Orthotic treatment of idiopathic toe walking with a lower leg orthosis with circular subtalar blocking.

BACKGROUND: There is no universally accepted treatment standard for idiopathic toe walking patients (ITW) in the current literature. None of the established methods provide homogenous satisfying results. In our department we treat ITW patients with lower leg orthoses with a circular foot unit for a total of 16 weeks. In this study we reviewed our database to evaluate the success of our treatment protocol for a 24 months follow up period. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were included in this study. Age at the beginning of treatment was 7.0 years +/- 2.9 (range 2.5-13.1). Percentage of ITW at the beginning of treatment according to the perception of the parents was 89% +/- 22.2 (range 50-100). Immediately after the treatment with our device, percentage of ITW dropped to 11% +/- 13.2 (range 0-50). After 12 months, 73% of the patients (16/22) walked completely normal or showed ITW less than 10% of the day. After 24 months, 64% of the patients kept a normal gait (14/22). CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that the treatment of idiopathic toe walking with lower leg orthoses with a circular foot unit results in satisfying long-term results in two thirds of the patients.

Degenerative isolated cartilage defects of the patellofemoral joint are associated with more severe symptoms compared to trauma-related defects: results of the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to utilize data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU) to examine the hypothesis that degenerative cartilage defects of the patellofemoral joint are associated with more severe clinical symptoms compared to trauma-related defects. METHODS: All patients with isolated focal cartilage defects of the patellofemoral joint registered in the German Cartilage Registry until May 2017 were included in the study. Patients with previous surgery of the ipsilateral knee were excluded. Baseline data including etiology (traumatic, degenerative), size, location and ICRS grade of the cartilage defects as well as the duration of symptoms were analyzed. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by means of the numeric analog scale (NAS) for pain and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). Group comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney-U test along with the Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. A bivariate correlation analysis and a multivariable linear regression analysis were performed to investigate the association between the defect characteristics and the clinical scores. RESULTS: A total of 423 patients (203 traumatic and 220 degenerative defects) were included. Isolated degenerative cartilage defects were found to have significantly more trochlear locations (28% vs. 18%; p = 0.006), significantly less ICRS grade 4 lesions (50% vs. 73%; p = 0.002) and a significantly smaller defect size [median 300 (IQR 105-400) vs. 300 (200-400) mm2] when compared to those from traumatic etiology. Traumatic defects showed significantly better KOOS-ADL [77 (60-90) vs. 69 (56-82); p = 0.005], KOOS-pain [69 (56-81) vs. 61 (47-75); p = 0.001] and NAS [2 (1-5) vs. 4 (1-6); p = 0.005] scores compared to degenerative defects. The correlation analysis revealed only weak correlations between the quantitative defect characteristics and clinical scores. CONCLUSIONS: Degenerative isolated cartilage defects in the patellofemoral joint are associated with more severe clinical symptoms in comparison to trauma-related defects. Additionally, they show a larger variance regarding their location with more trochlear defects. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Is unilateral lower leg orthosis with a circular foot unit in the treatment of idiopathic clubfeet a reasonable bracing alternative in the Ponseti method? Five-year results of a supraregional paediatric-orthopaedic centre.

BACKGROUND: In the Ponseti treatment of idiopathic clubfoot, children are generally provided with a standard foot abduction orthosis (FAO). A significant proportion of these patients experience irresolvable problems with the FAO leading to therapeutic non-compliance and eventual relapse. Accordingly, these patients were equipped with a unilateral lower leg orthosis (LLO) developed in our institution. The goal of this retrospective study was to determine compliance with and the efficacy of the LLO as an alternative treatment measure. The minimum follow-up was 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients (75 ft) were retrospectively registered and included in the study. Compliance with the bracing protocol was 91% with the LLO and 46% with the FAO. The most common problems with the FAO were sleep disturbance (50%) and cutaneous problems (45%). Nine percent of patients experienced sleep disturbance, and no cutaneous problems occurred with the LLO. Thirteen percent of patients being treated with an FAO until the age of four (23 patients; 40 ft) underwent surgery because of relapse, defined by rigid recurrence of any of the components of a clubfoot. Fourteen percent of patients being treated with an LLO (22 patients; 35 ft), mostly following initial treatment with an FAO, experienced recurrence. CONCLUSION: Changing from FAO to LLO at any point during treatment did not result in an increased rate of surgery and caused few problems.

