Optimal vitamin D status at admission appears to improve survival after craniotomy in patients with brain malignancies.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Survival from diagnosis of brain malignancies is often very short. Craniotomy in turn may be associated with morbidity and even post-operative mortality. Vitamin D and calcium were known as protective factors on all-cause mortality. However, their role is not well-understood in post-surgery survival of brain malignant patients. METHODS: Totally, 56 patients completed the present quasi-experimental study, comprising the intervention group (n = 19) under intramuscular administration of 300 000 IU vitamin D3, the control group (n = 21), and the group of patients with optimal vitamin D status at admission (n = 16). RESULTS: The mean ± SD of preoperative 25(OH)D levels in the control, intervention, and optimal vitamin D status groups were 15.15 ± 3.63 ng/mL, 16.61 ± 2.56 ng/mL, and 40.03 ± 10.56 ng/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). Crude survival was significantly greater in the optimal vitamin D status group than those in another two groups (P = 0.005). Also, Cox proportional hazard model showed that the risk of mortality was higher in the control group and the intervention group than in the group of patients with optimal vitamin D status at admission (P-trend = 0.03). However, this correlation weakened in the full-adjusted models. Preoperative total calcium had an inverse significant correlation with mortality risk [HR value 0.25, (95%, CI: 0.09-0.66), P = 0.005], and age had a positive correlation [HR value 1.07, (95%, CI: 1.02-1.11), P = 0.001]. CONCLUSION: Total calcium and age were predictive factors in six-month mortality and optimal vitamin D status appears to improve the survival in these patients, which should be examined more closely in future studies.

The Effect of Vitamin D Deficiency on Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Elective Spinal Fusion Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D plays a major role in bone metabolism, regulating calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, along with bone growth and remodeling processes. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes following elective spinal fusion surgery by conducting a meta-analysis on the relevant literature. METHODS: Studies included in this analysis involved patients older than 18 years who underwent elective spinal fusion surgery. The number of patients as well as visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in groups with and without vitamin D deficiency were required to be reported in eligible studies. Of the 179 articles identified, 7 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Seven studies, including 1188 patients, reported the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing elective spinal fusion surgery. Five studies reported VAS as a primary outcome. The combined results using a random-effects model showed reduction in VAS after elective spinal fusion surgery in group with vitamin D deficiency, but no statistically significant association was identified between vitamin D deficiency and VAS. ODI was assessed and reported as an outcome measure in 5 of the included studies. The combined results showed an increase in ODI following elective spinal fusion surgery in the vitamin D-deficient group compared to the group with normal levels of vitamin D. In addition, a significant association was observed between ODI and vitamin D deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency may negatively affect the postoperative outcomes in elective spinal fusion surgery. Preoperative optimization of vitamin D levels would seem appropriate. Future high-quality studies are highly warranted to evaluate this. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This meta-analysis demonstrated a significant association between vitamin D deficiency and postoperative ODI scores in patients undergoing elective spinal fusion surgery.

Ketorolac and Predicted Severe Acute Pancreatitis: A Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of ketorolac on reducing the severity of acute pancreatitis.Design and Setting: Randomized clinical trial performed in a University hospital.Participants: There were 56 adult patients, with predicted severe acute pancreatitis, randomly divided into two groups.Methods: The patients in the study group received intravenous ketorolac, 10 mg, three times daily from the time of enrollment for a maximum of 5 days, as needed, along with standard medical treatment. Primary outcome measure was the change in the serum level of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Patients were also followed up in terms of hospitalization duration, need for intensive care unit (ICU), organ failure development, persistent organ failure, pancreatic necrosis, nutritional assessment, and mortality. The study continued to gather clinical follow-up information up to 4 months.Results: Serum level of hs-CRP was significantly lower in the ketorolac group compared with the control group on days 3, 4, and 5. There were no significant differences in organ failure, pseudocyst formation, acute necrotic collection, mortality, and ICU transfer between groups. Days of hospitalization were significantly lower in the study group. The feeding start time was significantly shorter in the study group with no need for tube feeding in the ketorolac group. Frequency of NPO (not per oral) was significantly lower in the ketorolac group.Conclusion: The use of ketorolac may improve feeding outcomes and shorten length of hospitalization in predicted severe acute pancreatitis.

