Correlations between heart sound components and hemodynamic variables.

Although the esophageal stethoscope is used for continuous auscultation during general anesthesia, few studies have investigated phonocardiographic data as a continuous hemodynamic index. In this study, we aimed to induce hemodynamic variations and clarify the relationship between the heart sounds and hemodynamic variables through an experimental animal study. Changes in the cardiac contractility and vascular resistance were induced in anesthetized pigs by administering dobutamine, esmolol, phenylephrine, and nicardipine. In addition, a decrease in cardiac output was induced by restricting the venous return by clamping the inferior vena cava (IVC). The relationship between the hemodynamic changes and changes in the heart sound indices was analyzed. Experimental data from eight pigs were analyzed. The mean values of the correlation coefficients of changes in S1 amplitude (ΔS1amp) with systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP), pulse pressure (ΔPP), and ΔdP/dt during dobutamine administration were 0.94, 0.96, and 0.96, respectively. The mean values of the correlation coefficients of ΔS1amp with ΔSBP, ΔPP, and ΔdP/dt during esmolol administration were 0.80, 0.82, and 0.86, respectively. The hemodynamic changes caused by the administration of phenylephrine and nicardipine did not correlate significantly with changes in the heart rate. The S1 amplitude of the heart sound was significantly correlated with the hemodynamic changes caused by the changes in cardiac contractility but not with the variations in the vascular resistance. Heart sounds can potentially provide a non-invasive monitoring method to differentiate the cause of hemodynamic variations.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury in living donor liver transplantation recipients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common complications after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) that has great impact on recipient and graft outcomes. Dexmedetomidine is reported to decrease the incidence of AKI. In the current study, we investigated whether intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion would reduce the AKI following LDLT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 205 adult patients undergoing elective LDLT were randomly assigned to the dexmedetomidine group (n=103) or the control group (n=102). Dexmedetomidine group received continuous dexmedetomidine infusion at a rate of 0.4 mcgÖ¼/kg/hr after the anesthesia induction until 2 hours after graft reperfusion. The primary outcome was to compare the incidence of AKI. Secondary outcomes included serial lactate levels during surgery, chronic kidney disease, major adverse cardiovascular events, early allograft dysfunction, graft failure, overall mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU and hospital length of stay. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were also collected. RESULTS: Of 205 recipients, 42.4% (n=87) developed AKI. The incidence of AKI was lower in the dexmedetomidine group (35.0%, n=36/103) compared with the control (50.0%, n=51/102) ( P =0.042). There were significantly lower lactate levels in the dexmedetomidine group after reperfusion (4.39 [3.99-4.8] vs 5.02 [4.62-5.42], P =0.031) until the end of surgery (4.23 [3.73-4.73] vs 5.35 [4.84-5.85], P =0.002). There were no significant differences in the other secondary outcomes besides lactate. Also, intraoperative mean blood pressure, cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance did not show any difference. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that intraoperative dexmedetomidine administration was associated with significantly decreased AKI incidence and lower intraoperative serum lactate levels in LDLT recipients, without untoward hemodynamic effects.

Prognostic Value of Mitral Annular Calcification in Liver Transplant Patients: Implication in Posttransplant Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: With the rise of metabolic diseases and aging in liver transplant (LT) candidates, mitral annular calcification (MAC) is more recognizable. Despite cardiovascular risk becoming a leading cause of mortality in LT recipients, the influence of MAC remains unexamined. This study investigates the prevalence, related factors, and impact of MAC on LT outcomes. METHODS: We explored 4148 consecutive LT patients who underwent routine pretransplant echocardiography from 2008 to 2019. Multivariate logistic analysis and the tree-based Shapley additive explanation scores in machine learning were used to evaluate the significant and important related factors. The primary outcome was 30-d major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and the secondary outcome was a median of 5-y cumulative all-cause mortality. RESULTS: MAC was found in 123 (3.0%) patients. Significant and important related factors included age, alcoholic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, hyperuricemia, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The MACE rate was higher in patients with MAC compared with those without MAC at 30 d (P < 0.001, adjusted hazard ratio 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-2.57). Patients with MAC had poorer cumulative overall survival probability compared with those without MAC (P = 0.0016; adjusted hazard ratio 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.15). Specifically, women with MAC had a poorer survival probability compared with men without MAC (65.0% versus 80.7%, P < 0.001) >10 y post-LT. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of MAC before LT was linked to increased 30-d MACE and lower long-term survival rates, especially in women. Identification and management of MAC and potential risk factors are crucial for improving post-LT survival.

