[Influence of chemosensional disorders on taste preferences in cancer patients who are receiving oral nutrition supplements].

Chemosensory disorders (CSD) such as disorders of taste and smell are one of the causes of malnutrition in cancer patients. The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of CSD on taste preferences in cancer patients receiving oral nutritional supplements (ONS). Material and methods. The procedure involves 100 oncological patients (26 men, 74 women; 57.0±1.2 years old). The taste preferences in these patients were assessed using a digital rating scale during ONS. All patients had cancer outside the head and neck area and underwent specific treatment. The functional status on the ECOG scale was 0-II. All patients had indications for DPP (ESMO scale >2 points). Patients were offered a mixture of sweet (banana, coffee, vanilla) and unsweetened (vegetable, chicken soup) tastes in a disposable 30 ml container. The patient was asked to take a sip and evaluate the smell, taste, strength of taste and density (consistency) of the sample on a digital rating scale from 0 to 5 points, where 0 - I do not feel, 5 - I feel excellent. The maximum possible number of points for each sample was 20. Results. Signs of CSD (score <10) were detected in 69% of patients [95% confidence interval (CI) 59.5-77.7]. In this group, the frequency of choosing unsweetened tastes for ONS was 59.4% (95% CI 47.5-70.8), sweet - 40.6% (95% CI 29.2-52.5). In the group of patients without signs of CSD, the frequency of choosing savory tastes was 29.0% (95% CI 14.1-46.7), sweet - 71.0% (95% CI 53.3-85.9) (р=0.0049). Conclusion. The presence of CSD significantly affects the taste preferences of cancer patients and significantly increases the likelihood of choosing products for ONS with unsweetened taste (unsweetened foods).

[Changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism in patients with severe sepsis of different etiology].

UNLABELLED: Different origin (heterogeneity) of sepsis is a key stone in many discussions regarding options for the course and outcome, despite the general rules of development of the pathogenic mechanisms. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To compare data of systemic inflammation (CRP, PCT, IL-8, IL-6, IL-4, TNF-alpha) and markers of endothelial dysfunction (NO, lactate, D-dimers), also lipid (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL) and carbohydrate metabolism between the two groups of patients with severe intra-abdominal infection (n = 109) and severe sepsis of other etiologies (n = 53). RESULTS: We found out a significant difference between the groups in serum levels of the CRP, IL-4 and cholesterol at all stages of the study. During severe abdominal sepsis was accompanied by a significantly higher level of cholesterol, LDL and VLDL, as well as higher values of glycaemia. Patients with sepsis other etiology showed a lighter and more dynamic course of the disease was significantly lower 28-day mortality.

[Artificial ventilation in patients with stroke: main results of the Russian multicenter observational clinical trial RETAS]. / Iskusstvennaya ventilyatsiya legkikh u patsientov s ostrym narusheniem mozgovogo krovoobrashcheniya: osnovnye rezul'taty Rossiiskogo mnogotsentrovogo observatsionnogo klinicheskogo issledovaniya RETAS.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the characteristics of respiratory support (RS) for patients with stroke and clinical factors with the number and structure of complications, deaths, and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and duration of artificial pulmonary ventilation (ALV). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Russian multicenter observational clinical study «Respiratory Therapy for Acute Stroke¼ (RETAS) that enrolled 1289 patients with stroke requiring RS was conducted under the auspices of the All-Russian public organization «Federation of Anesthesiologists and Resuscitators¼. Indications for ALV, the use of hyperventilation, the maximum level of positive end-expiratory pressure, starting modes of mechanical ventilation, timing of tracheostomy, the incidence of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and infectious complications were analyzed. The following scales were used to assess the severity of the condition: the National Institutes of Health Stroke Severity Scale (NIHSS), the Glasgow Coma Scale, the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). RESULTS: For the group of patients with a stroke severity of more than 20 NIHSS points, the mortality increase was associated with initial hypoxia (p=0.004), hyperventilation used to relieve intracranial hypertension (p=0.034), and starting ventilation with volume control (VC) compared with starting pressure-controlled ventilation (PC) (p<0.001). We found that the use of the instrumental monitoring of intracranial pressure was associated with a decrease in mortality (p<0.001). The absence of PEM in patients with stroke is associated with a higher probability of a positive outcome (GOS 4 and 5) for the group with NIHSS less than 14 points (p<0.001). Ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis and ventilator-associated pneumonia were associated with an increase in the duration of ALV, the duration of weaning from the ventilator (for ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis) and the duration of stay in the ICU, and also reduced the chances of favorable outcomes (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The factors associated with increased mortality in acute stroke are: hypoxemia at the start of ALV, hyperventilation, starting ventilation with VC in comparison with starting ventilation with PC, the use of only clinical methods of monitoring intracranial pressure in comparison with instrumental monitoring. The adverse effect of PEM and infectious complications on the outcome in patients with acute stroke has been proven.

