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The COVID-19 is a viral infection that causes respiratory complications. Infected lungs often present ground glass opacities, thus suggesting that medical imaging technologies could provide useful information for the disease diagnosis, treatment, and posterior recovery. The Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive, radiationfree, and continuous technology that generates images by using a sequence of current injections and voltage measurements around the body, making it very appropriate for the study to monitor the regional behaviour of the lung. Moreover, this tool could also be used for a preliminary COVID-19 phenotype classification of the patients. This study is based on the monitoring of lung compliances of two COVID-19-infected patients: the results indicate that one of them could belong to the H-type, while the other is speculated belongs to L-type. It has been concluded that the EIT is a useful tool to obtain information regarding COVID-19 patients and could also be used to classify different phenotypes.

Összefoglaló. Az extracorporalis membránoxigenizációt egyre gyakrabban alkalmazzák világszerte refrakter légzési és/vagy keringési elégtelenség kezelésében. Intézetünkben 2015-ben kezdtük meg a program előkészítését és felépítését. Célunk az extracorporalis membránoxigenizációs kezelés élettani alapjainak rövid ismertetése, különös tekintettel a venovenosus konfigurációra, és az eddig kezelt eseteink eredményeinek összefoglalása. Az irodalom szisztematikus áttekintése és a kezelt esetek adatainak retrospektív értékelése voltak a módszereink. 2016 óta összesen 14 beteg esetében használtunk extracorporalis membránoxigenizációt (8 férfi, 6 nő, életkor 51 ± 15 év, APACHE II. score 24 ± 7). Az indikáció 9 esetben súlyos refrakter hypoxaemiás légzési elégtelenség, 1 esetben tracheooesophagealis fistula és légzési elégtelenség, 1 esetben műtét alatti támogatás tervezett trachearekonstrukció során és 3 beteg esetében refrakter cardiogen shock volt. Az extracorporalis membránoxigenizáció 11 betegben a légzés, 3 betegben a keringés támogatását szolgálta, 13 venovenosus, 1 venoarteriosus konfigurációban. Az extracorporalis támogatás ideje légzéstámogatás esetében 14 ± 6 nap, a cardialis támogatások esetében 5 ± 4 nap volt. Az intenzív osztályos ápolási idő 27 ± 13, illetve 21 ± 17 nap volt a két betegcsoportban. 9 beteget jó funkcionális állapotban bocsátottunk el, 5 beteg halt meg osztályunkon, további 3 később a kórházi bennfekvés során. Az extracorporalis membránoxigenizációs program regionális centrumokban Magyarországon is megvalósítható. A nemzetközi ajánlások, oktatási módszerek alkalmazásával a nemzetközi irodalomban közölt túlélési eredményekhez hasonló eredmények érhetők el hazánkban is. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(11): 425–431. Summary. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenisation is commonly used worldwide for refractory respiratory and circulatory failure. We started to organise the introduction of this therapeutic modality in 2015. Our aim is to give a short review about extracorporeal life support, especially veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and to present our first results. We provide a systematic review of the currently available literature and a summary of our first treatments. As of 2016, we supported 14 patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenisation (8 men, age 51 ± 15 years, APACHE II score 24 ± 7). The indications were refractory hypoxaemic respiratory failure in 9, tracheo-oesophageal fistula and respiratory failure in 1, support during surgery for planned tracheal reconstruction in 1, and refractory cardiogenic shock in 3 patients. We provided respiratory support in 11, circulatory support in 3 cases, with 13 veno-venous and 1 veno-arterial configuration. The support lasted for 14 ± 6 days in respiratory, and for 5 ± 4 days in cardiac cases. Intensive care length of stay was 27 ± 13 and 21 ± 17 days in the two patient groups. We discharged 9 patients in good functional state, 5 patients died during intensive care and further 3 later, during the hospital stay. Our results show that the implementation of an extracoporeal membrane oxygenation program is feasible in Hungarian tertiary centers. In line with international recommendations and adapting international training courses, the survival is very similar to that reported in the literature. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(11): 425–431.

COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) could have two different phenotypes, which might have different response and outcome to the traditional ARDS positive end-expiration pressure (PEEP) treatment. The identification of the different phenotypes in terms of the PEEP recruitment can help improve the patients’ outcome. In this contribution we reported a COVID-19 patient with seven-day electrical impedance tomography monitoring. From the conductivity distribution difference image analysis of the data, a clear course developing trend can be observed in addition to the phenotype identification. This case might suggest that EIT can be a practical tool to identify phenotypes and to provide progressive information of COVID-19 pneumonia.

COVID-19 induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) could have two different phenotypes, which was reported to have different response and outcome to the typical ARDS positive end-expiration pressure (PEEP) treatment. The identification of the different phenotypes in terms of the recruitability can help improve the patient outcome. In this contribution we conducted alveolar overdistention and collapse analysis with the long term electrical impedance tomography monitoring data on two severe COVID-19 pneumonia patients. The result showed different patient reactions to the PEEP trial, revealed the progressive change in the patient status, and indicted a possible phenotype transition in one patient. It might suggest that EIT can be a practical tool to identify phenotypes and to provide progressive information of COVID-19 pneumonia. Copyright (C) 2021 The Authors.

Intrathoracic ventilation related and pulsatile (perfusion) impedance changes can be measured by the noninvasive and radiation-free imaging method Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). Ventilation monitoring is still the key research area in EIT, whereby perfusion monitoring gain more and more in interest. However, there are still many unknown influencing factors concerning pulsatile impedance measurements which have to be investigated. Hence, in this observational case study the impact of prolonged apnea periods on pulsatile impedance changes was examined in a patient with suspected brain death undergoing several apnea tests. In addition, the correlation between changes in pulsatile impedance and certain blood gas parameters (carbon dioxide partial pressure, pCO2; oxygen partial pressure, pO2; pH; bicarbonate, HCO3 -) were explored. Results show that the pulsatile impedance signal changes over time during apnea. An increase in the area under the curve (Mean AuC) and the maximum amplitude (Mean Max) of heart beat associated impedance signals was observed (Mean AuC: up to 65 %; Mean Max: up to 57 %). Furthermore, a positive correlation between the increase in impedance and pCO2and HCO3 - was assessed (both: up to 0.99), whereas pO2and pH show a negative correlation (both: up to -0.99). These preliminary results indicate that pulsatile EIT monitoring may be applied to get additional information regarding cardio-pulmonary interactions sustaining diagnosis or treatment of lung diseases.

Absztrakt: A legújabb koronavírus-járvány a nagy esetszámban előforduló hypoxiás légzési elégtelen beteg miatt komoly kihívás elé állítja a gyakorló intenzív terápiás orvosokat. Mivel a COVID–19-megbetegedés kritikus állapotot okozó patomechanizmusában kiemelkedő helyen áll a tüdőgyulladás, a képalkotó vizsgálatok első helyen szerepelnek mind a diagnosztikában, mind a betegség lefolyásának utánkövetésében, illetve a lehetséges szövődmények felderítésében. Az eddigi irodalmi adatokat áttekintve bemutatjuk a mellkas-CT, a mellkasröntgen és a mellkasfali ultrahang jellemző eltéréseit, illetve ajánlásokat fogalmazunk meg a különböző vizsgálati modalitások használatának indikációira. A vírusfertőzés kezdeti, atípusos megjelenési képe a CT-vel észlelt, jobb alsó lebenyi, perifériás, többgócú tejüveghomály, amely hamar kétoldali, a középső és az alsó tüdőmezőket érintő elváltozássá fajul. A betegség progressziójával nő a konszolidált területek aránya, majd fibroticus rajzolatfokozódás jelenik meg. A SARS-CoV-2 vírus miatti speciális infekciókontroll-szabályok miatt a betegágy melletti ultrahangvizsgálatnak komoly szerepe van abban, hogy a fertőzött betegek minél kisebb számú egészségügyi személyzettel kerüljenek kontaktusba. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 672–677.

