CT ANGIOGRAPHY FOR DETECTING THE CAUSE OF INTRACRANIAL HEMORRHAGE IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Background Intracranial hemorrhage is the most serious manifestation of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is the most common clinical and anatomical form. The treatment strategy for SAH varies from conservative to emergency surgical treatment and depends on the source of the hemorrhage. Currently, the search for sources is carried out using various methods of diagnostic radiology.Objective To compare the images of intracranial arteries obtained by computed tomography (CT)  angiography with the data of cerebral angiography in the acute period of hemorrhage in the subarachnoid space.Material and Methods We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 242 patients with acute SAHs from September 2017 to September 2019, examined in the emergency room of the Research Institute – Ochapovsky Regional Hospital no. 1.Results According to CT angiography, the initially occult vascular lesion was verified in 212 patients (87%), of which in 84.0% of cases (205 patients) the cause of SAH was ruptured cerebral aneurysms. In 3 patients, ruptures of arteriovenous malformations were detected (1.2%). In 4 patients, the “cerebral aneurysms” diagnosis was excluded due to the establishment of a hypertensive nature of intracranial hemorrhage (1.7%). In 30 patients, CT angiography revealed no vascular pathology. According to the results of CT angiography only, 225 patients (93%) were microsurgically operated on, and 12 patients (5%) were operated on using intravascular access. Among 30 patients whose vascular pathology was not detected by CT angiography, 6 patients were found to have single aneurysms according to cerebral angiography: the internal carotid artery – in 3 patients, the middle cerebral artery – in 2, and the pericallous artery – in 1 patient.Conclusion CT angiography is a key tool of non-invasive diagnosis of the source of SAH in emergency  departments. The absence of vascular pathology on CT angiography in the presence of massive basal SAH, the detection of multiple and “complex” aneurysms, as well as cerebral arteriovenous malformations of the brain during CT angiography remain indications for cerebral angiography

Optimization of protective lung ventilation in thoracic surgery

Background: Today protective ventilation is the predominant ventilation methodology. It includes the use of low tidal volume, inspiratory pressure limitation, and the application of positive end-expiratory pressure. However, several retrospective studies have shown that tidal volume, inspiratory pressure, and Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) are not associated with patients’ treatment outcomes, but could be associated only when they influence driving pressure.Objective: Optimization of the strategy of protective one-lung ventilation under the control of driving pressure, to reduce early postoperative respiratory complications in patients operated for lung cancer.Material and methods: A prospective controlled study was conducted on 110 patients undergoing extended anatomical lung resections with subsequent comparison of clinical results depending on the level of driving pressure during one-lung ventilation. Postoperative pulmonary complications based on the Melbourne scale that appeared within 3 days after surgery became the endpoint.Results: A correlation was established between the level of driving pressure and the level of PaO2 in the intraoperative period – high inverse (r = – 0.901). The greatest value in the development of postoperative respiratory failure is driving pressure, exceeding 15 cm of water (Odds ratio = 18.25). In the first 3 days, postoperative pulmonary complications, determined by the Melbourne group scale, occurred in 9 (8.2%) patients in whom the driving pressure exceeded 15 cm of water, and in 3 patients (2.7%) with a driving pressure level less than 15 cm of water (p = 0.016).Conclusion: Driving pressure excess with values of more than 15 cm of water significantly increases the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. Fixed PEEP will be inappropriate both high and low, and individualized PEEP titrated by CStat may reduce driving pressure and become the next step in protective one-lung ventilation

Pathogenetic rationale for the use of cell therapy in lung injury associated with SARS-CoV-2

Acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus demonstrate weak clinical manifestation in most patients. However, pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome in some cases may cause serious problems due to the lack of effective etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy. Presumably, SARS-CoV-2 leads to the delayed type I interferon activation and loss of control over virus replication in the early stages of infection, which is why the adaptive CD8+T-cell response must be controlled to avoid the development of pulmonary pathology. These data should be taken into account when developing strategies for COVID-19 therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells therapy serves as possible treatment opportunity for severe forms of the disease due to their homing, pronounced anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. It was found that in viral infections, including COVID-19, mesenchymal stem cells can synthesize antiviral defense mediators under the influence of interferon causing resistance to viruses. Thus, mesenchymal stem cells are able to provide comprehensive anti-inflammatory protection, which leads to clinical improvement in patients with COVID-19

