Acute Mesenteric Infarction: The Chameleon of Acute Abdomen Evaluating the Quality of the Diagnostic Parameters in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is difficult to diagnose. Since the established parameters have low sensitivity and specificity, the aim of this study is to analyze the diagnostic quality of the established parameters of AMI. METHODS: All patients that underwent emergency surgery due to suspected diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 2008 and 2014 were evaluated. Overall, 275 patients were enrolled and pre-, intra- and postoperative data were evaluated. RESULTS: In 200 patients, a mesenteric ischemia was confirmed intraoperatively, and 75 patients had no ischemia. Comparing these groups, the rate of patients with pH < 7.2 (25 vs. 12%; p = 0.021) and elevated mean CRP level (175 ± 117 mg/L vs. 139 ± 104 mg/L; p = 0.019) was significantly higher in ischemic patients. There was no significant difference in the level of preoperative lactate. Concerning abdominal CT scan, a sensitivity and specificity of 61 and 68%, respectively, was found. CONCLUSION: New diagnostic parameters are needed. So far, explorative laparotomy is the only reliable diagnostic method to detect mesenteric infarction.

Individualized early goal-directed therapy in systemic inflammation: is full utilization of preload reserve the optimal strategy?

OBJECTIVES: In severe acute pancreatitis, the administration of fluids in the presence of positive fluid responsiveness is associated with better outcome when compared to guiding therapy on central venous pressure. We compared the effects of such consequent maximization of stroke volume index with a regime using individual values of stroke volume index assessed prior to severe acute pancreatitis induction as therapeutic hemodynamic goals. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized animal study. SETTING: University animal research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Thirty domestic pigs. INTERVENTIONS: After randomization, fluid resuscitation was started 2 hours after severe acute pancreatitis induction and continued for 6 hours according to the respective treatment algorithms. In the control group, fluid therapy was directed by maximizing stroke volume index, and in the study group, stroke volume index assessed prior to severe acute pancreatitis served as primary hemodynamic goal. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Within the first 6 hours of severe acute pancreatitis, the study group received a total of 1,935.8 ± 540.7 mL of fluids compared with 3,462.8 ± 828.2 mL in the control group (p < 0.001). Pancreatic tissue oxygenation did not differ significantly between both groups. Vascular endothelial function, measured by flow-mediated vasodilation before and 6 hours after severe acute pancreatitis induction, revealed less impairment in the study group after treatment interval (-90.76% [study group] vs -130.89% [control group]; p = 0.046). Further, lower levels of heparan sulfate (3.41 ± 5.6 pg/mL [study group] vs 43.67 ± 46.61 pg/mL [control group]; p = 0.032) and interleukin 6 (32.18 ± 8.81 pg/mL [study group] vs 77.76 ± 56.86 pg/mL [control group]; p = 0.021) were found in the study group compared with control group. Histopathological examination of the pancreatic head and corpus at day 7 revealed less edema for the study group compared with the control group (1.82 ± 0.87 [study group] vs 2.89 ± 0.33 [control group, pancreatic head]; p = 0.03; 2.2 ± 0.92 [study group] vs 2.91 ± 0.3 [control group, pancreatic corpus]; p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Individualized optimization of intravascular fluid status during the early course of severe acute pancreatitis, compared with a treatment strategy of maximizing stroke volume by fluid loading, leads to less vascular endothelial damage, pancreatic edema, and inflammatory response.

