ICU outcomes in adult cardiac surgery patients in relation to ultrafiltration type.

Ultrafiltration (UF) is used to ameliorate the deleterious effects of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in cardiac surgery patients. There are two different methods; conventional ultrafiltration (CUF), performed during CPB, and modified ultrafiltration (MUF), performed after CPB is finished. It has not been established which is better, and controversy remains regarding the optimal UF strategy. The objective of this study was to evaluate if MUF alone, or combined with CUF, could achieve greater fluid removal and contribute to better postoperative clinical outcomes. Also, the potential technique complications were studied. This was a prospective study which enrolled 125 consecutive adult patients receiving elective cardiac surgery with CPB. We analysed three treatment groups: MUF, CUF and both. Ultrafiltration was performed using a non-pulsatile CPB with a non-occlusive roller pump, Sarns 9000, and a polysulfone ultrafilter, Minntech. We studied pre- and intraoperative data and immediate postoperative clinical outcomes: total amount of drainage, transfusion needs, respiratory outcome, cardiac, renal and neurologic complications. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 11.0. All three groups were homogeneous and did not have differences in terms of demographic factors, previous history, risk scores, intervention and operative data. Volume of filtrate removal in the group which applied both techniques was larger than in the CUF or MUF groups alone (2569+/-823 vs 1679+/-651 vs 1398+/-353 ml, respectively, p=0.0001); however, despite this difference, there was no difference in the immediate postoperative fluid balances between the groups (596+/-1244 vs 880+/-1054 vs 986+/-1190 ml, p=0.30). Respiratory parameters and postoperative morbidity data analysed (total amount of drainage, transfusion needs, haemoglobin, acute lung injury, time with inotropes, ventricular failure, cardiogenic shock, neurologic complications and renal failure) were similar in all three groups, without statistical differences. Extubation time (10+/-7 vs 8.9+/-3 vs 9.4+/-7.9 hours, p=0.72) and ICU stay (56.6+/-72 vs 66.5+/-109 vs 44.2+/-25 hours, p=0.43) also were similar between the groups. We did not find any technique complication associated with any patient. In the present study, with adult patients receiving elective cardiac surgery, the combined ultrafiltration group had a larger fluid removal. However, neither type of ultrafiltration nor amount of filtered volume was accompanied by different postoperative ICU clinical outcomes. Ultrafiltration was considered a safe and reliable technique, with no related complications.

Analgesia con remifentanilo en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca / Analgesia with remifentanil after cardiac surgery

Introducción. El remifentanilo presenta unas características farmacocinéticas que le permiten variar rápidamente sus acciones farmacológicas en respuesta a los cambios de la infusión. Comparamos la eficacia y seguridad de remifentanilo frente a fentanilo, en el postoperatorio inmediato de cirugía cardíaca (CC). Método. Estudio prospectivo, observacional, en pacientes consecutivos. Se estudian 2 grupos de tratamiento: remifentanilo a 0,1-0,2 µg/kg/min y fentanilo 30 µg/h, durante 5 h. Se analizan el nivel de confort, la solicitud de analgesia por parte del paciente (SA) y tiempo hasta solicitarla (TA).Se cuantifican el dolor según escala numérica del 1-10 al despertar (E1), a los 30 min (E2), 2 (E3) y 4 h postextubación (E4), los fracasos terapéuticos, los efectos adversos atribuibles a los opiáceos y la evolución general. Resultados. Se estudió a 74 pacientes (37 del grupo remifentanilo y 37 del grupo fentanilo). El 71,2 por ciento se encontró confortable (más en el grupo fentanilo: 86 frente a 55 por ciento). El número de bolos y dosis totales de opiáceos y otros analgésicos fue similar en ambos grupos, excepto tramadol (fue mayor en el grupo de remifentanilo). El fentanilo mostró controlar mejor el dolor en la escala numérica y con mayor diferencia cuanto mayor era el tiempo desde el ingreso en la unidad: E1, 3,23 frente a 3,03 (p < NS); E2, 4,5 frente a 5 (p < 0,005); E3, 4,2 frente a 2,5 (p < 0,001); E4, 4,2 frente a 2,1 (p < 0,01), en los grupos remifentanilo frente a fentanilo, respectivamente. Dos pacientes del grupo remifentanilo presentaron efecto "naloxona-like"; en la evolución general, no presentaron diferencias significativas. No se produjeron fracasos terapéuticos. El tiempo hasta la extubación fue más corto en el grupo remifentanilo (7,6 frente a 8,9 h), pero sin diferencia significativa. El tiempo de estancia en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos fue similar. Conclusiones. La analgesia proporcionada con una infusión de "transición" de remifentanilo durante el postoperatorio inmediato de CC es factible, pero en nuestra serie, el fentanilo mostró un mejor control analgésico postoperatorio, probablemente en relación con su distinto perfil farmacocinético. Ambos fármacos mostraron un buen perfil de seguridad, sin presentar efectos adversos graves. La fugacidad de los efectos del remifentanilo obliga a realizar una mayor vigilancia, al conocimiento de la farmacodinamia y al entrenamiento en su uso (AU)

