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Approximately one in three patients has untreated preoperative anaemia, which in turn is associated with an increased need for transfusion of allogenic red blood cell concentrates (RBC) and complications in the context of a surgical intervention. Here, the prevalence of preoperative and postoperative anaemia as well as their effects on transfusion rate, hospital length of stay and hospital mortality in primary hip and knee arthroplasty has been analysed.From January 2012 to September 2018, 378,069 adult inpatients from 13 German hospitals were analysed on the basis of an anonymized registry. Of these, n = 10,017 patients had a hip and knee joint primary arthroplasty. The primary endpoint was the incidence of preoperative anaemia, which was analysed by the first available preoperative haemoglobin value according to the WHO definition. Secondary endpoints included in-hospital length of stay, number of patients with red blood cell concentrate transfusion, incidence of hospital-acquired anaemia, number of deceased patients, and postoperative complications.The preoperative anaemia rate was 14.8% for elective knee joint arthroplasty, 22.9% for elective hip joint arthroplasty and 45.0% for duo-prosthesis implantation. Preoperative anaemia led to a significantly higher transfusion rate (knee: 8.3 vs. 1.8%; hip: 34.5 vs. 8.1%; duo-prosthesis: 42.3 vs. 17.4%), an increased red blood cell concentrate consumption (knee: 256 ± 107 vs. 29 ± 5 RBC/1000 patients; hip: 929 ± 60 vs. 190 ± 16 RBC/1000 patients; duo-prosthesis: 1411 ± 98 vs. 453 ± 42 RBC/1000 patients). Pre-operative anaemia was associated with prolonged hospital stay (12.0 [10.0; 17.0] d vs. 11.0 [9.0; 13.0] d; p 0.001) and increased mortality (5.5% [4.6 - 6.5%] vs. 0.9% [0.7 - 1.2%]; Fisher p 0.001) compared to non-anaemic patients. In patients aged 80 years and older, the incidence of preoperative anaemia and thus the transfusion rate was almost twice as high as in patients under 80 years of age.Preoperative anaemia is common in knee and hip primary arthroplasty and was associated with a relevant increase in red blood cell concentrate consumption. In the context of patient blood management, a relevant potential arises, especially in elective orthopaedic surgery, to better prepare elective patients, to avoid unnecessary transfusions and thus to conserve the valuable resource blood.Präoperativ liegt bei etwa jedem 3. Patienten eine nicht therapierte Anämie vor, die wiederum im Kontext eines chirurgischen Eingriffs mit einem erhöhten Transfusionsbedarf von allogenen Erythrozytenkonzentraten (EK) sowie Komplikationen einhergeht. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll die Prävalenz einer prä- und postoperativen Anämie und deren Einfluss auf den Transfusionsbedarf von EK, Krankenhausverweildauer sowie Krankenhaussterblichkeit in der primären Hüft- und Kniegelenkendoprothetik analysiert werden.Basierend auf einem anonymisierten Register wurden von Januar 2012 bis September 2018 378 069 erwachsene stationäre Patienten aus 13 deutschen Krankenhäusern analysiert, von denen n = 10 017 Patienten eine Hüft- und Kniegelenkprimärimplantation hatten. Der primäre Endpunkt war die Inzidenz einer präoperativen Anämie, die über den 1. präoperativ verfügbaren Hämoglobinwert entsprechend der WHO-Definition analysiert wurde. Zu den sekundären Endpunkten zählte die Krankenhausverweildauer, Anzahl Patienten mit EK-Transfusion, Inzidenz einer postoperativen krankenhauserworbenen Anämie, Anzahl verstorbener Patienten sowie verschiedene postoperative Komplikationen.Die präoperative Anämierate betrug bei elektiver Kniegelenkendoprothetik 14,8%, bei elektiver Hüftgelenkendoprothetik 22,9% und bei Duokopfprothesenimplantation sogar 45,0%. Eine präoperative Anämie führte zu einer signifikant höheren EK-Transfusionsrate (Kniegelenkprothese: 8,3 vs. 1,8%; Hüftgelenksprothese: 34,5 vs. 8,1%; Duokopfprothese: 42,3 vs. 17,4%) sowie einem erhöhten EK-Verbrauch (Kniegelenk: 256 ± 107 vs. 29 ± 5 EK/1000 Patienten; Hüftgelenk: 929 ± 60 vs. 190 ± 16 EK/1000 Patienten; Duokopfprothese: 1411 ± 98 vs. 453 ± 42). Im Gesamtkollektiv war eine präoperative Anämie gegenüber nicht anämischen Patienten mit einer verlängerten Krankenhausverweildauer (12,0 [10,0; 17,0] d vs. 11,0 [9,0; 13,0] d; p 0,001) sowie einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit assoziiert (5,5% [4,6 – 6,5%] vs. 0,9% [0,7% – 1,2%]; Fisher p 0,001). Bei Patienten mit einem Alter von 80 Jahren und höher war die Inzidenz einer präoperativen Anämie und damit die Transfusionsrate nahezu doppelt so hoch wie bei den unter 80-Jährigen.Eine präoperative Anämie kommt bei Knie- und Hüftgelenkprimärimplantation häufig vor und ist mit einem relevant erhöhten EK-Verbrauch assoziiert. Vor diesem Hintergrund könnte sich in der Zukunft vor allem in der elektiven orthopädischen Chirurgie ein relevantes Potenzial ergeben, im Sinne von Patient Blood Management die elektiven Patienten besser vorzubereiten, um unnötige Transfusionen zu vermeiden und so die wertvolle Ressource Blut zu schonen.

