Calcium in neonatal cardioplegia.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L A Robinson.
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Microbial contamination of parenteral nutrition solutions is a preventable cause of in patients receiving nutrition support. The components of the parenteral nutrition solutions have variable microbial growth potential. Crystalline amino acid and dextrose solutions are poor growth media for bacteria but may support fungal growth. Lipid emulsions provide an excellent medium for growth of bacteria and fungal species. Total nutrient admixtures will support microbial growth better than standard parenteral nutrition solutions will but less well than will lipid emulsion alone. Control of infection related to contaminated infusate depends on compounding procedure, quality control, appropriate storage, and procedures to prevent in-use contamination. Guidelines are presented for the preparation and administration of parenteral nutrition infusates that will minimize microbial contamination.
The concentration of calcium (1.2 mmol/L) in clinical St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution was chosen several years ago after dose-response studies in the normothermic isolated heart. However, recent studies with creatine phosphate in St. Thomas' Hospital solution demonstrated that additional myocardial protection during hypothermia resulted principally from its calcium-lowering effect in the solution. The isolated working rat heart model was therefore used to establish the optimal calcium concentration in St. Thomas' Hospital solution during lengthy hypothermic ischemia (20 degrees C, 300 minutes). The calcium content of standard St. Thomas' Hospital solution was varied from 0.0 to 1.5 mmol/L in eight treatment groups (n = 6 for each group). During ischemia, hearts were exposed to multidose cardioplegia (3 minutes every 30 minutes). Postischemic recovery of function was expressed as a percentage of preischemic control values. Release of creatine kinase and the time to return of sinus rhythm during the reperfusion period were also measured. These dose-response studies during hypothermic ischemia revealed a broad range of acceptable calcium concentrations (0.3 to 0.9 mmol/L), which appear optimal in St. Thomas' Hospital solution at 0.6 mmol/L. This concentration improved the postischemic recovery of aortic flow from 22.0% +/- 5.9% with control St. Thomas' Hospital solution (calcium concentration 1.2 mmol/L) to 86.0% +/- 4.0% (p less than 0.001). Other indices of functional recovery showed similar dramatic results. Creatine kinase release was reduced 84% (p less than 0.01) in the optimal calcium group. Postischemic reperfusion arrhythmias were diminished with the loser calcium concentration, with a significant decrease in the time between initial reperfusion until the return of sinus rhythm. In contrast, acalcemic St. Thomas' Hospital solution precipitated the calcium paradox with massive enzyme release and no functional recovery. Unlike prior published calcium dose-response studies at normothermia, these results demonstrate that the optimal calcium concentration during clinically relevant hypothermic ischemia is considerably lower than that of normal serum ionized calcium (1.2 mmol/L) and appears ideal at 0.6 mmol/L to realize even greater cardioprotective and antiarrhythmic effects with St. Thomas' Hospital solution.
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Previous quantitative reviews of research on the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression have included only a subset of the available research or limited their focus to a single outcome measure. The present review offers a more comprehensive quantitative integration of this literature. Using studies that compared psychotherapy with either no treatment or another form of treatment, this article assesses (a) the overall effectiveness of psychotherapy for depressed clients, (b) its effectiveness relative to pharmacotherapy, and (c) the clinical significance of treatment outcomes. Findings from the review confirm that depressed clients benefit substantially from psychotherapy, and these gains appear comparable to those observed with pharmacotherapy. Initial analysis suggested some differences in the efficacy of various types of treatment; however, once the influence of investigator allegiance was removed, there remained no evidence for the relative superiority of any 1 approach. In view of these results, the focus of future research should be less on differentiating among psychotherapies for depression than on identifying the factors responsible for improvement.
