The aim of presented work is to evaluate the clinical value of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) and to compare PET/CT finding with the results of the following ...investigation.
48 patients (24 men, 24 women, mean age 57.6 years with range 15-89 years) underwent (18)F-FDG-PET/CT due to the fever of unknown origin. All examinations were performed using complex PET/CT protocol combined PET and whole diagnostic contrast enhanced CT with sub-millimeter spatial resolution (except patient with history of iodine hypersensitivity or sever renal impairment). CT data contained diagnostic images reconstructed with soft tissue and high-resolution algorithm. PET/CT finding were compared with results of biopsies, immunology, microbiology or autopsy.
The cause of FUO was explained according to the PET/CT findings and followed investigations in 44 of 48 cases-18 cases of microbial infections, nine cases of autoimmune inflammations, four cases of non-infectious granulomatous diseases, eight cases of malignancies and five cases of proved immunity disorders were found. In 46 cases, the PET/CT interpretation was correct. Only in one case, the cause was overlooked and the uptake in atherosclerotic changes of arteries was misinterpreted as vasculitis in the other. The reached sensitivity was 97% (43/44), and specificity 75% (3/4) respectively.
In patients with fever of unknown origin, (18)F-FDG-PET/CT might enable the detection of its cause.
Several randomized studies have suggested that pretreatment with statins may reduce a periprocedural biomarker release in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, ...results remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 1-day rosuvastatin therapy on troponin I release in patients who underwent nonemergency PCI. A total of 445 patients with angina pectoris were randomly assigned to therapy with rosuvastatin (20 mg 12 hours before coronary angiography + 20 mg immediately before PCI; rosuvastatin group, 220 patients) or PCI without statin therapy (control group, 225 patients). In patients taking statins (73%), rosuvastatin was added to their long-term statin therapy. The primary end point was the incidence of TnI microleak defined as TnI elevation >1.5× upper limit of normal, and the secondary end point was the incidence of post-PCI TnI elevation >3× upper limit of normal. The incidence of primary and secondary end point in the rosuvastatin versus control group was 13.6% versus 12% (p = 0.61) and 8.2% versus 7.1% (p = 0.67), respectively. Patients with C-reactive protein ≥2.0 mg/L had a decreased release of post-PCI TnI in the rosuvastatin group (0.032 0.010 to 0.143 μg/L vs 0.056 0.018 to 0.241 μg/L; p = 0.04). In conclusion, 1-day rosuvastatin therapy (20 mg twice a day) did not influence post-PCI TnI release in patients with angina. However, these results suggest that, in patients with an advanced inflammatory status, rosuvastatin loading therapy might have a cardioprotective effect.
Infectious diseases, which often result in deadly sepsis or septic shock, represent a major global health problem. For understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis and developing new treatment ...strategies, reliable and clinically relevant animal models of the disease are necessary. In this review, two large animal (porcine) models of sepsis induced by either peritonitis or bacteremia are introduced and their strong and weak points are discussed in the context of clinical relevance and other animal models of sepsis, with a special focus on cardiovascular and immune systems, experimental design, and monitoring. Especially for testing new therapeutic strategies, the large animal (porcine) models represent a more clinically relevant alternative to small animal models, and the findings obtained in small animal (transgenic) models should be verified in these clinically relevant large animal models before translation to the clinical level.
Medical nutrition therapy may be associated with clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay. We wanted to assess nutrition practices in European ...intensive care units (ICU) and their importance for clinical outcomes.
Prospective multinational cohort study in patients staying in ICU ≥ 5 days with outcome recorded until day 90. Macronutrient intake from enteral and parenteral nutrition and non-nutritional sources during the first 15 days after ICU admission was compared with targets recommended by ESPEN guidelines. We modeled associations between three categories of daily calorie and protein intake (low: < 10 kcal/kg, < 0.8 g/kg; moderate: 10-20 kcal/kg, 0.8-1.2 g/kg, high: > 20 kcal/kg; > 1.2 g/kg) and the time-varying hazard rates of 90-day mortality or successful weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).
A total of 1172 patients with median Q1;Q3 APACHE II score of 18.5 13.0;26.0 were included, and 24% died within 90 days. Median length of ICU stay was 10.0 7.0;16.0 days, and 74% of patients could be weaned from invasive mechanical ventilation. Patients reached on average 83% 59;107 and 65% 41;91 of ESPEN calorie and protein recommended targets, respectively. Whereas specific reasons for ICU admission (especially respiratory diseases requiring IMV) were associated with higher intakes (estimate 2.43 95% CI: 1.60;3.25 for calorie intake, 0.14 0.09;0.20 for protein intake), a lack of nutrition on the preceding day was associated with lower calorie and protein intakes (- 2.74 - 3.28; - 2.21 and - 0.12 - 0.15; - 0.09, respectively). Compared to a lower intake, a daily moderate intake was associated with higher probability of successful weaning (for calories: maximum HR 4.59 95% CI: 1.5;14.09 on day 12; for protein: maximum HR 2.60 1.09;6.23 on day 12), and with a lower hazard of death (for calories only: minimum HR 0.15, 0.05;0.39 on day 19). There was no evidence that a high calorie or protein intake was associated with further outcome improvements.
