Measuring extravascular lung water: animals and humans are not the same

The evolution of extravascular lung water (EVLW) monitoring is an important step forward in the hemodynamic assessment of critically ill patients

Increased Extravascular Lung Water Reduces the Efficacy of Alveolar Recruitment Maneuver in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Introduction. In acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) the recruitment maneuver (RM) is used to reexpand atelectatic areas of the lungs aiming to improve arterial oxygenation. The goal of our paper was to evaluate the response to RM, as assessed by measurements of extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) in ARDS patients. Materials and Methods. Seventeen adult ARDS patients were enrolled into a prospective study. Patients received protective ventilation. The RM was performed by applying a continuous positive airway pressure of 40 cm H2O for 40 sec. The efficacy of the RM was assessed 5 min later. Patients were identified as responders if PaO2/FiO2 increased by >20% above the baseline. EVLWI was assessed by transpulmonary thermodilution before the RM, and patients were divided into groups of low EVLWI (<10 mL/kg) and high EVLWI (≥10 mL/kg). Results. EVLWI was increased in 12 patients. Following RM, PaO2/FiO2 increased by 33 (4–65) % in the patients with low EVLWI, whereas those in the high EVLWI group experienced a change by only −1((−13)–(+5)) % (P = 0.035). Conclusion. In ARDS, the response to a recruitment maneuver might be related to the severity of pulmonary edema. In patients with incresed EVLWI, the recruitment maneuver is less effective

Extravascular lung water assessed by transpulmonary single thermodilution and postmortem gravimetry in sheep

INTRODUCTION: Acute lung injury is associated with accumulation of extravascular lung water (EVLW). The aim of the present study was to compare two methods for quantification of EVLW: transpulmonary single thermodilution (EVLW(ST)) and postmortem gravimetric (EVLW(G)). METHODS: Eighteen instrumented and awake sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups. All groups received Ringer's lactate (5 ml/kg per hour intravenously). To induce lung injury of different severities, sheep received Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide 15 ng/kg per min intravenously for 6 hours (n = 7) or oleic acid 0.06 ml/kg intravenously over 30 min (n = 7). A third group (n = 4) was subjected to sham operation. Haemodynamic variables, including EVLW(ST), were measured using a PiCCOplus monitor (Pulsion Medical Systems, Munich, Germany), and the last measurement of EVLW(ST )was compared with EVLW(G). RESULTS: At the end of experiment, values for EVLW(ST )(mean ± standard error) were 8.9 ± 0.6, 11.8 ± 1.0 and 18.2 ± 0.9 ml/kg in the sham-operated, lipopolysaccharide and oleic acid groups, respectively (P < 0.05). The corresponding values for EVLWI(G )were 6.2 ± 0.3, 7.1 ± 0.6 and 11.8 ± 0.7 ml/kg (P < 0.05). Ranges of EVLWI(ST )and EVLWI(G )values were 7.5–21.0 and 4.9–14.5 ml/kg. Regression analysis between in vivo EVLW(ST )and postmortem EVLW(G )yielded the following relation: EVLW(ST )= 1.30 × EVLW(G )+ 2.32 (n = 18, r = 0.85, P < 0.0001). The mean bias ± 2 standard deviations between EVLW(ST )and EVLW(G )was 4.9 ± 5.1 ml/kg (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In sheep, EVLW determined using transpulmonary single thermodilution correlates closely with gravimetric measurements over a wide range of changes. However, transpulmonary single thermodilution overestimates EVLW as compared with postmortem gravimetry

Recombinant human activated protein C ameliorates oleic acid-induced lung injury in awake sheep