Absztrakt: 2019 decemberében új koronavírus okozta járvány ütötte fel a fejét a kínai Wuhanban. Az azonosított kórokozó egy új koronavírus, melyet „severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”-nek, azaz SARS-CoV-2-nek neveztek el, az általa kiváltott légzési tünetegyüttes pedig a „coronavirus disease 2019”, azaz COVID–19 nevet kapta. Az Egészségügyi Világszervezet (WHO) a járványt 2020 márciusában pandémiává minősítette. Áttekintettük a jelenleg elérhető nemzetközi irodalmat a COVID–19-járvány vonatkozásában. Írásunkban az új koronavírus diagnosztikájára és prognosztikájára vonatkozó releváns információkat összegezzük. Részletezzük a klinikai gyanú felvetéséhez szükséges anamnesztikus tényezőket és kezdeti vizsgálati eredményeket, a mikrobiológiai mintavétel módját, a molekuláris diagnosztikai tesztre – az arany standardnak minősülő ’real-time’ reverztranszkriptáz polimeráz-láncreakcióra (RT-PCR) – vonatkozó alapvető információkat, különös tekintettel a diagnosztikus tesztelést érintő, jelenleg érvényben lévő népegészségügyi szabályozásra. Hangsúlyt fektetünk továbbá a nagy rizikójú betegek paramétereire és felismerésük módjára. A COVID–19-pandémia Magyarországon is jelentős járványügyi és egészségügyi következményekkel járhat. A járvány lassítására irányuló epidemiológiai intézkedéseken túl a már fertőzött személyek időbeli felismerése és megfelelő kórházi ellátása mortalitási szempontból is kulcskérdés. A kritikus állapotú betegek esélyeit csak magas minőségű, körültekintő intenzív terápiás ellátással lehet javítani, s hogy a legjobbat tudjuk nyújtani, hasznos, ha felhasználjuk a már endémiás országokban dolgozó orvoskollégák tapasztalatait. Orv Hetil. 2020; 160(17): 667–671.

Background Macro, and microcirculatory effects of crystalloids and colloids are difficult to compare, because interventions to achieve haemodynamic stability seldom follow similar criteria. Objectives Our aim was to compare the effects of crystalloids and colloids on the microcirculation during free flap surgery when management was guided by detailed haemodynamic assessment. Design A randomised, controlled clinical trial. Settings The investigation was performed at the University of Szeged, Hungary. Patients Patients undergoing maxillofacial tumour resection and free flap reconstruction were randomised into groups treated with either intra-operative crystalloid (Ringerfundin, n = 15) or colloid (6% hydroxyethyl starch, HES, n = 15) solutions. Interventions Macrohaemodynamics were monitored by a noncalibrated device (PulsioFlex-PULSION). Central venous oxygen saturation, venous-to-arterial PCO2-gap, lactate levels and urine output were measured hourly. Maintenance fluid was Ringerfundin (1 ml kg h), and a multimodal, individualised, approach-based algorithm was applied to guide haemodynamic support. Hypovolaemia was treated with Ringerfundin or HES fluid boluses, respectively. The microcirculatory effects were assessed by laser-Doppler flowmetry (PeriFlux 5000 LDPM), with the probe placed on the flap and on a control area. Measurements were performed after the flap was prepared, then 1 and 12 h later. Main outcome measures The primary end-point was microcirculatory perfusion as determined by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Results There was no difference between the groups regarding patient characteristics. Both groups remained haemodynamically stable throughout due to the use of approximately a 1.5 times higher total fluid volume in the Ringerfundin group than in the HES group: mean ± SD: 2581 ± 986 and 1803 ± 497) ml, respectively, (P = 0.011). There was no significant difference in the microcirculatory blood flow between the groups. Conclusion Our results showed that when fluid management was guided by detailed haemodynamic assessment, more crystalloid than colloid was needed to maintain haemodynamic stability, but there was no difference between the effects of crystalloids and colloids on the microcirculation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03288051.

