Fenoldopam infusion for renal protection in high-risk cardiac surgery patients: a randomized clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the renoprotective effects of fenoldopam in patients at high risk of postoperative acute kidney injury undergoing elective cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: A double-blind randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-three patients. INTERVENTIONS: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to receive a continuous infusion of fenoldopam, 0.1 microg/kg/min (95 patients), or placebo (98 patients) for 24 hours. Patients were included if at least 1 of the following risk factors was present: preoperative serum creatinine > or =1.5 mg/dL, age >70 years, diabetes mellitus, or prior cardiac surgery. Serum creatinine and urinary output were measured at baseline (T1), 24 hours (T2), and 48 hours after surgery (T3). Acute kidney injury was defined as a postoperative serum creatinine level of > or =2 mg/dL with an increase in serum creatinine level of 0.7 mg/dL or greater from preoperative to maximum postoperative values. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Acute kidney injury developed in 12 of 95 (12.6%) patients receiving fenoldopam and in 27 of 98 (27.6%) patients receiving placebo (p = 0.02), whereas renal replacement therapy was started in 0 of 95 and 8 of 98 (8.2%) patients, respectively (p = 0.004). Serum creatinine was similar at baseline (1.8 +/- 0.4 mg/dL v 1.9 +/- 0.3 mg/dL) in the fenoldopam and placebo groups but differed significantly (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001) 24 hours (1.6 +/- 0.2 mg/dL v 2.5 +/- 0.6 mg/dL) and 48 hours (1.5 +/- 0.3 mg/dL v 2.8 +/- 0.4 mg/dL) after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: A 24-hour infusion of 0.1 mug/kg/min of fenoldopam prevented acute kidney injury in a high-risk population undergoing cardiac surgery.

Noninvasive ventilation in the treatment of acute respiratory failure induced by all-trans retinoic acid (retinoic acid syndrome) in children with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of noninvasive ventilation through a nasal mask in the treatment of acute respiratory failure induced by all-trans retinoic acid. DESIGN: Observational, nonrandomized report of two cases. SETTING: Intensive care unit in a university hospital. PATIENTS: Two pediatric patients (an 11-yr-old male and a 12-yr-old female) affected by acute promyelocytic leukemia. INTERVENTIONS: Pressure support ventilation was delivered via a nasal mask by means of a bilevel positive pressure ventilator (Respironics, Murrysville, PA). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We evaluated the effects of the bilevel positive pressure ventilator on blood gas analysis, respiratory rate, hemodynamics, patient tolerance, complications, and outcome. Patients showed an improvement of blood gas analysis and respiratory rate after 3-6 hrs of noninvasive ventilation. The nasal mask was well tolerated by the two patients. No complications were observed. Patients were discharged from the intensive care unit in stable clinical conditions after 3-4 days. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive ventilation by a nasal mask can offer effective ventilatory support and improve gas exchange in the treatment of acute respiratory failure in pediatric hematologic patients. In addition, noninvasive ventilation may decrease the risk of life-threatening complications associated with endotracheal intubation and conventional mechanical ventilation in patients with hematologic malignancies.