Effects of Theophylline with Methylprednisolone Combination Therapy on Biomechanics and Histopathology in Diaphragm Muscles of Rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of theophylline and methylprednisolone on the mechanical response and histopathology of hemidiaphragm muscle in rats. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effects of theophylline and methylprednisolone, which are frequently used in clinics and which have different effects on the respiratory system and on the biomechanics and histopathology of the diaphragm muscle. The study included four groups of rats. Group T received 1 mg/kg of intraperitoneal theophylline, group M received 2 mg/kg of intraperitoneal methylprednisolone, group TM received 1 mg/kg of intraperitoneal theophylline plus 2 mg/kg of intraperitoneal methylprednisolone, and group K received of 1 mL intraperitoneal isotonic solution (of 0.9 % NaCl). The medications were continued for 7 days in each group. The rats underwent cervical dislocation under anesthesia on the eighth day, and their diaphragm samples were extracted. The left hemidiaphragm was used for the investigation of biomechanical parameters, and the right hemidiaphragm was used for the histopathological evaluation. It was observed that the medication administered in group T increased the contraction strength and duration compared with that in group M. Additionally, the duration of semi-relaxation was prolonged in group T compared with group M. The highest contraction strength and the longest contraction period among all of the groups were observed in group TM. It was concluded that the combined use of theophylline and methylprednisolone had positive effects on the contraction strength and the durations of contraction and semi-relaxation of the diaphragm muscle. In addition, both drugs had synergistic effects on each other.

Should we change the cannulation site for right subclavian artery cannulation? An experimental study with a newly designed cannula.

BACKGROUND:: In this experimental study, we primarily aimed to show the hemodynamic effects and superiority of this newly designed cannula for perfusion compared to standard subclavian cannulation. The new cannula (Figure 1) allows bidirectional axial flow and it directly fits in the brachiocephalic trunk (innominate artery). METHODS:: We used a cardiopulmonary bypass roller pump, reservoir, 3/8- 1/2- 1/4-inch Y-connectors and tubing set. Lines were set as seen in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. The anatomy of the aorta (ascending, arch, branches, descending) was mimicked, using tubing sets with different sizes and the connectors yielding similar angles and configurations. In this experimental vascular system, systemic vascular resistance was created with partial clamping of the common tubing set. The cannulation sites were created in the subclavian artery and the innominate artery. Perfusion was established with the same pump rate and the same occlusion pressures (systemic vascular resistance). The pressure readings were obtained in the right carotid artery, the left carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. RESULTS:: These experimental models of vasculature allowed us to measure pressures in the carotid system for different cannulation set-ups, using both our newly designed double-outflow cannula, which was introduced via the innominate artery, and the standard arterial cannula, which was introduced via the subclavian artery. Higher pressure recordings were obtained in the carotid system with the new cannula introduced through innominate artery. CONCLUSION:: Higher cerebral perfusion readings were obtained with our newly designed bidirectional cannula introduced via the innominate artery compared to standard cannulation through the right subclavian artery.

Serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, oxidative and antioxidative parameters in operating room personnel.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of occupational exposure to anaesthetic gases on myeloperoxidase activity, oxidative and antioxidative parameters in operating room personnel. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at Yuzuncu Yil University, Van, Turkey, in May 2011, and comprised equal number of operating room and non-operating room personnel. Serum myeloperoxidase activity, sulfhydryl group levels, lipid hydroperoxide levels and catalase activity were determined. SPSS 11 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: There were 64 subjects; 32(50%) each in the two groups. Myeloperoxidase activity and lipid hydroperoxide levels were significantly higher in operating room personnel than in the non-operating room personnel (p<0.001; p<0.001), while catalase activity and sulfhydryl group levels were significantly lower (p<0.009; p<0.003). Catalase activity negatively correlated with lipid hydroperoxide levels in operating room personnel (r=-0.293; p=0.018). Myeloperoxidase activity negatively correlated with sulfhydryl group levels in operating room personnel (r=-0.267; p=0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Operating room personnel exhibited higher oxidative stress, which may be due to the oxidative effect of anaesthetic gases.

