Reducing the Indication for Ventilatory Support in the Severely Burned Patient: Results of a New Protocol Approach at a Regional Burn Center.

Initial management of the severely injured routinely includes sedation and mechanical ventilatory support. However, nonjudiciously applied mechanical ventilatory support can itself lead to poorer patient outcomes. In an attempt to reduce this iatrogenic risk, a standardized, in-house, five-point protocol providing clinical guidance on the use and duration of ventilation was introduced and analyzed, and the impact on patient outcomes was assessed. In 2007, a protocol for early spontaneous breathing was introduced and established in clinical practice. This protocol included: 1) early extubation (≤6 hours after admission) in the absence of absolute ventilatory indication; 2) avoidance of "routine intubation" in spontaneously breathing patients; 3) early postoperative extubation, including patients requiring multiple surgical interventions; 4) intensive chest and respiratory physiotherapy with routine application of expectorants; and 5) early active mobilization. A retrospective clinical study compared patients (group A) over a 2-year period admitted under the new protocol with a historical patient group (group B). Patients in group A (n = 38) had fewer ventilator days over the time-course of treatment (3 [1; 5.8] vs 18.5 days [0.5; 20.5]; P = .0001) with a lower rate of tracheostomies (15.8 vs 54%; P = .0003). Patients on ventilation at admission in group A had shorter ventilation periods after admission (4.75 [4; 22.25] vs 378 hours [8.5; 681.5]; P = .0003), and 66.7% of these patients were extubated within 6 hours of admission (vs 9.1% in group B). No patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria required re- or emergency intubation. In the first 5 days of treatment, significantly lower Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were recorded in group A. There was also a trend for lower mortality rates (0 [0%] vs 6 [14%]), sepsis rates (24 [63.2%] vs 37 [88.1%]), and cumulative fluid balance on days 3 and 7 in group A. In contrast, group A demonstrated an elevated rate of pneumonia (15 [39.5%] vs 8 [19%]). These trends, however, lacked statistical significance. Our five-point protocol was safe and easily translated into clinical practice. In the authors experience, this protocol significantly reduced the ventilatory period in severely injured. Furthermore, this study suggests that many injured may be over-treated with routine ventilation, which carries accompanying risks.

Perioperative management of patients with severe pulmonary hypertension in major orthopedic surgery: experience-based recommendations.

INTRODUCTION: It is known that pulmonary hypertension is associated with worse outcome in both cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. The aims of our retrospective analysis were to evaluate the outcomes of our patients with pulmonary hypertension undergoing major orthopedic surgery and to give experience-based recommendations for the perioperative management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 92 patients with pulmonary hypertension undergoing different kinds of surgical procedures from 2011-2014 in a tertiary academic hospital we evaluated 16 patients with major orthopedic surgery for perioperative morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Regarding the in-hospital morbidity and mortality, one patient died postoperatively due to pulmonary infection and right heart failure (6.25%) and 6 patients suffered significant postoperative complications (37.5%; bleeding = 1, infection = 1, wound healing deficits = 3; dysrhythmia = 1). CONCLUSION: Our data show that major orthopedic surgery is feasible with satisfactory outcome even in cases of severe pulmonary hypertension by an individualized, disease-adapted interdisciplinary treatment concept.

Antithrombin III, but not C1 esterase inhibitor reduces inflammatory response in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human monocytes in an ex-vivo whole blood setting.

In order to examine the immunomodulatory effects of antithrombin III (AT-III) and C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) in human monocytes, we investigated the intracellular expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in an ex-vivo laboratory study in a whole blood setting. Heparinized whole blood samples from 23 healthy male and female volunteers (mean age: 27±7years) were pre-incubated with clinically relevant concentrations of AT-III (n=11) and C1-INH (n=12), then stimulated with 0.2 ng/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 3h. After phenotyping CD14⁺ monocytes, intracellular expression of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α was assessed using flow cytometry. In addition, 12 whole blood samples (AT-III and C1-INH, n=6 each) were examined using hirudin for anticoagulation; all samples were processed in the same way. To exclude cytotoxicity effects, 7-amino-actinomycin D and Nonidet P40 staining were used to investigate probes. This study is the first to demonstrate the influence of C1-INH and AT-III on the monocytic inflammatory response in a whole blood setting, which mimics the optimal physiological setting. Cells treated with AT-III exhibited significant downregulation of the proportion of gated CD14⁺ monocytes for IL-6 and IL-8, in a dose-dependent manner; downregulation for TNF-α did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant effects on mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). In contrast, C1-INH did not significantly reduce the proportion of gated CD14⁺ monocytes or the MFI regarding IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8. When using hirudin for anticoagulation, no difference in the anti-inflammatory properties of AT-III and C1-INH in monocytes occurs. Taken together, in contrast to TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly downregulated in monocytes in an ex-vivo setting of human whole blood when treated with AT-III. This finding implicates monocytes as an important point of action regarding the anti-inflammatory properties of AT-III in sepsis. C1-INH was unable to attenuate the monocytic response, which supports the hypothesis that other cellular components in whole blood (e.g., neutrophils) might be responsible for the known effects of C1-INH in inflammation.

