Adhesion molecules in different treatments of acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: Tissue damage after ischemia and reperfusion involves leukocyte endothelial interactions mediated by cell adhesion molecules. This study was designed to determine the time course of soluble adhesion molecules in patients with acute myocardial infarction after attempted reperfusion by thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or streptokinase (SK), or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS: In 3 × 10 randomly selected patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing thrombolysis with tPA or SK, or treated with PTCA, plasma concentrations of soluble L-selectin, P-selectin, E-selectin, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 30 min and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours after intervention. RESULTS: After thrombolysis with tPA, soluble L-selectin concentrations were persistently depressed and soluble PECAM-1 concentrations were elevated, compared with controls, SK and PTCA. While soluble VCAM-1 concentrations did not differ within the first hours after interventions between the three groups, soluble VCAM-1 rose by 24 hours after tPA thrombolysis but did not increase after SK and PTCA treatment. Soluble ICAM-1 concentrations were consistently elevated after PTCA compared with controls and thrombolysed patients. Soluble E-selectin was depressed after tPA thrombolysis and PTCA in comparison with controls, while the SK group showed an increase throughout the observation period. Soluble P-selectin was increased after PTCA and SK lysis up to 8 hours after treatment compared with controls, but no significant differences could be found between treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Adhesion molecules mediating leukocyte endothelial interactions are altered subsequent to postischemic reperfusion and by treatment with thrombolytic agents and angioplasty. The clinical relevance of these biological changes remains to be determined

Untersuchungen zum anästhesiologischen Management sowie zu funktionellen Veränderungen verschiedener Organsysteme bei der klinischen Anwendung von Ganzkörper-Hyperthermie

Es sollte untersucht werden, ob Ganzkörper-Hyperthermie (GKH) plus Chemotherapie im Rahmen systemischer Krebs-Mehrschritt-Therapie (sKMT) eine wiederholt anwendbare und verträgliche Therapieoption für Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen, metastasierten Tumorerkrankungen darstellt. Im klinischen Zusammenhang sollten funktionelle Veränderungen verschiedener Organsysteme und toxische Reaktionen unter GKH/sKMT aufgezeigt werden sowie das anästhesiologische Management hinsichtlich der Anwendung verschiedener Monitoringverfahren beurteilt werden. Bei 26 Patienten erfolgten in Allgemeinanästhesie Messungen von Hämodynamik, Gasaustausch, O2-Transport und Metabolismus sowie klinische, laborchemische und immunologische Analysen während und nach 63 GKH/sKMT-Behandlungen. Die GKH mit einer Plateauphase von einer Stunde bei 41,8°C wurde durch Infrarotstrahlung induziert. Das anästhesiologische Monitoring der Patienten beinhaltete Pulmonalarterienkatheter, Doppelindikator-Dilutionsverfahren, invasive und nicht-invasive Blutdruckmessung sowie Dopplersonografie. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass heute eine GKH/sKMT in Allgemeinanästhesie und mit sorgfältiger Auswahl der Patienten ein verträgliches und sicheres Verfahren darstellt. Alterationen der gemessenen Parameter zeigten am Ende der Behandlung meistens eine deutliche Tendenz in Richtung der Initialwerte. Toxische Reaktionen konnten in einem akzeptablen Ausmaß gehalten und lang anhaltende Organschäden vermieden werden. Ein adäquates Monitoring beinhaltet eine invasive arterielle und zentralvenöse Druckmessung. Das hämodynamische Management sollte sich am mittleren arteriellen Blutdruck orientieren. Somit erscheint derzeit eine weitere Evaluierung dieser Therapie im Rahmen von multimodalen onkologischen Behandlungskonzepten sinnvoll.This investigation was performed to investigate the safety of whole body hyperthermia (WBH) within the context of systemic Cancer Multistep Therapy (sCMT) in patients with disseminated malignancies. Furthermore, alterations in various organ functions and toxicities during WBH/sCMT as well as an appropriate anesthesiological management should be evaluated. 63 WBH/sCMT treatments in 26 patients were carried out under general anesthesia and measurements of hemodynamics, pulmonary gas exchange and metabolism as well as clinical, laboratory and immunological investigations were performed. WBH with a plateau phase of one hour at 41.8°C was induced by infrared radiation. Anesthesiological monitoring included pulmonary artery catheter, transpulmonary double indicator dilution technique, invasive and non-invasive blood pressure measurement and Doppler ultrasonography. By careful selection of patients WBH/sCMT can be performed safely using general anesthesia. Most parameters showed a clear tendency towards the pretreatment levels at the end of therapy. Toxicities stayed in an acceptable range and persistent organ dysfunctions could be avoided. An appropriate anesthesiological monitoring includes invasive arterial and central venous pressure measurements. Hemodynamic management during WBH should be guided by the mean arterial pressure. This enables further evaluation of WBH in multimodal treatment concepts

Relationship between ambient temperature and severe acute poisoning by alcohol and drugs

PeerReviewe

Association between Weather-Related Factors and Cardiac Arrest of Presumed Cardiac Etiology: A Prospective Observational Study Based on Out-of-Hospital Care Data

