Convulsive status epilepticus management in adults and children: Report of the Working Group of the Polish Society of Epileptology.

INTRODUCTION: The Working Group was established at the initiative of the General Board of the Polish Society of Epileptology (PSE) to develop an expert position on the treatment of convulsive status epilepticus (SE) in adults and children in Poland. Generalized convulsive SE is the most common form and also represents the greatest threat to life, highlighting the importance of the choice of appropriate therapeutic treatment. AIM OF GUIDELINE: We present the therapeutic options separately for treatment during the early preclinical (>5-30min), established (30-60min), and refractory (>60min) SE phases. This division is based on time and response to AEDs, and indicates a practical approach based on pathophysiological data. RESULTS: Benzodiazepines (BZD) are the first-line drugs. In cases of ineffective first-line treatment and persistence of the seizure, the use of second-line treatment: phenytoin, valproic acid or phenobarbital is required. SE that persists after the administration of benzodiazepines and phenytoin or another second-line AED at appropriate doses is defined as refractory and drug resistant and requires treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU). EEG monitoring is essential during therapy at this stage. Anesthesia is typically continued for an initial period of 24h followed by a slow reversal and is re-established if seizures recur. Anesthesia is usually administered either to the level of the "burst suppression pattern" or to obtain the "EEG suppression" pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Experts agree that close and early cooperation with a neurologist and anesthetist aiming to reduce the risk of pharmacoresistant cases is an extremely important factor in the treatment of patients with SE. This report has educational, practical and organizational aspects, outlining a standard plan for SE management in Poland that will improve therapeutic efficacy.

Evaluation of the relationship between baseline autonomic tone and the vagotonic effect of a bolus dose of remifentanil.

Remifentanil stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, and patients with increased parasympathetic tone may be at greater risk of bradycardia after its administration. We aimed to establish if adult patients with increased baseline parasympathetic tone were at higher risk of bradycardia and hypotension when given a bolus dose of remifentanil. Seventy adults (age 20-60 years and ASA physical status 1 or 2) were given remifentanil 1 µg.kg(-1) . A Holter ECG monitor was used to assess heart rate changes. Heart rate variability in the frequency domain during the 5 min after remifentanil administration was analysed. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that baseline heart rate was the only independent predictor of remifentanil-induced bradycardia [odds ratio (95% CI) 0.877 (0.796-0.966)]. The vagotonic action of remifentanil does not appear to be related to baseline autonomic tone in adult patients.

Subtotal Cerebral Circulatory Arrest With Preserved Breathing Activity: A Case Report.

A suspicion of brain death (BD) is the 1st step in the process of BD certification. Owing to its utmost importance, the process must yield an unequivocal answer so that the committee for the determination of BD has no doubts. We present a case of a patient with suspected BD, with a diagnosis of no intracranial flow in 4-vessel digital-subtraction angiography, who developed some reflexes just before clinical examination for BD assessment. The source of clinical findings was determined to be an extracranial blood supply, which enabled the preservation of trace lower brain stem functioning.

Ondansetron attenuates the decrease in blood pressure due to spinal anesthesia in the elderly: a double blind, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Ondansetron was effectively used to prevent spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in the general population and women anesthetised for cesarean section. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that blocking type 3 serotonin receptors with intravenous ondansetron administration reduces hypotension and bradycardia induced by spinal anesthesia in elderly patients. METHODS: Fifty-three patients participated in the study with 26 in the ondansetron group (received 8 mg intravenous ondansetron) and 27 in the placebo group (received 0.9% NaCl solution). The heart rate and arterial blood pressure were measured every 5 minutes after spinal anaesthesia, which was performed with 2.5 to 3 mL of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine solution. RESULTS: Decreases in both the heart rate and mean systolic, as well as diastolic, arterial pressure compared to the baseline values were noted in both groups. The minimum diastolic and mean blood pressure values obtained over a 20-minute observation period were significantly higher in the ondansetron group. There were no significant differences in the systolic blood pressure and heart rate values between the groups. CONCLUSION: Administration of intravenous ondansetron prior to spinal anesthesia in geriatric patients attenuates the drop in the diastolic and mean arterial pressure without substantially affecting the systolic blood pressure.