[Are we controlling the sedation in ICU? A multicenter study results].

The aim of this study is to evaluate the issues of sedation and analgesia in all-purpose ICUs in Russia. To obtain that, a single-day observational survey was performed in 55 ICUs of Ural and Siberia regions. This work enabled to describe the targets, instruments of control and patterns of sedative and analgetics and sedatives prescription, as well as to make conclusions about issues in this area and possibilities of creation and necessity of analgesia and sedation standards. The study has shown a decent percentage of use of standardized scales evaluating pain in ICU and predominance of effectivae drugs and analgesia patterns, which leads to "formalization" of analgesia and decrease of it's effectiveness. Sedation indications do not satisfy the modern concept, sedation level evaluation scores are used only in 13%, schemes and drugs are traditional. The results of this study may serve as a reason for discussion of necessity of introducing of sedative and analgetic therapy in ICU standarts.

[Russian multicenter observational clinical study «Register of respiratory therapy for patients with stroke (RETAS)¼: a comparative analysis of the outcomes of stroke]. / Rossiiskoe mnogotsentrovoe observatsionnoe klinicheskoe issledovanie «Registr respiratornoi terapii u patsientov s ONMK (RETAS)¼: sravnitel'naya kharakteristika iskhodov insul'ta.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the treatment of patients with severe stroke requiring respiratory support, and identify predictors of death. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multicenter observational clinical study «REspiratory Therapy for Acute Stroke¼ (RETAS) was conducted under the aegis of the «Federation of Anaesthesiologists and Reanimatologists¼ (FAR). The study involved 14 clinical centers and included 1289 stroke patients with respiratory support. RESULTS: We found that initial hypoxemia in the 28-day period was associated with higher mortality than in absence of hypoxemia (in patients with 20 or more NIHSS scores) (76.22% versus 63.45%, p=0.004). Risk factors for lethal outcome: hyperventilation used to relieve intracranial hypertension compared with group of patients who were not treated with hyperventilation (in patients with 20 or more NIHSS scores) (79.55% versus 72.75%, p=0.0336); volume-controlled ventilation (VC) versus pressure-controlled ventilation (PC) (in patients with 20 or more NIHSS scores) (p<0.001); use of clinical methods for monitoring ICP in comparison with instrumental ones (87.64% versus 62.33%, p<0.001). It has been proved that the absence of nutritional insufficiency in patients with stroke is associated with a higher probability of a positive outcome (GOS 4 and 5) in comparison with patients with signs of nutritional insufficiency, for the group with NIHSS less than 14 points (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A group of factors associated with a deterioration in the prognosis of outcomes in patients with stroke who are undergoing ventilation has been identified: hypoxemia at the start of respiratory support, lack of instrumental monitoring of ICP, the use of hyperventilation to correct ICP, ventilation with volume control (VC), as well as the presence of nutritional insufficiency.

[Effect of an original enteral feeding protocol on clinical outcome indicators in patients with acute cerebral damage of vascular and traumatic genesis].

The prospective randomized controlled study enrolled 58 patients diagnosed as having brain injury and hemorrhagic stroke. Enteral feeding was started within the first 24 hours after admission to an intensive care unit (ICU); a control group (n = 28) was given an isocalorie formula while a study group (n = 28) received a combination of a hypercalorie formula and a fiber-containing formula. In the study group, the intestine was stimulated with erythromycin within the first 3 days. Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and APACHE II scores, the degree of a systemic inflammatory response (SIR) and multiple organ failure (MOF), serum albumin and glucose levels, energy expenditure and balance, and nitrogen excretion and balance were estimated on day 10. Treatment results on day 30, length of ICU stay, AV duration, mortality, and use of blood preparations were compared. On study day 10, nitrogen and energy balances and the pattern of signs of SIR and MOF were significantly better and fresh frozen plasma and albumin solutions were used less in the study group than in the control one. There were differences in APACHE II and GCS scores, energy expenditure and nitrogen loss, plasma albumin and glucose concentrations, mortality, and volume of used packed red blood cells. The original enteric feeding protocol based on the use of dietary fiber-fortified hypercalorie diets in combination with the new method of gastric motility stimulation makes it possible to reduce the accumulation of deficiency of energy and plastic substrates, to alleviate the manifestations of SIR and MOF and to decrease the consumption of blood components and preparations.