[Complications of liver transplant in intensive care. Experience in 130 cases]. / Complicaciones del trasplante hepático en Cuidados Intensivos. Experiencia en 130 casos.

Liver transplant is the first therapeutic choice in most of the advanced liver diseases. Nevertheless, its performance originates a number of complications derived from: a) conservation techniques of the organ (in our study a prolonged time of hot ischemia was significantly associated with); b) surgery (all patients who required massive blood transfusions developed metabolic alkalosis); c) the graft itself (all the F 1. degrees were significantly infected), and d) extrahepatic causes (cyclosporin was responsible for high blood pressure and nephrotoxicity which appeared as oliguria with good response to furosemide, as well as hyperglycemia). Some other relevant results in our series were: right pleural effusion and thrombopenia which appeared with a high incidence. Infections were usually originated the staphylococcus which grows in half of the cultures. We also want to highlight the short mean stay and the low mortality incidence in the ICU.

Evaluation of surgical and anesthetic strategy as a key factor in the postoperative results of liver transplant.

Since the inauguration of our liver transplant program two years ago, retrospectively we can distinguish two different periods as regards postoperative results. The patients studied were distributed in two groups by chronological order and date of introduction of an improved surgical and anesthetic strategy: retrohepatic dissection during the veno-venous bypass phase and meticulous hemostasis in the anhepatic phase: Group A: 11 transplants in 10 patients and Group B: 22 transplants in 21 patients. Preoperatively, both groups were homogeneous with respect to the clinical situation. During the operation, significantly larger transfusion volumes were given in group A (25.4 +/- 10.5 ml/kg/hr) than in group B (10.0 +/- 5.7 ml/kg/hr) (p less than 0.01). The anhepatic phase lasted 1'50" +/- 20" in group B (p less than 0.05). The postoperative outcome of group B was better than that of A as regards hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, functional impairment of the graft and mortality (p less than 0.05). We conclude that the realization of retrohepatic dissection and careful hemostasis during the anhepatic phase, which prolongs the duration of venovenous by-pass but does not increase intraoperative morbidity, reduces the need for blood transfusion, and yields better postoperative results.

[Massive hemothorax: an exceptional complication of Rendu-Osler-Weber disease]. / Hemotórax masivo: complicación excepcional de la enfermedad de Rendu-Osler-Weber.

Hereditary familial telangiectasis is a vascular dysplasia characterized by a triple syndrome: hereditary character, telangiectasias and hemorrhages. Its association with systemic and/or pulmonary arterio-venous fistulae is frequent and can condition several complications: cerebral abscess, digestive hemorrhages, epistaxis, hemoptysis, hypoxemia, polyglobulia, and rarely the appearance of hemothorax. We describe a patient who was admitted in hospital with a hypovolemic shock secondary to a massive hemothorax; during emergency surgery, which was necessary to perform, a pulmonary A-V fistula was observed in the middle lobe. The studies afterwards performed demonstrated that it was a Rendu-Osler-Weber disease with duodenal, hepatic, and cerebral involvement.