Integrated morphologic and molecular analysis of Trichomonas vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, and human papillomavirus using cytologic smear preparations.

Pathogenic microbes may colonize the female genital tract via sexual transmission and cause health issues like inflammation or malignancy, summarized as sexually transmitted disease (STD). A major representative of such pathogens is Trichomonas vaginalis (T.v.), whose role in the etiology of cervical cancer remains elusive. Traditional morphologic screening of cervical smears is able to detect T.v., although its identification may be complicated by look-alikes such as degenerated granulocytes and basal cells. In addition, the parasite's endosymbiont Mycoplasma hominis (M.h.) cannot be detected in the Pap test. This investigation was aimed at designing a PCR-based method to detect specific pathogenic germs by using cervical cytology slides to overcome morphologic uncertainty and increase diagnostic accuracy. To test our molecular screening method on T.v., M.h., and HPV in archival smears, we elaborated a multiplex PCR approach based on microdissection. This assay was applied to a minute quantity of starting material which harbored or was suspected to harbor T.v.; the resulting isolated DNA was used for subsequent molecular analyses of T.v., M.h., and HPV. We clarified the diagnosis of genital T.v. infection in 88 and 1.8% of morphologically suspicious and T.v.-negative cases, respectively. We also revealed a tendency of M.h. co-infection in high-risk HPV cases. In conclusion, a microdissection-based approach to detect pathogenic microbes such as T.v., HPV, and M.h. is a molecular tool easy to implement and may help to better understand the interactivity of these germs with respect to pathogenesis.

A novel pretherapeutic gene expression-based risk score for treatment guidance in gastric cancer.

Background: Perioperative chemotherapy is an established treatment of advanced gastric cancer patients. Treatment selection is based on clinical staging (cT). We aimed to establish and validate a prognostic score including clinical and molecular factors, to optimize treatment decisions for these patients. Patients and methods: We analyzed 626 carcinomas of the stomach and of the gastro-esophageal junction from two academic centers including primarily resected and pre-/perioperatively treated patients. Patients were divided into a training (N = 269) and validation (N = 357) set. Expression of 11 target genes was measured by quantitative PCR in resected tumors. A risk score to predict overall survival (OS) was generated and validated. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity was assessed by analyzing 50 tumor areas from 10 patients. Results: A risk score including the expression of CCL5, CTNNB1, EXOSC3 and LZTR1 and the clinical parameters cT, tumor localization and histopathologic type suggested two groups with a significant difference in OS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.17-0.52]. The risk score was successfully validated in an independent cohort (HR 0.32; 95% CI 0.21-0.51; P < 0.001) as well as in subgroups of primarily resected (HR 0.30; 95% CI 0.17-0.54; P < 0.001) and pre-/perioperatively treated patients (HR 0.37; 95% CI 0.17-0.81; P = 0.009). A significant difference in OS of high- and low-risk patients was also found in primarily resected patients with intestinal (HR 0.45; 95% CI 0.23-0.90; P = 0.020) and nonintestinal-type carcinomas (HR 0.1; 95% CI 0.02-0.42; P < 0.001). Intra-tumor heterogeneity analysis indicated a classification reliability of 95% for a supposed analysis of three biopsies. Conclusion: The identified risk score could substantially contribute to an improved management of gastric cancer patients in the context of perioperative chemotherapy.

