Vasopressin decreases intestinal mucosal perfusion: a clinical study on cardiac surgery patients in vasodilatory shock.

BACKGROUND: Low to moderate doses of vasopressin have been used in the treatment of cathecholamine-dependent vasodilatory shock in sepsis or after cardiac surgery. We evaluated the effects of vasopressin on jejunal mucosal perfusion, gastric-arterial pCO2 gradient and the global splanchnic oxygen demand/supply relationship in patients with vasodilatory shock after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Eight mechanically ventilated patients, dependent on norepinephrine to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) > or = 60 mmHg because of septic/post-cardiotomy vasodilatory shock and multiple organ failure after cardiac surgery, were included. Vasopressin was sequentially infused at 1.2, 2.4 and 4.8 U/h for 30-min periods. Norepinephrine was simultaneously decreased to maintain MAP at 75 mmHg. At each infusion rate of vasopressin, data on systemic hemodynamics, jejunal mucosal perfusion, jejunal mucosal hematocrit and red blood cell velocity (laser Doppler flowmetry) as well as gastric-arterial pCO2 gradient (gastric tonometry) and splanchnic oxygen and lactate extraction (hepatic vein catheter) were obtained. RESULTS: The cardiac index, stroke volume index and systemic oxygen delivery decreased and systemic vascular resistance and systemic oxygen extraction increased significantly, while the heart rate or global oxygen consumption did not change with increasing vasopressin dose. Jejunal mucosal perfusion decreased and the arterial-gastric-mucosal pCO2 gradient increased, while splanchnic oxygen or lactate extraction or mixed venous-hepatic venous oxygen saturation gradient were not affected by increasing infusion rates of vasopressin. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of low to moderate doses of vasopressin in patients with norepinephrine-dependent vasodilatory shock after cardiac surgery induces an intestinal and gastric mucosal vasoconstriction.

Do patient characteristics or factors at resuscitation influence long-term outcome in patients surviving to be discharged following in-hospital cardiac arrest?

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have focused on factors influencing long-term outcome following in-hospital cardiac arrest. The present study assesses whether long-term outcome is influenced by difference in patient factors or factors at resuscitation. METHODS: An analysis of cardiac arrest data collected from one Swedish tertiary hospital and from five Finnish secondary hospitals supplemented with data on 1 year survival. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with survival at 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 441 patients survived to hospital discharge following in-hospital cardiac arrest and 359 (80%) were alive at 12 months. Factors independently associated with survival [odds ratio (OR) >1 indicates increased survival and <1 decreased survival] at 12 months were; age [OR 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93-0.98], renal disease (OR 0.3, CI 0.1-0.9), good functional status at discharge (OR 4.9, CI 1.3-18.9), arrest occurring at (compared with arrests on general wards) emergency wards (OR 4.7, CI 1.4-15.3), cardiac care unit (OR 2.8, CI 1.2-6.4), intensive care unit (OR 2.4, CI 1.1-5.7), ward for thoracic surgery (OR 10.2, CI 2.6-40.1) and unit for interventional radiology (OR 13.3, CI 3.4-52.0). There was no difference in initial rhythm, delay to defibrillation or delay to return of spontaneous circulation between survivors and nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION: Several patient factors, mainly age, functional status and co-morbid disease, influence long-term survival following cardiac arrest in hospital. The location where the arrest occurred also influences survival, but initial rhythm, delay to defibrillation and to return of spontaneous circulation do not.

Possible protection by inhaled budesonide against ischaemic cardiac events in mild COPD.

Epidemiological studies have indicated that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be associated with an increased incidence of ischaemic cardiac events. The current authors performed a post hoc analysis of the European Respiratory Society's study on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (EUROSCOP); a 3-yr, placebo-controlled study of an inhaled corticosteroid budesonide 800 microg.day(-1) in smokers (mean age 52 yrs) with mild COPD. The current study evaluates whether long-term budesonide treatment attenuates the incidence of ischaemic cardiac events, including angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disorder and myocardial ischaemia. Among the 1,175 patients evaluated for safety, 49 (4.2%) patients experienced 60 ischaemic cardiac events. Patients treated with budesonide had a significantly lower incidence of ischaemic cardiac events (18 out of 593; 3.0%) than those receiving placebo (31 out of 582; 5.3%). The results of the present study support the hypothesis that treatment with inhaled budesonide reduces ischaemic cardiac events in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Variability in survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest depending on the hospital level of care.

