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Biomedical subjects

M Michele Mariscalco

Publications and source records attributed to M Michele Mariscalco.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Innate immunity in critical care.

Innate and adaptive immunity are required for effective control of infection. Numerous breakthroughs have been achieved in the last 15 years with regard to the functioning of the innate immune system. This article focuses on new paradigms of microorganism recognition, discusses recently described (or rediscovered) cytokines that provide further insight into the development of sepsis, and reviews both pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways for control of infection. Finally, it discusses what has and has not worked with regard to controlling inflammatory pathways in septic patients.

Child↗
PubMed2006

Considering the use of induced hypothermia in a pediatric patient with traumatic brain injury: a critical appraisal of two meta-analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To review whether induced hypothermia after traumatic brain injury affects morbidity and mortality based on the results of two meta-analyses. DESIGN: Critical appraisals of McIntyre et al: Prolonged therapeutic hypothermia after traumatic brain injury in adults: A systematic review. JAMA 2003; 289:2992-2999, and Henderson et al: Hypothermia in the management of traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Intensive Care Med 2003; 29:1637-1644. FINDINGS: Both meta-analyses included trials of adult patients with severe traumatic brain injury randomized to induced hypothermia or normothermia and evaluated risk of death and poor neurologic outcomes. McIntyre et al. found the overall relative risk of mortality with induced hypothermia to be 0.81 (95% confidence interval 0.69-0.96). By designing a priori analyses, these authors also found that the relative risk of death was reduced in patients cooled for >48 hrs, and the risk of poor neurologic outcome was reduced with all durations of cooling, cooling to 32-33 degrees C, and rewarming in <24 hrs. In contrast, Henderson et al. found that induced hypothermia did not change the odds of death after traumatic brain injury (odds ratio 0.81; 95% confidence interval 0.59-1.13) and that normothermic controls had an odds ratio of 0.42 (95% confidence interval 0.25-0.70) for developing intercurrent pneumonia. Both analyses found trials to be heterogeneous with respect to neurologic outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The discrepancies in the results of these contemporaneous meta-analyses may stem, in part, from differences in their trial selection strategies as well as from sources of trial heterogeneity. Nevertheless, McIntyre et al. uncovered the equivalent of a dose-dependent reduction in the risk of death with induced hypothermia, supporting further study of this neuroprotective strategy. Although these meta-analyses included trials containing adult patients, a phase II trial of induced hypothermia in pediatric traumatic brain injury has established its feasibility and safety in infants and children. As in adult patients, induced hypothermia for traumatic brain injury in children can be considered an optional therapy for refractory intracranial hypertension but should not be regarded as standard of care.

Comment↗
PubMed2005

Critical appraisal of Perez et al: Jugular venous oxygen saturation or arteriovenous difference of lactate content and outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To review the findings and discuss the implications of jugular venous bulb oxygenation monitoring in children with severe traumatic brain injury. DESIGN: A critical appraisal of Perez et al, Jugular venous oxygen saturation or arteriovenous difference of lactate content and outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury. FINDINGS: Two episodes of jugular venous bulb desaturation and abnormal values of arteriovenous difference in lactate content are associated with poor neurologic outcome in children with severe traumatic brain injury-risk ratio 6.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-29.7) and risk ratio 17.6 (95% confidence interval, 2.5-122.5), respectively. This confirms the findings of previously reported adult studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate that jugular venous monitoring may aid in predicting the neurologic outcome of children with severe traumatic brain injury. More studies need to be performed (particularly on safety) before adopting jugular venous bulb oxygenation monitoring as a prediction tool or, ultimately, as a therapeutic intervention to help manage and improve outcome for children with severe traumatic brain injury.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Mechanisms of decreased leukocyte localization in the developing host.

Delays in leukocyte localization likely contribute to diminished host defense in neonates. Understanding the processes that may be affected has been hampered by the lack of suitable developmental models. Using intravital microscopy, we directly examine leukocyte recruitment in a rabbit pup model. In response to intraperitoneal interleukin (IL)-1beta, there were one-third as many leukocytes that arrested in pup mesenteric vessels and emigrated compared with adult vessels, although leukocyte flux was not different. Leukocyte rolling velocity in pups was one-half that in adults. In response to surgical trauma alone, the number of arrested pup cells was 15% that of adult cells, although again leukocyte flux was not different. An anti-L-selectin antibody inhibited rolling significantly by 60 min for both pups and adults. The effect on arrest and emigration occurred at significantly earlier times, although the effect was less in rabbit pups. A primary defect in leukocyte emigration in the rabbit pup appears to be a failure of the cell to transition efficiently from rolling to arrest. L-selectin-dependent adhesion and emigration are decreased, rolling is not, suggesting that at least part of the defect is due to events downstream of the initial tether.

Age Factors↗