Mechanical thrombectomy with solitaire stent retrieval for acute ischemic stroke in a Brazilian population

OBJECTIVE: Large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke is associated with low recanalization rates under intravenous thrombolysis. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Solitaire AB stent in treating acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: Patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke were prospectively evaluated. The neurological outcomes were assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and the modified Rankin Scale. Time was recorded from the symptom onset to the recanalization and procedure time. Recanalization was assessed using the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were evaluated. The mean patient age was 65, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores ranged from 7 to 28 (average 17±6.36) at presentation. The vessel occlusions occurred in the middle cerebral artery (61.9%), distal internal carotid artery (14.3%), tandem carotid occlusion (14.3%), and basilarartery (9.5%). Primary thrombectomy, rescue treatment and a bridging approach represented 66.6%, 28.6%, and 4.8% of the performed procedures, respectively. The mean time from symptom onset to recanalization was 356.5±107.8 minutes (range, 80-586 minutes). The mean procedure time was 60.4±58.8 minutes (range, 14-240 minutes). The overall recanalization rate (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scores of 3 or 2b) was 90.4%, and the symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage rate was 14.2%. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores at discharge ranged from 0 to 25 (average 6.9±7). At three months, 61.9% of the patients had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2, with an overall mortality rate of 9.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-arterial thrombectomy with the Solitaire AB device appears to be safe and effective. Large randomized trials are necessary to confirm the benefits of this approach in acute ischemic stroke.

Indirect calorimetry can be used to measure cardiac output in septic patients? / A calorimetria indireta pode ser utilizada para medir o débito cardíaco em pacientes sépticos?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare two different cardiac output (CO) monitoring systems based on the thermodilution principle (Thermo-CO) and indirect calorimetry (Fick mixed-CO) in septic patients. METHODS: Prospective study in septic patients admitted in an intensive care unit of a university hospital. Nineteen patients aged on average 45.4 ± 21.5 years were enrolled in the study. Four series of hourly measurements by the two techniques were carried out simultaneously. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between Thermo-CO and Fick mixed-CO (7.0 ± 1.8 L.min-1 and 6.4 ± 1.7 L.min-1.). Parallel analysis of Fick mixed-CO and Fick atrial-CO was performed introducing a correction factor for the eight atrial samples in order to adjust the values of oxygen saturation obtained from atrial blood (Fick corrected atrial-CO) to those obtained from mixed venous blood. No significant differences could be detected between Fick mixed-CO and Fick corrected atrial-CO. The correlation coefficients of Thermo CO/Fick mixed-CO and Fick mixed-CO/Fick corrected atrial-CO were 0.84 and 0.94, respectively. CONCLUSION: We observed that the agreement between the two methods was satisfactory on the basis of the decisions made for treatment. Indirect calorimetry is useful to measure CO in patients with septic shock.

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar as medidas do débito cardíaco (DC) obtidas pela termodiluição (DC-termo) e pela calorimetria indireta (DC-Fick misto) em pacientes com choque séptico. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo em pacientes sépticos internados em unidade de terapia intensiva de um hospital universitário. Foram estudados 19 pacientes (45,4 ± 21,5 anos). Foram realizadas quatro séries de medidas do DC pelos dois métodos, simultaneamente. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferenças significativas entre os valores do DC-termo e DC-Fick misto (7,0 ± 1,8 L.min-1 e 6,4 ± 1,7 L.min-1, respectivamente). Na avaliação dos oito casos (DC-Fick misto/DC Fick atrial), introduziu-se um fator de correção para aproximar os valores do conteúdo de O2 atrial (DC-Fick atrial corrigido) com o venoso misto. Não houve diferença significativa do DC-Fick misto e DC-Fick atrial corrigido nos 4 tempos. A correlação foi de 0.84 para o DC-termo/DC-Fick misto e de 0.94 para o DC-Fick misto/DC-Fick atrial corrigido. CONCLUSÃO: A calorimetria indireta é um bom método para a medida do DC em pacientes vítimas de choque séptico, sobretudo nos casos onde a monitorização hemodinâmica invasiva não está disponível ou está contra indicada.

Correlação entre o consumo de oxigênio obtido pelo método de Fick e pela calorimetria indireta no paciente grave / Correlation between oxygen consumption calculated using Fick's method and measured with indirect calorimetry in critically ill patients

OBJETIVO: Correlacionar o índice de consumo de oxigênio medido através da calorimetria indireta (VO2I DELTA) às medidas calculadas pela equação reversa de Fick (VO2I FICK) em pacientes graves, vítimas de trauma ou sepse. MÉTODOS: Analisados 14 pacientes vítimas de trauma (n=5) ou sepse (n=9), com média de idade de 39,4 ± 5,4 anos, sendo 10 homens e 4 mulheres, APACHE II de 21,3±1,8, ISS de 24,8±6, Sepsis Score de 19,6±2,3, com risco de óbito calculado pelo APACHE II de 41,9±7,1 por cento, submetidos à ventilação mecânica e monitorização hemodinâmica invasiva com cateter de Swan-Ganz e realizadas, pelos dois métodos, 4 séries de medidas do VO2I (T1 a T4). RESULTADOS: Houve uma boa correlação entre os dois métodos (r = 0,77), para a média das quatro medidas seriadas. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os dois métodos nos tempos T1 (VO2I DELTA = 138±28 e VO2I FICK = 159±38 mL.min-1.m-2, p = 0,10) e T3 (VO2I DELTA = 144±26 e VO2I FICK = 158±35 mL.min-1.m-2, p = 0,14). Houve diferença significativa nos tempos T2 (VO2I DELTA = 141±27 e VO2I FICK = 155±26 mL.min-1.m-2, p = 0,03) e T4 (VO2I DELTA = 145±24 e VO2I FICK = 162±26 mL.min-1.m-2, p = 0,01). CONCLUSÃO: A calorimetria indireta é um método não invasivo, isento de complicações, que pode ser usado para avaliação do consumo de oxigênio no paciente grave de forma tão eficaz quanto à equação reversa de Fick.