The influence of anesthesia on cardiac repolarization.

The drugs and techniques used in contemporary anaesthesia may provoke numerous side effects, including cardiac rhythm disturbances. The prolongation of the repolarization time, reflected by the QT interval in a surface electrocardiogram, is one of the mechanisms that lead to the occurrence of arrhythmias. In the paper, we present the primary mechanism that is responsible for QT interval prolongation and subsequent torsade de pointes ventricular tachycardia. The influence of anesthetics, regional anesthesia and perioperative supportive therapy on cardiac repolarization is described.

Five-year results of a randomised controlled multi-centre study comparing heavy-weight knitted versus low-weight, non-woven polypropylene implants in Lichtenstein hernioplasty.

BACKGROUND: This prospective randomised study evaluated whether non-knitted and non-woven lightweight implants can influence postoperative pain and time of return to normal activity, without increasing the recurrence rate in Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty. METHODS: Patients were operated on in four centres, randomised blindly into two groups with respect to the mesh used: Surgimesh WN (non-woven polypropylene microfibre sheet) and heavy weight polypropylene mesh. The operation was performed according to the Lichtenstein technique. Follow-up was designed for 7 days, and 3, 6, 12 and 60 months. The objectives were to assess the incidence of early and late complications, recurrence rate, and postoperative pain. RESULTS: A total of 220 patients were randomised; after monitoring visits (exclusion of one hospital), 202 qualified for the assessment. At 60 months, the recurrence rate did not differ statistically. Less pain on the 7th postoperative day, and at 3 months, was observed in the WN group. No other differences were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a lightweight non-woven polypropylene implant is a valuable alternative to the use of knitted or woven meshes in the Lichtenstein method. Postoperative pain and recurrence were reduced at short term follow-up, but no statistical difference in recurrence rate was observed at 12 and 60 month follow-up in the patient population tested.

Influence of promethazine on cardiac repolarisation: a double-blind, midazolam-controlled study.

Drugs used in anaesthesia may provoke torsadogenic changes in cardiac repolarisation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of promethazine on the parameters of ventricular repolarisation: QTc interval and transmural dispersion of repolarisation. Forty patients were randomly allocated to receive promethazine (25 mg) or midazolam (2.5 mg). Changes in the ECG and arterial blood pressure were recorded. Correction of QT interval was calculated using Bazett's formula and Fridericia's correction; transmural dispersion of repolarisation was determined as T(peak)-T(end) time. Significant prolongation of QT interval, corrected with both formulae, was detected in patients receiving promethazine, while no change in the QTc value was observed in the midazolam group. There were no significant differences in T(peak)-T(end) time either between or within the groups. In conclusion, promethazine induces significant QTc prolongation but the lack of influence on transmural dispersion of repolarisation makes the risk of its torsadogenic action very low.

The effect of intravenous lidocaine on QT changes during tracheal intubation.

Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation may provoke changes of cardiac repolarisation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of intravenous lidocaine on the ECG changes induced by laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. Forty-three female patients were randomly allocated to receive lidocaine (1.5 mg.kg(-1)) or placebo immediately after induction of anaesthesia and changes in the ECG and arterial blood pressure were recorded. Correction of QT interval was calculated using Bazett's formula (QTcb), Fridericia's correction (QTcf), and Framingham formula (QTcF). Transmural dispersion of repolarisation (TDR) was determined as Tpeak-Tend time. There were no changes in the QTc value in the lidocaine group. In the placebo group, significant increases in QTcb, QTcf and QTcF values were observed after intubation compared to either control measurements or to comparative measurements in the lidocaine group. There were no significant differences in TDR either between or within the groups. Lidocaine diminishes prolongation of QTc, induced by tracheal intubation but there is no effect of intubation on TDR.

Total spinal anaesthesia as a complication of local anaesthetic test-dose administration through an epidural catheter.