Impact of preoperative nonselective beta-blocker use on acute kidney injury after living donor liver transplantation: Propensity score analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is prevalent and has deleterious effects on postoperative outcomes following liver transplantation (LT). The impact of nonselective beta-blockers (NSBBs) in patients with liver cirrhosis remains controversial. This study investigated the association between preoperative NSBB use and AKI after living donor LT (LDLT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated 2,972 adult LDLT recipients between January 2012 and July 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on the preoperative NSBB use. Propensity score matched (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analyses were performed to evaluate the association between preoperative NSBB use and postoperative AKI. Multiple logistic regression analyses were also used to identify the risk factors for AKI. RESULTS: The overall incidence of AKI was 1,721 (57.9%) cases. The NSBB group showed a higher incidence of AKI than the non-NSBB group (62.4% vs. 56.7%; P = 0.011). After PSM and IPTW analyses, no significant difference in the incidence of AKI was found between the two groups (Odds ratio, OR 1.13, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.93-1.37, P = 0.230, PSM analysis; OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.99-1.44, P = 0.059, IPTW analysis). In addition, preoperative NSBB use was not associated with AKI after multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.96-1.40, P = 0.118). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative NSBB use was not associated with AKI after LDLT. Further studies are needed to validate our results.

Comparison of Fibrinogen Concentrate and Cryoprecipitate on Major Thromboembolic Events after Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

(1) Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is associated with significant hemorrhage and massive transfusions. Fibrinogen replacement has a key role in treating massive bleeding during LT and hypofibrinogenemia is treated by fibrinogen concentrate or cryoprecipitate. However, these two products are known to be associated with major thromboembolism events (MTEs). We aimed to compare the effect of fibrinogen concentrate and cryoprecipitate on MTEs in living donor LT (LDLT) recipients. (2) Methods: We analyzed 206 patients who underwent LDLT between January 2021 and March 2022. The patients were divided into two groups according to fibrinogen concentrate or cryoprecipitate use. We compared the incidence of MTEs between the two groups. In addition, we performed multiple logistic regression analyses to identify the risk factors for MTEs. (3) Results: There was no significant difference in the incidence of MTEs (16 [14.7%] vs. 14 [14.4%], p = 1.000) between the cryoprecipitate group and fibrinogen concentrate group. In the multivariate analysis, cryoprecipitate (OR 2.09, 95%CI 0.85-5.11, p = 0.107) and fibrinogen concentrate (OR 2.05, 95%CI 0.82-5.12, p = 0.126) were not significantly associated with MTEs. (4) Conclusions: there was no significant difference in the incidence of MTEs between cryoprecipitate and fibrinogen concentrate in LDLT recipients.

Neutrophilia is more predictive than increased white blood cell counts for short-term mortality after liver transplantation in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a life-threatening disease that requires urgent liver transplantation (LT). Accurate identification of high-risk patients is essential for predicting post-LT survival. The chronic liver failure consortium ACLF score is a widely accepted risk-stratification score that includes total white blood cell (WBC) counts as a component. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of total and differential WBC counts for short-term mortality following LT in patients with ACLF. METHODS: A total of 685 patients with ACLF who underwent LT between January 2008 and February 2019 were analyzed. Total and differential WBC counts were examined as a function of the model for end-stage liver disease for sodium (MELD-Na) score. The association between total and differential WBC counts and 90-day post-LT mortality was assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: The total WBC counts and neutrophil ratio were higher in patients with ACLF than in those without ACLF. The neutrophil ratio was significantly associated with 90-day post-LT mortality after adjustment (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; P = 0.001), whereas total WBC counts were not significantly associated with 90-day post-LT mortality in either univariate or multivariate Cox analyses. The neutrophil ratio demonstrated a relatively linear trend with an increasing MELD-Na score and HR for 90-day post-LT mortality, whereas the total WBC counts exhibited a plateaued pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Neutrophilia, rather than total WBC counts, is a better prognostic indicator for short-term post-LT mortality in patients with ACLF.

