Concomitant treatment with urodilatin (ularitide) does not improve renal function in patients with acute renal failure after major abdominal surgery--a randomized controlled trial.

Acute renal failure after major abdominal surgery is a severe complication in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of urodilatin on the peak value and course of serum creatinine in patients with acute renal insufficiency after major abdominal surgery and the necessity of apparatus-based renal replacement treatment. Furthermore, the incidence and nature of adverse events under urodilatin was documented. In a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, 12 critically ill patients after major abdominal surgery with acute renal failure in an intensive care unit (ICU) received 20 ng/kg b.w./min urodilatin (ularitide, INN) or placebo in addition to the standard diuretic therapy or low-dose dopamine (2.5 micrograms/kg b.w./min) and furosemide (1000 mg/24 hr) for a minimum of 96 hours. All patients received mechanical ventilation. Both groups had similar serum creatinine values on the day before the onset of urodilatin/placebo infusion (2.80 +/- 0.24 mg/dl, 2.93 +/- 0.48 mg/dl). Peak serum creatinine was lower in the urodilatin group (4.65 +/- 0.57 mg/dl) compared to vehicle treatment (5.78 +/- 1.58 mg/dl), although the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.148). The total number of hemodialyses due to oligo-/anuria and/or hyperkalemia was the same in both groups during the study. In 4 patients of the placebo group, diuresis was reduced to anuria, whereas only 1 of the patients treated with urodilatin became anuric. No hemodynamic side effects or adverse events due to urodilatin were observed. This clinical study under double blind conditions revealed that the addition of urodilatin to the standard diuretic therapy of low-dose dopamine and furosemide failed to improve renal function in patients with established acute renal failure and that urodilatin did not eliminate the need for apparatus-based renal replacement treatment.

Cyclooxygenase inhibitors acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin do not affect capsaicin-induced neurogenic inflammation in human skin.

Neurogenic inflammation is evoked by neuropeptides released from primary afferent terminals and, presumably, by other secondarily released inflammatory mediators. This study examines whether prostaglandins might participate in the development of neurogenic inflammation in humans and whether cyclooxygenase inhibitors have any anti-inflammatory effect on this type of inflammation. In healthy volunteers, neurogenic inflammation was elicited by epicutaneously applied capsaicin (1%), after systemic pretreatment with acetylsalicylic acid, or topically applied indomethacin compared to pretreatment with saline or vehicle, respectively. The extent of neurogenic inflammation was quantified by planimetry of visible flare size and recording the increase of superficial cutaneous blood flow (SCBF) with a laser Doppler flowmeter. Capsaicin-induced flare sizes and outside SCBF (both representing neurogenically evoked inflammation) were unaffected by acetylsalicylic acid or indomethacin. Only the capsaicin-induced increase of inside SCBF was attenuated by local pretreatment with indomethacin, reflecting the participation of prostaglandins in the inflammatory response of those areas which were in direct contact with capsaicin.

Small reduction of capsaicin-induced neurogenic inflammation in human forearm skin by the glucocorticoid prednicarbate.

Capsaicin applied to human skin provokes a response known as neurogenic inflammation. Neuropeptides (substance P, CGRP), released from afferent C-fiber terminals and histamine, secondarily released from mast cells, are supposed to participate in this reaction. We investigated the contribution of arachidonic acid and metabolic products to neurogenic inflammation, using a potent topically applied glucocorticoid and the corresponding vehicle. Arachidonic acid is liberated from membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A2, an enzyme that can be blocked by glucocorticoids. In 12 healthy volunteers, neurogenic inflammation was induced by capsaicin 1% on both upper forearms after 16 h of topical pretreatment with either prednicarbate or vehicle. Neurogenic inflammation was assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry and by planimetry of flare sizes. Prednicarbate significantly reduced the laser Doppler flow values inside the flare responses, as well as the flare sizes themselves. These results show that to some extent glucocorticoids reduce capsaicin-induced neurogenic inflammation.

Suppression of neutrophil migration and chemiluminescence is due to the sulphur atom in the thiobarbiturate molecule.