[Cytoflavin as a modulator of rehabilitation treatment of patients with ischemic stroke complicated by post-intensive care syndrome]. / Tsitoflavin kak komponent reabilitatsionnogo lecheniya patsientov s ishemicheskim insul'tom, oslozhnennym PIT-sindromom.

OBJECTIVE: To assess an effect of cytoflavin on the results of rehabilitation treatment and the increase in exercise tolerance in patients with stroke complicated by post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 53 patients who underwent neurorehabilitation in the ICU after ischemic stroke were analyzed. Depending on the treatment regimen, the patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (main, n=36) received cytoflavin (iv drip in a volume of 10 ml of a solution for injections per 200 ml of a 0.9% solution of sodium chloride) for 10 days in addition to the complex of neurorehabilitation measures. Group 2 (control, n=17) included patients, who had only a standard set of neurorehabilitation measures for 10 days. The efficacy of the therapy was evaluated using indirect calorimetry, and the oxygen and energy load price index was calculated. To assess the tolerability of rehabilitation methods, a verticalization test was used. Treatment tolerance was assessed by the incidence of adverse reactions in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The components of the energytropic effect of cytoflavin can have a positive modulating effect, increasing the tolerance of rehabilitation measures for the treatment of PICS in patients with ischemic stroke. Further research is required.

[Changes in lipid metabolic parameters in patients with severe sepsis].

The vital importance of systemic inflammatory reactions in developing a critical condition of any etiology is generally accepted at the present developmental stage of reanimatology and intensive care. The metabolic component remains a less studied part of a complex of the universal pathophysiological changes that characterize a critical condition. Lipid metabolic changes in sepsis are less investigated. Some publications indicate a role of fatty acids in regulating a systemic inflammatory reaction and in maintaining the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory reactions in the development of a systemic inflammatory reaction. Others show their role in endothelial damage. The latter are of great interest due to the fact that lipolysis occurs just on the endothelium with the involvement of lipases. The purpose of this study was to reveal lipid metabolic changes and to define an association between the lipid metabolic parameters and the severity of a systemic inflammatory reaction in patients with severe sepsis, as well as their possible impact on the outcome of the critical condition.

[Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of synthetic colloid solutions in the treatment of severe abdominal sepsis: a randomized comparative study].

Infusion therapy, surgical debridement of an infection focus, and antimicrobial therapy are basic treatments for severe sepsis. At the same time there are no uniform guidelines on how to choose fluids for infusion therapy. The results of individual studies serve as the basis for refusing the use of synthetic colloid agents in the therapy of severe sepsis. The presented multicenter, randomized comparative study has evaluated different synthetic colloid solutions in early targeted therapy for severe sepsis. Evidence is provided for the identical effectiveness of the compared solutions in correcting hypovolemia and stabilizing hemodynamics in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock.

[Correction of intracranial hypertension syndrome using hyperosmolar solutions in patients with severe brain damage (multicenter randomized clinical study)].

The paper presents the results of a muticenter study of the effect of 3 hyperosmolar solutions (15% mannitol solution, 10% sodium chloride solution, and the combined solution HyperHAES containing 7.2% sodium chloride and hydroxyethyl starch 200/0.5) on the value of intracranial pressure (ICP) (invasive ICP monitoring) and systemic hemodynamic parameters (PiCCOplus) in 94 clinical cases of intracranial hypertension (ICP more than 20 mm Hg) in 25 patients with acute cerebral pathology (severe brain injury, aneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage). Intravenous infusion of the solutions was found to induce a reduction in ICP; however, this was most pronounced (by 30-40%) and longer (up to 4 hours) when HyperHAES solution was used. This solution produced not only an osmotic, but also hemodynamic effect.

[Dynamic metabolic monitoring as a basis of nutritional support in acute cerebral insufficiency of vascular genesis].

