Outcome in a post-cardiac surgery population with acute renal failure requiring dialysis: does age make a difference?

BACKGROUND: Acute renal failure (ARF), requiring dialysis (ARF-d), develops in 1-5% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery and is associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Age is one of the known risk factors for the development of ARF. As the ageing population is increasing, the nephrologist will be faced with a large population of elderly patients requiring dialysis following cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of age on and the risk factors for in-hospital mortality. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with ARF following cardiac surgery and requiring dialysis between January 1997 and October 2001 were included. Two groups of patients were studied: the younger population (<70 years, 42 patients, mean age 59+/-10) and an elderly population (>/=70 years, 40 patients, mean age 76+/-4). Severity of disease was evaluated using the SAPS (Simplified Acute Physiology Score), the Liano score and the SHARF (Stuivenberg Hospital Acute Renal Failure) score. RESULTS: Overall mortality in the population with ARF-d was 56.1%. No difference in mortality rate was found between the younger (61.9%) and elderly patient group (50.0%). The two groups were very similar in baseline and procedural characteristics with exception of body weight (P=0.02) and preoperative glomerular filtration rate (P=0.0001). No significant difference was found in the scoring systems between the old and the young (SAPS P=0.52; Liano P=0.96; SHARF T0 P=0.06; SHARF T48 P=0.15). Mortality in the elderly was significantly correlated with hypotension before starting renal replacement therapy (RRT) (P=0.002), mechanical ventilation (P=0.002), presence of multiorgan failure (MOF) (P=0.0001) and higher scores in the severity models (SAPS: P=0.01; Liano: P<0.0001 and SHARF: P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The outcome in the elderly requiring dialysis due to ARF post-cardiac surgery is comparable with the outcome in a younger population. No significant difference was found in severity of disease between the elderly and the younger. Variables predicting mortality in the elderly are the presence of MOF, mechanical ventilation and hypotension 24 h before starting RRT. These findings indicate that at the time the nephrologist is called for an elderly patient requiring dialysis due to ARF following cardiac surgery, age per se is not a reason to withhold RRT.     

Multiple organ failure and outcome of critically ill patients with haematological malignancy

BACKGROUND: The number of failing organs systems in ICU patients with haematological malignancy is associated with outcome. The objective of this study was to assess short and long-term survival in these patients with special reference to multiple organ failure reflected by the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) score. METHODS: Retrospective chart review of haematological patients admitted to the 10-bed intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary level academic teaching hospital from 1994 to 1998. Of 31 admitted patients with the diagnosis of haematological malignancy, the charts of 30 were available for analysis. RESULTS: Univariate logistic regression analysis of factors previously shown to influence survival revealed that only admission SOFA score and untreated status of haematological disease were significantly associated with survival (P < 0.05). ICU, 3-month and one-year survival rates were 57% (17/30), 23% (7/30) and 20% (6/30), respectively. If maximal SOFA score during the ICU stay was included in a multivariate model comprising treatment status and effect, admission day SOFA and APACHE II scores, mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy and neutropenia, the maximal SOFA score became the only independent variable. All patients with an admission SOFA score exceeding 11 died in hospital. Leave-one-out method revealed that admission SOFA scores and the status of haematological disease (untreated or not) correctly classified 83% (25 of 30) of patients to survivors or non-survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple organ failure assessed as SOFA score on admission and status of disease were associated with outcome in critically ill patients with haematological malignancy.     

Anti-inflammatory cytokine response and the development of multiple organ failure in severe sepsis

BACKGROUND: The production of proinflammatory cytokines activates the systemic inflammatory response in sepsis. Patients also develop a compensatory anti-inflammatory reaction, which may have an important down-regulatory effect on the overactive inflammation. However, the role of this anti-inflammatory response in sepsis is not completely clarified. In this prospective study, we investigated the relationship between the pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine profiles in severe sepsis and their role in the development of multiple organ failure (MOF). METHODS: Thirty-eight patients meeting the criteria for severe sepsis were studied. MOF was defined as a maximum SOFA score of 10 or higher. Serial measurements of the proinflammatory IL-6 and IL-1beta and the anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-1ra were used. The cytokine samples were taken at the onset of sepsis and on the third and fifth day during the ICU period. RESULTS: The initial IL-10 and IL-1ra responses were identical in patients with or without MOF. The anti-inflammatory cytokine levels remained elevated in the MOF patients, whereas in patients without MOF the levels declined. The IL-6/IL-10 ratio was significantly higher in the MOF patients on days 1 and 3 compared with patients without MOF. CONCLUSIONS: We could not demonstrate overproduction of anti-inflammatory IL-10 in MOF patients. On the contrary, the high IL-6/IL-10 ratio indicates that IL-10 deficiency may contribute to the development of MOF in severe sepsis.     