In December 2019, a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown origin occured in Wuhan, China. The identified infective agent is a novel corona virus called “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2) and the respiratory disease caused by this agent aquired the name “coronavirus disease 2019” (COVID-19). In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. We reviewed the international literature regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak. Here below, we focus mainly on the diagnostic issues of COVID-19 and on the estimation of the prognosis. We detail the relevant anamnestic factors and initial examination results which serve as basics for the clinical suspicion of COVID-19. We also focus on the proper method of microbiological sampling and the relevant informations regarding diagnostic tests like the gold standard real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. We also cite the current national epidemiologic regulations of testing for novel coronavirus. In the last section, we emphasize the importance and the potential way of early identification of high-risk patients. The COVID-19 pandemic may cause substantial epidemiological and healthcare burden even in Hungary. In addition to the epidemiologic interventions aiming the deceleration of the outbreak, the early identification and the correct hospital treatment remain key issues since these may influence mortality. The chances of the critically ill patients could be improved solely by a high-quality and careful critical care. It is prudent to meet the experiences of colleagues working hard with these patients in the already heavily infected countries. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 667–671.2019 decemberében új koronavírus okozta járvány ütötte fel a fejét a kínai Wuhanban. Az azonosított kórokozó egy új koronavírus, melyet „severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”-nek, azaz SARS-CoV-2-nek neveztek el, az általa kiváltott légzési tünetegyüttes pedig a „coronavirus disease 2019”, azaz COVID–19 nevet kapta. Az Egészségügyi Világszervezet (WHO) a járványt 2020 márciusában pandémiává minősítette. Áttekintettük a jelenleg elérhető nemzetközi irodalmat a COVID–19-járvány vonatkozásában. Írásunkban az új koronavírus diagnosztikájára és prognosztikájára vonatkozó releváns információkat összegezzük. Részletezzük a klinikai gyanú felvetéséhez szükséges anamnesztikus tényezőket és kezdeti vizsgálati eredményeket, a mikrobiológiai mintavétel módját, a molekuláris diagnosztikai tesztre – az arany standardnak minősülő ’real-time’ reverztranszkriptáz polimeráz-láncreakcióra (RT-PCR) – vonatkozó alapvető információkat, különös tekintettel a diagnosztikus tesztelést érintő, jelenleg érvényben lévő népegészségügyi szabályozásra. Hangsúlyt fektetünk továbbá a nagy rizikójú betegek paramétereire és felismerésük módjára. A COVID–19-pandémia Magyarországon is jelentős járványügyi és egészségügyi következményekkel járhat. A járvány lassítására irányuló epidemiológiai intézkedéseken túl a már fertőzött személyek időbeli felismerése és megfelelő kórházi ellátása mortalitási szempontból is kulcskérdés. A kritikus állapotú betegek esélyeit csak magas minőségű, körültekintő intenzív terápiás ellátással lehet javítani, s hogy a legjobbat tudjuk nyújtani, hasznos, ha felhasználjuk a már endémiás országokban dolgozó orvoskollégák tapasztalatait. Orv Hetil. 2020; 160(17): 667–671.

Critical-care physicians are facing a challenging process in healthcare due to the overwhelming case number of hypoxic respiratory failure patients. Pneumonia has an utmost importance in the primary pathomechanism of the development of critical illness in the COVID-19 patients. Thus, imaging techniques are situated in the frontline to aim the diagnostic decision-making, to follow up the progress and to evaluate the possible complications. Reviewing the available literature, so far the common chest CT, chest X-ray and chest wall ultrasound features are presented, and recommendations are pronounced for the indications of the different modalities. At the initial phase, the atypical presentations of the virus infection are multiplex, peripheral ground glass opacities situated in the right lower lobe of the lung evolving rapidly into a bilateral involvement of the middle and basal zones. Along with the progression, the ratio of the consolidation is increasing subsequently deteriorating into fibrosis with reticular pattern. Chest ultrasound performed at the bedside has a paramount importance to reduce the possible number of health-care worker contacts in consequence of the strict and special infection control orders established on account of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemia. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 672–677.A legújabb koronavírus-járvány a nagy esetszámban előforduló hypoxiás légzési elégtelen beteg miatt komoly kihívás elé állítja a gyakorló intenzív terápiás orvosokat. Mivel a COVID–19-megbetegedés kritikus állapotot okozó patomechanizmusában kiemelkedő helyen áll a tüdőgyulladás, a képalkotó vizsgálatok első helyen szerepelnek mind a diagnosztikában, mind a betegség lefolyásának utánkövetésében, illetve a lehetséges szövődmények felderítésében. Az eddigi irodalmi adatokat áttekintve bemutatjuk a mellkas-CT, a mellkasröntgen és a mellkasfali ultrahang jellemző eltéréseit, illetve ajánlásokat fogalmazunk meg a különböző vizsgálati modalitások használatának indikációira. A vírusfertőzés kezdeti, atípusos megjelenési képe a CT-vel észlelt, jobb alsó lebenyi, perifériás, többgócú tejüveghomály, amely hamar kétoldali, a középső és az alsó tüdőmezőket érintő elváltozássá fajul. A betegség progressziójával nő a konszolidált területek aránya, majd fibroticus rajzolatfokozódás jelenik meg. A SARS-CoV-2 vírus miatti speciális infekciókontroll-szabályok miatt a betegágy melletti ultrahangvizsgálatnak komoly szerepe van abban, hogy a fertőzött betegek minél kisebb számú egészségügyi személyzettel kerüljenek kontaktusba. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 672–677.