This report presents a case of left ventricular intramyocardial dissection masquerading as a ventricular pseudoaneurysm, as documented by echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and angiography with subsequent confirmation at operation.
alpha-Adrenergic drugs improve cerebral blood flow (CBF) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in part, by reversing carotid artery collapse and by shunting blood from extracerebral to intracerebral vascular structures. Adrenergic drugs with beta 2-agonist properties may cause peripheral vasodilation, and thus may be less beneficial in this setting. The purpose of this study was to compare epinephrine (E), an alpha 1,2, beta 1,2-agonist, with norepinephrine (NE), an alpha 1,2, beta 1-agonist, on CBF during CPR. Twenty swine each weighing greater than 15 kg were instrumented for regional CBF measurements using tracer microspheres. Regional CBF was measured during normal sinus rhythm (NSR). Animals were then placed into ventricular fibrillation (VF). After ten minutes of VF, the animals received closed-chest CPR using a mechanical thumper. Regional CBF was measured during CPR. After three minutes of CPR, the animals were allocated to receive either E, 0.20 mg/kg (N = 5); NE, 0.08 mg/kg (N = 5); NE, 0.12 mg/kg (N = 5); or NE, 0.16 mg/kg (N = 5). Regional blood flows were again measured following drug administration. CBFs following drug administration were compared using an analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline differences during CPR. A Newman-Keuls multiple comparison was used to follow-up significant (P less than or equal to .05) differences. Statistical significance was considered at P less than or equal to .05. There was a clinically significant improvement in cerebral cortical flow with NE, 0.12 mg/kg, and NE, 0.16 mg/kg, compared with NE, 0.08 mg/kg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Twenty-five patients (16 male, 9 female) underwent right-sided valve replacement (10 pulmonary valve replacement, 14 tricuspid valve replacement, 3 tricuspid plus pulmonary valve replacement, and 2 replacements of a single atrioventricular valve) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from June 1977 to December 1986. Twenty-one patients (84%) are long-term survivors with 2,035 months follow-up (range, 41 to 143 months; mean, 96.9 months). Twenty-three Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthetic valves, one Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthetic valve, and nine St. Jude Medical valves were inserted. Follow-up of 17 patients with a Carpentier-Edwards valve ranged from 5 years 9 months to 11 years 9 months (mean, 8 years 11 months). To date there has been one reoperation after 3 years 4 months in this group. One patient who received an Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthesis required re-replacement at 20 months after operation. Three of 4 patients who received St. Jude mechanical valves and are long-term survivors have required replacement after 36 to 56 months. We conclude that the Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthetic valve is a viable option in the right side of the heart in the young age group when annular size is adequate to accommodate an appropriate bioprosthesis.
Alpha-adrenergic agonists improve myocardial blood flow during CPR by increasing aortic diastolic pressure. Adrenergic agonists with beta-2 properties may enhance peripheral vasodilation and may prove less beneficial during CPR. The purpose of this study was to compare epinephrine (E), an alpha-1,2; beta-1,2 agonist, versus norepinephrine, an alpha-1,2; beta-1 agonist, on myocardial hemodynamics during CPR. Twenty swine were instrumented for pressure, arterial and coronary sinus oxygen content (CAO2 and CCSO2, respectively), and myocardial blood flow measurements using tracer microspheres. CAO2, CCSO2, myocardial blood flow, myocardial oxygen delivery (MDO2) and myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), extraction ratio, and aortic diastolic pressure were determined during normal sinus rhythm and during CPR following a ten-minute arrest. After three minutes of CPR, the animals were allocated to receive either norepinephrine 0.08 mg/kg (n = 5), norepinephrine 0.12 mg/kg (n = 5), norepinephrine 0.16 mg/kg (n = 5), or epinephrine 0.20 mg/kg (n = 5). One minute after drug administration, all hemodynamic parameters were again determined. Three and one half minutes after drug administration defibrillation was attempted. A Newman-Keuls multiple comparison procedure was used to compare differences following drug administration. During CPR, aortic diastolic pressure averaged less than 13 mm Hg, and myocardial blood flow averaged less than 6 mL/min/100 g. All doses of norepinephrine and epinephrine improved all hemodynamic parameters over those seen during CPR. The two highest doses of norepinephrine significantly improved extraction ratio compared with norepinephrine 0.08 mg/kg (P = .04).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The urine osmolal gap is defined as the difference between measured urine osmolality and the sum of the concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, urea and glucose. Normally, this gap is 80-100 mosmol/kg H2O. A determination of the urine osmolal gap may be useful to ascertain the etiology of metabolic acidosis which is of the mixed wide and normal plasma anion gap type ("hybrid" metabolic acidosis). For example, with "hybrid" metabolic acidosis, a low urine osmolal gap will suggest the absence of excessive organic aciduria (ketoacidosis) and the basis of the normal anion gap type of acidosis will be determined by the urine anion gap or "net charge". Where "hybrid" metabolic acidosis has occurred due to wide anion gap metabolic acidosis with loss of organic acid anion in the urine, the urine osmolal gap will be high and can be used in a semi-quantitative fashion to estimate the sum of urinary ammonium plus ketone body anion concentrations.
