Exogenous surfactant as a component of complex non-ECMO therapy of ARDS caused by influenza A virus (2009 H1N1).

During the pandemy caused by novel influenza A virus (subgroup H1N1), a significant number of patients became critically ill from respiratory failure. In the most severe cases of primary pneumonia, patients develop refractory hypoxemic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with typical computed tomographic findings of multi-lobar alveolar opacities and extremely reduced pulmonary airspace. To reduce the risk of injurious ventilation and promote survival, some authors recommend the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Unfortunately, ECMO is expensive, associated with serious complications, and available at very few centers. Other therapeutic options are clearly needed. Here we report three patients with severe influenza pneumonia who recovered following treatment with porcine surfactant (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 6). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.

Thrombolysis and cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a serious clinical condition that might be responsible in many cases for death, in other at least for development of irreversible multiple organ dysfunctions. During and after the CA a significant coagulopathy develops causing a decrease in proper tissue perfusion even if an early return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) is achieved (no-reflow phenomenon). Administration of thrombolytics can solve the problem by destructing the blood clot in both macrocirculation and microcirculation. Results of some clinical trials proving an effectiveness of thrombolysis were published in the literature. Generally, it was done by describing its positive influence on some important clinical outcome measures (24hour survival, number of hospital admissions, better neurological status etc.) without significant increase in the number of bleeding complications. However, recent pivotal evidence based medicine (EBM) trial represented by TROICA study did not confirm the expected positive results. Because of that and also for other reasons (cost, fear of adverse effects, little practice etc.) thrombolysis, although theoretically promising therapeutical intervention, is not overly recommended and used in routine clinical practice in both out-of-hospital and in-hospital settings (Fig. 2, Tab. 4, Ref. 24). Full Text in free PDF www.bmj.sk.

A response to infection in patients with severe sepsis--do we need a "stage-directed therapy concept"?

Excessive forms of the response of organism to infection play an important role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis. They may consist of either local pro-inflammatory response with a massive release of cytokines into the systemic circulation, or may be presented as an excessive systemic anti-inflammatory response. In the first case, the result is a systemic pro-inflammatory state, characterised by natural stages of the inflammatory response, in which dysfunction of macrocirculation is followed by microcirculation derangement and mitochondrial alteration at the end. These mechanisms are responsible for the development of remote organs failure. The result in the second case is a deactivation of local immunocompetent cells, which results in the risk of uncontrollable growth of microorganisms, especially in organs with an impaired antimicrobial barrier. This may explain the clinically observed recurrence of septic episodes, when a resolution of infection at one site is later replaced with an outbreak of sepsis from another site. A number of therapeutic interventions aimed on the management of causes and consequences of systemic pro-inflammatory state was clinically tested (e.g. antibiotics, goal directed hemodynamic support and inhibitors of coagulation) with surprisingly different effectiveness. The cause of this difference may lie, apart from the frequently discussed inhomogeneity of the studied patient population, also in an incorrect timing of the therapeutic interventions, which does not respect natural stages of the inflammatory response (Fig. 1, Ref. 40).

[Influencing hemostasis in substitute solution treatment]. / Ovlivnení hemostázy pri terapii náhradními roztoky.

Hemostasis is an important intricately regulated homeostatic process. During the hospitalization a critically ill patient is often subjected to various external and internal stimuli which have abilities to influence the hemostasis. Administration of substitute solutions could be related to such an adverse effect. This paper tries to describe main mechanisms leading to impair the hemostatic balance during the fluid therapy and outline possibilities of their monitoring. The work also deals with every basic arteficial substitute solutions individually in term of their influence on coagulation. The goal was as well to point out certain controversial conclusions and problems emerging from the effort of synthesis of all information acquired from clinical publications related to the main topic. Generally it is possible to conclude that all substitutes have a potential to disturb coagulation. Tromboelastography belongs between the most accurate ways to measure coagulation disturbances and has several substantial advantages compared to classic examination. Character and degree of the influence depends on quantity, velocity of administration and type of used solution.

[Intraabdominal hypertension at intensive care units]. / Intraabdominální hypertenze na jednotkách intenzivní péce.

Intraabdominal hypertension is frequently observed both in surgical and non-surgical patients hospitalised at intensive care units. This clinical syndrome of multifactorial etiology is characterised by increased intraabdominal tension with subsequent development of organ dysfunctions. It is reflected in impaired cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, splanchnic and neurological functions which improve after the abdominal decompression. Patients with intraabdominal hypertension can be relatively easily identified by measuring tension in the bladder the primary purpose of which is early detection of clinically less severe stages and also the detection of the most sever forms of abdominal compartment syndrome. The objective of subsequent surgical or conservative treatment is to prevent organ dysfunction and subsequent multi-organ failure.

[Current view on the risks of artificial pulmonary ventilation]. / Dnesný pohl'ad na riziká umelej pl'úcnej ventilácie.

