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BACKGROUND: Postsurgical pleural infection is a life-threatening complication after implantation of artificial devices such as ventricular assist devices (VADs). The treatment can be challenging and the evidence in the literature is very limited. Here we report our multidisciplinary approach of the management of pleural infection after VAD implantation. METHODS: Between March 2014 and December 2019, 33 patients developed postoperative pleural infection after VAD implantation and underwent thoracic surgical intervention at our institution. All patients were prospectively enrolled in this analysis. Data were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcome was the 90-day mortality rate. Length of ICU stay related to pleural infection, chest tube duration, re-thoracotomy rate and length of ventilatory support represented secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The 90-day mortality rate was 6% (2 patients). The mean ICU stay related to the pleural infection was 6 days (2–24 days). Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed in all patients. Conversion to thoracotomy was necessary in 12 cases. Decortication and parietal pleurectomy in addition to hematoma and empyema removal was performed in all patients. Due to diffuse bleeding, packing of the thoracic cavity with temporary thoracic closure was necessary in 10 patients. Depacking was performed after a mean of 3 days (3–7 days). Recurrent empyema or bleeding after definitive chest closure was not observed. Lung resection was performed in 3 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic surgical management of pleural infection in patients after VAD implantation is challenging and complicated due to the inevitable anticoagulative therapy. A perioperative multidisciplinary management which includes the early involvement of thoracic surgical expertise helps to improve survival in this very complex patient cohort.

Extracorporeal lung support (ECLS) represents an essential support tool especially for critically ill patients undergoing thoracic surgical procedures. Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is an important treatment option for end-stage lung emphysema in carefully selected patients. Here, we report the efficacy of veno-venous ECLS (VV ECLS) as a bridge to or through LVRS in patients with end-stage lung emphysema and severe hypercapnia. Between January 2016 and May 2017, 125 patients with end-stage lung emphysema undergoing LVRS were prospectively enrolled into this study. Patients with severe hypercapnia caused by chronic respiratory failure were bridged to or through LVRS with low-flow VV ECLS (65 patients, group 1). Patients with preoperative normocapnia served as a control group (60 patients, group 2). In group 1, VV ECLS was implemented preoperatively in five patients and in 60 patients intraoperatively. Extracorporeal lung support was continued postoperatively in all 65 patients. Mean length of postoperative VV ECLS support was 3 ± 1 day. The 90 day mortality rate was 7.8% in group 1 compared with 5% in group 2 (p = 0.5). Postoperatively, a significant improvement was observed in quality of life, exercise capacity, and dyspnea symptoms in both groups. VV ECLS in patients with severe hypercapnia undergoing LVRS is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option. In particular, it increases the intraoperative safety, supports de-escalation of ventilatory strategies, and reduces the rate of postoperative complications in a cohort of patients considered "high risk" for LVRS in the current literature.

Background High morbidity and mortality are frequently reported in intensive care patients suffering from severe sepsis with systemic inflammation. With the development of severe respiratory failure, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is often required. In this study, cytokine adsorption therapy in combination with ECMO is applied in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to severe pneumogenic sepsis. The efficacy of this therapy is evaluated compared with a historical cohort without hemoadsorption therapy. Methods Between January and May 2018, combined high-flow venovenous ECMO and CytoSorb therapy (CytoSorb filter connected to ECMO circuit) was applied in patients (n = 13) with pneumogenic sepsis and ARDS. These patients were prospectively included (CytoSorb group). Data from patients (n = 7) with pneumogenic sepsis and ECMO therapy were retrospectively analyzed (control group). Results All patients survived in the CytoSorb group, where the 30-day mortality rate reached 57% in the control group. After CytoSorb therapy, we instantly observed a significant reduction in procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels compared with the control group. Within 48 hours, the initial high doses of catecholamine could be weaned off only in the CytoSorb group. Conclusions Our results indicate that CytoSorb in combination with ECMO is an effective therapy to prevent escalation of sepsis with rapid weaning off high-dose catecholamine infusions and quick reduction in PCT and CRP levels. Optimal timing of immunomodulatory therapy and impact on ECMO-related inflammation still need to be furtherly investigated.

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) is an important treatment option for end-stage lung emphysema in carefully selected patients. Here, we first describe the application of low-flow venovenous extracorporeal CO2 removal (LFVV-ECCO2R) as bridge to LVRS in patients with end-stage lung emphysema experiencing severe hypercapnia caused by acute failure of the breathing pump. Between March and October 2015, n = 4 patients received single-site LFVV-ECCO2R as bridge to LVRS. Indication for extracorporeal lung support was severe hypercapnia with respiratory acidosis and acute breathing pump failure. Two patients required continuous mechanical ventilation over a temporary tracheostomy and were bed ridden. The other two patients were nearly immobile because of severe dyspnea at rest. Length of preoperative ECCO2R was 14 (1-42) days. All patients underwent unilateral LVRS. Anatomical resection of the right (n = 3) or left (n = 1) upper lobe was performed. Postoperatively, both patients with previous mechanical ventilatory support were successfully weaned. ECCO2R in patients with end-stage lung emphysema experiencing severe hypercapnia caused by acute breathing pump failure is a safe and effective bridging tool to LVRS. In such patients, radical surgery leads to a significant improvement of the performance status and furthermore facilitates respiratory weaning from mechanical ventilation.