The catecholamines and the opioid peptides are found to be co-localized in the adrenomedullary chromaffin cells. They are co-secreted from the chromaffin granules in response to various stimuli. The stress-induced released of epinephrine is known to exert its effect on the cardiovascular system resulting in the changes in heart rate and blood pressure. However, the role of the co-released proenkephalin-A derived peptides has not been extensively characterized. Previous work from several investigators suggested that the peptides modulate cardiac functions of the catecholamines. There is considerable conflicting results among these reports. Results from the isolated rat atrial preparation indicated that enkephalins attenuated the increase in atrial rate induced by norepinephrine through restriction of the calcium fluxes. Nonetheless, others reported insensitivity of the enkephalins in similar or different test systems. We further re-examined these discrepancies using the isolated rat atrial preparation to investigate the opioid peptide modulatory effect on the cardiovascular changes induced by exogenous epinephrine. Alterations in rate and force of contraction resulting from epinephrine and the peptides were both studied in parallel. The opioid peptides used in this study were [Met5]-enkephalin (ME), [Leu5]-enkephalin (LE), FMRFamide, [Met5]-enkephalyl-Arg6-Phe7 (MEAP), peptide E, and the non-selective opioid agonist, etorphine. We report here that none of the opioid peptides were effective in alleviating or attenuating the increase in heart rate and developed tension caused by epinephrine. The peptides did not affect the basal beating rate nor the force of contraction. Thus, the present results clearly demonstrate the insensitivity of the enkephalins in modulating the cardiac effects of epinephrine. They further indirectly support the prejunctional synaptic nerve endings as the potential peripheral site of action of the peptides.
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The potential for improving myocardial protection with the high-energy phosphates adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate was evaluated by adding them to the St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution in the isolated, working rat heart model of cardiopulmonary bypass and ischemic arrest. Dose-response studies with an adenosine triphosphate range of 0.05 to 10.0 mmol/L showed 0.1 mmol/L to be the optimal concentration for recovery of aortic flow and cardiac output after 40 minutes of normothermic (37 degrees C) ischemic arrest (from 24.1% +/- 4.4% and 35.9% +/- 4.1% in the unmodified cardioplegia group to 62.6% +/- 4.7% and 71.0% +/- 3.0%, respectively, p less than 0.001). Adenosine triphosphate at its optimal concentration (0.1 mmol/L) also reduced creatine kinase leakage by 39% (p less than 0.001). Postischemic arrhythmias were also significantly reduced, which obviated the need for electrical defibrillation and reduced the time to return of regular rhythm from 7.9 +/- 2.0 minutes in the control group to 3.5 +/- 0.4 minutes in the adenosine triphosphate group. Under more clinically relevant conditions of hypothermic ischemia (20 degrees C, 270 minutes) with multidose (every 30 minutes) cardioplegia, adenosine triphosphate addition improved postischemic recovery of aortic flow and cardiac output from control values of 26.8% +/- 8.4% and 35.4% +/- 6.3% to 58.0% +/- 4.7% and 64.4% +/- 3.7% (p less than 0.01), respectively, and creatine kinase leakage was significantly reduced. Parallel hypothermic ischemia studies (270 minutes, 20 degrees C) using the previously demonstrated optimal creatinine phosphate concentration (10.0 mmol/L) gave nearly identical improvements in recovery and enzyme leakage. The combination of the optimal concentrations of adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate resulted in even greater myocardial protection; aortic flow and cardiac output improved from their control values of 26.8% +/- 8.4% and 35.4% +/- 6.3% to 79.7% +/- 1.1 and 80.7% +/- 1.0% (p less than 0.001), respectively. In conclusion, both extracellular adenosine triphosphate and creatine phosphate alone markedly improve the cardioprotective properties of the St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution during prolonged hypothermic ischemic arrest, but together they act additively to provide even greater protection.