BACKGROUND: Survival after in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) differs considerably between hospitals. This study tries to determine whether this difference is due to patient selection because of the hospital level of care or to effective resuscitation management. METHODS: Prospectively collected data on management of in-hospital cardiac arrests from Sahlgrenska Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden (cohort one) and from five Finnish secondary hospitals (cohort two). A multiple logistic regression model was created for predicting survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: A total of 954 cases from Sahlgrenska Hospital and 624 patients from the hospitals in Finland were included. The delay to defibrillation was longer at Sahlgrenska than at the five Finnish secondary hospitals (p=0.045). Significant predictors of survival were: (1) age below median (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-2.8); (2) no diabetes (OR 1.9, CI 1.2-2.9); (3) arrests occurring during office hours (OR 1.5, CI 1.1-2.2); (4) witnessed cardiac arrest (OR 6.3, CI 2.6-15.3); (5) ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia as the initial rhythm (OR 4.9, CI 3.5-6.7); (6) location of the arrest (compared to arrests in general wards, GW): thoracic surgery and heart transplantation ward (OR 2.9, CI 1.5-5.9), interventional radiology (OR 4.8, CI 1.9-12.0) and other in-hospital locations (3.0, CI 1.6-5.7) and (7) hospital (compared to arrests at Sahlgrenska Hospital); arrests at Etelä-Karjala Central Hospital [CH] (OR 0.3, CI 0.1-0.7), Päijät-Hame CH (OR 0.3, CI 0.1-0.8) and Seinäjoki CH (OR 0.4, CI 0.3-0.7). CONCLUSION: The comparison of survival following IHCA between different hospitals is difficult, there seems to be undefined factors greatly associated with outcome. A great variability in survival within different hospital areas probably because of differences in patient selection, patient surveillance and resuscitation management was also noted. A locally implemented strong in-hospital chain of survival is probably the only way to improve outcome following IHCA.

Cardiopulmonary bypass in humans--jejunal mucosal perfusion increases in parallel with well-maintained microvascular hematocrit.

BACKGROUND: An imbalance between splanchnic oxygen supply and demand occurs during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in man, which might disrupt the intestinal mucosal barrier function. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of mild hypothermic CPB on intestinal mucosal perfusion in man undergoing cardiac surgery. Additionally we aimed to identify variables, which independently could predict changes of intestinal mucosal microcirculatory variables during CPB. METHODS: Jejunal mucosal perfusion (JMP), jejunal mucosal hematocrit (JMHt), red blood cell (RBC) velocity and arteriolar vasomotion using endoluminal jejunal laser Doppler flow metry were studied in eight cardiac surgical patients before and during CPB at a temperature of 34 degrees C. RESULTS: Cardiopulmonary bypass and the accompanied hemodilution (25-30%) induced a 44% increase in JMP (P < 0.05) and a 42% increase in RBC velocity (P < 0.01), with no change in JMHt. The oscillation amplitude of JMP, at a fundamental frequency of 2.8 cycles min(-1), increased with 175% (P < 0.05) during CPB. Splanchnic oxygen extraction increased by 64% during CPB (P < 0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified systemic hematocrit, arterial O2 and CO2 tension and splanchnic oxygen extraction as independent predictors of RBC velocity during CPB (R2=0.63, P < 0.001). The oscillation amplitude of JMP was predicted by RBC velocity and splanchnic oxygen extraction (R2= 0.68, P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The increase in RBC velocity and enhanced arteriolar vasomotion, as well as maintained jejunal mucosal hematocrit, are microcirculatory, compensatory mechanisms for the splanchic oxygen supply/demand mismatch seen during cardiopulmonary bypass in humans.

Jejunal and gastric mucosal perfusion versus splanchnic blood flow and metabolism: an observational study on postcardiac surgical patients.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between changes in total splanchnic and mucosal perfusion, assessed either by gastric tonometry or jejunal laser Doppler flowmetry in postcardiac surgical patients. DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTINGS: A general intensive care unit in a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Twelve, postoperative cardiac surgery patients were studied. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated according to clinical routine. Total splanchnic blood flow (indocyanine green extraction), jejunal mucosal perfusion (laser Doppler flowmetry), gastric mucosal-arterial PCO2 gradients, and splanchnic lactate uptake were studied during four 30-min measurements periods, each separated by a period of 1 hr. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There was no consistent association between either total splanchnic and local mucosal perfusion or between gastric and jejunal perfusion as assessed by two different techniques. The PCO2 gradient increased from 0.73+/-0.21 kPa to 1.15+/-0.30 kPa (p < .05), and splanchnic oxygen extraction increased from 40%+/-9% to 49%+/-14% (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study on postcardiac surgical patients, local mucosal perfusion did not reflect total splanchnic blood flow and vice versa. Either changes in gastric and jejunal mucosal perfusion were different or increasing tissue metabolism was responsible for the observed lack of association between tonometry, laser Doppler flowmetry, and total splanchnic blood flow. Increasing mucosal arterial PCO2 gradient and splanchnic oxygen extraction may reflect a mismatch between splanchnic perfusion and metabolic demands.

