Measuring resting energy expenditure during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: preliminary clinical experience with a proposed theoretical model.

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasingly used in patients with severe respiratory failure. Indirect calorimetry (IC) is a safe and non-invasive method for measuring resting energy expenditure (REE). No data exist on the use of IC in ECMO-treated patients as oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination are divided between mechanical ventilation and the artificial lung. We report our preliminary clinical experience with a theoretical model that derives REE from IC measurements obtained separately on the ventilator and on the artificial lung. METHODS: A patient undergoing veno-venous ECMO for acute respiratory failure due to bilateral pneumonia was studied. The calorimeter was first connected to the ventilator and oxygen consumption (VO2 ) and carbon dioxide transport (VCO2 ) were measured until steady state was reached. Subsequently, the IC was connected to the membrane oxygenator and similar gas analysis was performed. VO2 and VCO2 values at the native and artificial lung were summed and incorporated in the Weir equation to obtain a REEcomposite . RESULTS: At the ventilator level, VO2 and VCO2 were 29.5 ml/min and 16 ml/min. VO2 and VCO2 at the artificial lung level were 213 ml/min and 187 ml/min. Based on these values, a REEcomposite of 1703 kcal/day was obtained. The Faisy-Fagon and Harris-Benedict equations calculated a REE of 1373 and 1563 kcal/day. CONCLUSION: We present IC-acquired gas analysis in ECMO patients. We propose to insert individually obtained IC measurements at the native and the artificial lung in the Weir equation for retrieving a measured REEcomposite .

Extracardiac minimal invasive implantation of cardioverter defibrillator in young children.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) placement in young children remains a challenge due to device-patient size mismatch and the important choice between an endovenous or an epicardial approach for lead implantation. We treated three children, with respectively Long QT-syndrome, Brugada syndrome and Brugada syndrome with sick sinus syndrome, ranging from 9 months to 7 years with a subxyphoidal ICD and extracardiac lead implantation by minimally invasive techniques. In all cases the thresholds were excellent. The devices could be properly placed in the preperitoneal space without discomfort to the patients. The clinical course was uneventful and results were excellent.

[The effect of long-term administration of isosorbide 5-mononitrate (Mononit), nitric oxide donor, on gallbladder emptying in patients with chronic stable angina]. / Wplyw dlugotrwalego podawania 5-monoazotanu izosorbitolu (Mononitu), donatora tlenku azotu, na opróznianie pecherzyka zólciowego u osób ze stabilna choroba wiencowa.

In 13 patients (7 females and 6 males) with newly found, previously not treated, chronic stable angina the interprandial volume of the gallbladder and its emptying after treatment with isosorbide-5-mononitrate (Mononit) were examined. The volume of gallbladder was estimated with ultrasonography first after administration of 10 or 20 mg of Mononit twice a day and then in 3rd and 6th week of treatment. It was found that the intake of the single dose as well as the long treatment with Mononit had no effect on interprandial volume of gallbladder. However the intake of drug led to the significant inhibition of postprandial gallbladder's contractility both after the single dose and long term treatment with Mononit.

Swedish adjustable gastric band (SAGB) implanted laparoscopically in the treatment of morbid obesity--the first experience in Poland.

Surgical treatment of morbid obesity is a recognized method of proceedings in patients who did not obtain any positive results in conservative therapy. In October and November 1998 laparoscopic implantation of the SAGB was performed among ten morbid obesity patients with mean BMI of 41.9 +/- 3.6 kg/m2. It was the first experience in Poland. In this group we observed also non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus in five, hyperlipidemia in eight and hypertension in three patients. In this series, there was no mortality and no perioperative morbidity. The mean operation time was 158 +/- 51 min. The mean hospital stay was four days after the operation. Median BMI reduction after four months was 4.7 +/- 1.6 kg/m2. Parallel to the reduction in body weight, there occurred a significant reduction in plasma concentration of glucose (111.0 +/- 38.5 vs. 90.2 +/- 20.8 p < 0.01), total cholesterol (223.8 +/- 42.0 vs. 192.7 +/- 21.3 p < 0.005), and LDL-cholesterol (140.4 +/- 34.0 vs. 121.7 +/- 25.2 p < 0.01). Hypertension was still observed only in one patient. Nowadays laparoscopic gastric banding represents the least invasive surgical treatment of morbid obesity. In our series laparoscopic implantation of SAGB seems to be an effective surgical method for the treatment of obesity. Substantial reduction in body weight was associated with improvement in metabolic control. Absence of mortality and morbidity is one of the main aims in bariatric surgery which was achieved in our study. The results of the present, first in Poland, preliminary study confirm previous observations that gastric banding is an effective treatment of obesity.