Purpose The purpose was to investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) kinetics in predicting the appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial treatment in critically ill patients. Materials and methods This prospective observational study recruited patients in whom empirical antimicrobial therapy was started for suspected infection. Biochemical and physiological parameters were measured before initiating antimicrobials ( t 0 ), 8 hourly ( t 8 , t 16 , t 24 ), and then daily (day 2-6 ). Patients were grouped post hoc into appropriate (A) and inappropriate (IA) groups. Results Of 209 patients, infection was confirmed in 67%. Procalcitonin kinetics were different between the IA (n = 33) and A groups (n = 108). In the IA group, PCT levels (median [interquartile range]) increased: t 0 = 2.8 (1.2-7.4), t 16 = 8.6 (4.8-22.1), t 24 = 14.5 (4.9-36.1), P t 16 and started to decrease by t 24 : t 0 = 4.2 (1.9-12.8), t 16 = 6.99 (3.4-29.1), t 24 = 5.2 (2.0-16.7), P t 0 to t 16 had an area under the curve for predicting inappropriate antimicrobial treatment of 0.73 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.83), P t 0 to t 24 , a greater than or equal to 74% increase had an area under the curve of 0.86 (0.77-0.94), P P = .017). Conclusions Early response of PCT in the first 24 hours of commencing empirical antimicrobials in critically ill patients may help the clinician to evaluate the appropriateness of therapy.

Atelectasis caused by lung injury leads to increased intrapulmonary shunt, venous admixture, and hypoxaemia. Lung recruitment manoeuvres aim to quickly reverse this scenario by applying increased airway pressures for a short period of time which meant to open the collapsed alveoli. Although the procedure can improve oxygenation, but due to the heart-lung and right and left ventricle interactions elevated intrathoracic pressures can inflict serious effects on the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview on the pathophysiological background of the heart-lung interactions and the best way to monitor these changes during lung recruitment.

The purpose was to investigate the value of procalcitonin (PCT) kinetics in predicting the appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial treatment in critically ill patients.This prospective observational study recruited patients in whom empirical antimicrobial therapy was started for suspected infection. Biochemical and physiological parameters were measured before initiating antimicrobials (t0), 8 hourly (t8, t16, t24), and then daily (day2-6). Patients were grouped post hoc into appropriate (A) and inappropriate (IA) groups.Of 209 patients, infection was confirmed in 67%. Procalcitonin kinetics were different between the IA (n = 33) and A groups (n = 108). In the IA group, PCT levels (median [interquartile range]) increased: t0= 2.8 (1.2-7.4), t16= 8.6 (4.8-22.1), t24= 14.5 (4.9-36.1), P.05. In the A group, PCT peaked at t16 and started to decrease by t24: t0= 4.2 (1.9-12.8), t16= 6.99 (3.4-29.1), t24= 5.2 (2.0-16.7), P.05. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that a PCT elevation greater than or equal to 69% from t0 to t16 had an area under the curve for predicting inappropriate antimicrobial treatment of 0.73 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.83), P.001; from t0 to t24, a greater than or equal to 74% increase had an area under the curve of 0.86 (0.77-0.94), P.001. Hospital mortality was 37% in the A group and 61% in the IA group (P= .017).Early response of PCT in the first 24 hours of commencing empirical antimicrobials in critically ill patients may help the clinician to evaluate the appropriateness of therapy.