Differential effects of dopamine, dopexamine, and dobutamine on jejunal mucosal perfusion early after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential differential effects of dopamine, dopexamine, and dobutamine on jejunal mucosal perfusion, assessed by endoluminal laser Doppler flowmetry in uncomplicated postcardiac surgical patients. DESIGN: A prospective, blinded, randomized, crossover study. SETTING: A cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a tertiary care center. PATIENTS: A total of ten postoperative cardiac surgical patients were studied. INTERVENTIONS: Each patient received sequentially, randomly, and in a blinded fashion 2.7+/-0.2 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) dopamine, 0.7+/-0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) dopexamine, and 2.7+/-0.1 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) dobutamine. Each inotropic agent was titrated to increase cardiac output by 25% from baseline. Data on jejunal mucosal perfusion, splanchnic lactate, and oxygen extraction were obtained during a 5-min control period and a 5-min drug infusion period after the target cardiac output was reached. The procedure was sequentially repeated for each agent, and there was a 20- to 30-min washout period between each agent. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Dopamine, dopexamine, and dobutamine increased jejunal mucosal perfusion by 27% (p < .01), 20% (p < .001), and 7% (p < .001), respectively. The increase in jejunal mucosal perfusion by dopamine and dopexamine were significantly more pronounced compared with dobutamine (p < .05 and p < .01, respectively), whereas there was no difference between dopamine and dopexamine. Splanchnic oxygen extraction decreased to the same extent with all three drugs. Splanchnic lactate extraction did not change for any of the drugs. The effects on central hemodynamics were similar for the three inotropic agents. CONCLUSIONS: Endoluminal laser Doppler flowmetry is a new tool for the detection of perfusion changes at the local intestinal mucosal level. Dopamine, dopexamine, and dobutamine have differential effects on jejunal mucosal perfusion probably because of their different receptor stimulating properties. These findings may be of clinical importance when the therapeutic goal is to improve gut mucosal perfusion.

Metastatic complications of Staphylococcus aureus septicemia. To seek is to find.

Improvement in the high mortality from Staphylococcus aureus septicemia must address the individualized treatment (surgery and/or prolonged antibiotic treatment) of metastatic complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of a comprehensive diagnostic monitoring for metastatic complications in S. aureus septicemia. 68 consecutive patients with S. aureus septicemia were prospectively followed. The performance rate and results of chest X-ray, echocardiography, bone scintigraphy and leukocyte scintigraphy are described. Metastatic complications were found in 53% of the 68 patients, endocarditis in 26%. Positive findings resulted in surgical intervention in 23 patients. The total mortality defined as all deaths within 12 weeks was 24%; 81% of the deceased were > or = 60 years of age. Non-endocarditis patients with peripheral septic metastases had good prognosis. An active monitoring for metastatic complications in S. aureus septicemia is a necessary prerequisite for optimizing treatment and to improve survival rate.

Bacteriologic evidence of infection caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci in total hip replacement.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are important agents of infected hip arthroplasties, but sample contamination from the skin flora may confuse the diagnosis. Recovery of multiple identical strains has been regarded as indication of true infection. We have evaluated 29 total hip replacement operations with cultures positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci in a prospective study, 16 with > or = 3 isolates available for strain identity analysis. In 26 episodes, > or = 3 cultures were positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci, but only 19 of them had strong or intermediate clinical evidence of infection. Negative clinical evidence of infection coincided with the absence of a predominating strain according to plasmid profile analysis. A reliable identity analysis may help to rule out infection when multiple cultures are positive in patients who lack clinical evidence of infection.

Galvanic element produced by defective electrode insulation--a possible cause of abnormal pulse generator inhibition.

In patients with pacemaker, abnormal inhibition with prolongation of pacing intervals may cause alarming clinical symptoms. A case is described in which high current threshold in relation to voltage threshold indicated probability of an insulation defect with current leakage. Electrograms from the electrode disclosed false signals, which had appeared after replacement of a pulse generator six months earlier. A sharp bend of the wire in the tricuspid area was shown by X-ray and was accentuated by movements of the valve. Experimentally it was demonstrated that similar potentials, sufficient to inhibit a pulse generator, can be obtained from an electrode with defective insulation. A galvanic element forms between the metals of the electrode tip and the non-insulated cable, and potential variations are elicited by movement of the wire.