Introduction: Acute lung injury (ALI) may arise both after sepsis and non-septic inflammatory conditions and is often associated with the release of fatty acids, including oleic acid (OA). Infusion of OA has been used extensively to mimic ALI. Recent research has revealed that intravenously administered recombinant human activated protein C (rhAPC) is able to counteract ALI. Our aim was to find out whether rhAPC dampens OA-induced ALI in sheep. Methods: Twenty-two yearling sheep underwent instrumentation. After 2 days of recovery, animals were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) an OA+rhAPC group (n = 8) receiving OA 0.06 mL/kg infused over the course of 30 minutes in parallel with an intravenous infusion of rhAPC 24 mg/kg per hour over the course of 2 hours, (b) an OA group (n = 8) receiving OA as above, or (c) a sham-operated group (n = 6). After 2 hours, sheep were sacrificed. Hemodynamics was assessed by catheters in the pulmonary artery and the aorta, and extravascular lung water index (EVLWI) was determined with the single transpulmonary thermodilution technique. Gas exchange was evaluated at baseline and at cessation of the experiment. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance; a P value of less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: OA induced profound hypoxemia, increased right atrial and pulmonary artery pressures and EVLWI markedly, and decreased cardiac index. rhAPC counteracted the OA-induced changes in EVLWI and arterial oxygenation and reduced the OA-induced increments in right atrial and pulmonary artery pressures. Conclusions: In ovine OA-induced lung injury, rhAPC dampens the increase in pulmonary artery pressure and counteracts the development of lung edema and the derangement of arterial oxygenation

Влияние мультизональной деконтаминации верхних дыхательных путей на частоту вентилятор-ассоциированной пневмонии: многоцентровое рандомизированное пилотное исследование

АКТУАЛЬНОСТЬ: Вентилятор-ассоциированная пневмония (ВАП) остается ведущей нозокомиальной инфекцией в отделении интенсивной терапии. ВАП увеличивает продолжительность госпитализации и длительность искусственной вентиляции легких (ИВЛ), что ассоциируется с атрибутивной летальностью. ЦЕЛЬ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ: Целью многоцентрового пилотного исследования была оценка влияния мультизональной деконтаминации носо- и ротоглотки, а также подсвязочного пространства на частоту и сроки развития ВАП, колонизацию ротоглотки и трахеи, а также клинические исходы. МАТЕРИАЛЫ И МЕТОДЫ: В многоцентровое проспективное исследование включено 60 пациентов с ожидаемой потребностью в инвазивной ИВЛ более 48 ч. Все пациенты были рандомизированно распределены в группы контроля, местного антисептика (МА) и поливалентного бактериофага (БФ). Был реализован однотипный комплекс профилактических мероприятий. Вентилятор-ассоциированные инфекционные события (ВАИС), включая ВАП, регистрировались на основании клинических, лабораторных, микробиологических, и инструментальных исследований. Диагноз ВАП считался подтвержденным при оценке по шкале CPIS ≥ 6 баллов. РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ: Общая частота развития ВАИС достоверно не отличалась между группами и составила в группах контроля, МА и БФ 15 (75 %), 14 (70 %) и 17 (85 %) случаев соответственно. Частота развития ВАП была достоверно ниже в группах МА и БФ по сравнению с контролем: по три случая в группах МА и БФ (по 15 %) и 10 случаев (50 %) в группе контроля (χ2 = 8,35; p = 0,015). Снижение абсолютного и относительного риска ВАП при назначении МА и БФ составило 35 и 70 % соответственно. Общая летальность составила 30 %, не отличаясь достоверно между группами. При развитии ВАП отмечена тенденция к повышению летальности в сравнении с неосложненной ИВЛ. Выявлена тенденция к повышению частоты вентилятор-ассоциированного трахеобронхита в группе БФ и бессимптомной колонизации в группах МА и БФ (p = 0,07). Не выявлено различий по продолжительности инвазивной ИВЛ и госпитализации в отделение интенсивной терапии и стационаре. ВЫВОДЫ: Применение комбинированной мультизональной деконтаминации верхних дыхательных путей, включая подсвязочное пространство, c использованием октенидина и бактериофага позволяет снизить риск развития ВАП, но не изменяет частоту ВАИС. Деконтаминация может влиять на состояние микробиома дыхательных путей