Effects of thoracic epidural anesthesia on survival and microcirculation in severe acute pancreatitis: a randomized experimental trial.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute pancreatitis is still a potentially life threatening disease with high mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of thoracic epidural anaesthesia (TEA) on survival, microcirculation, tissue oxygenation and histopathologic damage in an experimental animal model of severe acute pancreatitis in a prospective animal study. METHODS: In this study, 34 pigs were randomly assigned into 2 treatment groups. After severe acute pancreatitis was induced by intraductal injection of glycodesoxycholic acid in Group 1 (n = 17) bupivacaine (0.5%; bolus injection 2 ml, continuous infusion 4 ml/h) was applied via TEA. In Group 2 (n = 17) no TEA was applied. During a period of 6 hours after induction, tissue oxygen tension (tpO2) in the pancreas and pancreatic microcirculation was assessed. Thereafter animals were observed for 7 days followed by sacrification and histopathologic examination. RESULTS: Survival rate after 7 days was 82% in Group 1 (TEA) versus 29% in Group 2: (Control) (P <0.05). Group 1 (TEA) also showed a significantly superior microcirculation (1,608 ± 374 AU versus 1,121 ± 510 AU; P <0.05) and tissue oxygenation (215 ± 64 mmHg versus 138 ± 90 mmHG; P <0.05) as compared to Group 2 (Control). Consecutively, tissue damage in Group 1 was reduced in the histopathologic scoring (5.5 (3 to 8) versus 8 (5.5 to 10); P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TEA led to improved survival, enhanced microcirculatory perfusion and tissue oxygenation and resulted in less histopathologic tissue-damage in an experimental animal model of severe acute pancreatitis.

Antibiotic sensitivity in correlation to the origin of secondary peritonitis: a single center analysis.

Despite improvements in diagnosis, intensive-care medicine and surgical technique, the mortality of patients with secondary peritonitis is still high. Early and aggressive empiric antibiotic treatment has strong impact on the outcome. This retrospective study investigates bacterial and fungal pathogens and their antibiotic sensitivity in patients with secondary peritonitis. All patients that underwent emergency laparotomy due to secondary peritonitis at the Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed and overall 414 patients were included. We correlated the intra-abdominal localization of the organ perforation with intraoperative microbiological findings and corresponding sensitivities to relevant antibiotics. Overall, the most common findings were Escherichia coli (39%) and other Enterobacterica (24%). Depending on the location of the perforation, Cefuroxime/Metronidazole and Cefutaxime/Metronidazole were effective (based on in vitro susceptibility testing) in only 55-73% of the patients, while Meropenem/Vancomycin was able to control the peritonitis in more than 98% of the patients; independent of the location. Besides early source control, appropriate empiric treatment plays a pivotal role in treatment of secondary peritonitis. We are able to show that the frequently used combinations of second or third generation Cephalosporins with Metronidazole are not always sufficient, which is due to the biological resistance of the bacteria. Further clinical studies are needed to determine whether calculated use of broad-spectrum antibiotics with a sensitivity rate > 99%, such as Carbapenem plus Vancomycin, can improve overall survival rates in critically ill patients with secondary peritonitis.

The impact of early goal-directed fluid management on survival in an experimental model of severe acute pancreatitis.

PURPOSE: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) remains a life-threatening disease with classic etiology of systemic inflammatory response and mortality between 30 and 50 %. The aim of the present study is to compare two different treatment strategies of goal-directed hemodynamic management and evaluate their impact on survival, microcirculation, tissue oxygenation, and histopathologic damage in acute pancreatitis in a prospective animal study. METHODS: Thirty-four domestic pigs were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups. After induction of acute pancreatitis, in group 1 volume administration was guided by central venous pressure (CVP >12 mmHg) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In group 2, hemodynamic management was guided primarily by left-ventricular stroke volume variation (SVV <10 %), MAP, and cardiac output (CO). Treatment according to randomization was performed for 6 h, and tissue oxygen tension in the pancreas and pancreatic microcirculation were evaluated. Thereafter, animals were observed for 7 days and then sacrificed. Standardized tissue specimens were taken post mortem, and histopathologic scoring was performed. RESULTS: Survival after 7 days was 29.4 % in group 2 versus 11.8 % in group 1 (p < 0.05). Pancreatic oxygen tension (138.0 ± 89.5 mmHg versus 71.1 ± 35.3 mmHg; p < 0.05) and pancreatic microcirculation (1,209.9 ± 630 AU versus 732 ± 315 AU; p < 0.05) were significantly higher in group 2. Significantly less histopathologic damage within the pancreas could be analyzed post mortem in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Goal-directed hemodynamic management guided by stroke volume variation led to improved survival, tissue oxygenation, and microcirculatory perfusion, as well as less histopathologic damage in an animal model of severe acute pancreatitis.