In this study the hypothesis was tested that the substituent at the C 2 position of the barbiturate molecule is crucial for the obvious differences in inhibitory potencies between various barbiturates with respect to neutrophil functions in vitro. Using isolated neutrophils from healthy volunteers, the comparative effects of two pairs of sulphur or oxygen-substituted analogues on chemiluminescence, random and chemotactic migration were examined. Five other i.v. barbiturates were also tested in the chemiluminescence assay. The key observation with all the assay systems was that the oxybarbiturates proved ten to a hundredfold less suppressive than their sulphurated analogues or the other thiobarbiturates. Thus, enhanced inhibitory potency was dependent on the presence of the sulphur atom in the barbiturate molecule and could no longer be explained exclusively on the basis of divergent physicochemical features.

Alfentanil or fentanyl for anaesthetic procedures of two hours duration? A double-blind study.

Eighty women undergoing surgery of at least 2-h duration were randomly allocated to receive either alfentanil or fentanyl to supplement a diazepam nitrous oxide/oxygen anaesthetic. Anaesthesia was induced with fentanyl 0.2 mg and diazepam 10-20 mg and continued with nitrous oxide/oxygen. Analgesia was provided by injection of the narcotic using unlabelled ampoules that contained either alfentanil 0.5 mg ml-1 or fentanyl 0.05 mg ml-1. Apart from a marginally higher heart rate when alfentanil was used, there was no significant difference between groups at any time during the operation. Patients woke 2.7 +/- 3.1 min following discontinuation of nitrous oxide and were extubated after 10.3 +/- 7.6 min (alfentanil) and 17.3 +/- 19.0 min (fentanyl) (P = 0.1). However, following alfentanil significantly more patients could be extubated within 20 min to 30 min after completion of the operation (P less than 0.01). The last top-up dose of alfentanil had to be given nearer the end of the operation than the last dose of fentanyl (P less than 0.01). Patients receiving alfentanil needed significantly more (P less than 0.01) post-operative analgesia.

[Is halothane obsolete? An illustration of measurement with two standards]. / Halothan obsolet? Ein Beispiel für Messen mit zweierlei Mass.

In 1986 the discussion on the further use of halothane broke out anew, especially after the Bristol symposium and the European Congress of Anesthesiology in Vienna. Everywhere there is great uncertainty on whether or not halothane should continue to be used. A critical analysis of the literature shows that there are two standards applied to halothane. When judged by the same stringent criteria as halothane other anesthetic techniques are also dubious, e.g. neuroleptanesthesia or epidural block. Finally, experience with isoflurane, the strongest rival of halothane, is not adequate to warrant abandoning halothane, especially as long as the question of coronary steal is still open. At present there is no solid scientific basis for vanishing halothane.

[Hemodynamic side effects of high-frequency jet ventilation as a function of lung volume. Impedance spirometric studies]. / Hämodynamische Nebenwirkungen der High-Frequency Jet Ventilation (HFJV) als Funktion des Lungenvolumens. Impedanzspirometrische Untersuchungen.

In five patients with acute respiratory insufficiency the changes in tracheal pressure (P), lung volume (V) and transthoracic electric impedance TEI (Z) were measured during delayed expiration all over the inspiratory capacity (IC) from TLC to FRC. The quasi-static V/Z- and Z/P-curves were two-dimensionally displayed, and the Z/P-curve was volume-calibrated on the Y-axis (Z) using the linear V/Z-relationship. During high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV, 200/min), the Z- and P-excursions were displayed on the "frozen" Z/P-curve as flat discs. By well-aimed increase in driving pressure and I/E-ratio the unknown FRC was enhanced in 4 stages (I-IV) by 0.33 IC, 0.5 IC, 0.66 IC and 0.75 IC, to measure haemodynamic reactions 10 minutes later (Swan-Ganz catheter). The pulmonary vascular resistance remained unchanged between stage I and II. It changed moderately in stage III (+14%) and was found to be markedly increased in stage IV (+45%). The increase in PVR was well parabolically correlated (r = 0.88) to the fraction of IC by which FRC was expanded. In a previous study a very similar function could be documented by us for the end-inspiratory lung volume during conventional PEEP ventilation. Concomitant to the increase in PVR the CI fell linearilly (r = 0.95). We conclude from our results: 1. TEI may be of value in monitoring HFJV. It offers the possibility to measure the increase in lung volume ("PEEP effect") and to titrate it deliberately within the usable volume range IC. 2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Etomidate versus methohexital for intravenous anesthesia with alfentanyl and nitrous oxide-oxygen. A double-blind study of circulatory behavior and postoperative course]. / Etomidat versus Methohexital zur intravenösen Anaesthesie mit Alfentanil und Lachgas/Sauerstoff. Eine Doppelblindstudie von Kreislaufverhalten und postoperativem Verlauf.

