoptotic action by N2O and may shed new insight on its toxic effects; however, further investigations are necessary.
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The aim of this study was to describe the role of glucocorticoids in immune modulation during critical illness and to review clinical trials and recent meta-analyses of glucocorticoids in early and late acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Selected reviews of publications, clinical trials, and meta-analyses were considered for the study. Activation of the adrenal axis is an important component of the compensatory anti-inflammatory response to critical illness. ⋯ In conclusion, short-duration, high-dose glucocorticoid therapy is not effective in preventing ARDS and may be harmful. Lower doses for persistent ARDS improve lung function and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation but the impact on long-term mortality is unclear. Additional trials are needed to determine if corticosteroids improve important clinical outcomes before they can be recommended for the routine use of patients with unresolved ARDS.