Prevalence study for postoperative nausea vomiting: A training hospital example.

BACKGROUND: Simplified risk models, such as the Apfel score, have been developed to calculate the risk of postoperative nausea-vomiting (PONV) for adult patients. In the absence of any risk factors, PONV risk is assumed to be 10%. While the presence of one of the four risk factors determined as female gender, non-smoking, PONV/car sickness history, and postoperative opioid use is associated with 20% risk for PONV, the risk increases by 20% with the addition of each risk factor, and reaches to 80% if four factors are present. AIM: : Our aim in this study is to investigate the prevalence of PONV, and whether the scoring systems used for nausea-vomiting in the literature are still valid. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five groups of patients were included in the study with an Apfel score of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. Each case was taken to the recovery room at the end of the operation. They were observed whether had nausea-vomiting was recorded according to the Abramowitz emesis score. RESULTS: While the PONV risk for women is 24.637 times higher than men, the PONV risk of those who had gynecological surgery is 6.27 times higher than that of the other type of surgery. Those who had urological surgery are 0.345 times less than the other type of surgery. Those who had lower abdominal surgery had a risk of PONV of 4.56 times higher than the others. As the duration of the case increases, the risk of PONV increases 1.01 times (P values P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.048, P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: As a result, our PONV prevalence is considerably lower than the frequency rates mentioned in the literature. PONV scoring systems need long-term studies with larger populations to be updated.

Acute acetaminophene-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity; therapeutic effect of dexmedetomidine.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: Acute acetaminophen (APAP) overdose has been shown to cause toxicity and the primary treatment medication is N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a sedative drug with known antioxidant properties. We researched whether DEX has an injury-reducing effect on toxicity. METHODS: Rats were divided into: Group I (control), Group II (APAP) Group III (NAC) Group IV (DEX) and Group V (NAC+DEX). Histopathologic investigations of tissues were performed and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and beta trace protein (PGD2S) levels were studied in blood samples. RESULTS: DEX administration for hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity induced with APAP, caused a significant reduction in oxidative injury markers like MDA and MPO, a significant increase in GSH-Px level and a significant degree of amelioration in liver histopathologic scores. CONCLUSION: DEX administration for APAP toxicity causes a reduction in oxidative injury biomarkers, increased antioxidant biomarker levels and significant reduction in liver histopathologic scores. The beneficial effect of DEX use for detection of toxicity induced by acute APAP overdose, was shown in this study for the first time (Tab. 5, Fig. 2, Ref. 41).

The diagnosis and treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome and frequently accompanied with obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. NAFLD comprises a variety of clinical conditions ranging from simple steatosis (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with significant hepatic injury and possible progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The traditional "second hit" and the recent "multiple parallel hit" theories are the most popular explanations for the pathogenesis of NASH. NAFLD is usually diagnosed by ultrasonographic examination of the liver. For specific diagnosis of the extent and severity of NAFLD, in particular to determine NASH, the gold standard is still liver biopsy. Though, there are some promising non-invasive markers emerging for NAFLD diagnosis and assessment. Currently there is no specific therapy for NAFLD or NASH itself. Thus management of NAFLD mainly relies on initiating weight loss and on treatment of accompanying factors e.g. insulin resistance, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. In the present overview we aimed to summarize options for diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD and NASH based on the current literature.

Thrombopoietin and mean platelet volume in coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: Large platelets are shown to be hemostatically more active. It has been suggested that mean platelet volume (MPV) is increased during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and unstable angina pectoris (USAP). However, the underlying mechanism of the phenomenon remains unclear. HYPOTHESIS: In this study, platelets, MPV, and thrombopoietin (TP) levels were investigated in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty patients with AMI and 20 patients with USAP were included in this study. Seventeen healthy adult subjects served as controls. Venous blood samples of the subjects were drawn within 12 h after admission. Thrombopoietin levels were measured by ELISA and platelet counts and MPV were assayed by autoanalyzer. RESULTS: Patients with AMI and USAP had higher platelet counts than those in the control group. Although the platelet counts were slightly higher in AMI than in USAP, this did not reach statistical significance. Mean platelet volume and levels of TP were found to be elevated in patients with AMI and USAP compared with control subjects (p < 0.001). Thrombopoietin levels were higher in AMI than USAP, but this was not statistically significant. There was a positive correlation between TP levels and MPV values (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased TP levels may increase both platelet counts and platelet size, resulting in hemostatically more active platelets, which may contribute to the development and progression of CAD.