Contribution of arterial stiffness and stroke volume to peripheral pulse pressure in ICU patients: an arterial tonometry study

Objective Peripheral arterial pulse pressure is increasingly used to assess hemodynamic status. Our aim was to test the respective influence of arterial stiffness, stroke volume, peripheral resistance, and various hemodynamic and demographic variables on peripheral pulse pressure in critically ill patients. Design Prospective study. Setting Medical intensive care unit of a university hospital. Interventions None. Patients 67 sinus rhythm patients (mean age 57 ± 17 years) of whom 17 received vasoactive agents. Measurements and results The stroke volume was calculated by Doppler echocardiography. Radial pressures were calibrated from systolic and diastolic brachial cuff pressures. Central aortic pressure was estimated by radial applanation tonometry. The arterial compliance was estimated from the aortic pressure curve using the area method and the arterial stiffness was calculated as 1/compliance. The influences of age, body surface area, arterial stiffness, stroke volume, peripheral resistance, and time intervals on peripheral pulse pressure were tested using univariate and multivariate analyses. The mean arterial pressure ranged from 42 to 113 mmHg. Peripheral pulse pressure (59 ± 17 mmHg) was higher than aortic pulse pressure (40 ± 14 mmHg, p < 0.001). In patients aged ≥ 60 years whose mean arterial pressure was ≥ 80 mmHg, peripheral pulse pressure was related to arterial stiffness (r ² = 0.41) and to stroke volume (multiple r ² = 0.90). A similar but weaker relationship was observed in the overall population (multiple r ² = 0.52). Conclusions In critically ill patients, and especially in aged subjects with hemodynamic stability, peripheral pulse pressure mainly reflected the combined influences of arterial stiffness and stroke volume. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Respiratory failure in the elderly patient

Respiratory failure frequently complicates the care of elderly patients with or without chronic lung disease. Recent advances in techniques and applications of noninvasive ventilation provide an exceedingly useful means of managing respiratory compromise, and the clinical utilization of noninvasive mechanical ventilation has transformed the prognosis of acute and chronic respiratory failure in this age group. The majority of elderly patients can recover from an acute respiratory failure episode if adequate support is provided, although some may require long-term ventilatory assistance. Such assistance may be provided in the home setting if an adequate support system is available. As the size of the elderly population grows, an increased number of elderly patients with multifactorial respiratory failure will undoubtedly require episodic or sustained ventilatory assistance, and noninvasive ventilation can be provided for various forms of acute and chronic respiratory failure, including advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, other parenchymal lung disease, and chest wall deformities. Health care organizations must incorporate long-term care facilities with ventilatory support capabilities into their health management strategies.     

Effect of donor CTLA-4 alleles and haplotypes on graft-versus-host disease occurrence in Tunisian patients receiving a human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplant

The CTLA-4 genetic variation, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may be critical and can affect the functional activity of cells that initiate the graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) effects. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of donor CTLA-4 alleles and haplotypes for the -318C>T and the 49A>G polymorphisms on the occurrence of GVHD in Tunisians recipients of HSCs. A total of 112 patients and their 112 respective sibling donors of HSCs were enrolled in this study. All patients had either grades 0-I or grades II-IV acute GVHD, or chronic GVHD. The SNPs genotyping assay was performed using sets of sequence specific primers (SSP-PCR). The single marker association analysis showed that the 49G allele, in a genetic recessive model, may be a potential risk factor only for the chronic GVHD (p = 0.032, odds ratio [OR] = 2.58, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-6.32). The haplotypes analyses showed that the CTLA-4 -318C49G nucleotide combination is significantly associated with the incidence of chronic GVHD (p = 0.043, χ2 = 3.27). Donor CTLA-4 -318C49G haplotype may be a significant risk factor for developing chronic GVHD after allo-stem cell transplantation. We suppose that donor T cells expressing this haplotype in a homozygous state have higher proliferation than those expressing other haplotypes, especially after recognition of the recipient's minor histocompatibility antigens.     

Predictive factors of septic shock and mortality in neutropenic patients

Neutropenia is a major risk factor for developing a serious infection. Bacteremia still causes significant mortality among neutropenic patients with cancer. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for septic shock and for mortality in neutropenic patients with leukemia and bacteremia. Consecutive samples from 20 patients with acute myeloid leukemia and bacteremia were studied during a 1 year period (January-December 2003). All patients received empirical antibiotic therapies for febrile episodes using ceftazidime plus amikacin. About 110 neutropenic febrile episodes were noted: clinically documented 14.54%, microbiologically documented 16.36% and fever of unknown origin 69.09%. Gram-negative organism caused eight febrile episodes: Pseudomonas (5), Klebsiella (3). Gram-positive organism caused 10 episodes: Staphylococcus (6), Streptococci (2), Enterococci (2). Pulmonary infection accounted for 25% of clinically documented infections. About 14 of the 110 febrile episodes were associated with septic shock causing mortality in 7 patients. In a univariate analysis variables associated with septic shock were: pulmonary infection (OR = 17, p = 0.001), serum bicarbonate < 17 mmol/l (OR = 68, p < 0.001) and serum lactate >3 mmol/l (OR = 62, p < 0.001). Variables associated with mortality were: pulmonary infection (OR = 83, p < 0.001) and serum bicarbonate < 17 mmol/l (OR = 61, p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis two variables were associated with septic shock: pulmonary infection (OR = 5, p = 0.043) and serum lactate >3 mmol/l (OR = 10, p = 0.003). An elevated serum lactate (>3 mmol/l) and low serum bicarbonate ( < 17 mmol/l) at the onset of bacteremia are useful biomarkers in predicting septic shock and mortality in neutropenic patients.     

Association of psychosocial risk screening in pediatric cancer with psychosocial services provided

Objective: How screening for psychosocial risk in pediatric oncology may relate to the number and type of psychosocial services provided is a critical step in linking screening with treatment. We predicted that screening at diagnosis would be associated with the delivery of more psychosocial services over 8 weeks and that these services would be consistent with Universal, Targeted, or Clinical psychosocial risk level based on the Pediatric Psychosocial Preventative Health Model (PPPHM). Methods: Parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer received either the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT; n = 49) or psychosocial care as usual (PAU; n = 47), based on their date of diagnosis and an alternating monthly schedule. Medical record review and surveys completed by social workers and child life specialists were used to determine psychosocial services provided to patients and their families over the first eight weeks of treatment. Results: As predicted, families in the PAT condition received more services than those in PAU based on social worker and child life specialist report and medical record review. Within the PAT group, families at the Targeted and Clinical levels of risk received more intensive services than those at the Universal level. Conclusions: This initial report shows how psychosocial risk screening may impact psychosocial care in pediatric cancer, supporting the importance of screening as well as matching services to risk level. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cutaneous lupus profundus]

The objective of this studies is to review clinical and laboratory features of lupus panniculitis. The authors report 3 cases of lupus profundus from a group of 70 lupus erythematosus. In both cases the lupus panniculitis presented as subcutaneous infiltrated and indurated nodules. The diagnosis was confirmed on clinical, histological and therapeutic data. The evolution is slow and is characterised by regression of the inflammatory lesions with treatment by antimalarial drugs. The lupus panniculitis has generally a favorable prognosis.