BACKGROUND Extravascular lung water is a quantitative marker of the amount of fluid in the thoracic cavity besides the vasculature. Indexing to both predicted and actual body weight have been proposed to compare different individuals and provide a uniform range of normal. OBJECTIVE We explored extravascular lung water measured by single-indicator transpulmonary thermodilution in a large cohort of patients without cardiopulmonary instability, in order to evaluate current and alternative indexing methods. DESIGN Prospective, observational. SETTING Neurosurgical ICU in a tertiary referral academic teaching hospital. PATIENTS One hundred and one consecutive patients requiring elective brain tumor surgery and postoperative ICU surveillance. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Indexed to predicted body weight, females had a mean extravascular lung water of 9.1 (SD=3.1, range: 5-23) mL/kg and males of 8.0 (SD=2.0, range: 4-19) mL/kg (p

BACKGROUND Droperidol is a highly potent butyrophenone used for the therapy of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Its cardiac safety in cardiovascular-healthy patients and those with long QT (LQT) syndrome is a matter of debate. In this study, we investigated whether droperidol has subtype-specific effects in cellular and computational models of LQT syndrome. METHODS Left ventricular cardiac myocytes were isolated from adult guinea pig hearts. LQT1-like behavior was pharmacologically induced by chromanol 293B (10 micromol/L) and LQT2-like states by E4031 (10 micromol/L). Computational analysis was performed using the Luo-Rudy dynamic model. Data are given as mean + or - SEM. RESULTS In control myocytes, droperidol lengthened action potentials in a concentration-dependent manner with a maximal prolongation of 37% + or - 13% (n = 4) at a concentration of 0.6 micromol/L. In LQT1-like myocytes, droperidol (0.6 micromol/L) further prolonged action potentials by 31% + or - 6% (n = 6) but shortened action potentials of LQT2-like myocytes by 11% + or - 2% (n = 8). Computational modeling supported the concept that droperidol, in addition to the rapid component of the delayed K(+) current, blocks depolarizing targets, such as the L-type Ca(2+) current, the Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger, and the Na(+)-K(+) adenosine triphosphatase. CONCLUSIONS Droperidol has more detrimental effects on cardiac repolarization of LQT1-like than of LQT2-like myocytes suggesting subtype-specific cardiotoxic effects in patients with LQT syndrome. The subtype specificity of droperidol seems to be caused by a complex interaction of droperidol with several different molecular targets. This interaction deserves further investigation to establish the feasibility of a subtype-directed approach in the perioperative management of patients with LQT syndrome.