Propofol-Based Sedation Versus General Anesthesia for Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

The main objective of this study is to evaluate general anesthesia or propofol-based sedation methods at gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedures.The anesthetic method administered to cases undergoing upper gastrointestinal ESD between 2013 and 2015 was retrospectively investigated. Procedure time, lesion size, dissection speed, anesthesia time, adverse effects such as gag reflex, nausea, vomiting, cough, number of desaturation episodes (SpO2 < 90%), oropharyngeal suctioning requirements, hemorrhage, perforation, and amount of anesthetic medications were recorded.There were 54 and 37 patients who were administered sedation (group S) and general anesthesia (group G), respectively. The demographics of the groups were similar. The calculated dissection speed was significantly high in group G (36.02 ±â€Š20.96 mm/min) compared with group S (26.04 ±â€Š17.56 mm/min; P = 0.010). The incidence of nausea, cough, number of oropharyngeal suctioning, and desaturation episodes were significantly high in group S compared with that in group G (P < 0.5). While there was no difference between the groups in terms of hemodynamic parameters, in group S the use of propofol and in group G the use of midazolam and fentanyl were significantly higher (P < 0.05). Anesthesia time, postoperative anesthesia care unit, and hospital stay durations were not significantly different between the groups.General anesthesia increased dissection speed and enhanced endoscopist performance when compared with propofol-based sedation technique.

Effects of Sugammadex and Neostigmine on Renal Biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Neostigmine, the currently commonly used agent for reversal of neuromuscular blockade. Sugammadex is a novel and unique compound designed as an antagonist of steroidal neuromuscular blockers. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sugammadex or neostigmine on kidney functions in patients scheduled for elective surgery. MATERIAL/METHODS: Patients scheduled for a surgical procedure under desflurane/opioid anesthesia received an intubating dose rocuronium. Patients were divided into 2 groups receiving either sugammadex or neostigmine atropine to reverse neuromuscular blockade. Cystatin C, creatinine, urea, blood urea nitrogen, sodium, potassium, and calcium levels in the blood and α1microglobulin, ß2microglobulin, and microalbumin levels in the urine were measured. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to the demographic data. In the Neostigmine Group, although ß2microglobulin and microalbumin were similar, a significant increase was found in the postoperative α1microglobulin and cystatin C values. In the Sugammadex Group, although ß2-microglobulin and cystatin C were similar, a significant increase was found in the postoperative α1-microglobulin and microalbumin values. The only significant difference was cystatin C value variation in the Neostigmine Group compared to the Sugammadex Group. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that the use of more specific and sensitive new-generation markers like cystatin C to evaluate kidney function will provide a better understanding and interpretation of our results. Sugammadex has more tolerable effects on kidney function in patients than does neostigmine. However, when compared to preoperative values, there is a negative alteration of postoperative values. Neostigmine and sugammadex do not cause renal failure but they may affect kidney function.

Analysis of burn cases observed after the 2011 Van earthquake.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiological features of cases that were registered for burns and treated at a hospital after the Van earthquake to compare burn cases from the previous year and to determine the factors that influenced mortality. METHODS: Patients who were admitted to the Van Region Training and Research Hospital within the 3-month period after the earthquake were categorized as group 1; patients who were admitted within the same time interval in the previous year were categorized as group 2. RESULTS: There were 121 patients in Group 1 and 89 patients in Group 2. It was determined that there were 36% more burn cases in Group 1. Flame burns were observed 4.8 times more often in Group 1 compared to Group 1 (p=0.002). Exitus was observed in 25.4% of cases in Group 1 and in 7% of cases in Group 2 (p=0.0069). CONCLUSION: It was determined that the number of burn cases registered after the earthquake, the number of flame burns, the percentage of burns and the rate of mortality were higher than the data before the earthquake.

Review of Van earthquakes form an orthopaedic perspective: a multicentre retrospective study.

PURPOSE: This is a descriptive analysis, of victims of Turkey's October 23, 2011 and November 21, 2011 Van earthquakes. The goal of this study is investigated the injury profile of the both earthquakes in relation to musculoskeletal trauma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 3,965 patients admitted to in seven hospitals. A large share of these injuries were soft tissue injuries, followed by fractures, crush injuries, crush syndromes, nerve injuries, vascular injuries, compartment syndrome and joint dislocations. A total of 73 crush injuries were diagnosed and 31 of them were developed compartment syndrome. RESULTS: The patients with closed undisplaced fractures were treated with casting braces. For closed unstable fractures with good skin and soft-tissue conditions, open reduction and internal fixation was performed. All patients with open fracture had an external fixator applied after adequate debridement. Thirty one of 40 patients with compartment syndrome were treated by fasciotomy. For twelve of them, amputation was necessary. The most common procedure performed was debridement, followed by open reduction and internal fixation and closed reduction-casting, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study may provide the basis for future development of strategy to optimise attempts at rescue and plan treatment of survivors with musculoskeletal injuries after earthquakes.

Effectivity of one session charcoal hemoperfusion treatment in severe carbamazepine poisoning.

A carbamazepine intoxication with suicide attempt is a relatively common clinical problem that presenting with coma, respiratory depression, arrhythmia, hemodynamic instability and even death. We report a case of severe carbamazepine poisoning that was successfully treated with one session charcoal hemoperfusion. On admission, the patient was comatose and required ventilator support. Hemoperfusion with coated activated charcoal successfully decreased the serum carbamazepine concentration from 45 µg mL(-1) to 21 µg mL(-1) within 2 h, with subsequent clinical improvement.