Optimization of postoperative hypotension correction in thoracic surgery

Introduction. Arterial hypotension is the reasonable cause for intravenous injections of crystalloid solutions. However, as far as this statement is fair in the patients that underwent extensive scheduled thoracic operations at that moment is not defined.Aim. To reduce the number of complications in patients following thoracic operations by definition of optimum strategy for correction of postoperative hypotension.Methods. The retrospective analysis of 154 patients who were divided into 2 groups was conducted. In 58 patients, for correction of arterial blood pressure we used noradrenaline, in other cases (96 patients) noradrenaline in combination with infusion therapy was administered. The comparative analysis of the perioperative volemic status, levels of hemoglobin, urea, creatinine, a lactate, glucose, paO2 , paCO2 , ScvO2 , SaO2 , pvCO2 -paCO2 , duration of noradrenaline application and also a range of the postoperative complications was carried out.Results and conclusions. It is revealed that correction of hypotension with crystalloid solutions in thoracic patients results at and conclusions increased risk of pneumonia development. At the same time, infusion therapy in the early postoperative period in thoracic patients did not reduce the risk of intense kidney failure development. Severity of postoperative complications according to Clavien-Dindo classification was higher in patients who had infusion therapy. At the same time, duration of vasopressor support showed no change

Cell Therapy for Upper Respiratory Tract Fistulas

Fistulas of various etiologies are one of the severe and life-threatening diseases of the upper respiratory tract. The most common cause is bronchial stump failure after pulmonary resection, usually pneumonectomy. The incidence and mortality of this complication is 3 %-4 % and 12.5 %-71.2 %, respectively. Despite the fact that many devices and methods have been described to date, it is usually treated with surgical closure. Standard surgical approaches are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and are not reliably successful. In recent years, cell therapies aimed to stimulate tissue healing rose to prominence and can be considered a potential treatment method. We review current trends in bronchopleural fistula treatment using cell therapy and report cases of the bronchopleural fistula treatment according to the research protocol developed in our clinic. Although clinical experience is quite limited owing to a small number of patients in the most studies, the information on safety and tolerance can help plan future larger trials with innovative methods to further improve clinical results

Improvement of the Dilatational Tracheostomy Technique

Objective: To describe an improved technique for dilatational tracheostomy.   Clinical case: We report a case of severe community-acquired polysegmental viral pneumonia, grade 2 respiratory failure. After the start of antiviral therapy and staged respiratory support, the female patient was placed on mechanical ventilation 12 hours following hospital admission due to an increasing systemic inflammatory response and cytokine storm. In 20 hours, a dilatational tracheostomy using a modified technique was performed. Advantages of the modified technique are low trauma, short duration (5-10 minutes), significantly rarer wound infection (important benefit due to the COVID-19 features), significantly rarer postoperative scarring and cicatricial stenosis of the trachea. Technical improvement of dilatational tracheostomy allows for optimal management of critically ill patients (multiple organ failure, severe sepsis, considerable total body surface area burns with concomitant inhalation injury), which will significantly increase treatment efficiency, reduce the number of complications, and speed up the hospital discharge

Possible treatment approaches for distal coronary artery perforation

Coronary artery perforation is a rare (0.1–3.0%) but rather severe complication that occurs during the coronary interventions. Treating the perforation caused by the coronary conductor is extremely complicated, as it could be caused quite unexpectedly and may be accompanied by catastrophic consequences if misdirected. Choosing effective treatment techniques is not easy, as evidenced by hospital and remote clinical outcomes with high mortality rates

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the complex therapy for septic shock in a patient with severe lung damage caused by COVID-19

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been used for more than 20 years in the treatment of severe respiratory distress syndrome. However, ECMO in some categories of patients is not sufficiently covered in the literature, due to a small number of registered cases. This group includes pregnant women and women in labor. During the intensive care of such patients, the entire available range of therapeutic manipulations and measures that can favorably affect the outcome of the disease should be used. We have describe a clinical case of successful ECMO in a patient with novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and obstetric sepsis developed in the early postpartum period

Features of the course of coronavirus infection in patients after thoracic and cardiac surgery

