Spontaneous ascites filtration and reinfusion (SAFR): self-care treatment for patients with intractable ascites.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Fracasso.
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The authors have compared the clinical and metabolic effects of two high ceiling diuretics, muzolimine (M) and furosemide (F), by i.v. and oral routes in 40 patients classified in four groups with different degrees of renal failure. The study demonstrated a more pronounced effectiveness of M than F by oral administration, while it appeared equal to F when given i.v. The urine volume and Na+ excretion were significantly increased during M treatment compared to oral F in each group. Calcium urinary excretion was reduced with M while P was increased compared with F. BUN, creatinine and uric acid were temporarily increased in the 3rd and 4th groups, probably due to extracellular fluid volume contraction, associated also with transient change in GFR. M at a lower dosage than F has demonstrated an effective diuretic response irrespective the degree of renal impairment. From its pharmacological properties, M appears a safe and active diuretic agent, particularly at a high dosage in patients with severe renal failure, and is notable for its lack of important side effects.
The authors have compared during 4 weeks of study the effects of furosemide (F) by oral route or i.v. and muzolimine (M)/os in 10 patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and normal renal function. A satisfactory diuretic response was observed with i.v. F (100 mg) and M/os (30-60 mg) with respect to the basal condition (P less than 0.001), while F/os (100 mg) was ineffective in these patients. This behaviour may be explained by the different pharmacological properties of M vs. F, by gut alterations due to the oedema of mucosa or loss of some "carrier(s)" operating for intestinal absorption of these two high ceiling diuretics.
Since knowledge about the pathogenesis of hepato-renal syndrome (HRS) is incomplete, the therapy is empiric and supportive. While a number of specific therapeutic measures have been attempted, none has been proved to be of practical value. We describe a very simple technique for concentration of ascitic fluid obtained with spontaneous filtration by gravity. We have been treating with this new device 4 patients affected by HRS with ascites refractory to diuretics. We obtained a rapid disappearance of ascites and improvement in clinical condition. The simplicity and the ease of operation make this technique feasible for repeated chronic ambulatory treatment.
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Among 55 uremic patients who entered our CAPD program, 7 of them showed a reduction or loss of the ultrafiltration capacity (UF) of the peritoneal membrane (PM). They have been treated with high dose of Furosemide (F) to force residual urine output. Four appeared "responders" to drug administration with a significant increase in urine volume, Na excretion and, within a week period gained their dry body weight (BW). In the remaining 3 patients drug therapy resulted ineffective, and fluid removal was obtained by hemofiltration (HF). In both groups we noted an increase in the UF capacity of PM when their dry BW was obtained either by pharmacological or technical approach. These results support the assumption that the over-hydration status of the PM plays a major role in maintaining the UF process.
Lysagth et al have reported a semplified model of spontaneous plasmapheresis by placing between an A-V shunt a conventional plasmafilter. On the basis of this experience we tried to make a further semplification of this apparatus using a single venous puncture, obtaining by gravity sufficient transmembrane pressure for plasma separation. By alternatively lowering and elevating the system, plasma is separated from the blood and packed red cells are reinfused after a new pass through the filter with FFP or plasma substitutes.
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Plasma-exchange (PE) represents an effective therapeutic approach employed in several immunological nephropathies, poisonings and various other diseases. Hemodynamic changes during intermittent flow PE were studied--using the thermodilution technique--in 8 patients (3 male and 5 female) aged between 36 and 73 years (mean 46.4). The mean values for the following parameters were measured before, during every cycle--exchanging about 300 ml of fresh frozen plasma--and at the end of the session: mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac index (Cl), stroke index (SI), total peripheral resistence (TPR), central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). During the first exchange the systemic circulation showed hemodynamic changes similar that of an acute hemorrhagic condition: decrease in MAP (from 106 to 97 mmHg), Cl (from 4.27 to 3.7 L/m'/m2), SI (from 53 to 49 ml/beat/m2) and CVP (from 6.9 to 4.4 mmHg); increase in TPR (from 1230 to 1339) dynes/sec/cm-5), while HR showed only mild changes. In the following cycles all the parameters progressively returned toward the previous values. During the first cycle the pulmonary circulation showed a decrease in PAP (from 15.5 to 13 mmHg) and PCWP (from 8.9 to 6.6 mmHg). PAP also increased constantly in the following cycles reaching at the end of the session levels which were higher than the initial ones. Our data demonstrate that in PE treatment especially when is employed a low volume of fluid, has to be substituted at every cycle in order to prevent the major hemodynamic complications i.e. hypovolemic shock and heart failure.
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Vascular instability represents the most frequent intradialytic complication of uremic patients. Catecholamine impairment, changes in plasma sodium or osmolality and, more recently, temperature (T) of dialysate have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. In order to evaluate the role of T in hemodynamic stability, we studied the effect of cooling dialysate in 5 patients (3 m, 2 f), who often experienced hypotension during dialytic sessions. Dialysate T was lowered, leading to a body T decrease of 1.5 degrees C, measured by a thermistor in the pulmonary artery. Ultrafiltration was kept constant during both "warm" (W) and "cold" (C) hemodialysis (HD). Systemic and pulmonary hemodynamic parameters were studied by thermodilution technique. The evaluation was performed in the same patients during W-HD and C-HD with the same dialysate composition. MAP showed a significant reduction during the first hour under both dialysis conditions. Subsequently a further decrease of MAP was observed in W-HD, while it remained stable in C-HD. CI and SI demonstrated similar trends, whereas HR showed no major changes. TPRI appeared significantly higher during C-HD compared to W-HD, with no clinical symptoms of hypotension. Similarly pulmonary parameters resulted in a better cardiovascular stability during C-HD. Our hemodynamic study confirms the important role played by T on intradialytic vascular stability and may explain the better control observed during hemofiltration compared to standard W-HD.
Twenty patients presenting with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) in infancy underwent cardiac repair. Four had associated major intracardiac anomalies (complex TAPVC) and 16 had isolated TAPVC. All patients with complex lesions died during or shortly after the operation; they all had pulmonary venous obstruction (PVO). The associated malformations were critical pulmonary stenosis (one case), multiple ventricular septal defects (VSDs) (one case), mitral atresia (one case), and asplenia syndrome with common atrioventricular valve, double-outlet right ventricle, and pulmonary stenosis (one case). Among the patients with isolated lesions there were two surgical deaths, both in infants less than 1 month of age, with severe PVO and subdiaphragmatic drainage. Statistical analysis of these data shows a strongly incremental risk of surgical death due to the presence of associated malformations. Analysis of just isolated TAPVC shows a possible incremental effect due to neonatal age (less than 1 month) and PVO, these two factors being not clearly separated. There have been no late deaths and no late complications among the 14 survivors followed from 7 months to 10 years (mean 44 months). An aggressive surgical approach regardless of the age, degree of pulmonary hypertension, and type of anatomic connection is advised for isolated TAPVC. Some caution is recommended for complex TAPVC, in which a much higher risk is anticipated, particularly when a palliative pulmonary vein-to-left atrium anastomosis is performed.
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