Association between visceral obesity and tumor recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma recipients undergoing liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Excessive visceral obesity in recipients of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is associated with mortality, and a recent study reported the correlation between visceral adiposity of male LDLT recipients and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. However, there is no study on the relationship between the donor's visceral adiposity and surgical outcomes in LDLT recipients. We investigated the association of the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR) in donors and recipients with HCC recurrence and mortality in LDLT. METHODS: We analyzed 1386 sets of donors and recipients who underwent LDLT between January 2008 and January 2018. The maximal chi-square method was used to determine the optimal cutoff values for VSR for predicting overall HCC recurrence and mortality. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of donor VSR and recipient VSR with overall HCC recurrence and mortality in recipients. RESULTS: The cutoff values of VSR was determined as 0.73 in males and 0.31 in females. High donor VSR was significantly associated with overall HCC recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.93, p = 0.019) and mortality (HR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.76, p = 0.030). High recipient VSR was significantly associated with overall HCC recurrence (HR: 1.40, 95% CI: 1.04-1.88, p = 0.027) and mortality (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.14-1.96, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Both recipient VSR and donor VSR were significant risk factors for HCC recurrence and mortality in LDLT recipients. Preoperative donor VSR and recipient VSR may be strong predictors of the surgical outcomes of LDLT recipients with HCC.

Characterizing Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction in End-Stage Liver Disease and Liver Transplant Outcomes.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its risk factors are increasingly recognized in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize HFpEF and identify relevant risk factors in patients with ESLD. Additionally, the prognostic impact of high-probability HFpEF on post-liver transplantation (LT) mortality was investigated. Methods: Patients with ESLD prospectively enrolled from the Asan LT Registry between 2008 and 2019 were divided into groups with low (scores of 0 and 1), intermediate (scores of 2-4), and high (scores of 5 and 6) probability using the Heart Failure Association-PEFF diagnostic score for HFpEF. Gradient-boosted modeling in machine learning was further used to appraise the apparent importance of risk factors. Finally, post-LT all-cause mortality was followed for 12.8 years (median 5.3 years); there were 498 deaths after LT. Results: Among the 3,244 patients, 215 belonged to the high-probability group, commonly those with advanced age, female sex, anemia, dyslipidemia, renal dysfunction, and hypertension. The highest risk factors for the high-probability group, according to gradient-boosted modeling, were female sex, anemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and age >65 years. Among patients with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores of >30, those with high, intermediate, and low probability had cumulative overall survival rates of 71.6%, 82.2%, and 88.9% at 1 year and 54.8%, 72.1%, and 88.9% at 12 years after LT (log-rank P = 0.026), respectively. Conclusions: High-probability HFpEF was found in 6.6% of patients with ESLD with poorer long-term post-LT survival, especially those with advanced stages of liver disease. Therefore, identifying HFpEF using the Heart Failure Association-PEFF score and addressing modifiable risk factors can improve post-LT survival.

Left ventricular remodeling in end-stage liver disease and post-transplant mortality assessed using end-diastolic pressure-volume relation analysis: Observational retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Diastolic dysfunction is regarded as an important predictor of outcome after liver transplantation (LT). We investigated the influence of liver disease severity on left ventricular diastolic properties using end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship (EDPVR) analysis in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Association between alterations of the EDPVR and mortality after LT was evaluated. METHODS: In this observational retrospective cohort study, 3,211 patients who underwent LT for ESLD were included in analysis. Variables derived from single-beat EDPVR (diastolic stiffness-coefficient [ß] and end-diastolic volume at an end-diastolic pressure of 20 mmHg [EDVI20] indicating ventricular capacitance) were estimated using preoperative echocardiographic data. Alterations in EDPVR with increased stiffness (ß > 6.16) were categorized into 3 groups; leftward-shifted (EDVI20 <51 mL/m2), rightward-shifted (EDVI20 > 69.7 mL/m2), and intermediate (EDVI20 51-69.7 mL/m2). RESULTS: As the model for ESLD score increases, both EDVI20 and ß gradually increased, which indicated ventricular remodeling with larger capacitance and higher diastolic stiffness. Among patients with increased stiffness (ß > 6.16, n = 1,090), survival rates after LT were lower in leftward-shifted EDPVR than in rightward-shifted EDPVR (73.7% vs 82.9%; log-rank P = 0.002). In the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, risk of cumulative all-cause mortality at 11 years was the highest in leftward-shifted EDPVR (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27-2.92), followed by intermediate EDPVR (HR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.12-2.26), compared with rightward-shifted EDPVR. The SHapley Additive exPlanation model revealed that the variables associated with leftward-shifted EDPVR were diabetes, female sex, old age, and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: As ESLD advances, diastolic ventricular properties are characterized by increased EDVI20 and ß on rightward-shifted EDPVR, indicating larger capacitance and higher stiffness. However, leftward-shifted EDPVR with left ventricle remodeling failure is associated with poor post-LT survival.