Linear and non-linear heart rate metrics for the assessment of anaesthetists' workload during general anaesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Excessive workload may impact the anaesthetists' ability to adequately process information during clinical practice in the operation room and may result in inaccurate situational awareness and performance. This exploratory study investigated heart rate (HR), linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV) metrics and subjective ratings scales for the assessment of workload associated with the anaesthesia stages induction, maintenance and emergence. METHODS: HR and HRV metrics were calculated based on five min segments from each of the three anaesthesia stages. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of the investigated metrics was calculated to assess their ability to discriminate between the stages of anaesthesia. Additionally, a multiparametric approach based on logistic regression models was performed to further evaluate whether linear or non-linear heart rate metrics are suitable for the assessment of workload. RESULTS: Mean HR and several linear and non-linear HRV metrics including subjective workload ratings differed significantly between stages of anaesthesia. Permutation Entropy (PeEn, AUC=0.828) and mean HR (AUC=0.826) discriminated best between the anaesthesia stages induction and maintenance. In the multiparametric approach using logistic regression models, the model based on non-linear heart rate metrics provided a higher AUC compared with the models based on linear metrics. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study based on short ECG segment analysis, PeEn and HR seem to be promising to separate workload levels between different stages of anaesthesia. The multiparametric analysis of the regression models favours non-linear heart rate metrics over linear metrics.

Accuracy of mandibular reconstruction by three-dimensional guided vascularised fibular free flap after segmental mandibulectomy.

Mandibular reconstruction with a fibular free flap has become standard in specialised centres for head and neck reconstruction, particularly for defects with more than one osteotomy that are challenging even for experienced surgeons. Virtual surgical planning is a potential tool to facilitate harvesting of the fibula and the osteostomy. The purpose of this study was to compare the two methods of mandibular reconstruction - conventionally planned (conventional group) and "virtually" planned (virtual group) - with regard to accuracy, bony consolidation, complications, and operating time. Fifty patients who required mandibular reconstruction after segmental mandibulectomy were evaluated retrospectively, 24 virtually planned and 26 conventionally planned. The overall survival of flaps was 92% (46/50). The bony consolidation rate in the virtual group was significantly better than that in the conventional group (p=0.002). The difference between the angle of the mandible before and after was highly significant with a median of 11.5° (range 2°-75°) in the conventional group and 4.5° (range 0-18°) in the virtual group (p=0.0001). Operations were mean (SD) of 34 (21.2) minutes shorter in virtually-planned cases (p=0.12). The overall morbidity did not differ significantly between the groups. The use of virtual surgical planning in mandibular reconstruction by fibular free flap is beneficial for optimising accuracy, consolidation of bony segments, and operating time, while increasing the predictability of results for the surgeon. However, additional costs have to be carefully weighed against the benefits.

Comparison of sedation and general anaesthesia for transcatheter aortic valve implantation on cerebral oxygen saturation and neurocognitive outcome†.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a treatment strategy for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Although general anaesthesia (TAVI-GA) and sedation (TAVI-S) have previously been described for TAVI, the difference in safety and efficacy of both methods has not been studied in a randomized trial. METHODS: The INSERT trial was a single centre, controlled parallel-group trial with balanced randomization. Sixty-six patients (68-94 yr) with acquired aortic stenosis undergoing transfemoral CoreValve™ were assigned to TAVI-GA or TAVI-S. Comparable operative risk was determined from risk-scores (EUROscore, STS-Score). Monitoring and anaesthetic drugs were standardized. Near-Infrared-Spectroscopy was used to monitor cerebral-oxymetry blinded. Primary outcome was the perioperative cumulative cerebral desaturation. As secondary outcomes, changes in neurocognitive function and respiratory and haemodynamic adverse events were evaluated. RESULTS: Of 66 included patients, 62 (TAVI-GA: n=31, TAVI-S: n=31) were finally analysed. Baseline characteristics were comparable. In 24 patients (39%) cerebral desaturation was observed. Cumulative cerebral desaturation was comparable (TAVI-GA:(median [IQR]) (0[0/1308] s%) vs. TAVI-S:(0[0/276] s%); P=0.505) between the groups. Neurocognitive function did not change within and between groups. Adverse events were more frequently observed in TAVI-S patients (P<0.001). Bradypnoea (n=16, 52%) and the need for airway manoeuvres (n=11, 36%) or bag-mask-ventilation (n=6, 19%) were the most common respiratory adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral desaturation occurred in both patient groups, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Based on primary outcome, both methods were shown to be comparable. Neurocognitive outcome was similar. The higher incidence of adverse events in the sedation group suggests a potential advantage of general anaesthesia. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT 01251328.