We have characterized an isolated rat heart preparation in which particles induce transient coronary vasoconstriction. Exploiting the fact that all commercially available intravenous solutions contain permissible levels of contaminant particles (usually 2 to 20 micron in diameter), we investigated whether these particles have any adverse effect upon coronary flow. A commercially available intravenous solution was modified to produce the St. Thomas' Hospital cardioplegic solution. Constant-pressure infusion of this solution over a 20 minute period caused a 46.2% +/- 5.1% reduction in coronary flow. This flow impairment could be limited to 13.3% +/- 3.5% by the incorporation of a 0.8 micron in-line filter. In hearts perfused with particle-containing solution followed by ultrafiltered solutions, the impairment of coronary flow was reversed within 1 minute. This quick reversal indicates that the particles were impairing flow not by physical occlusion of vessels but by triggering some form of transient vasoconstriction. In studies with filters of varying porosity (between 0.8 and 15.0 micron), the phenomenon was shown to be attributable to relatively small numbers of particles greater than 10.0 micron in diameter. In studies of myocardial protection, it was shown that the impairment of solution delivery and distribution caused by particles could severely reduce the protective properties of a chemical cardioplegic solution; hearts subjected to 180 minutes of hypothermic (20 degrees C) ischemic arrest with multidose (3 minutes every 30 minutes) cardioplegia recovered almost completely upon reperfusion if a filtered (0.8 micron) solution was used, but failed to recover when unfiltered, commercially prepared solutions were used. In an attempt to define the mechanisms underlying the particle-induced vasoconstriction, we conducted dose-response studies in which various vasoactive agents were used in an attempt to combat the effects of the particles. At their optimal concentrations, procaine (10.0 mmol/L), nifedipine (0.1 mumol/L), and adenosine triphosphate (1.0 mmol/L) completely prevented the problem; lidocaine and dipyridamole partially alleviated the effect; verapamil and isosorbide dinitrate were ineffective. These results indicate that several mechanisms acting at a small vessel level might contribute to the particle-induced vasoconstriction.
The U.S. Pharmacopoeia defines acceptable limits of particle contamination for intravenous solutions. Used conventionally, these solutions are filtered by the lungs, and there are few reports of particle-induced tissue injury to the systemic circulation. We have used an isolated rat heart model to assess whether unfiltered direct intraarterial administration of cardioplegic solutions, as in open-heart surgery, can be damaging to the myocardium. An intravenous solution of U.S. commercial manufacture was selected for evaluation. Particle-counting revealed this solution to be well within the U.S.P. limits. Direct intracoronary infusion of this solution at 20 degrees C and at constant pressure led to an approximate 75% reduction in coronary flow over 20 min. Filtration through a membrane of 0.8-micron porosity largely prevented this reduction of coronary flow. In studies with multidose cardioplegia (3-min infusions every 30 min), hearts given filtered solution recovered almost 90% of their preischemic functional capacity after 3 hr of hypothermic (20 degrees C) ischemic arrest. Hearts given an identical unfiltered solution essentially failed to recover despite the particle counts having conformed to the U.S.P. limit. This functional result was supported by measurement of creatine kinase leakage, which was significantly higher in the unfiltered group. These studies provide an argument for revision of U.S.P. particle limits when applied to intraarterially administered solutions; in particular, we believe that equipment for cardioplegic infusion into coronary arteries should incorporate a 0.8-micron in-line filter.