Association of sex-specific donor skeletal muscle index with surgical outcomes in living donor liver transplantation recipients.

BACKGROUND: A recent study reported a correlation between the muscle mass of male donors and graft failure in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients. We investigated the association of sex-specific donor skeletal muscle index (SMI) with mortality and graft failure in LDLT recipients. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 2750 sets of donors and recipients between January 2008 and January 2018. The recipient outcomes were analysed by dividing the data according to donor sex. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between donor SMI by sex and 1-year mortality and graft failure in recipients. RESULTS: In the male donor group, robust donor (increased SMI) was significantly associated with higher risks for mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-1.06, p = .023) and graft failure (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.06, p = .007) at 1 year. In the female donor group, the robust donor was significantly associated with lower risks for mortality (HR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87-0.97, p = .003) and graft failure (HR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90-1.00, p = .032) at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Donor SMI was associated with surgical outcomes in recipients. Robust male and female donors were a significant negative and protective factor for grafts respectively.

C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio is a predictor of 1-year mortality following liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Considering the importance of the inflammatory status of recipients on outcomes following liver transplantation (LT), we investigated the association between C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and one-year mortality following LT and compared it with other parameters reflecting patients' underlying inflammatory status. METHODS: A total of 3,614 consecutive adult LT recipients were retrospectively evaluated. Prognostic parameters were analyzed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, and subsequent cutoffs were derived. For survival analysis, Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan-Meier analyses were performed. RESULTS: The AUROC for CAR to predict one-year mortality after LT was 0.68 (0.65-0.72), which was the highest compared with other inflammatory parameters, with the best cutoff of 0.34. A CAR ≥ 0.34 was associated with a significantly higher one-year mortality rate (13.3% vs. 5.8 %, log-rank P < 0.001) and overall mortality rate (24.5% vs. 12.9%, log-rank P = 0.039). A CAR ≥ 0.34 was an independent predictor of one-year mortality (hazard ratio, 1.40 [1.03-1.90], P = 0.031) and overall mortality (hazard ratio 1.39 [1.13-1.71], P = 0.002) after multivariable adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CAR (≥ 0.34) was independently associated with a higher risk of one-year and overall mortality after LT. This may suggest that CAR, a simple and readily available biomarker, maybe a practical index that may assist in the risk stratification of liver transplantation outcomes.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and blood transfusion in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation: Propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been associated with massive transfusion. However, information on indicators predicting transfusion in LDLT is limited. This study investigates the association between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and intraoperative transfusion in LDLT recipients. METHODS: This study analyzed 2546 patients who underwent LDLT between January 2010 and October 2019. The patients were divided into two groups based on preoperative RDW cutoff level (<14.4 and ≥14.4). We performed multivariate regression analysis to assess the association between RDW and intraoperative transfusion. We also performed propensity score matching analysis to compare the incidence of intraoperative transfusion between the two groups. The predictive power of RDW was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) analysis. RESULTS: In the multivariate logistic analysis, RDW ≥14.4 was significantly associated with intraoperative transfusion (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-2.06, P = .005). There were significant differences in incidence of intraoperative transfusion between the two groups before (54.1% vs 91.6%, P < .001) and after (71.6% vs 79.8%, P = .004) matching. RDW had predictive power for intraoperative transfusion (P < .001 in NRI, P = .035 in IDI). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative RDW is a potential predictor of intraoperative transfusion in LDLT recipients.

Perioperative management of adult living donor liver transplantation: Part 1 - recipients.

Living donor liver transplantation was first developed to mitigate the limited access to deceased donor organs in Asia in the 1990s. This alternative liver transplantation option has become an established and widely practiced transplantation method for adult patients suffering from end-stage liver disease. It has successfully addressed the shortage of deceased donors. The Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia and the Korean Society of Transplant Anesthesia jointly reviewed published studies on the perioperative management of live donor liver transplant recipients. The review aims to offer transplant anesthesiologists and critical care physicians a comprehensive overview of the perioperative management of adult live liver transplantation recipients. We feature the status, outcomes, surgical procedure, portal venous decompression, anesthetic management, prevention of acute kidney injury, avoidance of blood transfusion, monitoring and therapeutic strategies of hemodynamic derangements, and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols for liver transplant recipients.