Background: Recruitment maneuvers are often used in critical care patients with hypoxemic respiratory failure. Although continuous positive airway pressure/pressure support (CPAP/PS) ventilation is a frequently used approach, but whether lung recruitment also improves oxygenation in spontaneously breathing patients has not been investigated yet. The primary objective was to analyse the effect of recruitment maneuver on oxygenation in patients ventilated in CPAP/PS mode. Methods: Following baseline measurements PEEP was increased by 5 cmH2O. Recruitment maneuver was applied for 40 seconds with 40 cmH2O of PS. Measurements of the difference in PaO2/FiO2 and airway parameters measured by the ventilator were recorded immediately after recruitment then 15 and 30 minutes later. Thirty patients ventilated in CPAP/PS mode with a PEEP ≥ 5 cmH2O were enrolled in this prospective, observational study if their PaO2/FiO2 ratio was < 300 mmHg or required an FiO2 > 0.5. Results: Following recruitment maneuver patients were considered as non-responders (NR, n=15) if difference of PaO2/FiO2 < 20 % and responders (R, n=15) if difference of PaO2/FiO2 ≥ 20 %. In the NR-group PaO2/FiO2 decreased non-significantly from baseline: median [interquartile], PaO2/FiO2 = 176 [120-186] vs. after recruitment: 169 [121-182] mmHg, P = .307 while in the R-group there was significant improvement: 139 [117-164] vs. 230 [211-323] mmHg, P = .01. At the same time points dead space to tidal volume ratio (Vds/Vte) significantly increased in the NR-group Vds/Vte = 32 [27-37] vs. 36 [25-42] %, P = .013 but no significant change was observed in the R-group: 26 [22-34] vs. 27 [24-33] %, p = .386.Conclusion: Recruitment maneuver improved PaO2/FiO2 ratio by ≥ 20 % in 50 % of patients ventilated in CPAP/PS mode.

The title given to this presentation, Mission-shaped liturgy, is further elaborated by the questions attached to it: 'What liturgy, what languages, and what music?' 'What new forms of ritual/symbols/expression can touch our contemporaries, especially the youngsters?' My reading assumes a tension between this title and the interpreting questions. These questions seem to imply an understanding according to which mission-shaped liturgy is one that is shaped primarily by the context, in other words by the needs and expectations of our contemporaries. The tension is between this "from below" and a "from above" approach. My conviction is that the question of mission-shaped liturgy should begin by asking, 'What and whose mission?' The main thesis of this paper is that mission-shaped liturgy is liturgy in the service of shaping and nurturing a missional people. Before exploring this thesis, however, the biases and limitations that derive from my context of being a pastor in the Reformed Church in Hungary (RCH) should be reviewed. The RCH often refers to itself as being the church of the word (of God). In the church's worship services, the majority of pastors and members consider the proclamation of God's word to be central, and the liturgy as secondary. This situation has had two consequences. First, in the worship services preaching has become almost everything; the service seems to stand or fall on the quality of the sermon. Second, an unhealthy emphasis on the role of the pastor and clericalism has developed in the RCH churches. As Janos Pasztor points out, "The whole worship service is built on the person, thinking and theology of the minister." (1) Both the centrality of God's word in liturgy and the critique of an unhealthy clericalism are shared by the author of this paper. Another recent characteristic of the RCH is a strong desire to create a uniformed liturgy for the RCH and the Hungarian Reformed churches beyond the boarders of Hungary, in the Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovakia. This situation is, of course, the consequence of the peace treaty in Trianon after the first world war. A common hymnbook has already been published. In the opinion of the present author, these efforts at uniformity are misguided since they do not take seriously the plurality of contexts in which Hungarian Reformed churches are called to be witnesses of Christ. I am privileged to be a pastor in an urban, housing estate church that was started about sixteen years ago. Gazdagret Reformed Church, while keeping the basic elements of RCH liturgy, has been through some liturgical changes in the last couple of years. It is especially perceptible in the liturgy of the Lord's Supper, and the blended use of old and contemporary songs led by a group of musicians in the services. These rather minor developments count as significant changes in the context of the RCH. It also should be added that our church has been experiencing significant growth parallel to these changes. Having outlined the ecclesial context in which this paper was born, the church as God's missional people now needs to be discussed. This discussion will lead to an adequate understanding of the church's liturgy as it is related to mission. Then some aspects of mission-shaped liturgy will be examined. The church as God's missional people Earlier, it was stated that the primary question of a mission-shaped liturgy should be, 'What is mission and whose is the mission that is to shape the church's liturgy?' The concept of missio Dei needs to be emphasized at this point. A trinitarian understanding of mission developed along the lines of the Father sending the Son, and the Father and Son sending the Holy Spirit. This is foundational. God is the missionary God; the church takes part in God's mission as it is sent by God into the world. The crucial text for this understanding, cited by Lesslie Newbigin several times, is John 20:21: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. …