Comparison of Goal-Directed Hemodynamic Optimization Using Pulmonary Artery Catheter and Transpulmonary Thermodilution in Combined Valve Repair: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Our aim was to compare the effects of goal-directed therapy guided either by pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) or by transpulmonary thermodilution (TTD) combined with monitoring of oxygen transport on perioperative hemodynamics and outcome after complex elective valve surgery. Measurements and Main Results. Forty patients were randomized into two equal groups: a PAC group and a TTD group. In the PAC group, therapy was guided by mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac index (CI) and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), whereas in the TTD group we additionally used global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), extravascular lung water index (EVLWI), and oxygen delivery index (DO2I). We observed a gradual increase in GEDVI, whereas EVLWI and PAOP decreased by 20–30% postoperatively (P < 0.05). The TTD group received 20% more fluid accompanied by increased stroke volume index and DO2I by 15–20% compared to the PAC group (P < 0.05). Duration of mechanical ventilation was increased by 5.2 hrs in the PAC group (P = 0.04). Conclusions. As compared to the PAC-guided algorithm, goal-directed therapy based on transpulmonary thermodilution and oxygen transport increases the volume of fluid therapy, improves hemodynamics and DO2I, and reduces the duration of respiratory support after complex valve surgery

Inhaled aerosolised recombinant human activated protein C ameliorates endotoxin-induced lung injury in anaesthetised sheep

Introduction We recently demonstrated that intravenously infused recombinant human activated protein C (APC) attenuates ovine lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury. In this study, our aim was to find out whether treatment with inhaled aerosolised APC (inhAPC) prevents formation of increased lung densities and oedema and derangement of oxygenation during exposure to LPS. Methods: Sheep were anaesthetised during placement of intravascular introducers. After one to four days of recovery from instrumentation, the animals were re-anaesthetised, endotracheally intubated and mechanically ventilated throughout a six-hour experiment where the sheep underwent quantitative lung computed tomography. Sheep were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a sham-operated group (n = 8) receiving inhaled aerosolised saline from two hours after the start of the experiment; a LPS group (n = 8) receiving an intravenous infusion of LPS 20 ng/kg per hour and, after two hours, inhaled aerosolised saline over the next four hours; a LPS+inhAPC group (n = 8) receiving an intravenous infusion of LPS 20 ng/kg per hour and, after two hours, aerosolised APC 48 µg/kg per hour inhaled throughout the experiment. Data were analysed with analysis of variance; P less than 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: An infusion of LPS was associated with a reduction of well-aerated lung volume and a rapid fall in arterial oxygenation that were both significantly antagonised by inhaled APC. Pulmonary vascular pressures and extravascular lung water index increased significantly during exposure to LPS, but inhaled APC had no effect on these changes. Conclusions: Inhalation of aerosolised APC attenuates LPSinduced lung injury in sheep by preventing a decline in the volume of aerated lung tissue and improving oxygenation

REFRACTORY GRAM-NEGATIVE SEPTIC SHOCK COMPLICATED BY EXTENDED PURPURA FULMINANS AND MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE IN A 23-YEAR-OLD PUERPERA -A CASE REPORT-

Background: Pregnancy-related infections are the third most common cause of maternal death worldwide. The aim of this report is to present a case of pregnancy-related infection, which progressed into refractory septic shock accompanied by purpura fulminans and multiple organ failure. Case: A 23-year-old woman in the postpartum period developed fulminant, refractory septic shock complicated by purpura fulminans and multiple organ failure syndrome (acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and encephalopathy). Management included antibacterial therapy, fluid and transfusion therapy, nutritional support, protective mechanical ventilation, hydrocortisone, a large dose of ascorbic acid, and thiamine. There were no neurological consequences and all organ functions returned to normal, although the predicted hospital mortality based on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was more than 90%. Conclusions: Septic shock is a significant, yet not completely understood life-threatening condition, which can be associated with purpura fulminans, multiple organ dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and massive tissue necrosis