The frontal assessment battery is not useful to discriminate progressive supranuclear palsy from frontotemporal dementias.

BACKGROUND: The frontal assessment battery (FAB) has been suggested as a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) from Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy with parkinsonism (MSA-P). However, the utility of the FAB in the differential diagnosis of PSP from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) phenotypes is still under research. METHODS: We performed the FAB, in a multi-centre cohort of 70 PSP, 103 FTD (N = 84 behavioral variant FTD, N = 10 semantic dementia, N = 9 progressive non-fluent aphasia), 26 PD and 11 MSA-P patients, diagnosed according to established criteria. Patients were also rated with the mini mental state examination and motor scales. RESULTS: The FAB total score showed a poor discriminatory power between PSP and FTD as a group [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.523]. Moreover, the FAB score showed no correlation with disease duration in PSP (r = 0.05) or FTD group (r = 0.04). In contrast, we confirmed that the FAB is clinically useful to differentiate PSP from PD and MSA-P (AUC = 0.927). In fact, the sum of two FAB subscores together (verbal fluency and Luria motor series) were as good as the total score in differentiating PSP from PD and MSA-P (AUC = 0.957). CONCLUSIONS: The FAB may not be a useful tool to differentiate PSP from FTDs, and shows no correlation with disease duration in these disorders. On the other hand, the essential information to differentiate PSP from PD and MSA-P is contained in the sum of only two FAB subscores. This should be taken into consideration in both clinical practice and the planning of clinical trials.

The validity of a novel radiological method for measuring femoral stem version on anteroposterior radiographs of the hip after total hip arthroplasty.

Femoral stem version has a major influence on impingement and early post-operative stability after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The main objective of this study was to evaluate the validity of a novel radiological method for measuring stem version. Anteroposterior (AP) radiographs and three-dimensional CT scans were obtained for 115 patients (female/male 63/72, mean age 62.5 years (50 to 75)) who had undergone minimally invasive, cementless THA. Stem version was calculated from the AP hip radiograph by rotation-based change in the projected prosthetic neck-shaft (NSA*) angle using the mathematical formula ST = arcos [tan (NSA*) / tan (135)]. We used two independent observers who repeated the analysis after a six-week interval. Radiological measurements were compared with 3D-CT measurements by an independent, blinded external institute. We found a mean difference of 1.2° (sd 6.2) between radiological and 3D-CT measurements of stem version. The correlation between the mean radiological and 3D-CT stem torsion was r = 0.88 (p < 0.001). The intra- (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.94) and inter-observer agreement (mean concordance correlation coefficient = 0.87) for the radiological measurements were excellent. We found that femoral tilt was associated with the mean radiological measurement error (r = 0.22, p = 0.02). The projected neck-shaft angle is a reliable method for measuring stem version on AP radiographs of the hip after a THA. However, a highly standardised radiological technique is required for its precise measurement.

Normal values for transbulbar sonography and magnetic resonance imaging of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in children and adolescents.