There is no doubt that artificial ventilation of lungs seems to be proven as life-saving manoeuvre, whereas a growing amount of evidence is presented and published recently that artificial ventilation cause damage to patient by so far unexplained mechanism--by conversion of mechanical stress to biochemical signals inducing local and systemic inflammatory response, which is wide spreading and causing multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Higher mortality of patients with acute lung injury on MODS rather than acute respiratory failure itself can be explained just by these findings. The article is brief summary of recent opinions of mechanism of ventilator induced lung and systemic injury. There is also evidence that the process of implementation of these finding into clinical practice is exceedingly slow.

[Pathogenesis of severe sepsis--from macrocirculation to mitochondria]. / Patogeneze teké sepse--od makrocirkulace k mitochondriím.

Severe sepsis is at present serious medical and social problem. In contrast to many other diseases its incidence shows an upward tendency and so does mortality due to sepsis. From the point of view of pathogenesis the cause of this complaint is a disturbed response to infection. The basis of this disruption is either a huge local inflammation that goes hand in hand with the penetration of proinflammatory cytokines into systemic circulation or an excessive proinflammatory systemic response. In the first instance the consequence is a systemic proinflammatory response accompanied by a disruption of macrocirculation, later also of microcirculation and finally mitochondrial failure. These mechanisms are responsible for the gradual failure of distant organs. In the second instance the consequence is a deactivation of systemic and local immunocompetent cells accompanied by the risk of uncontrolled proliferation of microorganisms. Affected are organs with a disturbed antimicrobial barrier, especially the lungs du ring mechanical ventilation, the bloodstream or the urinary system during catheterization. A large group of selectively acting preparations has been clinically tested in the management of this disorder, but only very few of these preparations were efficacious. We may postulate that the great diversity of the investigated population of patients was responsible for this lack of success.

[Contribution and selected risks of blood transfusion]. / Prínos a vybraná rizika krevních prevodu.

AIM: Overview of recent knowledge about risks and benefits of blood transfusion. TYPE OF STUDY: Review article. SETTING: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital, Ostrava. METHODS: Summary of previously published data. CONCLUSION: Transfusion of blood and blood products remains controversial in clinical practice. Neither indication and timing nor benefit of this procedure is clearly determined. Previously often reported complications as blood-group incompatibility and infection are less frequent now, and new transfusion's side effects as TRIM (transfusion-related immunomodulation) and TRALI (transfusion-related lung injury) are reported with growing evidence. This risk (often underestimated in the past) is discussed in the article, and compared with blood transfusion benefits. Either restrictive or more open approach to blood transfusion are supported as well as criticised by different groups of clinicians and "good clinical practice" definition remains open for the future.

[Intraoperative correction of low cardiac output back to its physiological values improves the postoperative progress in patients undergoing extensive intraabdominal surgical procedures]. / Intraoperacní úprava nízkého srdecního výdeje do fyziologického pásma zlepsuje pooperacní vývoj u pacientu podrobujících se rozsáhlým nitrobrisním chirurgickým výkonum.

Perioperative optimalization of haemodynamics is associated with improved post-operative development, as presented in most published studies. This study has confirmed that intra-operative correction of cardiac output back to it's physiological level is associated with improved post-operative course in the group of patients undergoing major elective intraabdominal surgery. Statistically significant decreasing of post-operative complications (4.7% vs 17.7%), decreased length of stay (LOS) in the ICU by 33% and decreased LOS in the hospital by 24% was recorded. Interpretation of the study could be limited by using non-indexed cardiac output values and higher female presentation in the group of patients (although statistically not significant).

Glycoconjugates in colon mucosa during the development of human fetuses.

The changes in the composition of glycoconjugates in the colon of human embrya and fetuses were studied using the methods of lectin histochemistry. Glycosylation was estimated in various sections of the colon during the development with special attention to intracellular localization. The changes were compared with the process of glycosylation in the tumor-transformed mucosa of the colon. The application of the obtained data to medical practice is discussed.

Lectin histochemistry during sarcomatoid reversal of the tumor cell line RMT-2.

The alterations in the content of free sugar residues were studied in the samples of the experimentally induced rat breast carcinoma in the course of sarcomatoid reversal. The material of the 2nd, 4th, 13th, and 30th transplantation generations was obtained from the Research Institute of Clinical and Experimental Oncology in Brno. Glycosylation alterations were determined by immunohistochemical methods detecting the binding sites for lectins UEA1, WGA, Con A, and PNA. The results indicate that the content of most studied saccharides decreases in the course of sarcomatoid development. It is concluded that a changed phenotype could be associated with a suppression of postsynthetic glycosylation in cells.

Occurrence of some blood group antigens-like glycoconjugates in colorectal tumors.

Expression of blood antigens A1, H, and T was studied in cells of benign and malignant tumors of colon and the rectum. The aim of the experiment was to verify the hypothesis on incomplete synthesis of glycoconjugates in the course of malignancy manifested also by an enhanced expression of H antigen compared to A antigen. A total of 152 patients with blood group A1 was examined by means of lectins DBA, UEA1, and PNA. The examination was complemented by the study of other glycosylative features and CEA expression. The results obtained do not support the mentioned hypothesis but suggest that reversal to malignancy can be associated with increased glycosylation or accumulation of abnormal glycoconjugates in the cells.