Nilutamide as second line hormone therapy for prostate cancer after androgen ablation fails

PURPOSE: We investigate the prostate specific antigen (PSA) response rate with nilutamide as a second line hormonal agent in patients with advanced prostate cancer in whom androgen ablation failed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2001, 28 patients with hormone resistant prostate cancer were treated with nilutamide as second line hormonal therapy. Average patient age +/- SD was 72.9 +/- 9.1 years. Median time from diagnosis of cancer to hormone failure was 48 months (range 2 to 120). Median followup from initiation of nilutamide therapy was 26 months (range 15 to 44). All patients had previously received at least 1 antiandrogen (flutamide or bicalutamide) in addition to medical or surgical castration, which failed. RESULTS: Upon initiation of nilutamide therapy 18 of the 28 patients (64%) had an initial reduction in PSA and 8 (29%) sustained a PSA response (greater than 50% decrease) beyond 3 months (range 3 to 21). PSA response to nilutamide in patients with a previous antiandrogen withdrawal response versus nonresponse was 100% and 18%, respectively. In 10 of the 28 patients, (36%) PSA continued to increase. Interstitial pneumonitis developed, in 1 patient and 5 had nonspecific complaints (headaches, nausea, dizziness). During followup 6 of the 28 patients died 1 of whom was a nilutamide responder. No patient died while on nilutamide. CONCLUSIONS: Nilutamide can achieve a significant sustained PSA response with a favorable toxicity profile. Patients with a previous antiandrogen withdrawal response have a significantly greater chance of responding to nilutamide.     

Percutaneous necrosectomy in patients with acute, necrotizing pancreatitis

The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy. By searching the radiological, surgical and internal medicine databases, all patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis treated by active percutaneous necrosectomy between 1992 and 2004 were identified. Demographic, laboratory, and clinical data, and details about invasive procedures were collected by reviewing patient charts, radiological and surgical reports. The computed tomography severity index (CTSI) scores were determined by reviewing CT images. Eighteen patients were identified. Median Ranson score on admission was 2. The Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was median 22. Median CTSI score was 7. Initially all patients were treated with CT-guided drainage placement. Because passive drainage proved not to be effective, subsequent minimally invasive, percutaneous necrosectomy was performed. Eight out of 18 patients recovered fully without the need for surgery. Ten of 18 patients required additional surgical necrosectomy. For one of ten patients, percutaneous necrosectomy allowed postponing surgery by 39 days. Four of ten surgically treated patients died: three from septic multiorgan failure, one from pulmonary embolism. Percutaneous minimally invasive necrosectomy can be regarded as a safe and effective complementary treatment modality in patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. It is suitable for a subset of patients to avoid or delay surgery.     

Stunned myocardium in transient left ventricular apical ballooning: A serial study of dual I-123 BMIPP and Tl-201 SPECT

Background. This study was designed to assess the influence of coronary endothelial function and the serial changes of dual myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging in transient left ventricular (LV) apical ballooning. Methods and Results. We evaluated 35 consecutive patients (8 men and 27 women; mean age, 71 ±13 years) with transient LV apical ballooning. All patients underwent coronary angiography with acetylcholine provocation 1 month after onset. Iodine 123 β-methyl-p-iodophenyl-pentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) and thallium 201 dual myocardial SPECT was serially performed on day 1 of admission and 1 month and 6 months later. In 8 of 35 patients (23%), epicardial coronary spasm was induced by acetylcholine infusion. At the peak acetylcholine dose (100 μg), diffuse coronary vasoconstriction developed in 19 of 35 patients (54%). Of 19 patients, 13 had diffuse coronary vasoconstriction with chest pain and ST-segment depression. The total defect score of I-123 BMIPP and Tl-201 SPECT showed marked perfusion-fatty acid metabolic mismatches (13.7±3.6 vs 8.7±2.3, P<.001) at the LV apex during the acute phase but few mismatched areas (2.1±1.1 vs 1.5±1.4, P = not significant) at 6 months. Conclusions. Transient LV apical ballooning might be caused by stress-induced coronary epicardial spasm or endothelial dysfunction, resulting in myocardial stunning.     

