End-tidal carbon dioxide after sodium bicarbonate infusion during mechanical ventilation or ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

PURPOSE: End-tidal CO2 is used to monitor the ventilation status or hemodynamic efficacy during mechanical ventilation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and it may be affected by various factors including sodium bicarbonate administration. This study investigated changes in end-tidal CO2 after sodium bicarbonate administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center, prospective observational study included adult patients who received sodium bicarbonate during mechanical ventilation or CPR. End-tidal CO2 elevation was defined as an increase of ≥20% from the baseline end-tidal CO2 value. The time to initial increase (lag time, Tlag), time to peak (Tpeak), and duration of the end-tidal CO2 rise (Tduration) were compared between the patients with spontaneous circulation (SC group) and those with ongoing resuscitation (CPR group). RESULTS: Thirty-three patients, (SC group, n = 25; CPR group, n = 8), were included. Compared with the baseline value, the median values of peak end-tidal CO2 after sodium bicarbonate injection increased by 100% (from 21 to 41 mmHg) in all patients, 89.5% (from 21 to 39 mmHg) in the SC group, and 160.2% (from 15 to 41 mmHg) in the CPR group. The median Tlag was 17 s (IQR: 12-21) and the median Tpeak was 35 s (IQR: 27-52). The median Tduration was 420 s (IQR: 90-639). The median Tlag, Tpeak, and Tduration were not significantly different between the groups. Tduration was associated with the amount of sodium bicarbonate for SC group (correlation coefficient: 0.531, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: The administration of sodium bicarbonate may lead to a substantial increase in end-tidal CO2 for several minutes in patients with spontaneous circulation and in patients with ongoing CPR. After intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate, the use of end-tidal CO2 pressure as a physiological indicator may be limited.

Comparative analysis of superior capsule reconstruction between long head of biceps tendon autograft and human dermis allograft.

BACKGROUND: Although many superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) techniques are currently practiced in clinical settings, guidelines for choosing the appropriate graft material are lacking. Therefore, at most times, the surgeon's personal preference becomes the deciding factor. This study compared 2 fairly recent SCR techniques-SCR with biceps tendon (BT) autograft and SCR with human dermis (HD) allograft-by evaluating clinical and radiologic outcomes to aid the surgeon's decision in choosing the appropriate graft. METHODS: Thirty-one patients underwent SCR using BT autograft (SCR BT), and 22 underwent SCR using HD allograft (SCR HD). SCR BT was selected for patients with a partial BT tear <20%, no severe inflammation signs, and favorable anchor conditions. SCR HD was performed in patients with a BT tear >20%, a superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) lesion, severe inflammation, or subluxation. Range of motion (ROM), strength and shoulder function scoring, plain radiography, and magnetic resonance imaging were evaluated before and after surgery at regular intervals. RESULTS: In the SCR BT group, forward flexion ROM increased from 122° ± 43° to 149° ± 18° at 2 years postoperatively, whereas in the SCR HD group, forward flexion ROM improved from 129° ± 28° to 149° ± 18°. In the SCR BT group, internal rotation (IR) ROM increased from 5 ± 3 to 6 ± 2 at 2 years postoperatively, whereas in the SCR HD group, IR ROM improved from 5 ± 3 to 6 ± 1. Although ROM, strength, visual analog scale score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and Constant score all improved 2 years after surgery, no statistically significant differences were found. Six months after surgery, graft thickness was 3.58 ± 0.384 mm in the SCR BT group and 2.49 ± 0.326 mm in the SCR HD group (P < .001). At 2 years postoperatively, graft thickness was 3.54 ± 0.399 mm in the SCR BT group and 2.49 ± 0.306 mm in the SCR HD group (P < .001). The SCR HD group showed a negative correlation of -0.475 between graft thickness and IR ROM (P = .026). In the SCR BT group, a negative correlation of -0.466 was found between graft thickness and IR ROM (P = .008). A positive correlation of 0.363 was found between IR ROM and the acromiohumeral distance when the results were compared before and 2 years after surgery (P = .045). CONCLUSION: Both SCR using BT autograft and SCR using HD allograft tissue showed favorable results, and no significant difference was noted between the 2 techniques. Given that the 2 techniques show equally favorable results, the surgeon's personal preference in choosing the SCR technique appears to be acceptable. Understanding the costs and patient's characteristics may aid the surgeon in deciding on the graft material.

Intracardiac Echocardiogram: Feasibility, Efficacy, and Safety for Guidance of Transcatheter Multiple Atrial Septal Defects Closure.

We aimed to determine the feasibility, efficacy, success, and safety of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in transcatheter multiple atrial septal defect (ASD) closure. Of 185 patients with multiple ASDs who underwent transcatheter closure, 140 (76%) patients who weighed <30kg with a narrow distance between defects or in whom single device closure was anticipated were guided by ICE and 45 patients were guided by three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with or without ICE. Patients in the ICE group were relatively younger and weighed less than those in the 3D TEE group (p < 0.0001). The ratio of the distance between defects >7 mm was high, and more cases required ≥2 devices in the 3D TEE group than those in the ICE group (p < 0.0001). All patients in the 3D TEE group and seven patients (5%) in the ICE group were operated on under general anesthesia (p < 0.0001). The fluoroscopic time was shorter in the ICE group (13.98 ± 6.24 min vs. 24.86 ± 16.47 min, p = 0.0005). No difference in the complete closure rate and complications was observed. ICE-guided transcatheter and 3D TEE were feasible, safe, and effective in successful multiple ASD device closures, especially for young children and patients at high risk under general anesthesia.

Decontamination of chokeberries (Aronia melanocarpa L.) by cold plasma treatment and its effects on biochemical composition and storage quality of their corresponding juices.

To improve the microbiological quality of chokeberries, corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) was employed as a decontaminating agent. The mean levels of aerobic bacteria and yeast and molds contaminants in chokeberries were 4.78 and 4.87 log CFU/g, respectively; the viable counts were decreased by 2.09 and 1.83 log units following CDPJ treatment for 3 min, respectively. A first-order kinetic model was well-suited for explaining the inactivations. The concentration of total polyphenols of chokeberries was unaffected (up to 3 min treatment), whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity was significantly decreased by CDPJ treatment (2 min and more). CDPJ treatment (all tested times) of chokeberries led to a significant decrease of monomeric anthocyanin content of their corresponding juices, whereas soluble solids content (Brix) and pH were unaffected. After storage at 4 °C for 72 h, juices obtained from CDPJ-treated berries possessed relatively low levels of contaminants with no significant alterations in pH and soluble solids content when compared with controls. In conclusion, CDPJ treatment for 2 min was optimal to improve the microbiological quality of the berries without negatively affecting biochemical qualities of their corresponding juices.