Is the coexistence of intraoral synechia and cleft palate anomaly a sequence?

Intraoral synechia is a rarely seen intraoral anomaly. As a result of intraoral synechiae, fusion of the palatal shelves may be prevented because of the abnormal interposition of the tongue. Hence, cleft palate anomaly accompanies intraoral synechiae in many patients. The main problem for these patients is the inadequate oral opening for feeding. Flexible nasopharyngeal examination before intubation may help the anesthetist for simple excision of synechiae in the newborn period. In this article, a newborn who had a congenital synechia between the mandible and the maxilla has been presented, and the etiopathogenesis of intraoral synechia and the importance of flexible nasal endoscopy before endotracheal intubation are discussed.

Clinical outcomes of suture delay in forehead flap.

The delay phenomenon is a surgical procedure performed to raise a wider skin flap and to improve the survival of skin flaps. Surgery, chemicals, sutures, and lasers can be used for the delay procedure. In this study, delayed forehead flaps created by suturing were used for coverage of nasal skin defects in eleven patients. In 7 patients, the cross-paramedian forehead flap was used to increase the extent of flap lengthening. In the first session, suture delay was performed on both sides of the forehead flap margin. In the second session, the flap was elevated and sutured to its new position, 7 to 10 days after the initial surgery. All flaps were completely viable, and patient satisfaction was optimal in all cases. The positive effect of surgical delay on flap survival has been shown in experimental and clinical studies. However, experimentally, suture delay or chemical delay procedures have been shown to be beneficial in flap survival only. Suture delay seems to be an inexpensive, effective, easily performed, atraumatic, and safe technique, especially among patients with systemic diseases such as diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, smoking patients who may lose the flap, or patients who need very wide and long flaps.

Use of rotation flap in repair of cleft palate and velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Although cleft palate anomaly is frequent, the criterion standards in surgical treatment have not been determined yet. There are a few techniques described for cleft palate repair owing to the limited tissue in the palatal mucosa, the rigid structure of the palatal mucosa, and the limited vascularity of the hard palate. In this study, a novel cleft palate repair technique based on separating the soft palate from the hard palate as a musculomucosal flap and using it as a rotation flap has been described. The operation is evaluated individually for each anomaly because variations occur in the surgical technique according to the extension of the cleft toward the teeth in the palate. This operation was performed on a total of 28 patients (17 girls and 11 boys) aged between 1.5 and 16 years and presented to our clinic. Patients were assessed for speech analysis outcomes, tympanogram values, hearing functions, magnitude of palatal lengthening during the operation, and rate of fistulae. Statistically significant differences in values of the speech analysis and the audiometric assessment were determined between before and 6 months after surgery. Complete recovery of otitis was observed 1 month after surgery without another treatment in 9 (42.8%) of 21 patients who were detected to have serous otitis media preoperatively. Tension-free closure, lower risk of fistula, good restoration of velopharyngeal functions, ability to be performed on all types of cleft palate, ability to provide a good intraoperative exposure, and being a single stage seem to be the most important advantages of this technique.

A rare case of fistula: nasocutaneous fistula.

A three-year-old male patient was brought to our clinic by his family with the complaint of a non-healing wound with discharge on his forehead and the nasal region. He had a history of a fall one-year ago. The patient had recurrent complaints of swelling and hyperemia following this trauma. He had undergone an operation with the pre-diagnosis of foreign body in soft tissue six months ago. However, no foreign body had been detected and the inflamed tissue had been excised and closed again. The swelling and purulent discharge in the region between nose and eye continued after this surgery. The patient underwent an operation and a circular defect 0.5 cm in diameter was detected on the dorsum of the nasal bone and a fistula tract was found to have developed between this defect and the skin between the nose and the eye. A subcutaneous forehead flap without skin tissue was removed including the periosteum from the left part of forehead after excision of the fistula tract. The flap was transferred to the nasal dorsum and the component of the forehead flap including the periosteum was used for reconstruction of the nasal mucosa. The wound healed without any problems and no fistula or infection developed again during the six-month follow-up.

Closure of large myelomeningocele defects using dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap.

Small meningomylocele defects can be closed primarily. Other repair techniques are required for closure of meningomyelocele defects of >5 cm. In this anomaly, in which random or musculocutaneous flaps are usually used, the technique for skin defect closure should have the following criteria: a safely harvested flap with good blood supply; minimal morbidity in the donor site; closure with adequate thickness to protect the underlying neural structure; and a repair to prevent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid. The dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap is a new perforator flap with a large skin island that can be used safely in the dorsal region. In this article, repair of large skin defects due to myelomeningocele has been attempted using a dorsal intercostal artery perforator flap, and the results are discussed.

