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C Triginer

Publications and source records attributed to C Triginer.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Early ischaemia after severe head injury. Preliminary results in patients with diffuse brain injuries.

Ischaemic brain lesions still have a high prevalence in fatally head injured patients and are the single most important cause of secondary brain damage. The present study was undertaken to explore the acute phase of severely head injured patients in order to detect early ischaemia using Robertson's approach of estimating cerebral blood flow (CBF) from calculated arterio-jugular differences of oxygen (AVDO2), lactates (AVDL), and the lactate-oxygen index (LOI). Twenty-eight cases with severe head injury were included (Glasgow Coma Scale Score below or equal to 8). All patients but one had a non-missile head injury. All the patients had a diffuse brain injury according to the admission CT scan. ICP measured at the time of admission was below 20 mmHg in 17 cases (61%). All patients were evaluated with the ischaemia score (IS) devised in our center to evaluate risk factors for developing ischaemia. Mean time from injury to the first AVDO2/AVDL study was 23.9 +/- 9.9 hours. According to Robertson's criteria, 13 patients (46%) had a calculated LOI (-AVDL/AVDO2) value above or equal to 0.08 and therefore an ischaemia/infarction pattern in the first 24 hours after the accident. Of the 15 patients without the ischaemia/infarction pattern, in three cases the CBF was below the metabolic demands and therefore in a situation of compensated hypoperfusion. No patient in our series had hyperaemia. Comparing different variables in ischaemic and non-ischaemic patients, only arterial haemoglobin and ischaemia score (IS) was significantly different in both groups. The ischaemia score had mean of 4.3 +/- 1.7 in the ischaemic group and 2.7 +/- 1.4 in non-ischaemic patients (p = 0.01). It is concluded that ischaemia is highly prevalent in the early period after severe head injury. Factors potentially responsible of early ischaemia are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Changes in gentamicin pharmacokinetic profiles induced by mechanical ventilation.

The influence of controlled mechanical ventilation (CMV) on the pharmacokinetic profile of gentamicin has been examined in 23 patients after elective open heart surgery. A parallel design was adopted in two groups of patients; 13 patients requiring CMV for at least 32 h after surgery, all of whom were able to breath spontaneously (SB) after 72 h (study group), and 10 patients who required CMV for only a brief period and who showed SB at 32 h postsurgery. Haemodynamic parameters remained stable throughout the study. Apparent volume of distribution (VZ), half-life (t1/2), total clearance (CL), peak (Cmax") and trough (Cmin") plasma levels at steady-state for target levels (6-8 microgram/ml), were measured. In the study group significant differences between CMV and SB conditions were found in VZ (mean 0.36 and 0.25 l/kg). t1/2 (mean 3.63 and 2.90 h) and Cmax" (mean 4.30 and 5.53 microgram/ml) while Cmin" (mean 1.06 microgram.ml-1 and 0.92 microgram.ml-1) did not change significantly. In contrast, the pharmacokinetics in the control group showed no differences. It appears that CMV leads to an increase in gentamicin Vz which accounts for the fall in Cmax" below the therapeutic dose range (less than 5 microgram/ml) recommended for gentamicin. It seems advisable to use a large dose of gentamicin in patients receiving CMV, even before the level is assessed.

Adult↗

Gentamicin volume of distribution in critically ill septic patients.

Gentamicin intrapatient pharmacokinetics variations were studied in 40 critically ill medical patients, suffering gram-negative sepsis. These patients were studied in two phases throughout gentamicin treatment: firstly, on the second day of treatment, when aggressive fluid therapy was required, and secondly, five days later, when patients had achieved a more stable clinical condition. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using least squares linear regression analysis assuming a one-compartment model using the Sawchuk-Zaske method. The apparent volume of distribution (Vd) in the first phase of the study was 0.43 +/- 0.12 L/kg, while on the seventh day of treatment it was 0.29 +/- 0.17 L/kg (p less than 0.001). Statistically significant differences were also observed for peak serum concentration (p less than 0.001), total dosage recommended (p less than 0.001) and half-life (p less than 0.05), whilst differences were not found for trough levels. From the analysis of the results obtained, we recommend increasing the initial dosage and monitoring plasma levels within the first days of therapy in critically ill patients treated with gentamicin, since important variations in aminoglycoside Vd related to disease, fluid balance and renal function, commonly occur in these patients.

Adult↗

[Malignant nongranulomatous pulmonary hypertension in a patient addicted to parenteral drugs].

We report the first case in the Spanish literature of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) caused by vascular sclerosis in a parenteral drug abuser female. The clinical diagnosis of PHT was confirmed in the necropsy study, which ruled out granulomas and discovered only vascular sclerosis and hypertrophy as causative factors of the clinical picture. The different etiological and pathogenetical mechanisms reported in the literature as causing PHT in this type of patients are reviewed.

Adult↗