Background. Myocardial potassium channels are complexes formed by different subunits. The subunit composition may influence the cardiotoxic action of local anaesthetics. The effects of amide local anaesthetics on HERG channels co-expressed with the putative subunit MiRP1 have not been established. It is also unclear if the common polymorphism MiRP1T8A that predisposes individuals to drug-induced cardiac arrhythmia increases local-anaesthetic sensitivity of HERG/MiRP1 channels. This may suggest the presence of genetic risk factors for local-anaesthetic-induced cardiac arrhythmia. Methods. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and site-directed mutagenesis were combined to compare local anaesthetic sensitivities of cloned and mutated human potassium channel subunits. The ion channels were activated by a protocol that approximated ventricular action potentials. Results. The amide local anaesthetics bupivacaine, levobupivacaine and ropivacaine inhibited HERG channels at toxicologically relevant concentrations, with IC50 values of 20 (SEM 2) mM (n=29), 10 (1) m M( n=40) and 20 (2) m M( n=49), respectively. Hill coefficients were close to unity. There were no indications of qualitative differences in channel inhibition between the three anaesthetics. The putative subunit MiRP1 did not alter local anaesthetic sensitivity of HERG channels. The common single nucleotide polymorphism producing MiRP1T8A did not increase local anaesthetic sensitivity of HERG/MiRP1 channels. Conclusions. Amide local anaesthetics target HERG and HERG/MiRP1 channels with identical potency. The effects on these ion currents may significantly contribute to local-anaestheticinduced cardiac arrhythmia. MiRP1T8A does not seem to confer an increased risk of severe cardiac side-effects to carriers of this common polymorphism.

Superficial cervical plexus neuropathy after interscalene brachial plexus block affects about 8% of patients postoperatively. One of the nerves involved in superficial cervical plexus neuropathy is the great auricular nerve. We report success in identification of the great auricular nerve with ultra

Background Surprising clinical evidence suggests a block of sympathetic transmission by ketamine. The action of ketamine on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in human ganglions is unknown. Because ganglionic transmission depends on nAChRs, such information may help to clarify whether ketamine impairs ganglionic transmission in men. Because racemic ketamine as well as S(+)-ketamine are used clinically, the authors investigated stereospecific effects on human ganglionic nAChRs. Stereospecific psychomimetic effects have been attributed to voltage-dependent Kv channel inhibition; therefore the effects on nAChRs were compared with those on Kv channels present in the same cells. Methods Whole-cell currents through nAChRs and K channels were measured in SH-SY5Y cells with the patch-clamp technique by application of acetylcholine (1 mm, nAChRs) or by a step depolarization from a holding potential of -80 mV to +40 mV (K channels). Electrolyte conditions were identical for both currents. Results Racemic ketamine and the isomers inhibited nAChRs and K channels in a concentration-dependent and reversible manner. Racemic ketamine inhibited nAChRs and K channels, with the anesthetic concentration inducing the half-maximal effect being 1.4 and 300 micrometer, respectively. Only inhibition of the nAChRs was stereoselective. The half-maximal concentrations were 0.8 and 3.6 micrometer for S(+)- and R(-)-ketamine. The K channels were 350 and 70 times less sensitive to the effects of S(+)- and R(-)-ketamine. Conclusion Ketamine at concentrations found during clinical anesthesia exerts stereospecific effects on human ganglionic nAChRs but not on voltage-dependent K channels. Our results support the view that ketamine impairs sympathetic ganglionic transmission. Nonspecific effects on voltage-dependent K channels may underlie psychomimetic side effects.