A new technique for correction of distal penile hypospadias.

The major aims of correction of hypospadias include construction of a neourethra, removal of the chordee, and reduction of the probability of postoperative fistulization. Here, we describe a new technique that can be easily used in cases with subcoronal distal penile hypospadias (even those with chordee) for the construction of the urethra using meatus-based transverse flaps. This new technique was used in 10 patients (mean age, 4.6 years). There were no complications such as fistula formation, chordee recurrence, hematoma formation, or flap necrosis during the follow-up period (mean follow-up period, 13.4 months). We believe that this surgical technique can be used in cases with chordee, carries a low risk of fistula formation, has the advantage of the use of richly vascular flaps for construction of the urethra, and yields a better cosmetic result. Hence, it can safely be used for surgical correction of distal hypospadias.

In vitro synergistic activity of tigecycline and colistin against XDR-Acinetobacter baumannii.

The emergence of extensive drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii limits the therapeutic options and leads to high mortality in intensive care units. Combined antibiotic therapy is frequently recommended for the treatment of these infections. Colistin (CO) and tigecycline (TIG), alone or in combination with other antimicrobials, are the most commonly used antibiotics in the treatment of these resistant infections. In this study, the in vitro synergistic activity of TIG and CO were tested for 25 XDR-A. baumannii strains isolated from ventilator-associated pneumonia by the Etest method. Resistance to CO was not detected, whereas 8% of the strains were resistant to TIG. The TIG-CO combination was more synergistic than TIG-rifampin and CO-rifampin according to the fractional inhibitory concentration index. No antagonism was detected between the drugs in the study. There was no strong correlation between the activity of the combinations with reference to strains or genotypes. Our results suggest that the combined use of TIG and CO may be useful for the treatment of XDR-A. baumannii infections.

Evaluation of hearing loss after spinal anesthesia with otoacoustic emissions.

The aim of this study was to determine the degree and reversibility of hearing loss (HL) following spinal anesthesia with an objective audiometric test: otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Eleven patients (22 ears) who were undergoing surgery under spinal anesthesia were included in this study. Transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were evaluated 1 day before the operation and postoperative day 1, 2, and 15. DPOAE were recorded as DPgram and input/output functions (I/O). The emission amplitudes of the TEOAE and DPOAE of right and left ears were found to be affected immediately after the surgery and progressive improvement detected with full recovery within postoperative 15 days. These changes were mainly at around 1,500-3,000 Hz. None of the patients had permanent OAE amplitude deterioration. Transient HL may occur more often than it is generally assumed, and the symptoms might not be recognized. OAE is an effective and objective way of evaluating the HL in this particular group of patients. We suggest informing patients about this transient HL for medicolegal issues.

Serum leptin levels in marasmic children and the relationship between leptin and lipid profile.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Leptin and dyslipidemia are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We measured leptin and lipid levels, and examined whether there is an effect of leptin on lipid profile in marasmic children. METHODS: Fifty children (25 marasmic, 25 healthy) aged between 0.3 and 2.5 years were evaluated. Leptin levels were compared with lipid profile in marasmic and healthy children. The relationships between leptin and sex, body mass index and lipid profile were investigated in marasmic children. RESULTS: In the marasmic group, body mass index, leptin, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.01, respectively), and triglyceride levels higher than in the control group. In females, leptin was correlated positively with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.002), and inversely correlated with the triglyceride level (p = 0.003). In males, a positive correlation was found between leptin and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.026). In female patients, body mass index, leptin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower (p < 0.0001, for all) when compared to their female controls. In male patients, body mass index, leptin, high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower (p < 0.0001, p = 0.031, p = 0.002, p = 0.017, respectively) than those in their male controls. CONCLUSION: As a result, we found low leptin (an independent cardiovascular risk factor) levels, but dyslipidemia in our marasmic patients. Dyslipidemia may be a risk factor for cardiovascular complications in marasmic children in the future.

Visceral leishmaniasis and Coombs' positive hemolytic anemia: a rare association in an infant treated with liposomal amphotericin B.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a worldwide, disseminated intracellular protozoal infection that usually manifests by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and hypergammaglobulinemia. Although anemia is a usual finding, Coombs' positive hemolytic anemia has rarely been reported in association with this disease. Pentavalent antimonials have been the preferred treatment for this disease for decades, but increasing numbers of treatment failure with antimony are being reported. Liposomal amphotericin B is a new drug which is highly efficacious in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis and produces minimal toxicity. Here we report an infant with visceral leishmaniasis associated with Coombs' positive hemolytic anemia who was successfully treated with liposomal amphotericin B.