The application of extracorporeal lung support (ECLS) in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome is a well-established concept. In patients receiving ECLS therapy, hemodynamic monitoring is often required. However, less is known about the effect of ECLS on hemodynamic measurements. In the present work, the influence of single-site low-flow veno-venous ECLS (LFVV-ECLS) on hemodynamic monitoring by transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) was prospectively investigated. Five consecutive patients undergoing single-site LFVV-ECLS for severe hypercapnic respiratory failure were included in this study. For single-site LFVV-ECLS, a 22 Fr twin-port double-lumen cannula was inserted percutaneously into the right jugular vein. Hemodynamic monitoring was performed using the Pulse index Continuous Cardiac Output system. Before ECLS initiation, baseline measurements of cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, mean arterial pressure, and extravascular lung water (EVLW) were performed. During the first 3 days of ECLS therapy, repeated hemodynamic measurements at different ECLS flow rates were performed. No significant differences were seen in hemodynamic measurements. With respect to EVLW, a significant decrease over the duration of ECLS therapy was observed. This study demonstrates that LFVV-ECLS does not interfere with TPTD. It needs to be further studied if these findings also apply to other ECLS modes.

Der Effekt der intraartikularen (i.a.-)Bupivacaingabe auf die postoperativen Schmerzen nach arthroskopischen Operationen ist bisher vor allem am Kniegelenk untersucht worden; fur arthroskopische Operationen am Huftgelenk gibt es diesbezuglich keine Daten. In der vorliegenden prospektiven, randomisierten, doppelblinden Studie sollte erstmals der Effekt einer i.a.-Gabe von Bupivacain nach arthroskopischen Huftgelenkeingriffen evaluiert werden. Es wurden 26 Patienten in die Studie eingeschlossen: 13 Patienten erhielten nach dem arthroskopischen Eingriff 20 ml 0,25%iges Bupivacain i.a. uber den liegenden Trokar des Operateurs und 13 Patienten 20 ml 0,9%ige NaCl-Losung als Placebo. Postoperativ wurden nach 0,5; 4; 8; 12; 16 und 20 h sowohl die Schmerzintensitat in Ruhe, bei Beugung des Huftgelenks und auch der zusatzliche Piritramidverbrauch erfasst. Weiterhin wurde aus allen erhobenen VAS-Werten fur jeden Patient jeweils ein arithmetischer VAS-Mittelwert in Ruhe und bei Beugung errechnet. In Ruhe zeigte sich eine signifikant niedrigere Schmerzintensitat in der Bupivacaingruppe im Vergleich zur Placebogruppe (17,5 vs. 27,5; p=0,05), die sich bei Beugung noch ausgepragter darstellte (23 vs. 46; p=0,001). Der Piritramidverbrauch war in der Placebogruppe zu allen Zeitpunkten tendenziell, jedoch nicht signifikant hoher. Die i.a.-Gabe von Bupivacain bei arthroskopischen Huftgelenkoperationen reduziert postoperativ vor allem den dynamischen Schmerz und konnte somit ggf. eine fruhzeitigere Mobilisation ermoglichen.

