Predictive significance of tissue hypoperfusion markers in different shock types in low income countries.

The most common condition that brings patients to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) is hemodynamic instability, accompanied by tissue hypoperfusion. In order to make easier and quicker diagnosis of this syndrome marker tissue hypoperfusion is monitored. The aim of this study is to determine the prognostic significance of the level of lactate, lactate clearance, central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (∆pCO2) in two time periods in critically ill patients with acute circulatory failure in low income countries. This is a prospective study for a period of 8 months that included all patients with signs of cardiovascular system failure and tissue hypoperfusion. The study included 82 patients with the mean age of 64 years, of which 37% were women. The values of the lactate in surviving patients who had some form of non-septic shock at the zero hour (T0) were T0 = 6.31 ± 5.15, and at the sixth hour after reanimation the values (T6) were T6 = 3.71 ± 3.62 (p < 0.05), while the lactate levels in the group of non-survivors were T0 = 6.64 ± 7.55 and T6 = 9.41 ± 9.51; (p > 0.05). The main conclusion of this study is that the serum lactate concentration in patients who developed some form of non-septic shock has the highest predictive significance compared to the other two markers of tissue hypoperfusion (venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference and central venous oxygen saturation).

[Effects of sodium valproate in a model of penicillin epilepsy in rats]. / Efekti natrijevog valproata u modelu penicilinske epilepsije u pacova.

Effects of sodium valproate in penicillin-induced epilepsy in rats have been described. To one group of rats penicillin was given I.P. (10(6) IU/kg) and to the another one it was given I.C. (100 IU). After development of grand mal sodium valproate was given I.P. to all rats except the control group. In the group receiving I.C. penicillin it has come to cessation of individual discharges and grand mal after valproate application. In the group receiving I.P. penicillin, valproate prevented only grand mal while individual discharges remained. It is obvious that much higher doses of penicillin are necessary for the development of the epileptic model if penicillin is given I.P.

[The effect of short-chain aliphatic alcohols on electrophysiologic characteristics of muscle cells and neuromuscular transmission in the rat diaphragm]. / Uticaj kratkolancanih alifaticnih alkohola na elektrofizioloske karakteristike misicnih celija i neuromisicnu transmisiju dijafragme pacova.

Effects of short-chain aliphatic alcohols C1-C3 on the rest potential, entrance membranous resistance and spontaneous activity of the neuromuscle synapse of the muscle cells of the diaphragm of the Wistar rats have been studied. The standard electrophysiologic method of intracellular recording was used. Taking into account effects of the increased chain length on the studied parameters, the equimolar alcohol concentrations (0.2 M) were used. The studied alcohols have caused increased rest potential as well as the entrance membranous resistance of the muscle cell. They cause increased spontaneous activity of the neuromuscular synapse and later the shape of the postsynaptic signals. The effects are more manifested if the alcohol chain is longer.

[The effect of sodium benzyl-penicillin on the mean quantal levels of released acetylcholine]. / Uticaj natrijumbenzil-penicilina na srednji kvantalni iznos oslobodenog acetilholina.

Examined are effects of different doses of potassium (2.500 IU/ml) and sodium (5.000 IU/ml) (10.000 IU/ml) of benzylpenicillin on the mean quantum content (MQC) of the released acetylcholine in the phrenicus-hemidiaphragm specimens in rats. Very significant MQC decrease depending on the given antibiotic doses was found. Presented was hypothesis that the MQC decrease could result in the decreased Ca++ ion entering the terminal axoplasm under the benzylpenicillin molecule effect.

[Changes in acid mucopolysaccharide levels in the central nervous system of rats during convulsions induced by penicillin]. / Promene sadrzaja kiselih mukopolisaharida u centralnom nervnom sistemu pacova tokom konvulzije izazvane penicilinom.

Examined are changes in the acid mucopolysacharides contents (AMPS) in the brain of rat after I. P. application of 2 X 10(6) iu/kg of Na benzyl penicillin inducing epileptic-convulsive phenomenon with grand mal. Decreased AMPS were found in all examined cerebral regions except in cerebellum. Statistically highly significant decrease was found in hippocampus, hypothalamus and septum (p less than 0.001). Intensive cerebral metabolism during convulsions is considered to be a cause of decreased AMPS. Changes were marked in hippocampus due to its common vulnerability in relation to epileptic discharge.