Protein Supplement and Enhanced Recovery After Posterior Spine Fusion Surgery: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of protein supplementation on vertebral fusion and enhanced recovery after posterior spine fusion (PSF) surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Nonfusion is one of the most common complications of lumbar spine surgery. It has been shown that protein plays an important role in bone repair; however, its correlation to vertebral fusion following PSF surgery is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial study, the intervention group received a diet with 1.2 g of protein plus high-protein supplement (36 g whey protein), and the control group received a similar diet, except for starch as a placebo from 48 hours before to 1 month after surgery. RESULTS: The intervention group showed a significantly higher rate of vertebral fusion compared with the control group (P=0.019). Surgical site infection and pain were significantly lower in the intervention group. A significant difference was found in the wound healing rate in favor of the intervention group. The rates of decrease in serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and increase in serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1, albumin, total protein, and alkaline phosphatase were greater in the intervention group than in the control group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Increased protein intake improves vertebral fusion and enhances recovery in patients undergoing PSF. This was the first study to investigate the effect of protein on fusion and healing factors; as a result, further clinical trials are needed to confirm the current results.

Effect of Protein Supplement on Paraspinal Muscles in Spine Fusion Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction and weakness due to atrophy of the paraspinal muscles is a major issue after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery, resulting in pain and disability. Considering the role of protein in muscle regeneration, it seems that protein supplements after surgery may prevent muscle atrophy. To date, to our knowledge, no intervention study has investigated the effect of protein supplementation on the volume of paraspinal muscles, pain, or disability after PSF. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients were randomly assigned to a control (placebo + diet with 1.2 g/kg body weight of protein, n = 40) or a protein supplementation (36 g/day + a diet with 1.2 g/kg body weight of protein, n = 40) group, which received intervention from 48 hours before to 1 month after surgery. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the paraspinal muscles was measured by thin-slice computed tomography, and pain and disability were assessed using the visual analog scale and Oswestry Disability Index. RESULTS: After 4 weeks of protein supplementation, the CSAs of multifidus and psoas muscles on both sides were significantly higher in the supplementation group than the placebo group (P <.001). Less atrophy was seen in the right erector spinae and quadratus lumborum muscles in the group receiving protein supplements than the placebo group (P < .001). In addition, protein supplementation was significantly negatively correlated with both pain (P < .001) and disability (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we demonstrated that 36 g/day protein supplementation significantly increased the CSA of muscles and reduced the atrophy, pain, and disability after PSF surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

Effects of Early Enteral Glutamine Supplementation on Intestinal Permeability in Critically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Enteral administration of glutamine has been proposed as an effective recovery of intestinal barrier function. This amino acid has a modulating effect on the reducing bacterial translocation, which can influence immune functions of the intestine. The objective was to evaluate the effects of early enteral glutamine supplementation on intestinal permeability in critically ill patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 critically ill patients older than 18 years were randomly assigned to one of two groups according to the stratified blocked randomization by age and admission category. Consecutive participants took enteral formula plus 0.3 g/kg/day glutamine powder or enteral formula plus maltodextrin during the ICU stay for a maximum of 10 days. Plasma glutamine, endotoxin, zonulin, and antiendotoxin immunoglobulin (Ig)G/IgM concentrations were measured on days 5 and 10 of intervention. RESULTS: Out of 80 participants, 36 patients in the glutamine group and 34 patients in the control group were included in the analysis of the outcomes. Enteral glutamine significantly reduced plasma zonulin concentration up to 40% during 10 days. This reduction was significantly greater compared with that of the placebo group (p<0.001). Endotoxin concentration decreased in both groups; this reduction was significantly greater in the glutamine group (p = 0.014). The antiendotoxin IgM and IgG antibody levels increased in the glutamine group but decreased in the control group (p <0.001). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between two groups. CONCLUSION: Early enteral glutamine supplementation led to a declined intestinal permeability in critically ill patients. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Shariatpanahi ZV, Eslamian G, Ardehali SH, Baghestani AR. Effects of Early Enteral Glutamine Supplementation on Intestinal Permeability in Critically Ill Patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2019;23(8):356-362.

Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Postcraniotomy Pain After Brain Tumor Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on postoperative pain and analgesic requirement in brain tumor surgery. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with vitamin D serum levels ≤20 ng/dL were randomly assigned to 2 groups equally. The study group (n = 30) received intramuscular injection of 300,000 IU vitamin D before surgery. RESULTS: Preoperative serum level of vitamin D was 15.9 ± 3.8 ng/dL and 14.5 ± 3.6 ng/dL in the study and control groups, respectively (P = 0.13). Serum level of vitamin D on day 5 of surgery was 22.5 ± 4.3 and 13.7 ± 3.8 in the study and control groups, respectively (P < 0.001). A percentage of 50% had pain scores >4 on the first postoperative day, which decreased with time. The median (interquartile range) of the visual analogue scale score during the 3 postoperative days was 3 (5), 3 (5), 1 (3), and 5 (7), 2 (5), 1 (3) in the study and control groups, respectively, with no significant difference. There was no difference in analgesic consumption between the 2 groups. Analysis through the generalized estimating equation model indicated that patients who had received vitamin D for a longer time before the operative time had an insignificantly less pain score. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the study results, one half of our patients reported moderate-to-severe pain scores on the first day after surgery. The pain in the study group was insignificantly less than that in the control group, but it seems that chronic high level of vitamin D may lead to promising results.