Objectives Intraoperative extracorporeal lung support (ECLS) during thoracic surgical procedures is a modern concept that is gaining increasing acceptance. So far, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (v-a-ECMO) or pumpless arterio-venous interventional lung assist (iLA) were utilized for intraoperative support. Only a few case reports have described the use of veno-venous ECMO for intraoperative ECLS. Here, we report our experience with intraoperative ECLS using different veno-venous low-flow and high-flow settings adapted to the individual patient requirements. Methods Between April 2014 and April 2015, 9 patients underwent pulmonary resections under ECLS. In 6 patients, a twin-port double-lumen cannula was inserted percutaneously into the right femoral vein for low-flow ECLS. In 3 patients, high-flow ECLS was achieved either by femoro-atrial (n = 1) or femoro-jugular cannulation. Results Indications for ECLS were severely impaired lung function (n = 3), previous pulmonary resections including contralateral pneumonectomy (n = 4), previous single-lung transplantation (sLTX) (n = 1) and extended carinal pneumonectomy (n = 1). Procedures included segmentectomy (n = 3), extended lobectomy with bronchial and vascular anastomoses (n = 1), VATS lobectomy (n = 2), extended left-sided carinal pneumonectomy (n = 1) as well as extended metastasectomy (n = 2). Low-flow ECLS allowed for apnoea up to 45 min in patients with previous pneumonectomy (n = 3) and facilitated protective single-lung ventilation in patients (n = 3) with severely impaired pulmonary function. During trans-sternal carinal pneumonectomy (n = 1), high-flow ECLS achieved by femoro-atrial cannulation allowed for apnoea for 40 min, avoiding cross-field ventilation. In 2 patients requiring extended metastasectomy after previous lobectomy of the contralateral lower lobe (n = 1) or pulmonary metastases in the graft after sLTX for end-stage fibrosis (n = 1), high-flow ECLS by percutaneous femoro-jugular cannulation allowed for extensive metastasectomy under optimal atelectasis of the lung. Conclusions For intraoperative ECLS, different modes may be applied depending on the intended procedures and required mechanical ventilation. In our experience, different settings of veno-venous ECLS provide sufficient partial or complete lung support, avoiding possible complications associated with other forms of extracorporeal support such as CPB or v-a-ECMO.

Die Minimierung des perioperativen kardiovaskularen Risikos durch medikamentose Interventionen spielt in der Anasthesie eine wichtige Rolle. So hat z. B. die Therapie mit β-Blockern inzwischen einen festen Stellenwert in der perioperativen anasthesiologischen Behandlung erlangt. In der Literatur gibt es eine zunehmende Fulle an Hinweisen auf einen myokardprotektiven Effekt der volatilen Anasthetika. Dieses Phanomen wird mit dem Begriff der anasthetikainduzierten Prakonditionierung (AP) beschrieben. Tierexperimentelle Daten sind vielfaltig und komplex. Die Mechanismen der anasthetikainduzierten Kardioprotektion wurden eingehend untersucht, sind aber letztlich nicht abschliesend geklart. Auch erste klinische Daten belegen einen protektiven Effekt der inhalativen Anasthetika anhand von myokardialen Funktions- und Schadigungsparametern. Daher stellt sich fur den klinisch tatigen Anasthesisten die Frage einer praktischen Relevanz fur die Narkosefuhrung bei Patienten mit entsprechendem Risikoprofil. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Uberblick uber die derzeitigen wissenschaftlichen Ergebnisse mit einer Fokussierung auf die Mechanismen der anasthesiologischen Prakonditionierung und auf klinische Untersuchungen.

Viele in der Anasthesie verwendeten Pharmaka beeinflussen die cholinerge Erregungsubertragung; somit sind Cholinesterasehemmer Teil des pharmakologischen Repertoires des Fachgebietes. Neben der bisher klinisch etablierten Anwendung zur Antagonisierung der neuromuskularen Blockade und der Therapie des zentral anticholinergen Syndroms (ZAS) lassen die Ergebnisse von klinischen Studien und Fallberichten auch vorteilhafte Indikationen in der Therapie des postoperativen Kaltezitterns sowie der Intoxikations- und Delirbehandlung erkennen. Analgetische Wirkungen von Cholinesterasehemmern sind ebenfalls bekannt. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll die physiologischen und pharmakologischen Grundlagen zusammenfassen und einen aktuellen Uberblick uber die Einsatzmoglichkeiten dieser Substanzgruppe vermitteln.

Molecular biology has revolutionized medicine by increasing our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of disease and the ability to assess genetic risk. Individual differences in disease manifestation and course in intensive care medicine often cannot be explained by known phenotypic risk factors alone. Recent data suggest an association between specific genotypes and the risk of adverse clinical outcomes. This includes inflammatory responses (i.e. TNF-alpha, Il-10), infectious diseases such as pneumonia or meningitis, sepsis, ARDS, as well as the mortality of critically injured patients (polytrauma, severe brain trauma). Continued identification of such allotypes and haplotypes may not only provide insight as to why the response to treatment varies amongst individuals in the intensive care unit, but also may potentially decrease morbidity and mortality through improved risk assessment and the administration of prophylactic therapy.

Melagatran is a direct inhibitor of thrombin and-like its oral prodrug ximelagatran-a newly developed dipetide with high antithrombotic efficacy. They present a linear dose-response, a short plasma half-life and the therapeutic range may be advantageous compared with classic anticoagulants such as heparins or vitamin K antagonists. The results of clinical studies for prevention and treatment of thromboembolic complications are encouraging. The use of melagatran and ximelagatran will gain significance in the perioperative management, thus being of particular importance for anaesthesiology and critical care medicine in the near future.