Value of comprehensive renal ultrasound in children with acute urinary tract infection for assessment of renal involvement: comparison with DMSA scintigraphy and final diagnosis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of comprehensive renal ultrasound (US), i.e., combining greyscale US and amplitude-coded color Doppler sonography (aCDS), for assessment of urinary tract infection (UTI) in infants and children, compared to (1) ^99mTc DMSA scintigraphy and (2) final diagnosis. Two hundred eighty-seven children with UTI underwent renal comprehensive US and DMSA scintigraphy. The results were compared with regard to their reliability to diagnose renal involvement, using (1) DMSA scintigraphy and (2) final diagnosis as the gold standard. Sixty-seven children clinically had renal involvement. Sensitivity increased from 84.1% using only aCDS to 92.1% for the combined US approach, using DMSA scintigraphy as the reference standard. When correlated with the final diagnosis, sensitivity for DMSA scintigraphy was 92.5%; sensitivity for comprehensive US was 94.0%. Our data demonstrate an increasing sensitivity using the combination of renal greyscale US supplemented by aCDS for differentiation of upper from lower UTI. Sensitivity for DMSA and comprehensive US was similar for both methods compared to the final diagnosis. Comprehensive US should gain a more important role in the imaging algorithm of children with acute UTI, thereby reducing the radiation burden.     

高原重症急性胰腺炎早期相关因素的对比分析

 目的 探讨高原地区重症急性胰腺炎(SAP)患者的早期相关的危险因素及用以制定相应的治疗策略.方法 回顾性对比分析地处高原和平原的两组患者,分别将其设为高原组(63例)和平原组(64例).通过对两组患者的一般情况、APACHE Ⅱ评分、是否伴有血液浓缩、休克、低氧血症等合并症,以及早期不同的处理方式等因素对SAP病死率的影响进行Logisic 分析.结果 高原组SAP患者早期在血液浓缩(HCT＞50%)、低氧血症、休克,以及并发多脏器功能障碍综合征(MODS)方面明显高于平原组的患者,差异有显著性(P＜0.01).平原组患者由于后期治疗策略的转变,采用了早期液体足量复苏,早期机械通气,伴腹腔高压者早期行腹腔引流等,其病死率下降,与高原组比较,差异有显著性(P＜0.01).结论 高原地区sAP患者早期并发MODS及死亡的危险因素与血液浓缩、休克、低氧血症,以及与临床处理的方式有关.积极纠正低氧血症,液体足量复苏纠正休克和改善血液浓缩,控制炎症反应是阻止SAP早期发生MODS的关键.     

盆腔恶性肿瘤致肾后性肾衰竭的双介入治疗

目的探讨经皮穿刺顺行输尿管支架置放术结合区域性动脉化疗对盆腔原发或转移性肿瘤合并急性肾衰竭的临床价值及安全性。方法对18例盆腔恶性肿瘤伴双侧输尿管梗阻致肾后性肾功能不全的患者,行一侧经皮穿刺顺行放置输尿管支架,肾功能恢复后3～5d行区域性动脉插管化疗。结果17例输尿管支架置放术一次手术获成功,1例患者左侧肾造瘘失败且发生肾周血肿,后经导管节段性动脉栓塞止血,5d后经右肾造瘘成功。无其他严重并发症。术前血肌酐175.40～1040.70μmol/L,6例存在出血倾向,所有患者肾造瘘2～7d后肾功能恢复正常,随后进行3～8次动脉常规剂量化疗。随访时间3～15个月,平均7个月。结论经皮穿刺顺行输尿管支架置放术结合区域性动脉化疗,治疗盆腔原发或转移性肿瘤合并急性肾衰竭安全、可行、并发症少,可延长患者生存期。     

哈乐在良性前列腺增生伴急性尿潴留中的应用

目的 :探讨α1A肾上腺素能受体阻滞剂哈乐 (tamsulosin)对良性前列腺增生 (BPH)伴急性尿潴留病人的治疗作用。方法 :对 72例BPH伴急性尿潴留病人采用随机、对照研究 ,分为治疗组和对照组。病人均行保留导尿 ,口服抗生素治疗。治疗组加用哈乐 0 .4mg ,1次 /d ,连续服用 3次。 72h后拔除导尿管。　结果 :拔除导尿管后 4 4 % (32 / 72 )的病人能自行排尿。有效率治疗组为 6 1% (2 2 / 36 ) ,对照组为 2 8% (10 / 36 ) ,两组比较差异有显著性 (P <0 .0 1)。　结论 :对BPH伴急性尿潴留应用哈乐治疗 ,可提高早期拔除导尿管后病人自行排尿的成功率 ,且疗效与前列腺体积大小无关。