Associations of sarcopenia with graft failure and mortality in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation.

Recent studies have reported that sarcopenia influences morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. However, few studies have investigated the associations of sarcopenia with short-term and long-term graft failure in recipients after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In this study, we investigated the associations between sarcopenia and graft failure/mortality in patients undergoing LDLT. We retrospectively examined 2816 recipients who underwent LDLT between January 2008 and January 2018. Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the associations between sarcopenia and graft failure/mortality in recipients at 60 days, 180 days, and 1 year and overall. Sarcopenia in the recipient was significantly associated with 60-day graft failure (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-3.61; p = 0.03), 180-day graft failure (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.19-2.88; p = 0.01), 1-year graft failure (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.01-2.17; p = 0.05), and overall graft failure (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.08-1.87; p = 0.01). In addition, recipient sarcopenia was associated with 180-day mortality (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.17-3.01; p = 0.01), 1-year mortality (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.01-2.29; p = 0.04), and overall mortality (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.08-1.90; p = 0.01). Preoperative sarcopenia was associated with high rates of graft failure and mortality in LDLT recipients. Therefore, preoperative sarcopenia may be a strong predictor of the surgical prognosis in LDLT recipients.

Association of skeletal muscle index with postoperative acute kidney injury in living donor hepatectomy: A retrospective single-centre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Although living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is the standard treatment option for patients with end-stage liver disease, it always entails ethical concerns about the risk of living donors. Recent studies have reported a correlation between sarcopenia and surgical prognosis in recipients. However, there are few studies of donor sarcopenia and the surgical prognosis of donors. This study investigated the association between sarcopenia and postoperative acute kidney injury in liver donors. METHODS: This retrospective study analysed 2892 donors who underwent donor hepatectomy for LDLT between January 2008 and January 2018. Sarcopenia was classified into pre-sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia, which were determined to be -1 standard deviation (SD), and -2 SD from the mean baseline of the skeletal muscle index, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between donor sarcopenia and postoperative AKI. Additionally, we assessed the association between donor sarcopenia and delayed recovery of liver function (DRHF). RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis, donor sarcopenia was significantly associated a higher incidence of postoperative AKI (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-6.11, P = .022 in pre-sarcopenia, OR: 5.59, 95% CI: 1.11-28.15, P = .037 in severe sarcopenia, respectively). Additionally, hypertension and synthetic colloid use were significantly associated with postoperative AKI. In the multivariate analysis, risk factors of DRHF were male gender, indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes, and graft type, however, donor sarcopenia was not a risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: Donor sarcopenia is associated with postoperative AKI following donor hepatectomy.

Association between Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Herpes Zoster Infection in 1688 Living Donor Liver Transplantation Recipients at a Large Single Center.

Liver transplantation (LT) is closely associated with decreased immune function, a contributor to herpes zoster (HZ). However, risk factors for HZ in living donor LT (LDLT) remain unknown. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and immune system function are reportedly correlated. This study investigated the association between NLR and HZ in 1688 patients who underwent LDLT between January 2010 and July 2020 and evaluated risk factors for HZ and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). The predictive power of NLR was assessed through the concordance index and an integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) analysis. Of the total cohort, 138 (8.2%) had HZ. The incidence of HZ after LT was 11.2 per 1000 person-years and 0.1%, 1.3%, 2.9%, and 13.5% at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. In the Cox regression analysis, preoperative NLR was significantly associated with HZ (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.09; p = 0.005) and PHN (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.13; p = 0.001). Age, sex, mycophenolate mofetil use, and hepatitis B virus infection were risk factors for HZ versus age and sex for PHN. In the IDI analysis, NLR was discriminative for HZ and PHN (p = 0.020 and p = 0.047, respectively). Preoperative NLR might predict HZ and PHN in LDLT recipients.

Low Preoperative Antithrombin III Level Is Associated with Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury after Liver Transplantation.

We aimed to determine the association between the preoperative antithrombin III (ATIII) level and postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) after LT (post-LT AKI). We retrospectively evaluated 2395 LT recipients between 2010 and 2018 whose data of perioperative ATIII levels were available. Patients were divided into two groups based on the preoperative level of ATIII (ATIII < 50% vs. ATIII ≥ 50%). Multivariable regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for post-LT AKI. The mean preoperative ATIII levels were 30.2 ± 11.8% in the ATIII < 50% group and 67.2 ± 13.2% in the ATIII ≥ 50% group. The incidence of post-LT AKI was significantly lower in the ATIII ≥ 50% group compared to that in the ATIII < 50% group (54.7% vs. 75.5%, p < 0.001); odds ratio (OR, per 10% increase in ATIII level) 0.86, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81-0.92; p < 0.001. After a backward stepwise regression model, female sex, high body mass index, low albumin, deceased donor LT, longer duration of surgery, and high red blood cell transfusion remained significantly associated with post-LT AKI. A low preoperative ATIII level is associated with post-LT AKI, suggesting that preoperative ATIII might be a prognostic factor for predicting post-LT AKI.

