Isoflurane exposure in infant rats acutely increases aquaporin 4 and does not cause neurocognitive impairment

Isoflurane is commonly used in pediatric population, but its mechanism of action in cognition is unclear. Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) regulates water content in blood, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid. Various studies have provided evidence for the role of AQP4 in synaptic plasticity and neurocognition. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a prolonged exposure to isoflurane in infant rats is associated with cognition and what effect this exposure has on AQP4 expression. Ten-day-old [postnatal day (P) 10] Wistar albino rats were randomly allocated to isoflurane group (n = 32; 1.5% isoflurane in 50% oxygen for 6 hours) or control group (n = 32; only 50% oxygen for 6 hours). Acute (P11) and long-term (P33) effects of 6-hour anesthetic isoflurane exposure on AQP4 expression were analyzed in whole brains of P11 and P33 rats by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Spatial learning and memory were assessed on P28 to P33 days by Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. The analysis revealed that isoflurane increased acutely both mRNA (~4.5 fold) and protein (~90%) levels of AQP4 in P11 rats compared with control group. The increasing levels of AQP4 in P11 were not observed in P33 rats. Also, no statistically significant change between isoflurane and control groups was observed in the latency to find the platform during MWM training and probe trial. Our results indicate that a single exposure to isoflurane anesthesia does not influence cognition in infant rats. In this case, acutely increased AQP4 after isoflurane anesthesia may have a protective role in neurocognition

Approach to The Occluded Permanent Hemodialysis Catheter

Objective: Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a type of surgery that hemodialysis (HD) patients frequently undergo. Presently, permanent CVCs (pCVCs) are the alternative to vascular access for patients requiring long-term catheterization. Additionally, identification of the type of catheter has a great importance for the right intervention.Our study aims: The aim was to discuss the identification procedure of an HD catheter, whether it is permanent or temporary, by presenting an HD catheter case done by CVC.Case presentation: A 75-year-old female patient having a routine of 3 days/week HD treatment was admitted to the critical care unit. A nonfunctional HD catheter was present in the left subclavian vein. A new HD catheter was placed in the right subclavian vein and continuous renal replacement therapy with heparin was initiated. Radiography revealed an opacity with a size of around 3 cm detected at the tip of the nonfunctional catheter. The catheter was removed with an incision after an unsuccessful attempt of removal by pulling it out. Further investigation of the catheter revealed that it was occluded.Conclusion:It is crucial to determine whether the catheter is temporary or permanent in order to do the right intervention and not to have unwanted consequences while removing a nonfunctional HD catheter

Management with Guidance of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Output Monitoring (PiCCO®) in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Postoperative Results

Objective:Our study aimed to assess the correlation between the measured PiCCO® parameters and extubation time and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery and were managed by monitorization of cardiac output and cardiac performance parameters with PiCCO®.Method:This study was conducted by retrospective analysis data of all 44 patients who underwent CABG surgery during December 2015-March 2016 and were managed through PiCCO® monitorization. The patients’ demographic characteristics (age, sex, weight, height, body mass index), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical conditions, comorbidities, ejection fractions, anesthetic management, operative details, hemodynamic data, PiCCO® parameters, extubation times, cardiovascular surgery ICU lengths of stay, requirements for vasoactive agent and blood transfusion, mortality, and morbidity were recorded from patient records and evaluated the correlation between the measured PiCCO® parameters and extubation time and ICU length of stay inpatients.Results:A significant increase was detected in the parameters of cardiac contractility and performance monitored with PiCCO® in the postoperative period (p<0.05). No significant correlation was found between PiCCO® parameters and extubation time and ICU length of stay (p<0.05).Conclusion:Coronary revascularization patients managed with the guidance of PiCCO® showed improved myocardial contractility and cardiac performance and no increase beyond what is anticipated in the extubation time and ICU lengths of stay of the patients. Thus, we believe that optimum volume and hemodynamic targets can be achieved in patients managed through monitorization of cardiac function parameters

Evaluation of Readmitted Patients After Intensive Care Unit Discharge (Retrospective Study)

Objective:Nearly %10 of the discharged patients are readmitted to intensive care unit (ICU) at the same hospital stay. Reduction of readmission rates could be used as a hospital performance indicator. Our aim is to analyse the reasons and results of readmissions of patients who were discharged to a general ward from ICU in a two-year period.Method:Readmissions of the patients who had been treated in our ICU between the dates of 01.01.2015-31.12.2016 were analysed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics of patients, readmission rates, initial admission indications and comorbidities, distribution of readmission indications, timing of readmission after discharge, distribution of patients in terms of mechanical ventilation need, discharge time of readmitted patients at initial admission to ICU after weaning, readmission mortality rates, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), APACHE-II and SOFA scores of patients at initial admission and readmission were analysed and compared.Results:59 patients (3.55%) are readmitted to ICU after discharge at the same hospital stay. When examining the departments where the readmitted patients came from, it is seen that 19 patients (32.2%) were readmitted to ICU from department of general surgery. 22 of readmissions (37.29%) occurred within first 48 hours after discharge. The most common reasons of readmissions are for postoperative monitoring after revisional surgery (44.07%) and acute respiratory failure (40.68%).Conclusion:The patients who are discharged from ICU are at a high risk of being readmitted to ICU (35). Readmission to ICU is associated with higher mortality risk than the initial admission. The first step of reducing the rates of readmission to ICU process is to anticipate the patients who would be readmitted to ICU priorly and improve service wards healthcare quality