PURPOSE: To establish normal values of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in children and adolescents for transbulbar sonography and magnetic resonance imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 99 children and adolescents (age: 5.6 - 18.6 years, mean: 12 years) without neurologic or ophthalmologic disease, measurements of the ONSD with transbulbar sonography were performed. For comparison 59 children and adolescents (age: 5.1 - 17.4 years, mean 12.3 years) with a normal MR examination of the brain had measurements of the ONSD on a T2-weighted thin section sequence of the orbit. Besides establishing modality-related normal values, age dependency, accuracy and reproducibility of measurements were assessed. RESULTS: Overall the mean ONSD was 5.75 ± 0.52 mm for transbulbar sonography and 5.69 ± 0.31 mm for MRI. There was no statistical significance between the 95 % percentiles and age for both transbulbar sonography (p = 0.332) and MRI (p = 0.336). As a parameter for the reproducibility of measurements, the repeatability coefficient (RC) was between 0.34 mm and 0.46 mm. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) values revealed a high agreement between readers both for transbulbar sonography (0.868) and MRI (0.796). CONCLUSION: Normal values for ONSD in children and adolescents found in this study are significantly higher than assumed. The values found for transbulbar sonography are confirmed by comparable results for MR measurements. A precise sonographic measurement technique and the consideration of normal values found hereby are essential for correct interpretation of ONSD measurements in children and adolescents.

Preoperative Serum Bilirubin and Lactate Levels Predict Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality in Liver Surgery: A Single-Center Evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In spite of huge developments in liver surgery during the last decades, morbidity and mortality continue to pose problems in this field. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative predictors for postoperative mortality and morbidity in liver surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a single-center study, an extensive analysis of a prospective database, including clinical criteria and laboratory tests of patients undergoing liver surgery between July 2007 and July 2012 was performed. Cutoff values of selected laboratory tests were calculated. RESULTS: In all, 337 patients were included in the study. Univariate analysis showed a statistically significant association of preoperative bilirubin, lactate, hemoglobin levels, platelet count, and prothrombin time with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Multivariate analysis revealed preoperatively elevated serum bilirubin and lactate levels as independent predictors for increased postoperative morbidity and mortality after liver surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The identified laboratory values showed a statistically significant association with postoperative morbidity and mortality in liver surgery and might be helpful in preoperative patient selection.

Effects of long-term alendronate treatment on bone mineralisation, resorption parameters and biomechanics of single human vertebral trabeculae.

Due to their well-established fracture risk reduction, bisphosphonates are the most frequently used therapeutic agent to treat osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates reduce fracture risk by suppressing bone resorption, but the lower bone turnover could have a negative impact on bone quality at the tissue level. Here, we directly assess the structural and mechanical characteristics of cancellous bone from the lumbar vertebrae (L5) in non-treated osteoporotic controls (n=21), mid-term alendronate-treated osteoporotic patients (n=6), and long-term alendronate-treated osteoporotic patients (n=7). The strength and toughness of single trabeculae were evaluated, while the structure was characterised through measurements of microdamage accumulation, mineralisation distribution, and histological indices. The alendronate-treated cases had a reduced eroded surface (ES/BS, p<0.001) and a higher bone mineralisation in comparison to non-treated controls (p=0.037), which is indicative of low turnover associated with treatment. However, the amount of microdamage and the mechanical properties were similar among the control and treatment groups. As the tissue mineral density (TMD) increased significantly with alendronate treatment compared to non-treated osteoporotic controls, the reduction in resorption cavities could counterbalance the higher TMD allowing the alendronate-treated bone to maintain its mechanical properties and resist microdamage accumulation. A multivariate analysis of the possible predictors supports the theory that multiple factors (e.g., body mass index, TMD, and ES/BS) can impact the mechanical properties. Our results suggest that long-term alendronate treatment shows no adverse impact on mechanical cancellous bone characteristics.