Tachycardia-polyuria syndrome after swan-ganz catheterization in liver transplant patient - A case report.

BACKGROUND: Tachycardia-polyuria syndrome is characterized by polyuria occurring because of tachycardia with a heart rate of ≥ 120 beats/min lasting ≥ 30 min. We report such a case occurring after swan-ganz catheterization. CASE: A 41-year-old male was scheduled for living-donor liver transplantation. After general anesthesia, atrial fibrillation occurred during swan-ganz catheterization, and polyuria developed 1 h later. During the anhepatic phase, the patient's heart rate increased further, and cardioversion was performed. After a normal sinus rhythm was achieved, the patient's urine output returned to normal. CONCLUSIONS: The patient's polyuria seemed related to the iatrogenic atrial fibrillation occurring during swan-ganz catheterization. Although we did not measure atrial natriuretic peptide, an increase in its concentration may have been the main mechanism of polyuria, as natriuresis was observed.

Impact of Sarcopenia on Acute Kidney Injury after Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery: A Propensity Matching Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). However, few reports have demonstrated whether sarcopenia would affect the development of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in these patients. This study aimed to examine whether sarcopenia is associated with AKI and morbidity and mortality after infrarenal AAA operation. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 379 patients who underwent infrarenal AAA surgery. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was performed using the skeletal muscle index, which was calculated from axial computed tomography at the level of L3. The patients were separated into those with sarcopenia (n = 104) and those without sarcopenia (n = 275). We applied multivariable and Cox regression analyses to evaluate the risk factors for AKI and overall mortality. A propensity score matching (PSM) evaluation was done to assess the postoperative results. RESULTS: The incidence of AKI was greater in sarcopenia than non-sarcopenia group before (34.6% vs. 15.3%; p < 0.001) and after the PSM analysis (34.6% vs. 15.4%; p = 0.002). Multivariable analysis revealed sarcopenia to be associated with AKI before (p = 0.010) and after PSM (p = 0.016). Sarcopenia was also associated with overall mortality before (p = 0.048) and after PSM (p = 0.032). A Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that overall mortality was elevated patients with sarcopenia before and after PSM than in those without (log-rank test, p < 0.001, p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia was associated with increased postoperative AKI incidence and overall mortality among individuals who underwent infrarenal AAA operation.

Association of Preoperative Prognostic Nutritional Index and Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) has been reported to be associated with postoperative complications and prognosis in cancer surgery. However, few studies have evaluated the association between preoperative PNI and postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in colorectal cancer patients. This study evaluated association of preoperative PNI and postoperative AKI in patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery. This study retrospectively analyzed 3543 patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between June 2008 and February 2012. The patients were classified into four groups by the quartile of PNI: Q1 (≤43.79), Q2 (43.79-47.79), Q3 (47.79-51.62), and Q4 (≥51.62). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the risk factors for AKI and 1-year mortality. AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes classification (KDIGO) criteria. Additionally, we assessed surgical outcomes such as hospital stay, ICU admission, and postoperative complications. The incidence of postoperative AKI tended to increase in the Q1 group (13.4%, 9.2%, 9.4%, 8.8%). In the multivariate analysis, high preoperative PNI was significantly associated with low risk of postoperative AKI (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.93-0.99, p = 0.003) and low 1-year mortality (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.86-0.98, p = 0.011). Male sex, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension were risk factors for AKI. The Q1 (≤43.79) group had poor surgical outcomes, such as postoperative AKI (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.18-1.95, p = 0.001), higher rates of ICU admission (OR: 3.13, 95% CI: 1.82-5.39, p < 0.001) and higher overall mortality (OR: 3.81, 95% CI: 1.86-7.79, p < 0.001). In conclusion, low preoperative PNI levels, especially in the Q1 (≤43.79), were significantly associated with postoperative AKI and surgical outcomes, such as hospital stay, postoperative ICU admission, and mortality.