A dose-response relationship study of hypertonic saline on brain relaxation during supratentorial brain tumour craniotomy.

Background: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study was designed to assess differences in brain relaxation between 2 doses of 3% HS during elective supratentorial brain tumour surgery.Methods: 60 patients undergoing supratentorial craniotomy for tumour resection were enrolled to receive either 3 mL/kg (group L) or 5 mL/kg (group H) of 3% HS administered at skin incision. Brain relaxation was assessed after dura opening on a scale ranging 1-4 (1 = perfectly relaxed, 2 = satisfactorily relaxed, 3 = firm brain, 4 = bulging brain). Hemodynamic variables and laboratory values (blood gases, osmolarity, haematocrit, and lactate) were collected before HS infusion and 30, 120 and 360 min after it. Presence of midline shift, postoperative complications, PCU and hospital stay, and mortality after 30 days were also recorded.Results: There was no difference in brain relaxation, with 2.0 (1.0-3.0) and 2.0 (1.0-2.3) (P = 0.535) for patients in groups L and H, respectively. If adjusted for the presence of midline shift, 50% of patients had adequate brain relaxation scores (grades 1 and 2) in group L and 61% in group H (OR 0.64, CI = 0.16-2.49, P = 0.515). No significant differences in perioperative outcome, mortality and length of PCU and hospital stay were observed.Conclusion: 3 mL/kg of 3% HS result in similar brain relaxation scores as 5 mL/kg in patients undergoing craniotomy for supratentorial brain tumour. This study reveals that both high and low doses of 3% HS may be less effective on intraoperative brain relaxation in patients with midline shift.

Alterations in hemostasis during cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is frequently associated with coagulation impairment and perioperative blood transfusion. Our aim was to investigate the impact of each procedure step on hemostasis, as measured by rotational thromboelastometry™ (ROTEM), fibrinogen level and platelet count as a primary outcome, along with its relationship with transfusion needs. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study was performed. Hemoglobin level, fibrinogen level, platelet count and ROTEM parameters: clotting time (CT), clot formation time (CFT), maximum clot firmness (MCF), α-angle (EXTEM, INTEM, FIBTEM) were measured before the procedure, at the end of cytoreductive surgery and after HIPEC. Appropriate statistical tests were used for comparison. A P<.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: Forty-one women, with median age 54 (range 34-76) were recruited. Cytoreductive surgery was followed by a reduction of hemoglobin level from 11,4±1,5g/dl to 10,6±1,6g/dl, a reduction of serum fibrinogen level from 269±69mg/dl to 230±48mg/dl (P<.01) and MCF decline from 20±10 to 16±8mm (P<.01), in the FIBTEM test. HIPEC was followed by no hemostatic impairment. The number of packed red blood cells administered during patients stay kept a mild significant relationship with both fibrinogen level (ρ = -0.5, P=.002), and MCF EXTEM values (ρ= -0.43, P=0.006), recorded after HIPEC. CONCLUSIONS: The mild observed hemostatic impairment appeared after cytoreductive surgery instead of HIPEC, involving surgical hemorrhage as the most likely responsible factor. Further studies are required to confirm a correlation between transfusion needs and postoperative hemostatic tests.