<p><b>Objective</b>: The objective of this study was to determine the association between weather-related factors and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) of presumed cardiac etiology. <b>Methods</b>: This was a prospective observational study performed in a prehospital setting. Data from the Emergency Medical Service in Hamburg (Germany) and data from the local weather station were evaluated over a 5-year period. Weather data (temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed) were obtained every minute and matched with the associated rescue mission data. Lowess-Regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the above-mentioned weather-related factors and OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology. Additionally, varying measuring-ranges were defined for each weather-related factor in order to compare them with each other with regard to the probability of occurrence of OHCA. <b>Results</b>: During the observation period 1,558 OHCA with presumed cardiac etiology were registered (age: 67 ± 19 yrs; 62% male; hospital admission: 37%; survival to hospital discharge: 6.7%). Compared to moderate temperatures (5 – 25°C), probability of OHCA-occurrence increased significantly at temperatures above 25°C (p = 0.028) and below 5°C p = 0.011). Regarding air humidity, probability of OHCA-occurrence increased below a threshold-value of 75% compared to values above this cut-off (p = 0.006). Decreased probability was seen at moderate atmospheric pressure (1000 hPa – 1020 hPa), whereas increased probability was seen above 1020 hPa (p = 0.023) and below 1000 hPa (p = 0.035). Probability of OHCA-occurrence increased continuously with increasing wind speed (p < 0.001). <b>Conclusions</b>: There are associations between several weather-related factors such as temperature, humidity, air pressure, and wind speed, and occurrence of OHCA of presumed cardiac etiology. Particularly dangerous seem to be cold weather, dry air and strong wind.</p

Effect of propofol in the immature rat brain on short- and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome.

BACKGROUND: Propofol is commonly used as sedative in newborns and children. Recent experimental studies led to contradictory results, revealing neurodegenerative or neuroprotective properties of propofol on the developing brain. We investigated neurodevelopmental short- and long-term effects of neonatal propofol treatment. METHODS: 6-day-old Wistar rats (P6), randomised in two groups, received repeated intraperitoneal injections (0, 90, 180 min) of 30 mg/kg propofol or normal saline and sacrificed 6, 12 and 24 hrs following the first injection. Cortical and thalamic areas were analysed by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) for expression of apoptotic and neurotrophin-dependent signalling pathways. Long-term effects were assessed by Open-field and Novel-Object-Recognition at P30 and P120. RESULTS: Western blot analyses revealed a transient increase of activated caspase-3 in cortical, and a reduction of active mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/2, AKT) in cortical and thalamic areas. qRT-PCR analyses showed a down-regulation of neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NGF, NT-3) in cortical and thalamic regions. Minor impairment in locomotive activity was observed in propofol treated adolescent animals at P30. Memory or anxiety were not impaired at any time point. CONCLUSION: Exposing the neonatal rat brain to propofol induces acute neurotrophic imbalance and neuroapoptosis in a region- and time-specific manner and minor behavioural changes in adolescent animals

Effects of COVID-19 on a mature citizen first responder system in the German district of Gutersloh: an observational study

Jansen G, Brüntje D, Deicke M, et al. Effects of COVID-19 on a mature citizen first responder system in the German district of Gutersloh: an observational study. Minerva Anestesiologica . 2024.BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the response rate of community-first-responders (CFR) and other out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA) outcomes using the smartphone-first-responder-system (SFRS) "Mobile Retter."; METHODS: All adult non-traumatic OHCA in the district of Gutersloh between 01.01.2018-31.12.2021 were included. Periods of interest were 1) prior to the first COVID-19-lockdown; to 2) both lockdowns; and 3) the time in between, as well as after the COVID-19-lockdowns (pre-COVID-19, COVID-19-lockdown and COVID-19-pandemic respectively). The primary outcome was the CFR response rate defined as proportion of CFR alerts that were accepted by a CFR and in which at least one CFR arrived on scene of the emergency out of all CFR alerts. Secondary outcomes included the rate of CFR alerts, defined as proportion of OHCA to which CFR were summoned by the emergency medical dispatcher, as well as the rate of return-of-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) and rate of survival until hospital discharge. We also examined the incidence COVID-19-infection of CFR in context of the SFRS.; RESULTS: A total of 1064 OHCA-patients (mean age: 71.4±14.5 years; female: 33.8%) were included in the study (Pre-COVID-19: 539; COVID-19-lockdown: 109; COVID-19-pandemic: 416). The response rate was 64.0% (pre-COVID-19: 58.7%; COVID-19-lockdown: 63.5%; COVID-19-pandemic: 71.8%, P=0.002 vs. pre-COVID-19). The alert rate was 52.7% (pre-COVID-19: 56.2%; COVID-19-lockdown: 47.7%, P=0.04 vs. Pre-COVID-19; COVID-19-Pandemic: 49.5%, P=0.02 vs. pre-COVID-19). The ROSC-rate was 40.4% (pre-COVID-19: 41.0%; COVID-19-lockdown: 33.9%; COVID-19-pandemic: 41.4%) and hospital discharge rate 31.2% (Pre-COVID-19: 33.0%; COVID-19-lockdown: 36.8%; COVID-19-pandemic: 28.7%). The use of CFR was associated with favorable effects in terms of hospital admission (odds ratio [OR]: 0.654 (CI95: 0.444-0.963), P=0.03), hospital discharge (OR: 2.343 (CI95: 1.002-5.475), P=0.04). None of the CFR became infected with COVID-19.; CONCLUSIONS: "Mobile-Retter" was associated with high response rates, improved outcome in OHCA patients and no COVID-19-infections of CFR during the COVID-19-pandemic and -lockdowns