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Biomedical subjects

M Badellino

Publications and source records attributed to M Badellino.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Ventriculoarterial coupling influences regional contractility.

The purpose of this study was to adjudicate whether concomitant manipulation of inotropic state and arterial elastance influences linear indices of regional contractility. Fifteen autonomically denervated open-chest porcine hearts were instrumented with midmyocardial ultrasonic crystals and aortic and left ventricular chamber microamanometers. Linear left anterior descending coronary artery regional stroke work vs preload relationships (RSW) were generated by 10-sec vena caval occlusion at control and altered contractile states (either dopamine, 5 micrograms/kg/min, or propranolol, 0.2 mg/kg) and following arterial elastance variation (phenylephrine or nitroprusside), effecting an average 30% change in mean arterial pressure (MAP). Global contractility (dP/dt) was doubled (227% of control) by dopamine and halved (35% of control) by propranolol at constant preload (end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic pressure) and afterload (MAP). Regional contractility (RSW slope) was increased from 135 +/- 11 to 211 +/- 28, P less than 0.01, by dopamine, but unchanged with propranolol (106 +/- 10 vs 118 +/- 14, NS). Bidirectional changes in aortic elastance depressed the dopamine-augmented RSW slope (115 +/- 17, nitroprusside; 132 +/- 14, phenylephrine; P less than 0.01 vs dopamine). These differences were attenuated by propranolol infusion (98 +/- 7, nitroprusside; 132 +/- 9, phenylephrine; NS vs propranolol). Thus, optimizing ventriculoarterial coupling should supersede simple afterload manipulation in perioperative cardiac support.

Animals↗

Heart/heart-lung transplantation. The domino procedure.

Orthotopic heart transplantation has become an accepted therapeutic modality limited only by availability of donor organs. Heart-lung transplantation is also being performed with increasing frequency due to improvements in distant procurement techniques. Although the majority of patients requiring heart-lung transplantation have cardiac dysfunction, there is a subset with no cardiac compromise that can serve as donors of cardiac allografts before heart-lung transplantation. We report a technique for sequential heart/heart-lung transplantation in such a subset of patients.

Adult↗

Sternotomy closure with Parham bands.

The closure of a median sternotomy incision requires secure bony approximation to prevent postoperative pain, sternal click, and/or nonunion of bone. The standard technique of sternotomy closure involves the use of stainless steel wires for reapproximation of the sternum. These wires occasionally break or pull through bone, resulting in instability of either a portion of the sternum or the entire sternum. Presented here is our technique for sternotomy closure that provides secure closure with reduced postoperative morbidity.

Bone Wires↗

Significance of a curled central venous catheter tip.

A malpositioned central venous catheter can cause constant excessive pressure on one particular area of a central vein, thus leading to perforation and hydrothorax. The following is a case report of an iatrogenic hydrothorax caused by a malpositioned central venous catheter. The subtle sign of malposition is a slightly curled catheter tip.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗

Antithymocyte gamma globulin, low-dosage cyclosporine, and tapering steroids as an immunosuppressive regimen to avoid early kidney failure in heart transplantation.

Cyclosporine is a powerful immunosuppressive agent that unfortunately has significant renal toxicity. Two risk factors associated with a high incidence of kidney failure in patients receiving cyclosporine have been described in the literature. In an effort to decrease the possibility of renal toxicity with the use of cyclosporine, we use low-dosage cyclosporine, antithymocyte gamma globulin, and tapering dosages of steroids as an immunosuppressive regimen. Twenty-one patients had orthotopic heart transplants from January 1985 to January 1986. Sixteen of 21 patients or 70% had at least one high risk factor for kidney failure. There were no episodes of acute kidney failure, and the blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels that were recorded over an average of 8.5 months per patient did not increase significantly from preoperative values. Seventeen of 21 or 81% of the patients are alive and functioning fully. The incidence of rejection per patient was 0.9, and there were no biopsy-proven severe rejections. One patient died at 5 months; the autopsy showed generalized moderate rejection. There were 0.24 episodes of infection per patient, with one patient who died from Pneumocystis pneumonia. With this immunosuppression protocol, early postoperative kidney dysfunction was avoided. The incidences of rejection and infection were within acceptable range, and the quality of life in the 17 survivors is excellent.

Acute Kidney Injury↗