Pharmacokinetics of antibiotic prophylaxis in major orthopedic surgery and blood-saving techniques.

The pharmacokinetics of cefuroxime, cefotiam, cefamandole, and ampicillin/sulbactam were randomly measured in 40 patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery associated with high blood and volume turnover and intraoperative blood salvage. Serum and bone concentrations and the pharmacokinetics occurring in the context of these procedures were measured. No changes in elimination half-life relative to a normal population occurred with cefuroxime, cefotiam, and ampicillin. Serum and tissue concentrations were slightly lower with cefamandole and sulbactam, but reapplication of the initial dose was required with all antibiotics 4 hours after the first application.

Dysregulation of immune response following neurosurgical operations.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative infections are common and potentially fatal complications in neurosurgical intensive care medicine. An impairment of immune function has been described after central nervous system surgery and in patients harboring malignant brain tumors. The aim of our study was to investigate whether differences in cell-mediated immunity can be found in patients undergoing craniotomy for surgery of glioblastoma or clipping of an intracerebral aneurysm. METHODS: In order to determine the influence of the underlying disease on the immune system, we measured changes in cytokine concentrations (IL-6, IL-10, TGF-beta1) and lymphocyte-subsets (CD3+, CD3+HLA-DR+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD16+56+) in 8 patients with glioblastoma and in 8 patients with an intracerebral aneurysm before, during and after the neurosurgical procedure. RESULTS: In the comparison of glioblastoma and aneurysm patients, we could show that IL-6 plasma levels were pre- and intraoperatively higher in the aneurysm-group (P<0.05), and the plasma concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-beta were significantly elevated in the glioma-group. The lymphocyte-subsets showed a significantly lower percentage of NK-cells and activated T-cells in the glioma-group. CONCLUSION: Our results document a significant dysregulation of immune response in glioma patients. This may be induced by elevated plasma concentrations of immunoinhibiting cytokines IL-10 and transforming growth factor-beta 1.

Unrecognized renal damage in critically ill patients.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to evaluate the percentage of unrecognized renal damage in patients with normal creatinine and urea in serum and normal creatinine clearance and to evaluate the usefulness of various proteins and enzymes as supplementary procedures for the investigation of renal function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty critically ill male patients (APACHE II-score > 20, injury severity score > 15) were daily screened for a period of five days. In the 1st group there were 30 patients with normal creatinine and urea in serum and with normal creatinine clearances. In the second group there were ten patients with increased values of these parameters. The base-line condition of all patients and any changes in hemodynamic, nutrition and ventilation were noted. Clearances of inulin, para-aminohippuric acid, and creatinine were measured and the Cockcroft-Gault equation was calculated daily for a period of five days. Excretion of alpha-1-microglobulin. Tamm-Horsfall-protein, alanine aminopeptidase, angiotensinase A, albumin and immunoglobulin G were also measured daily. RESULTS: 21 Patients of group 1 and all patients of group 2 showed the expected correlation between the routine parameters of creatinine and urea in serum and the level of protein and enzyme excretion. Nine patients of group 1 (30%) showed normal glomerular filtration rates but pathological excretion fractions of all proteins and enzymes. CONCLUSIONS: Although all routine parameters of renal function (creatinine and urea in serum, creatinine clearance both by 24-h collection period and from the Cockcroft-Gault equation), and additionally inulin and para-aminohippuric acid clearance were measured, no references on tubular and glomerular damage were found in 30% of the investigated patients.