Effect of ß-glucan on serum levels of IL-12, hs-CRP, and clinical outcomes in multiple-trauma patients: a prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Trauma is associated with a profound immunological dysfunction. This predisposes patients to infections and adverse outcomes. ß-glucan has been implicated in the initiation of anti-microbial immune response. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of an enteral diet containing ß-glucan on serum levels of IL-12 and highly-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), occurrence of infection, and clinical outcomes in critically ill multiple-trauma patients. METHODS: Forty multiple trauma patients requiring enteral nutrition for at least 10 days were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=20) or the placebo group (n=20). The intervention group received a high-protein enteral diet providing 3 g ß-glucan, and the control group received a similar diet, except for 3 g of maltodextrin as a placebo. Serum levels of IL-12 and hs-CRP were measured on days 0, 10, and 21. RESULTS: The ß-glucan group showed significantly higher serum levels of IL-12 on day 21 compared to the control group. Infection frequency and duration of mechanical ventilation were significantly lower in the ß-glucan group. A significant difference was found in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score in favor of the ß-glucan group. No difference was found in the serum levels of hs-CRP, length of ICU stay, occurrence of infection, and mortality rates between the two groups. CONCLUSION: ß-glucan may increase serum levels of IL-12, shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation, and reduce organ failure in critically ill multiple-trauma patients.

Non-diabetic Hyperglycemia and Some of Its Correlates in ICU Hospitalized Patients Receiving Enteral Nutrition.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperglycemia is a common occurrence in critically ill patients, and its prevalence in patients receiving nutritional support is much higher than in other patients. The non-diabetic form is associated with more undesirable outcomes. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of non-diabetic hyperglycemia and its correlates in patients receiving enteral nutrition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed between March and December 2015. Seven hundred forty eight (748) patients were reviewed to see if they met the inclusion criteria. After random sequence numbering, 414 patients who were eligible for further assessment and data gathering were selected. Hyperglycemia was defined as the blood glucose levels higher than either 126 mg/dL, in the fasting state, or 180 mg/dL, in a random state. Blood glucose was measured by an ACCU-CHECK glucometer (Roche diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) three times, after ICU admission, in both fasting and random state. A pre-prepared form was used to extract data from hospital records. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 21 software. RESULTS: In this group of hospitalized patients, the prevalence of non-diabetic hyperglycemia was 14/49 (60/414). In the hyperglycemic subgroup, mean FBS was 228.00±36.42, mean random BS was 183.19±43.94 and mean blood sugar on the first day of hospitalization was 203.60 ± 60.79. The mean age of patients was 56.64±19.79 years and the mean duration of hospitalization was 19.24±15.33 days. There was no significant relationship between enteral nutrition feeding volume and hyperglycemia. Majorly, patients aged above 60 years were hyperglycemic. The prevalence was higher in men than in women. Most patients were internal cases, but with the highest prevalence of hyperglycemia in surgical patients. CONCLUSIONS: Since among different studied variables just diagnosed disease and the level of provided calorie showed significant differences between subgroup categories, so it can be suggested that designing on-time appropriate management programs based them can be effective on the administration of non-diabetic hyperglycemia and its undesirable consequences in such patients.

Effect of Fat-based versus Carbohydrate-based Enteral Feeding on Glycemic Control in Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the preventive effects of high-fat enteral feeding on glycemic control and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: a randomized clinical trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was done on 42 normoglycemic patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Patients were randomly classified into three groups of 14 each. Control group (A) received carbohydrate-based diet (protein: 20%, fat: 30%, and carbohydrate: 50%), study groups received two types of high-fat diet; Group B (protein: 20%, fat: 45% including half of olive oil and half sunflower oil, and carbohydrate: 35%); and Group C (protein: 20%, fat: 45% including sunflower oil, and carbohydrate: 35%) in the first 48 h of admission. RESULTS: Basal characteristics of participants were the same. After the feeding trial, there was no difference between the groups in mean plasma and capillary glucose levels and insulin requirements. Serum high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol level was increased significantly in Group B on day 10 compared to admission level (40.75 ± 5.58 vs. 43.56 ± 2.25, P = 0.05). We did not find any difference in organ failure involvement and mortality rate between groups. The number of ICU free days was significantly more in Group B compared to the control group (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: High-fat diets have no preventive effect on stress hyperglycemia. High monounsaturated fat diet may increase serum HDL-cholesterol level and decrease the length of stay in ICU.