Pharmacological treatment of major psychiatric conditions (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) is exceptionally difficult during pregnancy. Despite all efforts, medication-resistant life-threatening mental deterioration can emerge with the urgent need for rapid and effective in- tervention. In these cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may represent the only valid and safe therapeutic option. Here, we present the challenging medical case of a 31-year-old primigravida with a general medical history of obesity and hypertension, previously diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder, now presenting with severe, therapy-resistant manic agitation. Full symptomatic remission was achieved and preserved with ECT given between the 7th and 22nd gestational weeks, the pregnancy reached full term, and a healthy child was born by cesarean delivery performed because of preeclampsia. Although it is unusual to start ECT this early in pregnancy, with the thorough assessment of potential risk factors and preventive measures taken, it can be the most effective and presumably the least risky treatment approach. By delineating key aspects of both the psychiatric and anesthetic management of this case, we aim to highlight the impor- tance of a close cooperation between all medical fields involved in clinical practice.

Systemic inflammatory response with rhabdomyolysis and consequent multiorgan failure is a known sequela of psychotropic drug abuse. However, in cases with uncertain past medical history the initial diagnosis can be challenging. Here we report the case of a 21-year-old male who was admitted to the intensive care unit with severe neurological impairment caused by amphetamine intoxication. First laboratory investigations revealed extremely high serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels reaching a maximum concentration of 1640 ng/mL on the second day of observation. Although PCT has high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating bacterial sepsis from nonbacterial inflammation, our case report shows for the first time that it can be extremely elevated following serious amphetamine intoxication without bacterial infection.

T-piece has been widely used as T-piece trial to identify patients who are ready for extubation but it is seldom used as a weaning tool. Our objective was to investigate the effects of breathing via T-piece on gas exchange as compared to continuous positive airway pressure with pressure support (CPAP+PS) and CPAP with automatic tube compensation (CPAP+ATC) as it has not been evaluated yet.Tracheostomized, "ready to be weaned" critically ill patients were enrolled in this prospective, auto-control clinical trial. Arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) was determined on CPAP+PS (t0), 15 minutes later on CPAP+ATC (t1), then on T-piece at 15, 30 and 60 minutes (t2-4). ScvO2 was measured at t0 and t4. Settings of fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were kept constant throughout the investigation.Twenty-five patients were enrolled. T-piece trial was interrupted in 4 cases after t2, due to pulmonary oedema, hypertension or fatigue. PaO2/FiO2 was significantly higher on T-piece (t3,4) then on CPAP (t0,1), P0.05, PaO2/FiO2 did not change significantly on CPAP+PS (t0) vs. CPAP+ATC (t1) modes: median=208 (interquartile range: 175-266) vs. 223 (186-290) mmHg, P=0.102, but significantly increased from t0-t4: 208 (175-266) vs. 249 (215-325) mmHg, P=0.003, respectively. ScvO2 was significantly higher on T-piece at t4: 80% (75-82%) than on CPAP+PS at t0: 73% (71-78%), P0.001.On the same FiO2 and PEEP setting, breathing via T-piece improved oxygenation and resulted in increased ScvO2 as compared to breathing on CPAP with PS. Our observations suggest a potential role of T-piece during weaning from mechanical ventilation.

One of the aims of lung recruitment is to improve oxygenation [1], but it has not yet been investigated in spontaneously breathing patients. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of recruitment maneuvers on oxygenation in patients ventilated in CPAP/ pressure support (CPAP/PS) mode.