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Biomedical subjects

S Ruiz-Santana

Publications and source records attributed to S Ruiz-Santana.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Bedside sonographic-guided versus blind nasoenteric feeding tube placement in critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare a blind manual bedside method for placing feeding tubes into the small bowel vs. a sonographic bedside technique in critically ill patients. DESIGN: Prospective study with a random sample. SETTING: Multidisciplinary intensive care unit in a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-five adult patients. All patients were hemodynamically stable, mechanically ventilated, and required a nasoenteric tube placement for short-term enteral feeding due to impaired gastric emptying. INTERVENTIONS: A well-known, blind, manual, bedside method for postpyloric tube placement was always attempted first in all cases. The technique was considered successful when a postpyloric location of the tip of the tube was achieved as shown by abdominal roentgenogram. However, if after 30 mins we failed to enter the small bowel, a radiologist attempted a sonographic bedside technique for postpyloric tube insertion. Finally, when the feeding tube was in place, before starting enteral nutrition, a nasogastric tube was inserted into the stomach. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The blind manual method was successful in nine (25.7%) of the 35 patients and the final location of these feeding tubes was the proximal jejunum. The average time for placement of the feeding tubes with this manual technique was 13.9 +/- 7.4 mins (range 5 to 30). The sonographic technique was successful in 22 (84.6%) of the remaining patients and the final location of the feeding tubes was three (11%) tubes in the second portion of the duodenum, eight (31%) tubes in the third portion of the duodenum, and 11 (42%) tubes in the proximal jejunum. The average time for placement with the sonographic technique was 18.3 +/- 8.2 mins (range 5 to 35). The pyloric outlet was sonographically akinetic or severely hypokinetic in 13 patients, and in four of them, we were unable to achieve postpyloric tube placement. In these four patients, the tubes were subsequently placed by endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The sonographic bedside technique for placing feeding tubes into the small bowel in critically III patients has a success rate of 84.6% (confidence interval 71% to 98%) after the failure of the blind bedside manual method, proving that the former is significantly more successful. This sonographic technique facilitates the insertion of the tubes in patients who cannot be moved and in those patients with severe impairment of the peristaltic activity of the stomach.

Critical Illness↗
PubMed1991

Stress-induced gastroduodenal lesions and total parenteral nutrition in critically ill patients: frequency, complications, and the value of prophylactic treatment. A prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the frequency, complications, and value of prophylactic treatment of stress-induced gastroduodenal lesions. DESIGNS: Patients were prospectively randomized to treatment with total parenteral nutrition, either alone, with sucralfate, or with ranitidine. SETTING: A multidisciplinary ICU from a tertiary care referral center. PATIENTS: Ninety-seven patients submitted to prolonged mechanical ventilation, with normal hepatic and renal function, in metabolic stress, and receiving total parenteral nutrition. INTERVENTIONS: On admission, we determined the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and the catabolic index score. We also performed an endoscopic examination on day 3, every 7 days subsequently, and whenever needed. Thirty patients received total parenteral nutrition alone. Twenty-four patients received total parenteral nutrition and sucralfate (1 g by nasogastric tube every 4 hrs). Nineteen patients received total parenteral nutrition and ranitidine (50 mg iv every 6 hrs). MAIN RESULTS: The overall occurrence rate of gastroduodenal mucosal damage was 29.6%. The overall frequency rate for stress ulcerations was 15.6% and was 6.2% for stress hemorrhage. There were no deaths secondary to stress hemorrhage. The difference in the frequency of stress-induced mucosal lesions and stress hemorrhage between the studied groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Additional prophylaxis to total parenteral nutrition in the form of sucralfate and ranitidine to prevent acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is not required in this group of ICU patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

ICU pneumonias: a multi-institutional study.

We conducted a prospective multi-institutional study of nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonias in 1378 patients admitted to the ICUs of six hospitals. We also investigated 1005 of these patients who were intubated and mechanically ventilated for a reason other than pneumonia, the risk of developing pneumonia, and the relationship between the incidence of pneumonia and the length of time during which the patients were mechanically ventilated. A bacteriologic diagnosis was made in 38% of the nosocomial and 21% of the community-acquired pneumonias. The total mortality rate was 40%; 47% of the patients with nosocomial and 17% of the patients with community-acquired pneumonias died. Because it was difficult to make an etiologic diagnosis in two-thirds of the cases, the treatment had to be based on an assumed causative organism.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Dose-related hemodynamic and renal effects of dopamine in septic shock.