Perioperative anesthesiological management of patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension is a major reason for elevated perioperative morbidity and mortality, even in noncardiac surgical procedures. Patients should be thoroughly prepared for the intervention and allowed plenty of time for consideration. All specialty units involved in treatment should play a role in these preparations. After selecting each of the suitable individual anesthetic and surgical procedures, intraoperative management should focus on avoiding all circumstances that could contribute to exacerbating pulmonary hypertension (hypoxemia, hypercapnia, acidosis, hypothermia, hypervolemia, and insufficient anesthesia and analgesia). Due to possible induction of hypotonic blood circulation, intravenous vasodilators (milrinone, dobutamine, prostacyclin, Na-nitroprusside, and nitroglycerine) should be administered with the greatest care. A method of treating elevations in pulmonary pressure with selective pulmonary vasodilation by inhalation should be available intraoperatively (iloprost, nitrogen monoxide, prostacyclin, and milrinone) in addition to invasive hemodynamic monitoring. During the postoperative phase, patients must be monitored continuously and receive sufficient analgesic therapy over an adequate period of time. All in all, perioperative management of patients with pulmonary hypertension presents an interdisciplinary challenge that requires the adequate involvement of anesthetists, surgeons, pulmonologists, and cardiologists alike.

The use of partial exchange blood transfusion and anaesthesia in the management of sickle cell disease in a perioperative setting: two case reports.

INTRODUCTION: Homozygous sickle cell carriers have an increased perioperative mortality. Some indications may justify an exchange blood transfusion to reduce the proportion of haemoglobin S. The advantages of general blood transfusion in a perioperative setting have not been proven and thus remain controversial. It is not clear whether reducing the proportion of haemoglobin S minimizes perioperative complications or whether patients with sickle cell disease in a stable clinical condition benefit from an exchange blood transfusion in a perioperative setting. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of two Angolan children aged 10 and 11 respectively, of African origin with sickle cell anaemia who underwent surgery to treat chronic necrosis, fistula of the bones and bone destruction. This presentation describes the perioperative course, including general anaesthesia. A partial exchange blood transfusion decreased S-haemoglobin levels from 81% to 21% and simultaneously treated the anaemia. CONCLUSION: There is a consensus that imbalances in homoeostasis, including operative procedures, can cause a critical exacerbation of sickle cell disease. The case presented here illustrates a strategy for successfully managing sickle cell disease in the perioperative period to minimize its complications. It is important for the anaesthesiologist to carefully manage pulmonary gas exchange and to ensure sufficient tissue perfusion, balanced fluid resuscitation and normothermia, while keeping in mind the level of organ impairment in order to prevent an acute exacerbation of sickle cell disease.We performed a partial exchange blood transfusion due to the following factors: high haemoglobin S-fraction, anaemia, operating procedure at several sites, and difficult management of body temperature. Esmarch ischemia is an established tool for preventing uncontrolled blood loss. There is no known contraindication for this, but attention must be paid to prevent uncontrolled tissue ischemia and acidosis. The use of regional anaesthesia should be considered for postoperative pain management.

Evidences for age-related modulation of human hematopoietic progenitor cell proliferation.

In order to identify hints of ageing in circulating hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), putative senescence markers like the cellular level of carbonyl-modified proteins and senescence associated beta-galactosidase activity were measured. Furthermore, the number of HSCs in the periphery and their proliferative capacity in vitro were analyzed in buffy coats of fifty five individuals: 27 young [age, 19-43 years; mean age 31] and 28 middle-aged individuals [age, 45-66 years; mean age 56]. The effect of humoral factors on cell proliferation in culture was studied by expansion of the cells in the presence of plasma pools from children and elderly donors. Using a multiplex flow cytometry method, the plasma pools used in the proliferation experiments were assayed for the presence or absence of 25 chemokines. Within the age range analyzed, no age-dependent differences in the number of isolated CD34(+) cells were found. Both sources of progenitor cells were able to reach comparable cell density in culture, but cells from the middle-aged subjects proliferated only sufficiently in the presence of plasma obtained from older donors. Cells from middle-aged donors exhibited elevated levels of carbonyl-modified proteins and showed increased beta-galactosidase activity in comparison to the cells from young donors. Our study shows that although two markers of ageing i.e. carbonylated proteins and senescent associated beta-galactosidase activity are increased in HSCs from middle-aged donors, the number and proliferative capacity of HSCs are still maintained.