Within the framework of a prospective controlled study, the metabolic status was evaluated in 148 patients with stroke, by using the dynamic metabolic monitoring technique comprising the calculation of real daily calorie consumption, the assessment of the degree of hypermetabolism, protein hypercatabolism, nutritional disorders, and needs for nutrients, and the daily evaluation of nutritional support. As a result, the authors provide evidence that dynamic metabolic monitoring rapidly and adequately reflect changes in the degree of hypercatabolism and hypermetabolism in patients with lesions of the central nervous system and the structures responsible for regulation of metabolism and nutritional support in accordance with monitoring data makes it possible to enhance the efficiency of intensive care and to reduce the frequency of neurotrophic complications.

Opportunistic infections in acquired immune deficiency syndrome result from synergistic defects of both the natural and adaptive components of cellular immunity.

We evaluated the cellular immunity of 408 clinically stratified subjects at risk for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), to define the role of interferon-alpha production deficits in the pathogenesis of opportunistic infections (OI). We followed 115 prospectively for up to 45 mo. Onset of OI was associated with, and predicted by, deficiency both of interferon-alpha generation in vitro, and of circulating Leu-3a+ cells. Interferon-alpha production is an index of the function of certain non-T, non-B, large granular lymphocytes (LGL) that are independent of T cell help. Leu-3a+ cell counts are a marker of T cell function. OI did not usually develop until both of these mutually independent immune functions were simultaneously critically depressed, leading to a synergistic interaction. These data suggest that the AIDS virus affects a subset of LGL, and that cytokine production by these cells is an important component of the host defense against intracellular pathogens that becomes crucial in the presence of severe T cell immunodeficiency.

[Effect of various colloidal solutions on pulmonary oxygenizing function in patients with acute lung lesion].

The effects of 6% hydroxyethyl starch and 10% albumin solution on the parameters of central hemodynamics and pulmonary extravascular water were studied in acute lung lesion. The patients were divided into 2 groups that did not significantly differ by the baseline severity of a condition (APACHE II and Murray scales). Groups 1 and 2 patients were transfused 6% hydroxyethyl starch and 10% albumin solution, respectively. The "PICCO PLUS" system was used to determine the parameters of central hemodynamics, pulmonary extravascular water, and oxygenation before and after infusion of the test colloidal solutions. Unlike 10% albumin solution, 6% hydroxyethyl starch was found to significantly increase preload parameters, without deteriorating pulmonary oxygenizing function due to the accumulation of extravascular liquid.

[Nutritional support in critical conditions as intensive care technology].

The patients of intensive care units represent a group in which nutritional support methods, such as enteral and parenteral feeding, are most frequently used to correct protein and energy metabolisms. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the most significant clinical problems ensuing in nutritional support in an intensive care unit, such as the high incidence of hospital exhaustion, difficulties in metabolic monitoring and in the determination of patients' needs for nutrients, in the choice for media for intravenous and enteral feeding, in the prevention of possible complications of nutritional support; organizational aspects.

Immune thrombocytopenia and Gaucher's disease.

A 35-year-old Ashkenazi woman with Gaucher's disease was evaluated for persistent thrombocytopenia. The diagnosis of Gaucher's disease was made by bone marrow aspiration and confirmed by the determination of glucocerebrosidase levels in leukocytes and cultured skin fibroblasts. Studies of platelet-associated IgG and in vivo platelet survival demonstrated immune-mediated destruction of platelets consistent with immune thrombocytopenic purpura. A trial of prednisone had no effect on the platelet count. Total splenectomy resulted in a complete and prolonged remission. The clinical implications of Gaucher's disease and concurrent immune thrombocytopenic purpura are discussed.

Induction of microsomal antigen and comparison with histologic localization of HLA-DR in Graves' thyroid tissue.

