Is Brain-Dead Donor Fluid Therapy With Colloids Associated With Better Kidney Grafts?

Objectives: Fluid therapy is required to maintain perfusion to donor organs. Recent reviews on the choices of fluids have emphasized the safety of using crystalloids, as opposed to fluid therapy with colloids, which has been reported to be either unequivocally or potentially harmful in a number of studies on various patient populations. We aimed to analyze whether the type of fluid administered to donors is connected with kidney transplant outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 consecutive brain-dead multiorgan donors and their respective 181 kidney recipients were studied retrospectively. Data concerning donor fluid therapy, the characteristics of the donors and the recipients, and outcomes after kidney transplant were extracted from organ retrieval and patient records. Cases with early graft function were compared with cases with delayed graft function. Results: Donors had received both crystalloids and colloids in most cases (84%). Fluid therapy with crystalloids alone was more common among the 40 recipients with delayed (30%) than in the 103 recipients with early graft function (11%) (P = .005). Donor age, time on renal replacement therapy before transplant, and donor fluid therapy with crystalloids alone were independent risk factors for delayed graft function in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Our results suggest that donor fluid therapy including colloids could be beneficial instead of harmful compared with treatment with crystalloids alone. This finding needs to be evaluated in prospective studies.Peer reviewe

The effects of intravenous lipid emulsion on hemodynamic recovery and myocardial cell mitochondrial function after bupivacaine toxicity in anesthetized pigs

Local anesthetic toxicity is thought to be mediated partly by inhibition of cardiac mitochondrial function. Intravenous (i.v.) lipid emulsion may overcome this energy depletion, but doses larger than currently recommended may be needed for rescue effect. In this randomized study with anesthetized pigs, we compared the effect of a large dose, 4 mL/kg, of i.v. 20% Intralipid (R) (n = 7) with Ringer's acetate (n = 6) on cardiovascular recovery after a cardiotoxic dose of bupivacaine. We also examined mitochondrial respiratory function in myocardial cell homogenates analyzed promptly after needle biopsies from the animals. Bupivacaine plasma concentrations were quantified from plasma samples. Arterial blood pressure recovered faster and systemic vascular resistance rose more rapidly after Intralipid than Ringer's acetate administration (p <0.0001), but Intralipid did not increase cardiac index or left ventricular ejection fraction. The lipid-based mitochondrial respiration was stimulated by approximately 30% after Intralipid (p <0.05) but unaffected by Ringer's acetate. The mean (standard deviation) area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of total bupivacaine was greater after Intralipid (105.2 (13.6) mg.min/L) than after Ringer's acetate (88.1 (7.1) mg.min/L) (p = 0.019). After Intralipid, the AUC of the lipid-un-entrapped bupivacaine portion (97.0 (14.5) mg.min/L) was 8% lower than that of total bupivacaine (p <0.0001). To conclude, 4 mL/kg of Intralipid expedited cardiovascular recovery from bupivacaine cardiotoxicity mainly by increasing systemic vascular resistance. The increased myocardial mitochondrial respiration and bupivacaine entrapment after Intralipid did not improve cardiac function.Peer reviewe

Purely ropivacaine-based TEA vs single TAP block in pain management after elective laparoscopic colon surgery within an upgraded institutional ERAS program

Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Background: The aim of this study was to compare thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) with transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in post-operative pain management after laparoscopic colon surgery. Methods: One hundred thirty-six patients undergoing laparoscopic colon resection randomly received either TEA or TAP with ropivacaine only. The primary endpoint was opioid requirement up to 48 h postoperatively. Intensity of pain, time to onset of bowel function, time to mobilization, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and patients’ satisfaction with pain management were also assessed. Results: We observed a significant decrease in opioid consumption on the day of surgery with TEA compared with TAP block (30 mg vs 14 mg, p < 0.001). On the first two postoperative days (POD), the balance shifted to opioid consumption being smaller in the TAP group: on POD 1 (15.2 mg vs 10.6 mg; p = 0.086) and on POD 2 (9.2 mg vs 4.6 mg; p = 0.021). There were no differences in postoperative nausea/vomiting or time to first postoperative bowel movement between the groups. No direct blockade-related complications were observed and the length of stay was similar between TEA and TAP groups. Conclusion: TEA is more efficient for acute postoperative pain than TAP block on day of surgery, but not on the first two PODs. No differences in pain management-related complications were detected.Peer reviewe

Randomized evaluation of fibrinogen vs placebo in complex cardiovascular surgery (REPLACE) : a double-blind phase III study of haemostatic therapy

