Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: Factors influencing early survival

In this study we aimed to define relevant prognostic predictors for the outcome of surgical treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms. The study included 406 consecutive patients treated between January 1991 and December 2003. There were 337 (83%) male and 69 (17%) female patients aged 67 +/- 7.5 years. Fourteen (3.5%) patients had aortocaval fistula whereas 4 (0.98%) had primary aortorenteric fistula caused by aneurysm rupture into the inferior vena cava or duodenum. Reconstruction included interposition of a tube graft (215-53%), aortobiiliac bypass (134-33%), and aortobifemoral bypass (58-14.3%). Findings on admission that significantly correlated with both intraoperative (13.5%) and total operative mortality (48.3%) were systolic blood pressure lt 95 mmHg, low diuresis, unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, leukocytes gt 14 x 10(9)/L, hematocrit lt 0.29%, hemoglobin lt 100 g/L, urea gt 11 mmol/L, and creatinine gt 180 mumol/L. Intraoperative determinants of increased mortality were aortic cross-clamping time gt 47 min, duration of surgery gt 200 min, intraoperative blood loss gt 3500 mL, diuresis lt 400 mL, arterial systolic pressure lt 97.5 mmHg, and the need for aortobifemoral bypass. Respiratory complications and multisystem organ failure were significantly associated with lethal outcome in the postoperative period. Surgical treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was life-saving in 51.7% of patients. Variables significantly associated with mortality were unconsciousness, low systolic blood pressure, cardiac arrest, low diuresis, high urea and creatinine levels, signs of blood loss, and the need for aortobifemoral reconstruction. Short aortic cross-clamping and the total operation time, low intraoperative blood loss, and well-controlled diuresis and arterial pressure during surgery have improved survival. Therapeutic efforts should concentrate on intraoperative factors that are possible to correct, leading to better survival of these patients

In Vitro Antimicrobial Activity and Probiotic Potential of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and <i>Lactobacillus</i> against Species of <i>Clostridium</i>

Many Clostridium species are found as commensal members of the intestinal microbiota. However, imbalances of the microbiota may lead to certain infections caused by these microorganisms, mainly Clostridium butyricum, Clostridium difficile, and Clostridium perfringens. In many cases, infection recurrence can occur after antibiotics, indicating the need for novel therapeutic options that act on the pathogens and also restore the microbiota. Herein, the in vitro antimicrobial activity and probiotic potential of clinical and reference strains of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were investigated against Clostridium species. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated by the agar spot test and inhibition of gas production. Then, the probiotic potential of selected strains was assessed by analyzing their coaggregation ability, adhesive properties to host cells and mucin, tolerance to acidic pH and bile salts, and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Lactobacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 was the most promising strain based on its inhibitory activity against Clostridium spp. Also, this strain met criteria to be considered a probiotic based on its coaggregation ability, adhesive properties, and tolerance to harsh pH and bile acid salt conditions. The results indicate that among the studied strains, L. plantarum ATCC 8014 presents probiotic potential for controlling infections induced by the studied Clostridium species and should be further evaluated in in vivo animal models