The use of proton pump inhibitors and the spectrum and number of biliary pathogens in patients with acute cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the bacterial spectrum for acute cholangitis is essential for adequate empiric antibiotic treatment. AIM: To analyse the relation of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) with biliary pathogens in patients with acute cholangitis. METHODS: This retrospective study identified 278 patients with 318 acute cholangitis episodes using an endoscopic database. The relationship between PPI and microbiological outcomes was assessed by logistic and poisson regression analysis for binary and count data. RESULTS: In total, 882 pathogens were isolated, of which, 120 cholangitis episodes occurred with PPI; 198 cholangitis episodes without PPI. Multivariate poisson regression analysis showed that PPI use resulted in a 23% increase in the number of biliary pathogens [3.14 vs. 2.55 (Δ = 0.59), P < 0.01], whereas stent therapy, previous interventional procedures (endoscopic retrograde cholangiography/percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography), genesis, age and sex showed no significant association with the number of biliary pathogens. Significantly, more cholangitis episodes with more than one pathogen isolated occurred during PPI treatment [103/120 (86%) vs. 151/198 (76%), P = 0.04]. Analysis of intrinsic anti-microbial resistance patterns was performed: Anti-microbial combination therapies were significantly more required to cover all isolated pathogens in cholangitis episodes with PPI than in cholangitis episodes without PPI (44/120 vs. 46/198, P = 0.01). Additionally, PPI use was associated with a significantly higher incidence of oropharyngeal flora in the biliary tract (53/120 vs. 61/198, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Proton pump inhibitors seem to influence biliary pathogens by increasing the number and broadening the spectrum of biliary pathogens. However, the findings of this hypothesis-generating study need to be tested by confirmatory studies.

Radial artery applanation tonometry for continuous non-invasive arterial pressure monitoring in intensive care unit patients: comparison with invasively assessed radial arterial pressure.

BACKGROUND: Radial artery applanation tonometry technology can be used for continuous non-invasive measurement of arterial pressure (AP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate this AP monitoring technology in intensive care unit (ICU) patients in comparison with invasive AP monitoring using a radial arterial catheter. METHODS: In 24 ICU patients (German university hospital), AP values were simultaneously recorded on a beat-to-beat basis using radial artery applanation tonometry (T-Line system; Tensys Medical, San Diego, CA, USA) and a radial arterial catheter (contralateral arm). The primary endpoint of the study was to investigate the accuracy and precision of the non-invasively assessed AP measurements with the Bland-Altman method based on averaged 10 beat AP epochs (n=2993 10 beat epochs). RESULTS: For mean AP (MAP), systolic AP (SAP), and diastolic AP (DAP), we observed a bias (±standard deviation of the bias; 95% limits of agreement; percentage error) of +2 mm Hg (±6; -11 to +15 mm Hg; 15%), -3 mm Hg (±15; -33 to +27 mm Hg; 23%), and +5 mm Hg (±7; -9 to +19 mm Hg; 22%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients, MAP and DAP measurements obtained using radial artery applanation tonometry show clinically acceptable agreement with invasive AP determination with a radial arterial catheter. While the radial artery applanation tonometry technology also allows SAP measurements with high accuracy, its precision for SAP measurements needs to be further improved.

Non-invasive continuous arterial pressure measurement based on radial artery tonometry in the intensive care unit: a method comparison study using the T-Line TL-200pro device.

BACKGROUND: The T-Line TL-200pro (TL-200pro) device (Tensys Medical, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), based on radial artery tonometry, provides an arterial pressure (AP) waveform and beat-to-beat values of systolic arterial pressure (SAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP). The aim of the study was to evaluate this non-invasive technique for continuous AP monitoring in medical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS: Arterial pressure measurements obtained using the TL-200pro technology were compared using Bland-Altman analysis with values measured directly from a femoral arterial catheter in 34 ICU patients. RESULTS: Arterial pressure values were analysed and compared in 4502 averaged 10-beat epochs. A bias of +0.72 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement -9.37 to +10.82 mm Hg) was observed for MAP. For SAP and DAP, there was a mean difference of -1.39 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement -18.74 to +15.96 mm Hg) and +4.36 mm Hg (95% limits of agreement -8.66 to +17.38 mm Hg), respectively. The percentage error for MAP, SAP, and DAP was 12%, 14%, and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial pressure measurement based on radial artery tonometry using the TL-200pro technology is feasible in medical ICU patients. The TL-200pro system is capable of providing MAP values with high accuracy (low mean difference) and precision (narrow limits of agreement) compared with MAP measured invasively using a femoral arterial catheter. The TL-200pro technology is promising for the measurement of SAP and DAP but further development is necessary to improve accuracy and precision.

Replacement of aprotinin by ε-aminocaproic acid in infants undergoing cardiac surgery: consequences for blood loss and outcome.