We have characterized thyroid microsomal antigen (M-Ag) prepared from Graves' and normal thyroid tissues using 100,000 x g thyroid membrane fractions in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays with pooled polyclonal human sera containing high titers of antibody to M-Ag. A ten-fold parallel increase in dose inhibition potencies occurred with M-Ag preparations from Graves' as compared to normal thyroid tissue. The M-Ag preparations were further evaluated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and proteins visualized by Western blot using high titer microsomal antibody (M-Ab) sera (n = 2) devoid of thyroglobulin antibody activity. We found discrete 100 kD relative molecular mass bands in Graves' M-Ag preparations (n = 3) under nonreducing conditions which were only poorly resolved in normal thyroid M-Ag (n = 3) using up to 100 micrograms of protein per lane. The cellular localization of M-Ag was then investigated using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase technique on frozen sections of Graves' and normal human thyroid tissue with a murine monoclonal antibody reactive with human M-Ag and thyroid peroxidase. M-Ag reactivity was similar in both Graves' and normal thyroid tissues and localized to the entire follicular cell membrane with more intense staining occurring on the inner follicular cell membrane. This was in contrast to follicular cell staining for HLA-DR antigen which was present in 6 of 10 Graves' tissues examined and absent in normal thyroid tissue. Staining for HLA-DR antigen also occurred on the follicular cell surface membrane with occasional enhancement at the thyrocyte apical cell membrane. We conclude: a) M-Ag is induced approximately 10-fold in Graves' thyroid tissue and can be objectively quantified in ELISA systems, 2) There were no detectable qualitative differences between M-Ag from Graves' and normal thyroid tissue, and 3) HLA-DR antigen was detected on 60% Graves' tissues in a cell surface distribution similar to that observed for M-Ag in both Graves' and normal tissues.

Pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex: clinical and immunologic features.

The long term clinical outcome for infants and children with the pediatric acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex is unknown. This report describes our experience with 14 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex who have been followed for 11 to 71 months since the onset of their symptoms. The most frequent clinical features at presentation were persistent generalized lymphadenopathy (14 of 14), hepatosplenomegaly (11 of 14) and a history of recurrent otitis media (7 of 14). Except for hypergammaglobulinemia (14 of 14) and reversed T4/T8 ratios (9 of 14), immunologic analyses, including in vitro responses to mitogens and antibody responses following immunization, revealed no consistent abnormalities. Over the course of follow-up, none of the patients have developed serious or opportunistic infections and 12 of 14 have shown catch up or age-appropriate growth. The T4/T8 ratios have remained stable in 8 of 11 and improved in 2 of 11 patients. Gradual regression of hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy has been noted patients. Although follow-up studies over a longer period are needed to confirm our observations to date, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related complex may represent a prolonged plateau in the course of human immunodeficiency virus infection in many infected children. Detailed immunologic evaluation of these patients may help to identify a subset of children that could benefit from periodic gamma-globulin or chronic antibiotic therapy.

Thymocyte maturity in male and female hypogonadal mice and the effect of preoptic area brain grafts.

Hypogonadal mice with a genetic deficiency of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) have low levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and gonadal steroids. In this study we found differences from normal mice in many aspects of thymic development. Thymus weights and cellularity were higher in hypogonadal than in normal male mice but lower in hypogonadal than in normal females. Although all normal mice had higher proportions of mature, single staining thymocytes (CD8+ or CD4+) than seen in hypogonadal mice, there was a sex difference in the basis for this shift. Significantly more double-staining (CD8+, CD4+) thymocytes were seen in hypogonadal males than in normal males while both groups had similar single-staining populations. However, in females, both single-staining CD8+ and CD4+ thymocytes were more numerous in normal than in hypogonadal females while numbers of double-staining cells were similar in the two groups. These studies indicate that a mature thymocyte profile may be arrived at through differential effects of reproductive hormones in males and females. When brain grafts containing GnRH cells were used to correct reproductive deficits in hypogonadal mice, there were higher splenocyte counts in males with grafts, a similar trend in females, and a lower ratio of single staining CD4+ to CD8+ thymocytes in all females with grafts vs. all females without, regardless of whether or not the grafts corrected the reproductive hormone status of the recipients, indicating an effect of the graft surgery on the immune system.

[Approaches to nutrition of patients with severe thermal trauma]. / Podkhody k pitaniiu bol'nykh s tiazheloi termicheskoi travmoi.

Basic principles of feeding of the patients (adult and children) with a serious thermal trauma, which cause considerable disturbances of a homeostasis of organism: hypermetabolic inverse of a metabolism, decrease of immune resistance, losses of water and electrolytes masses. Early use of quality and valuable nutrition for such patients (under observation was 56 patient--adult and children of different age) is a method of treatment reliably improving outcome of an intensive therapy reducing number of complications of a burn disease and contributing to the prompt convalescence of the patients.