Background Mesenteric vein thrombosis (MVT) can result in intestinal ischemia and is associated with high morbidity and mortality due in part to its frequent delay in diagnosis. The purpose of this ...study was to evaluate clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment outcome of MVT.
Methods Hospital records and clinical data of all patients treated for MVT were reviewed during a recent 14-year period. Clinical outcome and factors affecting survival were analyzed.
Results A total of 68 patients were included in the study. Abdominal exploration was performed in 23 patients (34%), and second-look operation was necessary in 18 patients (26%). Three patients (4%) underwent unsuccessful operative mesenteric vein thrombectomy, whereas percutaneous transhepatic mesenteric thrombectomy was performed successfully in 3 patients (4%). The 30-day mortality rate was 20%. Forty-six of the 54 survivors were treated with long-term oral anticoagulation therapy. Actuarial survival at 2, 4, 6, and 10 years was 68%, 57%, 43%, and 22%, respectively. Risk factor analysis showed malignancy (P < .002), age >60 years (P < .005), cirrhosis (P < .02), symptom duration (P < .005), and bowel resection (P < .03) were associated with mortality. Logistic regression analysis showed age >60 years (odds ratio OR, 3.64; P = .03), malignancy (OR, 3.88; P = .02), and prolonged symptom duration (OR, 5.62; P = .01) were independent predictors of mortality.
Conclusions MVT is associated with significant mortality. Prompt diagnostic evaluation with computed tomography may reduce potential treatment delay. Underlying malignancy, advanced age, and prolonged symptom duration are predictive of poor outcome.
Abstract Levosimendan is a positive inotrope with vasodilating properties (inodilator) indicated for decompensated heart failure (HF) patients with low cardiac output. Accumulated evidence supports ...several pleiotropic effects of levosimendan beyond inotropy, the heart and decompensated HF. Those effects are not readily explained by cardiac function enhancement and seem to be related to additional properties of the drug such as anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic ones. Mechanistic and proof-of-concept studies are still required to clarify the underlying mechanisms involved, while properly designed clinical trials are warranted to translate preclinical or early-phase clinical data into more robust clinical evidence. The present position paper, derived by a panel of 35 experts in the field of cardiology, cardiac anesthesiology, intensive care medicine, cardiac physiology, and cardiovascular pharmacology from 22 European countries, compiles the existing evidence on the pleiotropic effects of levosimendan, identifies potential novel areas of clinical application and defines the corresponding gaps in evidence and the required research efforts to address those gaps.
The isolation, differentiation, and expansion of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from peripheral blood have potential applicability in areas of therapeutic neovascularization, vascular repair, ...and tissue engineering. The purpose of the current study was to elucidate a simple method of isolation and differentiation of EPCs by defining the endothelial morphology, surface marker expression, and proliferative capacity of EPC outgrowth from canine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
PBMCs were isolated from fresh canine blood and cultured in fibronectin-coated plates in which EPCs were identified from cell morphology and outgrowth characteristics. Cell surface markers were determined with flow cytometry analysis to identify differentiation of cultured and subcultured colonies. A hematologic counter with phase contrast microscopy was used to study cell growth curves of EPCs as compared with mature human coronary artery endothelial cells.
During the first week of canine PBMC culture, cells were morphologically round and varied in size, but in the course of the second and third week of culture, the cells, respectively, became spindle-shaped and displayed an endothelium-like cobblestone morphology with outgrowth. CD34 was significantly decreased at 21 days as compared with 7 days culture (36.04% to 21.37%), whereas vWF (from 77.26% to 96.37%) and eNOS (from 0% to 14.97%) were significantly increased. VEGFR-2 was slightly increased, and P1H12 (CD146) was unchanged. Subcultured canine EPCs displayed a higher proliferation rate as compared to mature human coronary artery endothelial cells in the same culture conditions.
These data demonstrate that canine EPCs can be isolated and cultured from the canine PBMC fraction. These outgrowth cells displayed characteristics of endothelial morphology with endothelial cell-specific surface markers. Furthermore, it was revealed that canine EPCs have a greater growth potential as compared to mature endothelial cells. This study suggests that PBMCs could be used as a source of EPCs for potential applications in tissue engineering and vascular therapy.