This study compared both etomidate and methohexitone for intravenous anaesthesia with alfentanil and nitrous oxide/oxygen in 2 X 20 patients scheduled for ENT-surgery, in a double blind, random fashion. Apart from the alternative use of etomidate and methohexitone the anaesthetic procedure did not differ: After a small dose of alfentanil anaesthesia was induced by a bolus dose of the hypnotic followed by a continuous infusion of the drug. In case of inadequate analgesia alfentanil was injected. This technique provided a good quality of anaesthesia and a remarkable cardiovascular stability. Critical arterial pressures or heart rates never occurred. During the operation patients receiving etomidate exhibited a moderate rise in blood pressure and a significantly lower heart rate than patients anaesthetised with methohexitone. After some 90 min of anaesthesia patients awoke on the average 7 min after the end of the operation and could be extubated at once. During the first three postoperative hours there was no difference in recovery between groups. Whereas half an hour postoperatively the capacity of immediate memory was limited to 44 bit following etomidate and 48 bit following methohexitone, i.e. to 47 and 54% of its normal capacity, there was only a minimum but significant impairment of cerebral function after 3 h. There was no difference in the need for alfentanil. The dosage of etomidate and methohexitone was lowe than that reported in the literature. It proved to be impossible for the anaesthetist to decide which drug he was using. Hence both anaesthetic techniques compare favourably with each other.

[Effect of fentanyl, diazepam and flunitrazepam on memory function. A pharmacopsychologic study]. / Zur Wirkung von Fentanyl, Diazepam und Flunitrazepam auf die Gedächtnisfunktion. Eine pharmakopsychologische Untersuchung.

This study was designed to differentiate possible amnesic effects of diazepam, flunitrazepam and fentanyl into impairment of storage, retention or retrieval of information and to correlate them with alterations in a vigilance task. 4 groups of 7 volunteers each were studied in a double-blind, random fashion. They performed a quasi continuous word recognition task i.e. after a preload list of 150 words played on a tape they had to indicate if the following words (grouped into 10 blocks of 100 words each) were new ones or had occurred already. Interposed were measurements of reaction time to a visual stimulus, and of concentration and short-time memory. During the experiment, unknown to the test person, diazepam 10 mg/70 kg, flunitrazepam 1 mg/70 kg, fentanyl 0.15 mg/70 kg or placebo were infused over 3 min. For evaluation of the word recognition task the d' index drawn from signal detection theory was employed. The results clearly indicated that both benzodiazepines specifically impair memory function the effect of flunitrazepam being more pronounced and longer in duration. Since retrieval of information learnt before administration of either drug was completely unaffected it was concluded that both drugs specifically influence encoding and registration of information. Reaction times were not significantly altered after diazepam, whereas they were prolonged by more than 50% after flunitrazepam indicating a pronounced sedative action of this drug. However, even during this period of maximal effect of flunitrazepam, recognition of words first presented prior to injection was not impaired.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Tuberculous meningitis in intensive care]. / Zur tuberkulösen Meningitis in der Intensivtherapie.

A case of tuberculous meningitis in a 2-year-old boy is reported. The main critical care problems are irregular breathing, raised intracranial pressure and syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. Cranial CT-Scan and ventricular shunting are shown to be of high importance for this disease.

[Esophagus perforation in children]. / Osophagusperforation beim Kind.

A case of oesophageal perforation after extraction of a foreign body from the hypopharynx of a 14-month-old boy is reported. General anaesthesia is shown to be of high importance for the extraction of foreign bodies in infants.