BACKGROUND: Once aprotinin was no longer available for clinical use, ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and tranexamic acid became the only two options for antifibrinolytic therapy. We compared aprotinin and EACA with respect to their blood-sparing efficacy and other major clinical outcome criteria in infants undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data from a large consecutive cohort of infants (n=227) aged 31-365 days undergoing primary cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass encompassing the transition from aprotinin to EACA (aprotinin n=88, EACA n=139); all other aspects including the medical team and departmental protocols remained unchanged. The primary outcome was postoperative blood loss measured as chest tube output (CTO). Secondary outcome parameters were transfusion requirements, reoperation due to bleeding, renal, vascular, and neurological complications, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: CTO was significantly higher in the EACA patients {aprotinin 18 (13-27) ml kg(-1) 24 h(-1), EACA 23 (15-37) ml kg(-1) 24 h(-1) [mean (inter-quartile range)], P=0.001}, but transfusion requirements and donor exposures were not significantly different. A sensitivity analysis strengthened our finding that the increased blood loss in the EACA group was attributable to lower efficacy of EACA. There were no significant differences in the other clinical outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: CTO was lower in aprotinin-treated patients. Nonetheless, EACA remains a suitable substitute without measurable differences in other clinical outcome criteria.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in the respiratory tract of medical intensive care unit patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of critically ill patients with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) isolated from the respiratory tract, to identify risk factors for S. maltophilia-pneumonia and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and to analyze antibiotic susceptibility of S. maltophilia. This was a retrospective analysis of 64 medical ICU patients with S. maltophilia in the respiratory tract. Thirty-six patients fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of pneumonia. A significantly higher lung injury score (LIS) was observed in patients with pneumonia compared to patients with colonization (p=0.010). Independent risk factors for S. maltophilia-pneumonia were higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p=0.009) and immunosuppression (p=0.014). Patients with S. maltophilia-pneumonia had higher ICU mortality within a 28-day follow-up (p=0.040) and higher hospital mortality (p=0.018) than patients with colonization. The highest antibiotic susceptibility rates were observed to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tigecycline, and moxifloxacin. Higher SOFA score when S. maltophilia was isolated (p=0.001) and development of renal failure (p=0.021) were independent risk factors for ICU mortality. Higher SOFA score and immunosuppression are independent risk factors for S. maltophilia-pneumonia. Patients with S. maltophilia-pneumonia have a significantly higher ICU mortality within a 28-day follow-up, hospital mortality and LIS compared to patients with S. maltophilia-colonization.

Measurement of the Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Children: Comparison Between Transbulbar Sonography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of measurements of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in children by comparing transbulbar sonography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 65 children (age: 3 mo- 17y; mean age: 11.3y) underwent MR imaging of the brain including a heavily T 2-w sequence of the orbit and transbulbar sonography using a 17 MHz linear array transducer. Measurements of the ONSD were performed retrospectively by two experienced readers and all images were evaluated regarding the image quality. Bland-Altman Plots were produced to assess the accuracy of measurements. The correlation between readers and between MR imaging and transbulbar sonography was calculated by the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). RESULTS: Overall the mean values of the ONSD for MRI (5.86 ±â€Š0.66 mm) and transbulbar sonography (5.86 ±â€Š0.71 mm) were identical. There was a high correlation between readers for measurements of the ONSD both for transbulbar sonography (CCC = 0.93) as well as for MRI (CCC = 0.9). Comparing the measurement values between transbulbar sonography and MRI, the correlation of ONSD values was good to moderate with a high dependency on image quality (CCC [0.31, 0.68]). CONCLUSION: We were able to demonstrate that the ONSD values of transbulbar sonography in children correlate well with MRI if the relevant anatomic structures are depicted and the measuring points are set correctly. Based on the findings of our study, it seems necessary to define normal and cut-off values for the ONSD in children again to finally assess the clinical relevance of the ONSD as a noninvasive parameter for the evaluation of intracranial pressure.