[Early and late results of orthotopic liver transplantation]. / Früh- und Spätresultate nach orthotoper Lebertransplantation.

Between 4/1986 to 1/1989, 74 orthotopic liver transplantation were performed in 62 patients (62 first liver transplants, 10 as second graft and two as a third graft); 57 in adults and 17 in children. The main indication for the operation was liver cirrhosis (61.4%) (the most frequent etiology was alcoholic cirrhosis, 28.5%). Six cirrhotic patients had a hepatocarcinoma (9.6%). Two received a liver and kidney transplant due to terminal renal insufficiency and hemodialysis. The most frequent indication in children was biliary atresia (33.3%). Six patients had a fulminal liver failure (9.6%). AB0 blood group compatibility was identical in 87.5%, compatible in six and incompatible in three patients. Total orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in 67 patients, and size-reduced liver was indicated in 7 patients. Extracorporeal veno-venous bypass was used in adults but never in children. In 93.1% of the transplants a single hepatic artery was anastomosed to the recipient and in 6.9% a double anastomosis was performed. In 62.5% of the patients a end-to-end choledocho-choledochostomy was performed and in 34.8% hepatico-jejunostomy was indicated. Three months postoperative mortality rate was 12.9%. Arterial stenosis and thrombosis were the most frequent complication.

[Pulmonary atelectasis in bent lateral decubital position (nephrectomy). Apropos of a case]. / Atelectasia pulmonar en la posición de decúbito lateral flexionado (nefrectomía). A propósito de un caso.

Here we have the case of a right nephrectomy ureterectomy for urothelial neoformations in the upper urinary apparatus, in the position of a left flexed lateral decubitus (nephrectomy) practised to a patient, in which a small right pleural aperture was unnoticed until the end of the operation when the closing was being carried out. In the immediate postoperative, the patient developed hypoxia and hypercapnia, as well as an atelectasis of the lower lobus in the left lung, that appeared in the radiological test. We comment now the causes that could have originated this picture, such as overweight, the position of the patient during the operation, its length and the pleural aperture throughout the surgical act, focusing the study in this latter point.

[Reduction of transfusion needs by the early introduction of venovenous bypass in liver transplant]. / Disminución de las necesidades transfusionales mediante la introducción precoz del by-pass venovenoso en el trasplante hepático.

A study was made of 44 patients who underwent liver transplant, distributed into three groups: Group A: patients who had ample liver dissection before entering bypass. Group B: patients who entered bypass after dissection of the hepatic hilum and prior to any other dissection; bypass time was prolonged for meticulous hemostasia. Group C: patients with perfectly defined hemodynamic problems, not secondary to bleeding, during the anhepatic phase. Preoperatively the three groups were homogeneous as regards clinical situation. During the operation a significantly larger transfusion volume (p less than 0.01) was administered in group C during phase II (70.1 +/- 27.2 ml/kg/h), phase III (32.6 +/- 9.6 ml/kg/h) and throughout surgery (32.7 +/- 10.3 ml/kg/h) than in the other two groups. Group B received a smaller transfusion volume during phase II (14.6 +/- 8.1 ml/kg/h), phase III (12.7 +/- 5.5 ml/kg/h) and throughout surgery (11.6 +/- 4.9 ml/kg/h) than the other two groups (p less than 0.01). The transfusion needs of group A were 28.4 +/- 15.6 ml/kg/h in phase II, 26.8 +/- 17.1 ml/kg/h in phase III and 21.2 +/- 11.2 ml/kg/h throughout surgery. The duration of the anhepatic phase was significantly shorter (p less than 0.01) in group A (1 h 10' +/- 10) than in (1 h 50' +/- 10) and C (1 h 40' +/- 45'). In the postoperative period a higher mortality was associated with group C (37.5%) and a lower mortality with group B (3.33%), the mortality of group A being 16.6%. The differences were statistically significant with p less than 0.01.