The intraoperative application of extracorporeal lung support devices during thoracic surgical procedures represents a modern concept with promising results. So far, pumpless extracorporeal interventional lung assist and veno-venous or veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation via dual cannulation were utilized for complete or partial lung support throughout the surgical procedure. We report the initial intraoperative application of low-flow singular double-lumen veno-venous-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for extracorporeal lung support during lung resections in patients with severely impaired preoperative pulmonary function. In our hands, this novel concept contributed to the safe performance of complex surgery in pulmonary compromised patients avoiding the possible complications of other forms of extracorporeal support.

The effect of intra-articular bupivacaine on postoperative pain following arthroscopy has been intensively studied for the knee joint but no data are currently available for the hip joint. The aim of the present prospective, randomized and double-blind study was to evaluate a possible effect of intra-articular bupivacaine on postoperative pain intensity following hip arthroscopy. A total of 26 patients were included: 13 received 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine through the trocar at the end of surgery and 13 patients received 20 ml of 0.9% NaCl as placebo. Postoperative pain intensity was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) at 0.5 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h, 16 h and 20 h, at rest and during movement of the joint and on the basis of additional piritramide requirements. Furthermore, a mean VAS was calculated as the arithmetic mean of all VAS scores assessed over the whole study period. In the bupivacaine group, a significantly lower mean VAS was recorded at rest (17.5 vs 27.5, p=0.05) and during movement of the hip joint (23 vs. 46, p=0.001). The additional piritramide consumption tended to be higher in the placebo group. In conclusion, intra-articular bupivacaine following arthroscopic hip surgery reduces pain in the postoperative period mainly during movement and thus may possibly allow earlier mobilization.

Reduction of the perioperative cardiovascular risk with pharmacological interventions plays a prominent role in routine anesthesia practice. For example, perioperative beta-blockade is well established in anesthesiological treatment of patients. There is a growing body of evidence supporting the cardioprotective effects of volatile anesthetics known as anesthetic-induced preconditioning. There are numerous and complex data from animal studies. The mechanisms of anesthetic-induced preconditioning have been extensively studied but have still not been clearly identified. Initial clinical data show the cardioprotective effects of volatile agents by looking at parameters of myocardial function and laboratory values and therefore, the question of the relevance of these data for routine clinical practice has been raised. This review gives a summary of the currently available data focusing on the mechanisms of anesthesiological preconditioning and clinical studies.

Many drugs currently used in anaesthesia practice modify cholinergic transmission, therefore, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are a part of anaesthetic pharmacology. Besides its well established use in the antagonism of neuromuscular blockades and the therapy of central anticholinergic syndrome (CAS), results of controlled studies and case reports suggest other favourable indications such as the prevention and therapy of postanaesthetic shivering and the treatment of various types of intoxication and delirium. Cholinesterase inhibitors may also have analgesic properties. This review summarises the pharmacological and physiological background and describes favourable indications of this class of drugs.

Zusammenfassung Die enormen Fortschritte der molekularbiologischen Grundlagenforschung haben unser Verständnis der pathophysiologischen Mechanismen von Erkrankungen entscheidend vorangetrieben. Die große interindividuelle Variabilität von Krankheitsverläufen in der Intensivmedizin lässt sich häufig nicht allein durch bekannte Risikofaktoren erklären. Vielmehr scheint auch der Genotyp des einzelnen Patienten Inzidenz, Verlauf und Mortalität schwerster Krankheitsbilder zu verändern. Im Rahmen von Genassoziationsstudien wurde eine Vielzahl genetischer Polymorphismen untersucht, die in der Intensivmedizin eine Rolle spielen könnten. Beeinflusst werden neben Entzündungsreaktionen [z. B. Tumor-Nekrose-Faktor- (TNF-)α, Interleukin- (Il-)10] auch spezifische Infektionserkrankungen (Pneumonie, Meningitis), Sepsis oder „acute respiratory distress syndrome“ (ARDS) ebenso wie die Letalität schwerst traumatisierter Patienten [Polytrauma, Schädel-Hirn-Trauma (SHT)]. Die weitere Identifizierung solcher Allo- und Haplotypen kann nicht nur erklären, warum intensivmedizinische Patienten unterschiedlich auf vergleichbare Therapien ansprechen, sondern möglicherweise auch mittels verbesserter Risikostratifizierung und an den Genotyp des einzelnen Patienten angepasster Therapie zu einer Verringerung von Morbidität und Mortalität beitragen.

Melagatran is a direct inhibitor of thrombin and-like its oral prodrug ximelagatran-a newly developed dipetide with high antithrombotic efficacy. They present a linear dose-response, a short plasma half-life and the therapeutic range may be advantageous compared with classic anticoagulants such as heparins or vitamin K antagonists. The results of clinical studies for prevention and treatment of thromboembolic complications are encouraging. The use of melagatran and ximelagatran will gain significance in the perioperative management, thus being of particular importance for anaesthesiology and critical care medicine in the near future.