Background: Single-dose human fibrinogen concentrate (FCH) might have haemostatic benefits in complex cardiovascular surgery. Methods: Patients undergoing elective aortic surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass were randomly assigned to receive FCH or placebo. Study medication was administered to patients with a 5 min bleeding mass of 60-250 g after separation from bypass and surgical haemostasis. A standardized algorithm for allogeneic blood product transfusion was followed if bleeding continued after study medication. Results: 519 patients from 34 centres were randomized, of whom 152 (29%) met inclusion criteria for study medication. Median (IQR) pretreatment 5 min bleeding mass was 107 (76-138) and 91 (71-112) g in the FCH and placebo groups, respectively (P=0.13). More allogeneic blood product units were administered during the first 24 h after FCH, 5.0 (2.0-11.0), when compared with placebo, 3.0 (0.0-7.0), P=0.026. Fewer patients avoided transfusion in the FCH group (15.4%) compared with placebo (28.4%), P=0.047. The FCH immediately increased plasma fibrinogen concentration and fibrin-based clot strength. Adverse event rates were comparable in each group. Conclusions: Human fibrinogen concentrate was associated with increased allogeneic blood product transfusion, an unexpected finding contrary to previous studies. Human fibrinogen concentrate may not be effective in this setting when administered according to 5-minute bleeding mass. Low bleeding rates and normal-range plasma fibrinogen concentrations before study medication, and variability in adherence to the complex transfusion algorithm, may have contributed to these results.Peer reviewe

Randomized evaluation of fibrinogen versus placebo in complex cardiovascular surgery : post hoc analysis and interpretation of phase III results

OBJECTIVES: In a multicentre, randomized-controlled, phase III trial in complex cardiovascular surgery (Randomized Evaluation of Fibrinogen vs Placebo in Complex Cardiovascular Surgery: REPLACE), single-dose human fibrinogen concentrate (FCH) was associated with the transfusion of increased allogeneic blood products (ABPs) versus placebo. Post hoc analyses were performed to identify possible reasons for this result. METHODS: We stratified REPLACE results by adherence to the transfusion algorithm, pretreatment fibrinogen level (2g/l) and whether patients were among the first 3 treated at their centre. RESULTS: Patients whose treatment was adherent with the transfusion algorithm [FCH, n=47 (60.3%); placebo, n=57 (77.0%); P=0.036] received smaller quantities of ABPs than those with non-adherent treatment (P2g/l and fewer patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair. CONCLUSIONS: None of the patient stratifications provided a clear explanation for the lack of efficacy seen for FCH in the REPLACE trial versus the positive phase II outcomes. However, together, the 3 factors demonstrated trends favouring FCH. Less familiarity with the protocol and procedures and unavoidable differences in the study populations may explain the differences seen between the phase II study and REPLACE.Peer reviewe

The effect of 50% compared to 100% inspired oxygen fraction on brain oxygenation and post cardiac arrest mitochondrial function in experimental cardiac arrest

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We hypothesised that the use of 50% compared to 100% oxygen maintains cerebral oxygenation and ameliorates the disturbance of cardiac mitochondrial respiration during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). METHODS: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced electrically in anaesthetised healthy adult pigs and left untreated for seven minutes followed by randomisation to manual ventilation with 50% or 100% oxygen and mechanical chest compressions (LUCAS\uae). Defibrillation was performed at thirteen minutes and repeated if necessary every two minutes with 1mg intravenous adrenaline. Cerebral oxygenation was measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (rSO2, INVOS\u21225100C Cerebral Oximeter) and with a probe (NEUROVENT-PTO, RAUMEDIC) in the frontal brain cortex (PbO2). Heart biopsies were obtained 20min after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) with an analysis of mitochondrial respiration (OROBOROS Instruments Corp., Innsbruck, Austria), and compared to four control animals without VF and CPR. Brain rSO2 and PbO2 were log transformed and analysed with a mixed linear model and mitochondrial respiration with an analysis of variance. RESULTS: Of the twenty pigs, one had a breach of protocol and was excluded, leaving nine pigs in the 50% group and ten in the 100% group. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was achieved in six pigs in the 50% group and eight in the 100% group. The rSO2 (p=0.007) was lower with FiO2 50%, but the PbO2 was not (p=0.93). After ROSC there were significant interactions between time and FiO2 regarding both rSO2 (p=0.001) and PbO2 (p=0.004). Compared to the controls, mitochondrial respiration was decreased, with adenosine diphosphate (ADP) levels of 57 (17)pmols-1mg-1 compared to 92 (23)pmols-1mg-1 (p=0.008), but there was no difference between different oxygen fractions (p=0.79). CONCLUSIONS: The use of 50% oxygen during CPR results in lower cerebral oximetry values compared to 100% oxygen but there is no difference in brain tissue oxygen. Cardiac arrest disturbs cardiac mitochondrial respiration, but it is not alleviated with the use of 50% compared to 100% oxygen (Ethical and hospital approvals ESAVI/1077/04.10.07/2016 and HUS/215/2016, \ua77 30.3.2016, Funding Helsinki University and others)