[Dysregulation of homeostasis in severe sepsis: relevance and therapeutic options]. / Gestörte Homöostase in der Sepsis - Bedeutung und Therapie.

Severe sepsis and septic shock may have a lasting effect on all human endocrinologic, coagulatory and metabolic regulatory circuits with the consequence of severe dysregulation of homoeostasis. Adjunctive therapeutic options like intensive insulin therapy, low-dose hydrocortisone and modulation of coagulation by drotrecogin alfa (activated) are still controversial discussed, but should be used according to the national and international guidelines for a sophisticated treatment of septic heterostasis.

Inhaled aerosolized iloprost in the evaluation of heart transplant candidates--experiences with 45 cases.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary hypertension represents a significant predictor of postoperative right heart insufficiency and increased mortality in patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation. As the use of intravenous vasodilators is limited by their systemic effects, we evaluated the pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic effects of inhaled aerosolized iloprost in heart transplant candidates with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance. METHODS: Forty-five male heart transplant candidates with dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy were included in the study. After assessing baseline hemodynamics, 20 microg of aerosolized iloprost was administered by ultrasonic inhalation. All patients were breathing spontaneously. RESULTS: Inhalation of iloprost reduced pulmonary vascular resistance index (395 +/- 205 vs 327 +/- 222 dyne.s.cm(-5).m(-2); P < 0.05) and mean pulmonary arterial pressure (28.7 +/- 10 vs 24.3 +/- 10 mm Hg; P < 0.05). An additional improvement of ventricular performance with an increase of cardiac index (2.7 +/- 0.7 vs 3.0 +/- 0.8 L.min(-1).m(-2); P < 0.05) and a decrease of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (16.6 +/- 7.7 vs 13.4 +/- 7.3 mm Hg; P < 0.05) was accompanied by a slight decrease of systemic vascular resistance (1280 +/- 396 vs 1172 +/- 380 dyne.s.cm(-5); P < 0.05). However, the mean arterial pressure remained uninfluenced. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled aerosolized iloprost effectively reduces mean pulmonary arterial pressure and also induces an increase in cardiac index. Further advantages of iloprost inhalation are the lack of adverse reactions and ease of administration. Iloprost represents a useful drug to screen for vascular reactivity in cardiac transplantation patients.

Selective pulmonary vasodilation with inhaled aerosolized milrinone in heart transplant candidates.

PURPOSE: Selective pulmonary vasodilation is an advantageous method for testing the responsiveness of the pulmonary vasculature of heart transplant candidates. A pilot study was under-taken to test the hypothesis that inhaled aerosolized milrinone may cause selective pulmonary vasodilation. METHODS: 18 consecutive male heart transplant candidates with either dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy were included in this open clinical study. Nine of the patients had significant pulmonary hypertension with a mean pulmonary arterial pressure > 30 mmHg. After baseline measurements, 2 mg of milrinone was administered by ultrasonic nebulization. Pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics were measured ten, 30, and 60 min after inhalation. RESULTS: After inhalation for ten minutes, milrinone induced a significant reduction of mean pulmonary arterial pressure (32.7 +/- 9.1 vs 37.7 +/- 7.5 mmHg, P = 0.01), pulmonary vascular resistance index (296 +/- 150 vs 396 +/- 151 dyn.sec(-1).cm(-5).m(2), P = 0.02) and transpulmonary gradient (10.6 +/- 5.5 vs 15 +/- 4.9, P = 0.01) only in patients with significant pulmonary hypertension. There was no significant effect on mean arterial pressure or systemic vascular resistance at any time after inhalation in either group. Furthermore, there was no influence on extravascular lung water or intrathoracic blood volume. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that inhaled aerosolized milrinone for a short period selectively dilates the pulmonary vasculature in heart transplant candidates with elevated pulmonary arterial pressure, without producing systemic side effects. Further comparative studies are necessary to evaluate possible advantages of milrinone compared to other inhaled vasodilators.

Drotrecogin alfa (activated) does not affect intracellular production of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in endotoxin-stimulated human monocytes.

In this ex vivo laboratory study, we investigated the effects of drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DA(a)), a recombinant form of human activated protein C, on the intracellular expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human monocytes in a whole blood system. Whole blood samples from 10 healthy volunteers were stimulated with LPS (0.2 ng/mL) and incubated with 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 nM of (final concentration) DA(a) for 3 h at 37 degrees C and 5% CO2. Intracellular expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha was assessed by flow cytometry. Our investigation showed that DA(a), at any of the concentrations tested, did not affect intracellular IL-6 and TNF-alpha production in LPS-stimulated human monocytes after 3 h of incubation. The results of this investigation led us to conclude that any antiinflammatory activity of DA(a), if present, does not occur via detectible decreases in the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha in human monocytes.