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Introduction
Thrombectomy catheters with a unique angled‐tip design (ZoomTM Aspiration Catheters, Imperative Care Inc., Campbell, CA) have recently emerged as promising devices for ...treating acute ischemic stroke. The angled‐tip configuration is engineered to enhance device trackability and optimize clot engagement. Following promising initial results observed during our catheter evaluation, we integrated these novel catheters into the majority of thrombectomy procedures at our institution. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the utilization of angled‐tip catheters could lead to reduced procedural expenses and shorter time to reperfusion in our patient population.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective single‐center cohort study involving consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large and medium vessel occlusions. All patients were treated by a single operator between January 2020 and March 2023. Patients treated within the 18‐month period preceding the introduction of the Zoom aspiration catheters using traditional straight‐tip catheters were assigned to the straight‐tip group, while those treated with the Zoom aspiration catheters were assigned to the angled‐tip group. Our primary analysis was a cost comparison between the angled‐tip and straight‐tip groups using the list prices associated with each device employed in the procedures. The secondary analysis was focused on safety and procedural outcomes including self‐adjudicated modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) reperfusion scores and time from puncture to reperfusion. Frequencies were compared using the Fisher’s exact test and means were compared using a two‐sample t‐test. P‐values <0.05 were considered significant.
Results
A total of 163 patients were included, with 68 (41.7%) in the straight‐tip group and 95 (58.3%) in the angled‐tip group. There were no significant difference in age, sex, comorbidities, initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, access site, or procedure type between the two groups. However, utilization of the ADAPT thrombectomy technique was significantly higher in the angled‐tip group (55.9%, 38/68) compared to the straight‐tip group (13.7%, 13/95) which primarily used the Solumbra technique, p<0.001. Overall, the angled‐tip group demonstrated a significant decrease in mean procedure cost ($9,728 vs $12,127; p=0.002). Sub‐group analyses based on the procedure type showed that the angled‐tip group was associated with a numeric decrease in cost; however, due to the lower sample size statistical significance was not achieved (Table). The angled‐tip group was also associated with significantly shorter times to achieve mTICI ≥2B reperfusion (38.30 min vs 53.26 min; p=0.018), mTICI ≥2C reperfusion (45.09 min vs 58.74 min; p=0.042), and procedure completion (46.42 min vs 62.38 min; p=0.022). There were no significant differences in the overall rate of hemorrhage between the angled‐tip (17.9%) and straight‐tip groups (20.6%), p=0.690, though we did observe a numerical decrease in the rate of larger hemorrhages (HI2 and PH2) in the angled‐tip group (Table). Both groups achieve similar rates of mTICI ≥2B reperfusion.
Conclusion
The angled‐tip catheters were associated with a lower procedure cost and shorter time to achieve reperfusion. Similar rates of reperfusion and intracranial hemorrhages were observed in both groups.
Peripheral hematocrit (pHct) is traditionally used as a marker for blood loss. In critically ill patients who are fluid resuscitated, pHct may not adequately represent red blood cell volume (RBCV). ...We hypothesize that the use of pHct alone may overestimate anemia, potentially leading to unnecessary interventions.
Patients admitted to the intensive care unit underwent blood volume analysis. Serial blood samples were collected after injection of I-albumin. Samples were then processed by the Blood Volume Analyzer-100. RBCV and total blood volume (TBV) were calculated using the directly measured plasma volume (PV) and pHct. A computed normalized hematocrit (nHct) adjusts pHct to the patient's ideal blood volume.
Thirty-six patients (21 men), aged 49.8 years ± 18.4 years, Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II score 14.9 ± 8.1, and injury severity score 29.4 ± 12.4 had 84 blood volume analyses performed on 3 consecutive days. Using ratios of TBV compared with ideal TBV, patients were stratified into three separate groups: hypovolemic (16 of 84), normovolemic (23 of 84), and hypervolemic (45 of 84). Mean differences between pHct and nHct in each group were 4.5% ± 3.1% (p≤0.01), 0.0% ± 1.2% (p=0.85), and -6.5% ± 4.1% (p≤0.01), respectively. pHct, when compared with nHct, diagnosed anemia (Hct <30) nearly equal within the hypovolemic and normovolemic groups. However, pHct overdiagnosed anemia in 46.7% of hypervolemic patients.
Use of blood volume analysis in critically ill patients may help to distinguish true anemia from hemodilution, potentially preventing unnecessary interventions.
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