We describe a case of total spinal anaesthesia, which occurred after a 3-ml lignocaine (20 mg ml(-1)) test dose was administered through an epidural catheter in a 79-year-old patient scheduled for gastrectomy under combined general and epidural anaesthesia. The surgery was postponed, and the patient required admission to the intensive therapy unit. Spinal MRI from the total spinal cord did not reveal any pathology. During the next 24 h the patient recovered and after 11 days was successfully operated on under general anaesthesia. No late complications followed. We presume that during placement, the epidural catheter had migrated to the spinal canal as a result of technical difficulties. Although controversial, we consider that administering a standard test dose of local anaesthetic via an epidural catheter is recommended, especially in high-risk patients and when epidural space identification or catheter placement poses technical difficulties. A test dose of local anaesthetic does not fully prevent complications.

Is prolongation of the QTc interval during isoflurane anaesthesia more prominent in women pretreated with anthracyclines for breast cancer?

BACKGROUND: Inhalation anaesthetics and anthracycline chemotherapeutic drugs may both prolong the QT interval of the electrocardiogram. We investigated whether isoflurane may induce or augment QTc prolongation in patients who had previously received cancer chemotherapy including anthracycline drugs. METHODS: Forty women undergoing surgery for breast cancer were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: (A) women previously treated with anthracyclines (n=20); and (B) women not treated with antineoplastic drugs (n=20). All patients received a standardized balanced anaesthetic in which isoflurane 0.5 vol% was used. The QT and corrected QT intervals were measured before anaesthesia, after induction and tracheal intubation, after 1, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 min of anaesthesia, and during recovery. RESULTS: In both groups we observed a tendency to QTc prolongation, but statistically significant differences among baseline values and values observed during isoflurane-containing anaesthesia were seen only in group A. During anaesthesia, significant differences in QTc values between the two groups were observed. CONCLUSION: In female patients pretreated with anthracyclines for breast cancer, the tendency to QTc prolongation during isoflurane-containing general anaesthesia was more strongly expressed than in patients without previous chemotherapy.

[Ophthalmic complications in the course of opportunistic infections--part I]. / Zmiany chorobowe aparatu wzrokowego w przebiegu zakazen oportunistycznych--Czesc I.

One of the most important problem of contemporary medicine appears to be constantly increasing number of patients with opportunistic infections. The situation is mainly due to world epidemic of AIDS. The progress in transplantology, huge number of immunocompromised patients during oncological and hematological treatment as well as prolongation of life time in children with congenital immunodeficiencies are successive conditions for the development of opportunistic infection. Pathogens infecting immunocompromised individuals have very low virulence, but in these persons disease is often very severe and potentially lethal. Main agents responsible for opportunistic infections are: Toxoplasma gondii, Cytomegalovirus hominis, Herpes simplex virus, Varicella-zoster virus and fungi. In the paper we describe clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods and therapies of ocular toxoplasmosis and viral infections. Knowledge of diagnosing methods and treatment of opportunistic infections which, when untreated, may quickly lead to vision loss, is necessary in contemporary ophthalmological practice.

[Professor Henryk Brokman - scientist and paediatrician]. / Profesor Henryk Brokman - uczony i lekarz pediatra.

In the paper we have presented the history of life and scientific activity of Professor Henryk Brokman (1886-1976) one of the most prominent Polish paediatricians. H. Brokman studied in Warsaw, Berlin and Heidelberg. His scientific career was connected with Warsaw and Lodz Universities and Gdansk and Warsaw Medical Universities. Besides paediatrics, he dealt with serology, immunology, rheumatology and tuberculosis. In these fields he made many valuable discoveries, which were used in everyday clinical practice. Professor Brokman was the author of many scientific publications. He was a teacher of many Polish paediatricians.

[Pneumocystosis: progress in diagnosis and treatment]. / Pneumocystoza--postepy w diagnostyce i leczeniu.

In the paper we have presented taxonomy of Pneumocystis carinii, the way of infection transmission and risk factors for pneumocystosis. The clinical picture, contemporary treatment and prophylaxis methods, especially in HIV-positive patients have been described too. We have taken into consideration the problem of reinfection and reactivation of pneumocystosis.