[Is suxamethonium still useful for paediatric anaesthesia?]. / Czy suksametonium ma ciagle miejsce we wspólczesnej amestezologii dzieciecej?

Suxamethonium is the only depolarising neuromuscular blocking agent, which is still being widely used during general anaesthesia. Some of its unique properties rank suxamethonium as an ideal neuromuscular blocking agent i.e. the fast onset of muscle paralysis and spontaneous neuromuscular block reversal. However, the agent may trigger malignant hyperthermia, hyperkaliaemia, severe bradycardia and other complications, which have to be considered. Due to differences in postsynaptic nicotine receptor structure and functional insufficiency of the neuromuscular junction, paediatric patients when compared to adults, are more sensitive to potential side effects when suxamethonium is administered. Malignant hyperthermia is an important risk factor. Ryanidine receptors located in the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum membrane are responsible for the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores and trigger this complication.The risk of hyprethermia increases in children when some neurologic and muscle diseases coexist. Nowadays, in rapid sequence induction of anaesthesia, suxamethonium may be replaced with rocuronium - a non-depolarising muscle relaxant which provides the intubating conditions similar to suxamethonium. The rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade, which lasts longer than blockade following suxamethonium, is reversed with sugammadex - a new selective relaxant binding agent. Despite new agents and methods, suxamethonium still remains the drug of choice for muscle relaxation for intubation in children.

[Multiple organ failure in a severely malnourished patient with chromosome aberration]. / Skrajne niedoiywienie jako przyczyna niewydolnosci wielonarzadowej u chorej z aberracja chromosomalna.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia and malnutrition are two of the biggest killers in childhood, as defined by the World Health Organisation. Although common in the developing world, these conditions can also be observed in more advanced countries, as a result of negligence and lack of proper care in disabled children. We describe a case in which severe malnutrition resulted in multiple organ failure. CASE REPORT: A 16-yr-old retarded girl with +14q chromosome aberration, was admitted to hospital because of severe anaemia and dyspnea. She was extremely malnourished. Her body weight was 32 kg with a height of 152 cm (BMI 13.9). Her Hb concentration was 1.12 mmol L(-1), Ht 7%, and RBC 0.93 T L(-1). RBC transfusion resulted in transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) and multiple organ failure. She was treated with mechanical ventilation, inotropic support and parenteral nutrition, complicated by the refeeding syndrome and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. After recovery, a gastrostomy was performed, but due to gastric retention she required a laparotomy for adhesiolysis.The girl recovered and remains under home care. DISCUSSION: In a case of a girl with retardation, multiple organ failure resulting from ten years of malnutrition was observed. She was especially difficult to treat because of a prolonged dysfunction of homeostasis, hypoproteinemia, hypophosphatemia and SIRS. Such patients require careful treatment in ICU settings.

Analysis of occurrence of bacteraemia with pathogens from gastrointestinal tract in patients fed parenterally and enterally in the intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial translocation is a migration of microorganisms and their toxins from the intestinal lumen to the mesenteric lymph nodes, blood, and abdominal organs. It can lead to local inflammatory response and a potential increase in intestinal permeability leading to systemic infections and multiple organ failure. Enteral nutrition stimulates gastrointestinal motility, increases blood flow, and improves the integration of the intestinal barrier. AIM: The impact of enteral (EN) and parenteral (PN) nutrition on occurrence of bacteraemia caused by pathogens from the gastrointestinal tract. MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a retrospective analysis of medical documentation of 254 patients. Microbiological tests were analysed, assessing the presence of bacteraemia or sepsis pathogens from the gastrointestinal tract. In 52 patients gastrointestinal pathogens in blood were found: 29 patients were fed enterally (I group - EN and EN + PN) and 23 only parenterally (II group - PN). RESULTS: The mean length of stay in hospital until the occurrence of bacteraemia in group I was 14, and in group II it was 13 days. Mean time without EN was 4 days (first group) and 12 days (second group). Time of stay in ICU and mortality in the group of patients fed parenterally was observed: group I - 25 days, mortality 34%; group II - 37 days, mortality 56%. In the analysed group the EN and the length of the absence of this kind of feeding did not affect the occurrence of bacteraemia by gastrointestinal pathogens. CONCLUSIONS: However, patients fed only parenterally who had bacteraemia required a longer stay in the ICU and had a higher rate of mortality than the patients with EN.