offstudied hemodynamic and renal effects of increasing the dosage of dopamine (DP) by 5 micrograms/kg X min, in 7 patients with peritonitis and clinical findings of septic shock, all of whom were already receiving variable dosages of DP. Stroke index (SI) (p less than .01), except in 3 cases, and mean arterial pressure (p less than .01) were significantly elevated without significant increases in HR and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI). Changes in mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) and pulmonary wedge pressure (WP) were insignificant (less than 3 mm Hg). Renal response showed augmentation of diuresis (p less than .01), inulin clearance (Cin) (p less than .05), and fractional excretion of sodium (FENa) (p = .02) without significant changes in either paraminohypurate clearance (Cpha) or filtration fraction. There was no correlation between hemodynamic or renal changes and initial dosage of DP. We conclude that increasing the DP dosage in septic shock patients may be useful even when the patient is already receiving large doses. Increased natriuresis was not due to changes in plasma renal flow.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Radiographic findings for the adult respiratory distress syndrome in patients with peritonitis.

Ninety-seven consecutive patients admitted to the ICU with peritonitis were studied. Of these, 66 (68%) died and autopsies were performed on 38 (58%). Twelve of the 38 autopsied patients showed pathologic criteria of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS); 26 did not. Chest x-rays of the 38 autopsied patients were examined and 9 (75%) of the 12 patients with histologic criteria of ARDS, specifically, moderate or severe fibrosis, had decreased pulmonary longitudinal diameter on serial chest x-rays. The remaining 3 (25%) patients did not have this specific finding. Of the 26 patients without pathologic criteria of ARDS, only 2 (8%) had reduction in pulmonary longitudinal diameter. We conclude that a marked reduction in the pulmonary longitudinal diameter is highly suggestive of ARDS and especially useful in differentiating ARDS from bilateral pneumonia.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Endocarditis caused by B fragilis.

A 54-year-old man had had an acute anterior myocardial infarction nine years prior to this hospital admission. Since that time he had been asymptomatic with the exception of occasional episodes of precordial chest pain. The patient died from septic shock on the tenth day after the present admission. On autopsy there was an old myocardial infarct with aneurysmal dilatation of the left ventricle which contained a large thrombus with multiple abscesses. Septic infarcts were also found in the left kidney and the left temporal lobe of the brain.

Bacteroides Infections↗
PubMed1983

ARDS due to ingestion of denatured rapeseed oil.

Among the different etiologies of noncardiogenic acute pulmonary edema is found the administration or ingestion of various substances. We have studied two patients with ARDS secondary to the ingestion of toxic oil. Both patients presented similar roentgenographic findings characterized by interstitial and alveolar infiltration in "butterfly" distribution, pleural effusion, and a normal cardiac silhouette. The two cases also showed a pulmonary compliance either normal or slightly diminished. With the aid of artificial ventilation, they evolved favorably, gaseous exchange and chest x-ray films returning to normal 16 and 22 days after admission.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prevention of dexamethasone-induced lymphocytic apoptosis in the intestine and in Peyer patches by enteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis is a programmed cell death, genetically controlled, that can be activated by physiological and pathophysiological events and by the administration of several drugs, including the exogenous administration of corticosteroids. The aim of this study was to develop a rat model of intestinal lymphocytic apoptosis induced by dexamethasone to determine if apoptosis could be prevented by enteral or parenteral nutrition. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. On day 0, the right internal jugular vein was catheterized for parenteral nutrition, and a silicone tube was inserted into the duodenum for enteral feeding. Animals (n = 6/group) were randomly assigned to one of the following 3 feeding regimens: an immune-enhancing enteral diet; its placebo (the same formula without immunonutrients); and isocaloric isonitrogenous parenteral nutrition. On the seventh day, 200 microg of dexamethasone or vehicle were administered by i.v. bolus, and the diets were continued for 1 more day. Intestinal Peyer patches and thymic lymphocytic apoptosis were determined both by flow-cytometry and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A single dexamethasone dose (200 microg/rat) administered to surgically treated rats fasted for 18 hours, 24 hours later, caused massive intestinal and Peyer patches lymphocytic apoptosis (96 +/- 2% and 85 +/- 5%, respectively; p < .0001 versus vehicle in both kinds of tissue). Lymphocytic apoptosis was reduced to almost indetectable levels in intestinal and lamina propia lymphocytes (from 96 +/- 2% to <0.6%; p < .0001). Peyer patches lymphocytic apoptosis was reduced as well (from 85 +/- 5% to 15 +/- 7.1%; p < .001) in animals prefed the 2 enteral nutrition formulas. Those prefed parenteral nutrition only showed a partial decrease of lymphocytic apoptosis in the intestine (from 96 +/- 2% to 53 +/- 23%; p < .001). Nutrition had no effect on the dexamethasone-induced thymus involution. CONCLUSIONS: Enteral nutrition prevents intestinal intraepithelial and lamina propia lymphocytic apoptosis due to dexamethasone. These findings support the use of early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients treated with corticosteroids.

Animals↗