Effect of catecholamines on intracellular cytokine synthesis in human monocytes.

Proinflammatory cytokines produced by monocytes, like Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) are known for their pivotal role in the initiation of the inflammatory response following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Catecholamines like epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (Nor) are often necessary to stabilize the cardiac function in the early postoperative period and may influence the cytokine expression in monocytes. In this study we investigated the effects of Epi and Nor on IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha expression in human monocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in whole blood, analyzed intracellularly by flow cytometry. Kinetics of intracellular proinflammatory cytokine production and LPS ED(50) were obtained. To simulate different stages of inflammation in vivo, varying concentrations of LPS (0.2 ng/ml, 1 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml) were used for stimulation. After a stimulation with LPS TNF-alpha was the first produced cytokine, followed by IL-8 and IL-6. All cytokines peaked from 3 h to 6 h. Epi and Nor had comparable effects on the expression of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a in monocytes. Both inhibited IL-6 and TNF-alpha expression in a concentration dependent manner whereas IL-8 expression remained unchanged. We conclude that monocytes are targets for Epi and Nor concerning their cytokine expression. The inhibiting effects of Nor and Epi were almost identical for all cytokines. Cytokine expression was affected most at low LPS concentrations.

Iloprost improves hemodynamics in patients with severe chronic cardiac failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension.

PURPOSE: Significant pulmonary hypertension is a predictor of postoperative right heart insufficiency and increased mortality in patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation. Since the use of iv vasodilators is limited by their systemic effects, we evaluated the pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic effects of inhaled aerosolized iloprost (IP) in heart transplant candidates with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). METHODS: Twenty-nine male heart transplant candidates because of dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy with elevated PVR were included in the study. After assessing baseline hemodynamics, 50 micro g aerosolized IP were administered by inhalation. RESULTS: Inhalation of iloprost reduced PVR index (PVRI; 416 +/- 180 vs 349 +/- 173 dyn x sec(-1) x m(-2) x cm(-5); P < 0.01) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP; 28.6 +/- 9 vs 24.2 +/- 9.1 mmHg; P < 0.01), but did not affect blood pressure or systemic vascular resistance. An additional improvement of ventricular performance with an increase of cardiac index (CI; 2.8 +/- 0.7 vs 2.6 +/- 0.7 L x min(-1) x m(-2); P < 0.05) and a decrease of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP; 15.6 +/- 6.8 vs 12.8 +/- 7.1 mmHg; P < 0.01) was observed after inhalation of IP. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled aerosolized iloprost effectively reduces MPAP and is accompanied by an increase in CI and stroke index. Further advantages of iloprost inhalation are the lack of adverse reactions and ease of administration. Iloprost may be a useful drug to screen for vascular reactivity in cardiac transplantation patients.

Hemodynamic effects of inhaled aerosolized iloprost and inhaled nitric oxide in heart transplant candidates with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.

OBJECTIVE: An elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is described as a predictor of postoperative right heart failure and increased mortality in patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation. The use of intravenous vasodilators is limited by their systemic effects. We evaluated the pulmonary and systemic hemodynamic effects of inhaled nitric oxide (NO) and inhaled aerosolized iloprost (IP) in heart transplant candidates with elevated PVR. METHODS: Fourteen male heart transplant candidates due to dilative or ischemic cardiomyopathia with elevated PVR (> or = 180 dyn s cm(-5)) were included in the study. Increasing concentrations of NO (5, 10 and 30 ppm) and 50 microg aerosolized IP were administered by inhalation. Hemodynamic measurements preceded and followed administration of each agent. RESULTS: Inhalation of IP, 10, and 30 ppm NO reduced PVR and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP), but did not affect blood pressure or systemic vascular resistance. Comparing the effectiveness of 10 ppm NO and IP, we found a significant higher reduction of MPAP in patients treated with IP. An increase of cardiac index and stroke index could only be shown with IP-inhalation. CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled iloprost induces pulmonary vasodilation which is significantly greater than the effects of 10 and 30 ppm NO. The results of our study show, that inhaled iloprost induces a reliable hemodynamic response in the evaluation of heart transplant candidates. Further advantages of iloprost inhalation are the lack of adverse reactions and toxic side effects and an easier administration. Due to this facts we recommend iloprost as a routine screening drug for vascular reactivity in HTx-candidates. Based on our results it would be of great interest to investigate the role of iloprost in management of postoperative right heart insufficiency following cardiac transplantation.