Withdrawal from bariatric treatment - an analysis under various demographic conditions.

Poland is high on a list of countries affected by epidemics of obesity, a problem that has especially suddenly increased in the post-transformation period. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Documentation of 115 subsequent patients diagnosed with grade 3 obesity, considered eligible for surgical treatment, was analysed since 2015. A subgroup of 68 patients was selected from this group and the included patients who decided to cancel their treatment at various stages. Their history since presentation at the obesity treatment centre, BMI with its history, age, education and place of residence were analysed, followed by a telephone survey. 42 patients were finally contacted. Special attention was placed on the analysis of patients taking into account their place of residence. Patients were divided into inhabitants of rural and urban areas. RESULTS: In the study group of 68 patients, 19 (27.9%) were inhabitants of rural areas and 49 (72.1%) of urban areas. Women accounted for 67.6%, and men for 32.4%. The mean age of patients when they presented for treatment was 43 years. On average, men presented 5 years later compared to women. The mean BMI on qualification for treatment of obesity was 47.6 kg/m2. The mean BMI max - 49.6 kg/m2. There were no differences regarding education in both populations. Despite the lack of differences regarding changes in the BMI since withdrawal from treatment, as many as 63% of patients from rural areas reached the BMI max in this time. CONCLUSIONS: There were demographic differences between the degree of obesity observed among patients receiving bariatric treatment, and inhabitants of urban areas were favoured. Patients from rural areas who withdrew from bariatric treatment and were left without medical care significantly more often achieved their maximum body weight, when compared to those living in urban areas. The active participation of physicians, both specialists and general practitioners, in the life of obese patients is imperative.

Fat-free mass at admission predicts 28-day mortality in intensive care unit patients: the international prospective observational study Phase Angle Project.

PURPOSE: Phase angle as measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis reflects fat-free mass. Fat-free mass loss relates to worse prognosis in chronic diseases. Primary aim of this study was: to determine the association between fat-free mass at intensive care unit admission and 28-day mortality. METHODS: Ten centres in nine countries participated in this multicentre prospective observational study. The inclusion criteria were age >18 years; expected length of stay >48 h; absence of pacemaker, heart defibrillator implant, pregnancy and lactation. Fat-free mass was assessed by measurement of the 50-kHz phase angle at admission. The primary endpoint was 28-day mortality. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess prediction of 28-day mortality by fat-free mass at ICU admission. The variables associated with 28-day mortality were analysed by means of multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the 3605 patients screened, 931 were analysed: age 61 ± 16 years, male 60 %, APACHE II 19 ± 9, body mass index 26 ± 6, day 1 phase angle 4.5° ± 1.9°. Day 1 phase angle was lower in patients who eventually died than in survivors (4.1° ± 2.0° vs. 4.6° ± 1.8°, P = 0.001). The day 1 phase angle AUC for 28-day mortality was 0.63 [0.58-0.67]. In multivariable analysis, the following were independently associated with 28-day mortality: age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.014 [95 % confidence interval 1.002-1.027], P = 0.03), day 1 phase angle (aOR 0.86 [0.78-0.96], P = 0.008), APACHE II (aOR 1.08 [1.06-1.11], P < 0.001), surgical patient (aOR 0.51 [0.33-0.79], P = 0.002), and admission for other diagnosis (aOR 0.39 [0.21-0.72], P = 0.003). A multivariable combined score improved the predictability of 28-day mortality: AUC = 0.79 [0.75-0.82]. CONCLUSION: Low fat-free mass at ICU admission is associated with 28-day mortality. A combined score improves mortality predictability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01907347 ( http://www.clinicaltrials.gov ).