Objective: To study the features of the coronavirus infection course in cardiosurgical and thoracic patients to determine the factors potentially affecting the possibility of lethal outcome. To identify the predictors of fatal outcome based on the analyses of the features of the coronavirus infection course in this category of patients.Material and methods: During the analyzed period 80 patients from the departments of thoracic surgery and cardiac surgery were transferred to the infectious diseases department: 20 patients from the cardiac surgery department (CSD) – group 1; 60 patients from the thoracic surgery departments (TSD) – group 2. A control group number 3 consisting of 59 non-thoracic and non-cardiosurgical patients was also formed. According to the disease outcome the patients were divided into two groups: group 1 – fatal outcome, group 2 – recovery.Results: Out of 80 patients, lethal outcome was recorded in 25 cases: 22 patients of the thoracic profile (36% of the total number of transferred from this department) and 3 patients of the cardiosurgical profile (15% of the total number of those transferred from the cardiac surgery department). 20 out of 20 cardiac patients had been operated on the day before, 49 out of 60 thoracic patients also underwent surgery. 3 people from the group of non-operated patients transferred from departments of thoracic surgery died. Moreover, after pneumonectomy, fatal outcome was recorded in 7 out of 8 cases (87.5%).Conclusion: During the analyses of indicators it was revealed that the number of fatal outcomes in patients of the thoracic profile with COVID-19 infection is higher than of the cardiosurgical profile and in the infectious diseases department. Presumably, this is due to the fact that coronavirus infection affects the lungs to a greater extent, and in patients with a thoracic profile (in particular, those who have undergone resection interventions), the volume of the lung parenchyma is initially reduced. This is confirmed particularly by the highest percentage of fatal outcomes after pneumonectomy. Cardiosurgical patients after surgical interventions do not have a reduction in the functioning lung parenchyma, which creates an additional “reserve” for recovery. Moreover, men predominate among patients of the thoracic profile, with the survival rate lower in all groups compared to women. Patients transferred from thoracic departments showed higher rates of systemic inflammation, which indicates a more severe course of the viral infection and the possible development of complications.When analyzing the predictors of lethal outcome, the following factors were identified: male gender and, in general, a more severe course of a viral infection (low saturation, a high percentage of lung lesions on CT, more pronounced changes in laboratory screening). The studied factors are associated with a large number of fatal outcomes in thoracic and cardiac surgery patients. Among the factors that do not affect the prognosis are diabetes mellitus, stroke and myocardial infarction in history.Thus, patients diagnosed with coronavirus infection that developed after thoracic surgery had the most unfavorable prognosis. The revealed patterns are of interest for optimizing the routing of this category of patients in order to prevent coronavirus infection

CHEMOKINE MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY REJECTION OF KIDNEY ALLOGRAFT

It is known at the present time that immunological biomarkers may become more sensitive, non-invasive methods of graft rejection diagnosis than those currently used. A growing amount of studies in animal models shows that chemokines, as active participants in the immune process, may be used to this purpose. Our earlier studies have shown an important prognostic significance of IL-6, IL-2, 17A and IL-1RA increase in pre-operative period as markers of acute kidney allograft rejection. When assessing changes in studied peripheral blood growth factors, we concluded that a sharp decrease in BDNF content is a diagnostically significant early sign of kidney allograft rejection. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic role of serum chemokine levels at the preoperative stage, taking into account the production of anti-HLA antibodies during the post-transplant period as a risk factor of kidney allograft rejection. A comparative analysis of chemokine serum concentrations was performed in the patients with terminal-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). In the patients from main clinical groups, the blood cytokine levels were measured 6 hours before transplantation, i.e., Eotaxin (CCL11), GRO-α (CXCL1), IL-8 (CXCL8), IP-10 (CXCL10), MCP-1 (CCL2), MIP-1α (CCL3), MIP-1β (CCL4), SDF-1α (CXCL12), RANTES (CCL5), MIG (CXCL9) by means of multiplex immunological assays, using appropriate test systems. The studies have shown significant changes in several chemokines in the CKD patients compared to age-matched controls. However, the following diagnostically significant biomarkers associated with early rejection of transplanted kidney should be considered: increased concentration of CCL2 and CCL4 chemokines, as well as an acute decrease in CCL11. Significantly decreased CXCL12 concentration in peripheral blood could be considered a marker of favorable posttransplant clinical course.  Occurence of HLA antibodies in recipients is also associated with elevated serum levels of CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL4, and CCL5