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Legal and ethical demands for more transparent and strict data protection measures to enhance research participant privacy have grown with an increasing number of human biobanks providing biomaterial collections long term for unspecified future research questions. The design of a data protection scheme that minimizes the risk of donor reidentification and promotes biomaterial and data use in research is a big challenge to all kinds of human biobanks. Yet, there is a lack of publications which address this basic building block of a biobank. In this study, we present the data protection concept of our project driven, stand-alone biobank, focusing on meeting two biomaterial and data management areas simultaneously: operation of primary research projects involved in sample collection and long-term provision of biomaterial for future research purposes. The concept is based on national and international laws and ethical demands. Since the presented measures are transparent and basic, they should encourage biobanks in defining their own data protection concept and be easily transferable to different legal requirements.

Regional citrate for continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) use in patients with liver failure or post-liver transplant has been considered a contraindication because of the risk of citrate toxicity development. Regional citrate has the benefit of decreased bleeding risks over systemic anticoagulation; therefore, it is of great benefit to the coagulopathic and surgical populations. This article analyzes current empiric data and compares with a case study specifically related to liver failure, liver transplant, and CRRT use. We found that the use of a total serum to ionized calcium ratio was much more reliable in measuring liver function than liver enzyme figures. This when paired with a citrate-reduction guideline based on serum to ionized calcium ratios provided effective, early management of citrate toxicity. Using new measurements to calculate liver metabolism of citrate and using a new citrate-reducing guideline allow the bedside practitioner to use regional citrate anticoagulation in patients with liver failure and liver transplant who require CRRT.

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was performed in 40 patients (34 male, 6 female; 51.0 +/- 8.5 years) with the typical clinical picture of unstable angina. All had a short history of pain (2.9 +/- 2.0 months), angina at rest, transient ST and/or T wave changes during this period, and little or no enzyme elevations. The patients had a total of 41 stenoses (39 single, one double; one main-stem, 26 left anterior descending, 14 right coronary artery). The degree of the stenoses was 95.5 +/- 4.9% (area method) and 81.8 +/- 10.7% (diameter method). PTCA was successfully performed in 26 cases (63%), reducing the stenoses to 61.5 +/- 12.4% (area method) and 39.1 +/- 10.0% (diameter method). One patient (2.5%) received an immediate bypass operation because of an acute vessel occlusion. Eleven of the 14 not successfully treated patients received an aortocoronary bypass within the next three to 35 days. All still had symptoms of unstable angina. Three patients refused operation. Their treatment consisted of nitroglycerin, beta-blockers and nifedipin. Seventeen of the 26 successfully treated patients were restudied after 4.9 +/- 1.7 months. The degree of stenosis had risen to 69.2 +/- 17.4% (area method). While the stenoses in 12 patients were equal or less than before PTCA, stenosis recurred in five cases. Two patients were successfully retreated. PTCA can be performed with a good early success rate and a low concentration rate in patients with unstable angina. Relief of pain and improvement of blood supply to the jeopardized myocardium can be provided immediately and with a limited amount of expense. The method can therefore be regarded first-stage treatment in such patients.