Trimetazidine has Promising Preventive Effects on Experimental Chronic Pancreatitis Rat Model.

BACKGROUND: It was aimed to evaluate the preventive efficacy of trimetazidine in an experimental chronic pancreatitis rat model. METHODS: Chronic pancreatitis model was accomplished with caerulein and alcohol administration. In the study, 40 female Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into 5 groups containing 8 animals in each. Group 1 (chronic pancreatitis); group 2 (chronic pancreati- tis+low-dose trimetazidine group); group 3 (chronic pancreatitis+high-dose trimetazidine group); group 4 (placebo group (chronic pancreatitis + saline)); group 5 (sham group). 24 hours after the last injection, all animals were sacrificed. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-ß, malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase levels were tested in blood samples. Histopathologic exam- inations were conducted by a senior pathologist who was unaware of the group allocations. RESULTS: Results of biochemical parameters of the trimetazidine groups (groups 2 and 3) were significantly favorable compared with the chronic pancreatitis group (group 1) (P < .05). The difference between the low-dose- and the high-dose trimetazidine group (group 3) was significant in terms of blood tests (P < .05). The difference between the low-dose trimetazidine group and the chronic pancreatitis group was not significant in terms of histopathologic scores (P > .05); however, the difference was significant between the high-dose trimetazidine group and the chronic pancreatitis group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this current research is the first study that evaluates trimetazidine's efficacy in the chronic pancreatitis rat model. Trimetazidine has affirmative preventive properties in the chronic pancreatitis course.

Implementation of a structured information transfer checklist improves postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: During one hospital stay, a patient can be cared for by five different units. With patient transfer from one unit to another, it is of prime importance to convey a complete picture of the patient's situation to minimise the risk of medical errors and to provide optimal patient care. OBJECTIVE(S): This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a standardised checklist used during verbal patient handover could improve postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, pre/postinterventional clinical study. SETTING: Cardiac centre of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty-eight patients younger than 16 years undergoing heart surgery. INTERVENTIONS: A standardised checklist was developed containing all data that, according to the investigators, should be communicated during the handover of a paediatric cardiac surgery patient from the operating room to the ICU. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data transfer during the postoperative handover before and after implementation of the checklist was evaluated. Duration of handover, number of interruptions, number of irrelevant data and number of confusing pieces of information were noted. Assessment of the handover process by ICU medical and nursing staff was quantified. RESULTS: After implementation of the information transfer checklist, the overall data transfer increased from 48 to 73% (P < 0.001). The duration of data transfer decreased from a median (range) of 6 (2 to 16) to 4 min (2 to 19) (P = 0.04). The overall handover assessment by the intensive care nursing staff improved significantly after implementation of the checklist. CONCLUSION: Implementation of an information transfer checklist in postoperative paediatric cardiac surgery patients resulted in a more complete transfer of information, with a decrease in the handover duration.