Calorie intake was mainly provided according to the targets recommended by the active ESPEN guideline, but protein intake was lower. In patients staying in ICU ≥ 5 days, early moderate daily calorie and protein intakes were associated with improved clinical outcomes. Trial registration NCT04143503 , registered on October 25, 2019.
Blood urea nitrogen - independent marker of mortality in sepsis Harazim, Martin; Tan, Kaiquan; Nalos, Marek ...
Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia,
03/2023, Letnik:
167, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This retrospective study examines the relationship between admission Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) levels and clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis from two separate cohorts in the Czech Republic and ...the United States.
The study included 9126 patients with sepsis between January 2014 and December 2018. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression were used to analyse the data. An optimal cut-off was calculated by means of the Youden-Index.
BUN at ICU admission was categorized as 10-20, 20-40 and >40 mg/dL. Comparing the group with the highest BUN levels to the one with lowest levels, we found HR for 28 days mortality 2.764 (CI 95% 2.37-3.20; P<0.001). We derived an optimal cut-off for prediction of 28 days mortality of 23 mg/dL. The association between BUN and 28 days mortality remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders - for APACHE IV (HR 1.374; 95%CI 1.20-1.58; P<0.001), SAPS2 (HR 1.545; 95%CI 1.35-1.77; P<0.001), eGFR (HR 1.851; 95%CI 1.59-2.16; P<0.001) and several other variables in an integrative model.
Our findings support the BUN level as an independent and easily available predictor of 28 days mortality in septic critically ill patients admitted to an ICU.
Motility disorders of upper gastrointestinal tract are common in critical illness and associated with significant clinical consequences. However, detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses of ...esophageal motor functions are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to characterize the key features of esophageal motility functions using high-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) and to evaluate an objective link between esophageal motor patterns, gastric emptying, and gastroesophageal reflux. We also studied the prokinetic effects of metoclopramide.
We prospectively performed HRIM for 16 critically ill hemodynamically stable patients. Patients were included if they had low gastric volume (LGV; < 100 mL/24 h, n = 8) or high gastric volume (HGV; > 500 mL/24 h, n = 8). The HRIM data were collected for 5 h with intravenous metoclopramide administration (10 mg) after the first 2 h.
The findings were grossly abnormal for all critically ill patients. The esophageal contraction vigor was markedly increased, indicating prevailing hypercontractile esophagus. Ineffective propulsive force was observed for 73% of esophageal activities. Panesophageal pressurization was the most common pressurization pattern (64%). Gastroesophageal reflux predominantly occurred with transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation. The common features of the LGV group were a hyperreactive pattern, esophagogastric outflow obstruction, and frequent reflux. Ineffective motility with reduced lower esophageal sphincter tone, and paradoxically fewer reflux episodes, was common in the HGV group. Metoclopramide administration reduced the number of esophageal activities but did not affect the number of reflux episodes in either group.
All critically ill patients had major esophageal motility abnormalities, and motility patterns varied according to gastric emptying status. Well-preserved gastric emptying and maintained esophagogastric barrier functions did not eliminate reflux. Metoclopramide failed to reduce the number of reflux episodes regardless of gastric emptying status. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN14399966. Registered 3.9.2020, retrospectively registered. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN14399966 .
The most common cause of vasoplegic shock in critical care is sepsis. However, although rarely and only in specifically sensitised individuals previously bitten by a tick, red meat may provoke a ...delayed allergic reaction called an alpha-gal syndrome. We present a case of a protracted life-threatening manifestation of alpha-gal syndrome, which, due to an unusual absence of typical features of anaphylaxis can masquerade as septic shock and calls attention to the premature diagnostic closure as a contributor to diagnostic error. Alpha-gal syndrome is a relatively new, but increasingly recognised health issue. We propose that alpha-gal syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of vasoplegic shock of unclear aetiology even in the absence of typical allergic symptomatology and typical allergen exposure since alpha-gal is present in a wide variety of carriers.
Alpha-gal syndrome, otherwise known as "red meat allergy", is a potentially life-threatening allergic syndrome induced by the immunological properties of tick saliva.A typical case of alpha-gal syndrome is a patient bitten by a tick who develops an allergic reaction, anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock even after an ingestion of a significant amount of alpha-gal, typically present in red mammalian meat or organs.As global warming continues, we may expect tick-borne diseases to spread wider around the globe and due to the possibility of complete absence of typical allergic symptomatology and the delayed onset of symptoms, this syndrome needs to be considered when encountering vasoplegic shock of uncertain origin.