Influence of Unmeasured Anions Identified by Stewart Principle on the Length of Postoperative Hospital Stay / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: Calculation of the base excess (BE) and the anion gap (AG) is commonly used to identify the presence and to analyze the cause of metabolic acidosis in critically ill patients. However, the calculation of BE assumes normal water content, electrolytes, and albumin, changes in these values will change the calculated BE. Calculation of the AG does not control for changes in albumin and cannot distinguish plasma concentration changes of negatively charged protein (albumin) from that of other anions. Based on Stewart's physicochemical principles, Gilfix et al developed equations to calculate the BE caused by unmeasured anions (BEua) taking into account changes in free water, chloride, albumin, and PCO2 that theoretically should reflect metabolic changes better than the less complete biochemical measurements. This study was designed to evaluate the influence of BEua and other variables on the length of postoperative hospital stay. METHODS: The data from 100 consecutive patients were collected prospectively in patients who underwent intra-abdominal operations under general anesthesia and admitted to the adult intensive care unit. All samples were routine samples taken from arterial lines postoperatively and analyzed for arterial blood gas, plasma electrolytes, inorganic phosphates and albumin concentrations. BEua was calculated from the equations developed by Gilfix et al. We also calculated AGNa, K (Na++K+-Cl--HCO3-) and AGNa (Na+-Cl--HCO3-). Correlations between the length of postoperative hospital stay and these variables were studied using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: BEua and BE were significantly correlated with the length of ICU stay (r=0.295, p<0.01 and r=0.249, p<0.05). Neither AGNa, K nor AGNa was correlated with the length of ICU stay. Significant correlation was observed between the length of postoperative hospital stay and BEua (r=0.316, p<0.01), BE (r=0.288, p<0.01), AGNa, K (r=0.284, p<0.01), and AGNa (r=0.263, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study BEua was significantly correlated with the length of ICU stay and postoperative hospital stay compared with other variables. This finding suggests that BEua may be used as a more reliable predictor of outcome in ICU patients.

Diagnostic Significance of Fractional Excretion of Unmeasured Anion(FEua)in Metabolic Acidosis / 대한신장학회잡지

Alcohol can cause rhabdomyolysis by either direct toxicity or associated metabolic abnormality such as hypophosphatemia and hypokalemia. It can also predispose to or cause trauma, seizures, or coma- induced ischemic pressure necrosis. In order to investigate the clinical features of acute renal failure caused by alcohol induced rhabdomyolysis, we reviewed the medical records of the 12 patients. All patients had been drinking much amounts of alcohol for several years. All patients showed elevation of muscle enzyme such as creatine phosphokinase, lactic dehydrogenase, aspartate transaminase and blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Predisposing factors of rhabdomyolysis were ischemic compression due to unconsciousness and dehydration(2 cases), and hypophosphatemia and dehydration(1 case), seizure and dehydration(1 case), and only severe dehydration(3 cases). Initial symptoms were painful swelling at lesion site(5 cases), abdominal pain(2 cases), general ache(2 cases), leg pain without swelling(1 case), dyspnea(1case), and lethargy(1 case). Seven patients developed delirium tremens during recovery stage. Eight patients showed oliguric acute renal failure and 8 patients were treated with hemodialysis. Complications were disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC)(3 cases), compartment syndrome(2 cases), capillary leak syndrome and DIC(1 case). One of 12 patients died of disseminated intravascular coagulation and other patients showed complete recovery of renal function.