Relationship of percutaneous tracheostomy timing with APACHE II and SOFA scores on the first day of ICU for critically ill patients

Objective: Our study aimed to assess the relation between APACHE II and SOFA scores of critically ill patients on their first day of admission and the timing of percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy (PDT).Methods: Following approval of the Ethics Board of Health Sciences University Istanbul Bağcılar Educational Research Hospital (25.08.2016-2016/495), data of all 91 patients who had been treated with PDT in the ICU between June 1, 2014 and June 1, 2016 have been retrospectively evaluated. We recorded the following information: demographical data (such as age, sex, body mass index) that could be obtained from patient records, APACHE II and SOFA scores on their first day in ICU, and PDT timing.Results: There was no statistically significant difference observed between the timing of the PDT and APACHE II and SOFA scores (p>0.05).Conclusion: Our results showed that most of the patients with PDT had an APACHE II score of 15-24. We noticed that the number of patients with an APACHE II score of 24 and higher was notably lower than the number of patients with scores between 15-24. The fact that the life expectancy for the patient group with a high APACHE II score is low may call the tracheostomy decision into question. On the other hand, no relation was found between differences in APACHE II and SOFA scores and the starting time of PDT

Lower brachial artery flow-mediated dilation is associated with a worse prognosis and more lung parenchymal involvement in Covid-19: Prospective observational study

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is a highly infectious pathogenic coronavirus, which has appeared toward the end of 2019. The virus seen all over the world caused a pandemic of an acute respiratory disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). It has been shown that the virus that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors is causing endothelial dysfunction resulting in vascular inflammation and coagulopathy. It is possible to assess endothelial dysfunction by the flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) technique. Our study aimed to demonstrate the effect of endothelial dysfunction assessed using the FMD on prognosis and mortality in the patients hospitalized with the diagnosis of Covid-19. In this prospective observational study, endothelial functions of 94 patients hospitalized due to the Covid-19 in the ward or intensive care unit (ICU) were evaluated by FMD. The relationship among endothelial dysfunction and prognosis of disease, biochemical parameters, lung involvement, and mortality was investigated. We found that the FMD% values of the Covid-19 ICU patients compared to those followed up in the ward (2.66 +/- 0.62 vs. 5.23 +/- 1.46/P < .001) and those who died due to Covid-19 compared to those who were discharged alive (2.57 +/- 0.22 vs. 4.66 +/- 1.7/P < .001) were significantly lower. There were moderate negative correlation between FMD% and peak values of D-dimer (r = -0.52, P < .001), troponin (r = -0.45, P < .001), ferritin (r = -0.47, P < .001), lactate dehydrogenase (r = -0.49, P < .001), and white blood cells count (r = -0.23, P = .024). Lower FMD% was associated with higher lung parenchymal involvement (P < .001). The optimum cutoff point of FMD in predicting mortality was found to be 3.135% (sensitivity: 1, selectivity: 0.70). According to our results, lower FMD% was associated with higher lung parenchyma involvement, ICU admission, and mortality rate in Covid-19 patients. The best cutoff point for predicting mortality of FMD was 3.135%. Nevertheless, largescale, multicenter studies are needed to evaluate lower FMD values as a risk factor for mortality in Covid-19

Leriche syndrome

Leriche syndrome is a disease that is characterized by a thrombotic occlusion in the aorta, frequently in the renal artery distal. The classical symptoms of this syndrome include pain in the lower extremities emerging during activity (claudication), impalpability of the femoral pulses and impotency in male patients. The definitive diagnosis of claudication, due to insufficient circulation as well as neurogenic-caused claudication, is hard. Medical history, physical examination and monitoring methods are important for definitive diagnosis. Impalpability of bilateral femoral pulses in physical examination may be a sign of leriche syndrome. With colored doppler ultrasonography, it can be demonstrated in cases having Leriche syndrome that there is no circulation in both iliac arteries. In these patients, thrombotic occlusion of the aorta shall be confirmed by computed tomography angiography. This case that we present is a case of Leriche syndrome in which the patient came to the hospital with the complaint of claudication and was diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation. Since vascular pathologies were not considered in definitive diagnosis, the treatment was delayed and it resulted in mortality; for this reason it is important. In the case of patients coming to hospital with complaints of leg pain, the vascular pathologies shall be thought of in the definitive diagnosis and the clinicians, and in that way leading to the diagnosis, shall depend on detailed patient history and comprehensive physical examination