[Caring for the victims of M-11].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L Fernández-Quero.
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Early postoperative complications after liver transplantation are classified broadly as either medical or surgical. This review covers the main aspects of the pathophysiology and clinical management of the latter group. Surgical complications of liver transplantation are an important cause of morbimortality; their early diagnosis and treatment are therefore critical issues. Such complications are usually related to surgical technique and their correction often requires a second surgical procedure. The most common early postoperative complication, and one of the most serious ones, is hepatic artery thrombosis. Venous complications are less prevalent and biliary ones predominate in the late postoperative phase.
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OBJECTIVE: To compare the antipyretic and hemodynamic effects of metamizol and propacetamol in critically ill patients with fever. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized trial enrolling 60 patients admitted to our postoperative intensive care unit with fever > 38 degrees C. Patients were assigned to group M to receive intravenous doses of 2 g of metamizol or group P to receive 2 g of propacetamol. Measures were central temperature (Ta), systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean (MBP) blood pressures, mean pulmonary artery pressure, central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary pressure, pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance index, and mixed venous saturation. All measures were taken at four times: baseline and 30, 60 and 120 minutes after infusion of the medication. Patients whose SBP fell below 90 mm Hg were withdrawn from the study. RESULTS: Patient characteristics and baseline hemodynamics and Ta were similar in the two groups. We observed a significant decrease in temperature in both groups, the maximum decrease occurring 120 minutes after administration of the antipyretic (0.5 degree C and 0.6 degree in the metamizol and propacetamol groups, respectively). SBP, DBP, MBP, and the vascular resistance index decreased from baseline values in both groups 30, 60 and 120 minutes after dosing. Thirteen percent of the patients in group M and 6.67% in group P were withdrawn from the study because of hypotension. We observed no statistically significant differences between the groups in Ta or hemodynamic variables at any of the four moments of measurement. CONCLUSION: Both metamizol and propacetamol are effective antipyretics at the doses tested. However, both have adverse hemodynamic side effects that may be poorly tolerated by critically patients.
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The outcome of liver transplantation in Spain has improved since our earliest experiences with this type of surgery, mainly due to breakthroughs in surgical and anesthetic techniques. Careful postoperative care of the patient also plays a key role, however, by providing the early diagnosis that allows appropriate management of complications. Together, such improvements contribute to reducing the morbidity associated with liver transplantation and to greater survival and quality of life for recipients. Early postoperative complications are diverse in nature and for convenience can be classified as either medical or surgical. This review deals with the main medical complications.
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Head injury is the main cause of death or disability among under-45-year-olds. This review covers the main pathophysiological aspects of head injury as well as initial treatment and management in the intensive care recovery ward. The chief therapeutic aim is to maintain adequate cerebral perfusion pressure rather than to maintain normal levels of intracranial pressure. An important challenge is to avoid development of secondary lesions, and in this context arterial hypotensive events that affect prognosis and the survival of such patients merit special attention. We reject treatment based on indiscriminate use of hyperventilation and mannitol and underline the importance of providing adequate sedation and analgesia while maintaining normal flow and pressure and adequate monitoring of such patients.
Poufour du Petit syndrome is an extraordinarily unusual clinical condition produced by hyperactivity of the sympathetic cervical chain as a consequence of irritation of these nerves. It causes an ipsilateral mydriasis, which, in patients suffering a head injury as in the case reported here, can confuse the diagnosis and disconcert physicians.
A 37-year-old man with cirrhosis of the liver hospitalized for orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) was found to have hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) during routine presurgical assessment. No problems with oxygenation developed during surgery. In the early recovery period, however, hypoxemia was observed to be uncorrected in spite of gradual normalization of liver function tests. OLT sometimes corrects HPS and, therefore, hypoxemia. However, significant decreases in oxygenation during recovery have been reported to affect patient morbidity and mortality. We therefore started low-dose nitric oxide (NO) inhalation once other possible causes of hypoxemia had been ruled out. Oxygenation improved, allowing tubes to be removed. Seven months after OLT, home oxygen therapy was still required to treat basal hypoxemia. HPS persisted, as confirmed by echocardiogram. Inhaled NO contributed to maintenance of adequate oxygenation during the early postoperative period, as essential for long-term survival in patients with HPS who undergo OLT.
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We report a case of rupture of bags filled with cocaine into the digestive apparatus in a young man. He carried into his digestive tract one hundred of small bags containing 40 g of cocaine each one. The initial clinical picture was characterized by sympathetic hyperactivity, rectorrhagia, and psychosis that evolved in 72 h to neurologic coma, convulsions, rhabdomyolysis, hyperthermia, hypocalcemia, hyperdynamic picture with negative blood cultures, arterial hypotension, syndrome of adult respiratory distress, and multiorgan failure. Treatment with propranolol, mechanic ventilation, barbiturates and inotropic agents was ineffective and the patient died 7 days after.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
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