Although few surgeons dispute the benefits of high-potassium crystalloid cardioplegia, objective comparison of the efficacy of various formulations is difficult in clinical practice. We compared four commonly used cardioplegic solutions in the isolated rat heart (N = 6 for each solution) subjected to 180 minutes of hypothermic (20 degrees C) ischemic arrest with multidose cardioplegia (3 minutes every half-hour). The clinical solutions studied were St. Thomas' Hospital solution, Tyers' solution, lactated Ringer's solution with added potassium, and a balanced saline solution with glucose and potassium. Postischemic recovery of function was expressed as a percentage of preischemic control values. Release of creatine kinase during reperfusion was measured as an additional index of protection. St. Thomas' Hospital solution provided almost complete recovery of all indexes of cardiac function following ischemia including 88.1 +/- 1.6% recovery of aortic flow, compared with poor recovery for the Tyers', lactated Ringer's, and balanced saline solutions (20.6 +/- 6.5%, 12.5 +/- 6.4%, and 9.6 +/- 4.2%, respectively) (p less than 0.001). Spontaneous defibrillation was rapid (less than 1 minute) and complete (100%) in all hearts in the St. Thomas' Hospital solution group, but much less satisfactory with the other formulations. Finally, St. Thomas' Hospital solution had a low postischemic level of creatine kinase leakage, contrasting with significantly higher enzyme release in the other solutions tested (p less than 0.001). Although differences in composition are subtle, all potassium crystalloid cardioplegic solutions are not alike in the myocardial protection they provide. Comparative studies under controlled conditions are important to define which formulation is superior for clinical application.
The potential hazard of particulate debris in unfiltered cardioplegic solutions was assessed using the isolated rat heart preparation. Five intravenous solutions were evaluated: These were manufactured by three pharmaceutical firms (two United States and one British) and are commonly used as bases for preparing clinical cardioplegic solutions. Particles were counted in each solution, and each fell well within the limits for particle contamination defined by both the United States and the British Pharmacopoeias. Intracoronary continuous infusion of each solution over 20 minutes at constant temperature and pressure (20 degrees C, 60 cm H2O) resulted in a progressive reduction in coronary flow (mean reduction 55.7% +/- 6.6%) due to a rise in coronary vascular resistance; filtration of these same solutions through a 0.8 micron filter just prior to their entry into the heart largely prevented these coronary vascular changes. The filter was examined by scanning electron microscopy and showed amorphous and crystalline debris. Nifedipine (0.1 mumol/L) added to the cardioplegic solution reduced by almost 50% the impairment in coronary flow seen in the unfiltered group. In more clinically relevant studies of 180 minutes of hypothermic (20 degrees C) ischemia using multidose cardioplegia (3 minutes every 30 minutes), hearts infused with filtered solution recovered almost 90% of their preischemic functional capacity. Hearts receiving identical but unfiltered solution, however, essentially failed to recover (p less than 0.001) and had significantly higher levels of creatine kinase leakage. These results suggest that commercially produced solutions conforming to limits of particulate contamination acceptable for intravenous administration may prove harmful if given unfiltered directly into coronary arteries, with the likely mechanism of action being particle-induced coronary vasoconstriction.
Hepatotoxic reactions and eosinophilia developed in a 74-year-old woman who had been treated with an aromatic retinoid compound, etretinate, for severe psoriasis palmaris et plantaris. Rapid improvement in her condition followed discontinuation of the drug therapy. Liver enzyme elevations recurred after reinstitution of etretinate therapy; these levels quickly returned to normal after the drug therapy was again discontinued. Our patient's reaction to etretinate may have been a hypersensitivity reaction.