Comparison of two techniques for endoscopic ultrasonography fine-needle aspiration in solid pancreatic mass.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a newly imagine procedure for assessment and therapeutic in option. The aims of this study are comparison two techniques about EUS-fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), including successful tissue sampling, complication, procedure time, and safety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients with pancreatic solid masses were in the study, 50 patients underwent EUS-FNA with negative pressure as Group 1 and 50 patients underwent EUS-FNA without negative pressure and stylet as Group 2 over a 36 months period. RESULTS: The study period was from March 2011 to January 2014. In total case, the male-to-female ratio was 1.27 with a mean age of 61.7 ± 1.3 years. The involvement of different regions of the pancreas, pancreatic head had the most frequent (69%) after that uncinate (12%), body (11%) and tail (8%). In 100 pancreatic EUS-FNA samples, 48% were interpreted as malignant on pathology evaluation, 15% as suspicious for malignancy, 27% as benign processes and 10% inadequate specimen. There were no significant differences between the adequacy of sample cells in two techniques (P < 0.148). CONCLUSION: The EUS-FNA without negative pressure and stylet technique was related with less contamination by blood and raise the diagnostic yield. We recommend further studies for better evaluation of our study with higher the cases because clinically the low the inadequate samples (6% vs. 14%) and less contamination with blood (20% vs. 50%) in the second group (P < 0.002).

Body Composition and Abdominal Obesity in Patients With and Without Coronary Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: The body fat and its distribution is an important risk factor for coronary artery diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body composition and abdominal obesity in patients with and without coronary involvement in stable angina. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-one patients who underwent coronary angiography for stable angina were divided into two groups: patients with or without coronary heart disease (CHD). Participants underwent bioimpedance analysis for measurement of adipose tissues and lean body mass. RESULTS: No significant difference in body mass index and weight was found between two groups. Mean levels of waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and fat mass were significantly higher in CHD group (P = 0.02, P = 0.04 and P = 0.01). Fat-free mass was also significantly higher in non-CHD group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Screening for adiposity in subjects by body composition measurement method and determining fat distribution could better identify those at higher risk for CHD.

Effect of fasting with two meals on BMI and inflammatory markers of metabolic syndrome.

The metabolic syndrome has been recognized as a proinflammatory state and inflammatory markers are associated with an increased risk for subsequent cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this clinical trial study was to evaluate the effect of Ramadan fasting on High-sensitive C-reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and fibrinogen levels in metabolic syndrome. Sixty five male with metabolic syndrome who were admitted to Hospital were selected for the study. Waist circumference, BMI, FPG, HDL-C, TG, fibrinogen and hs-CRP were evaluated before and after month of Ramadan. The duration of study was thirty days. The dietary intake was estimated by 24 h recall before and after fasting. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed using the ATP III criteria. FPG, HDL-C, fibrinogen, hs-CRP, BMI and waist circumference were decreased significantly after study (p = 0.005, p = 0.002, p = 0.02, p = 0.01, p = 0.01, p = 0.01, respectively). There was no change in serum TG level (p = 0.21). Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that after fasting, hs-CRP was related to waist circumference and BMI (r = 0.388, p = 0.01 and r = -0.439, p = 0.02, respectively). Change in the number and timing of meals and portioning the entire intake into two without changing the total energy consumption may have beneficial effects on anthropometry measures and inflammatory markers of metabolic syndrome.

Ginger extract reduces delayed gastric emptying and nosocomial pneumonia in adult respiratory distress syndrome patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ginger extract on delayed gastric emptying, developing ventilator-associated pneumonia, and clinical outcomes in adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two ARDS patients who were dependent on mechanical ventilation and fed via nasogastric tube were studied. After enrollment, patients were randomized to 2 groups. The control group received 1 g of coconut oil as placebo, and the study group received 120 mg of ginger extract. The amount of feeding tolerated at the first 48 hours of feeding, amount of feeding tolerated during the entire study period, nosocomial pneumonia, number of intensive care unit (ICU)-free days, number of ventilator-free days, and mortality were evaluated during 21 days of intervention. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the ginger group and the control group in the amount of feeding tolerated at the first 48 hours of enteral feeding (51% vs 57%, P < .005). There was a trend toward a decrease in pneumonia in the ginger group (P = .07). The overall in-ICU mortality was 15.6%, with no significant difference in the 2 groups. The number of ventilator-free days and that of ICU-free days were lower in the control group compared with the ginger group (P = .04 and P = .02). CONCLUSION: This study showed that gastric feed supplementation with ginger extract might reduce delayed gastric emptying and help reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in ARDS.