Muskelrelaxanzien sind der haufigste Ausloser allergischer Reaktionen in der Anasthesie. Es wird uber den Fall einer lebensbedrohlichen anaphylaktischen Reaktion bei Narkoseeinleitung berichtet, bei der sich als Erstsymptom der Anaphylaxie ein schwerer Bronchospasmus fand. Eine Beatmung war zeitweilig nahezu unmoglich. Angesichts der Schwere der Reaktion waren eine multimodale antiallergische Therapie und eine hoch dosierte Katecholamintherapie erforderlich. Als Ausloser der anaphylaktischen Reaktion konnte das Muskelrelaxans Rocuronium mithilfe des Intrakutantests identifiziert werden.

BACKGROUND: Interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) using the modified lateral approach provides a well-established method of anesthesia and analgesia for patients undergoing shoulder surgery. Considering the neural anatomy at the site of injection, the superficial cervical plexus may be at risk of injury. We evaluated the incidence and characteristics of superficial cervical plexus neuropathy. METHODS: During a 1-yr period, 273 consecutive patients requiring single-injection ISB for shoulder or proximal arm surgery were studied. Patients were examined for symptoms compatible with superficial cervical plexus injury before surgery, 24 h postoperatively, and contacted by telephone 31 days after surgery. Symptomatic patients received an additional phone call 6 mo after surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-four hours after shoulder surgery, 21 patients (7.7%) showed symptoms consistent with superficial cervical plexus neuropathy. Symptoms consisted of hypesthesia in 1–4 cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus. Five patients (1.8%) reported symptoms that lasted for >31 days. All symptoms had entirely resolved after 6 mo. CONCLUSIONS: Superficial cervical plexus neuropathy is not uncommon after ISB using the modified lateral approach and the possibility should be discussed with patients preprocedurally.

A 29-year-old man was admitted to the ICU after emergency laparotomy for portal-mesenteric vein thrombosis. Under continuous intravenous heparin therapy the portal-mesenteric shunt occluded on the first postoperative day. After thrombectomy the heparin dose was increased, and the patient remained free of symptoms (partial thromboplastin time 53 s). Two days later abdominal distension developed concomitantly with ventilatory distress due to a large retroperitoneal hematoma. The patient was mechanically ventilated and underwent the third consecutive laparotomy for the hematoma removal on the fifth day. During the surgical procedure the abdomen was packed with towels to stop multiple bleeding sites. The heparin dose was reduced, aiming for a partial thromboplastin time of 30–35 s. Initial coagulation tests revealed increased levels of anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G. After removal of the surgical towels the patient was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation and discharged from the ICU. Two weeks later genomic testing revealed that he also had a G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene. Both, increased levels of anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G and the G20210A mutation of the prothrombin gene predispose to thrombosis. Increased levels of anticardiolipin immunoglobulin G may also cause bleeding. Long-term anticoagulation therapy was started with a vitamin K antagonist, and 2 months later a follow-up showed that the patient had no further symptoms of portal-mesenteric vein thrombosis or bleeding. This case illustrates that the convergence of multiple risk factors, including genetic defects, must be considered in patients suffering from thrombosis in unusual sites

Extravascular lung water (EVLW) is a marker for the severity of acute lung injury. To allow assessment of normal and pathologic states, traditionally EVLW data are either indexed to real or predicted body weight. Surprisingly and despite widespread use, this has so far not been validated in a larger cohort of subjects without cardiopulmonary compromise. The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate a different ways of indexing EVLW data.

Monitoring intravascular volume in patients with intracranial pathology is often mandatory for maintaining hemodynamic stability [1,2]. Cyclic changes in cardiac stroke volume [1,3] and pulse pressure induced by positive pressure ventilation as well as target values of global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) (ml/m2) [2] allow volume therapy guidance. The relationship between stroke volume variation (SVV) (%) and pulse pressure variation (PPV) (%), as well as between SVV or PPV and values of GEDVI has not been established in patients with intracranial pathology.

Estimation of cardiac preload is an important prerequisite for adequate volume resuscitation. The global end-diastolic volume (GEDV) and the global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI) are surrogate parameters for preload and have been hypothesized to be age dependent [1]. The current study was performed to assess the influence of age on the preload parameters GEDV and GEDVI prospectively.