Prevalence, Predictors and Impact of Bacterial Infection in Acute on Chronic Liver Failure Patients

Acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is associated with high short term mortality. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence, predictors and impact of bacterial infection in ACLF.

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Significant Infections in Liver Transplant Recipients Undergoing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiography are few and Unaffected by Prophylactic Antibiotics

Current practice guidelines recommend prophylactic antibiotics prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in liver transplant recipients (LTR). This study evaluated the risk of clinically significant infections after ERCP in LTR who received antibiotic prophylaxis compared to those who did not.

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Risk Factors for Thirty-Day Readmissions Following Lower-Extremity Amputation in Patients with Vascular Disease

Understanding risk factors associated with readmission after lower extremity amputation may indicate targets for reducing readmission.

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Evaluation of the Combined Application of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Volitional Contractions on Thigh Muscle Strength, Knee Pain and Physical Performance in Women at Risk for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability that is associated with quadriceps weakness. However, strengthening in people with or with risk factors for knee OA can be poorly tolerated.

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Oxidative stress is bane in chronic liver diseases: Clinical and experimental perspective

Publication date: Available online 28 May 2018
Source:Arab Journal of Gastroenterology
Author(s): Devaraj Ezhilarasan
Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various chronic liver diseases (CLD) and increasing evidence have confirmed the contributory role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of drugs and chemical-induced CLD. Chronic liver injury is manifested as necrosis, cholestasis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Chronic administration of anti-tubercular, anti-retroviral, immunosuppressive drugs is reported to induce free radical generation during their biotransformation in the liver. Further, these reactive intermediates are said to induce profibrogenic cytokines, several inflammatory markers, collagen synthesis during the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Oxidative stress and free radicals are reported to induce activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells in the injured liver leading to the progression of CLD. Hence, to counteract or to scavenge these reactive intermediates, several plant-derived antioxidant principles have been effectively employed against oxidative stress and came out with promising results in human and experimental models of CLD. This review summarizes the relationships between oxidative stress and different liver pathogenesis induced by drugs and xenobiotics, focusing upon different chronic liver injury induced by alcohol, antitubercular drugs and hyperactivity of antiretroviral drugs in HIV patients, viral hepatitis infection induced oxidative stress.



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Estimation of voluntary elicited motor neuron discharge using a peripheral nerve collision technique at different contraction strengths

Motor evoked potentials (MEP) are facilitated when the cortical stimulus is given during an ongoing voluntary contraction of the target muscle (Arányi et al., 1998; Hess et al., 1987). During voluntary contractions, a greater pool of spinal motor neurons (MN) are closer to their firing threshold, and are therefore brought to discharge by the cortical magnetic stimulus. The pool of MN just below firing threshold has been termed "subliminal fringe" (Denny-Brown and Sherrington, 1928). A motor evoked potential obtained during a voluntary contraction is therefore composed of those motor units discharging by voluntary activation plus those near-threshold "fringe" motor units that were additionally recruited by the brain stimulus.

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Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize: Focusing on Parenting Supports Depressed Parents’ Involvement in Home Visiting Services

Abstract

Objectives Improving family retention and engagement is crucial to the success of home visiting programs. Little is known about retaining and engaging depressed parents in services. The purpose of the study is to examine how home visit content moderates the association between depression and retention and engagement. Methods The sample (N = 1322) was served by Healthy Families America (n = 618) and Parents as Teachers (n = 704) between April 1, 2012 and June 30, 2016. Parents averaged 23 years (SD = 6). Nearly half of the parents were White (48%) and the majority was single (71%). Depression was screened with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Home visitors reported the percent of time focused on particular content and parent engagement at every home visit. Results Multilevel regression analyses showed the amount of time that home visitors spent supporting parent–child interaction moderated the association between depression and retention at 6 (B = .08, SE = .03, p = .003) and 12 (B = .1, SE = .03, p < .001) months, such that there was a stronger positive association for depressed parents. The main effects of child development focused content and retention at 6 (B = .07, SE = .01, p < .001) and 12 (B = .08, SE = .01, p < .001) months were positive, while effects of case management focused content at 6 (B = − .06, SE = .01, p < .001) and 12 (B = − .07, SE = .01, p < .001) months were negative. Conclusions Families were more likely to be retained when home visitors focused on child development and parent–child interaction, but less likely with more case management focus. Parents with positive depression screens were more likely to remain in services with more time spent focused on supporting parent–child interactions.

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Nalbuphine as an adjuvant to 0.25% levobupivacaine in ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block provided prolonged sensory block and similar motor block durations (RCT)

Abstract

Purpose

Prolonged postoperative analgesia with early motor recovery for early rehabilitation is a challenge in regional block. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of adding 20 mg nalbuphine to 25 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine in supraclavicular brachial plexus block.

Methods

One hundred thirty-five (135) patients scheduled for hand and forearm surgeries with supraclavicular block were randomly allocated into three equal groups. Group L received 25 ml of 0.5% levobupivacaine + 1 ml normal saline; group H received 25 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine + 1 ml normal saline; and group N received 25 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine + 1 ml (20 mg) nalbuphine. Onset time and duration of sensory and motor block, and time to first analgesic dose were recorded.

Results

Sensory block onset was comparable between the three groups. Motor block onset in group L and group N was comparable (13.16 ± 3.07 and 13.84 ± 3.05 min, respectively) and was shorter than that in group H (15.71 ± 2 0.91 min). Sensory block duration in group L and group N was comparable (522.22 ± 69.57 and 533.78 ± 66.03 min, respectively) and was longer than that in group H (342.67 ± 92.80 min). Motor block duration in group N and group H was comparable (272.00 ± 59.45 and 249.78 ± 66.01 min, respectively) and was shorter than that in group L (334.67 ± 57.90 min). Time to first analgesic dose was significantly longer in group N (649.78 ± 114.76 min) than that of group L and group H (575.56 ± 96.85 and 375.56 ± 84.49 min, respectively) and longer in group L when compared to group H.

Conclusions

Adding 20 mg nalbuphine to 25 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine in supraclavicular block provided prolonged duration of sensory block with similar duration of motor block.

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Spinal anesthesia for surgery longer than 60 min in infants: experience from the first 2 years of a spinal anesthesia program

Abstract

Purpose

Spinal anesthesia (SA) is being increasingly used in infants to avoid the potential negative neurocognitive effects of general anesthesia (GA). However, SA has been reported to provide a relatively short duration of surgical anesthesia.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed SA cases for surgical procedures lasting more than 60 min in children up to 3 years old. All patients received bupivacaine 0.5% (1 mg/kg up to 7 mg) with clonidine 1 µg/kg ± epinephrine. The primary outcome was success of SA without subsequent conversion to GA.

Results

Thirty-five patients met inclusion criteria (all males, age 7 ± 5 months, weight 8 ± 2 kg). Procedures included male genital, groin and multiple site surgeries. Average surgical duration was 71 ± 12 min (range 60–111 min). SA was successful in 31 of 35 patients (89%; 95% confidence interval 78, 99%). The cause of failure was rarely due to the duration of surgery (1 of 4 patients). Six patients with successful SA required sedation with dexmedetomidine ± fentanyl. Differences in procedure duration and patient characteristics were not statistically significant between successful and failed SA.

Conclusions

SA is a highly successful technique and may offer an alternative to GA in children undergoing appropriate surgery expected to last as long as 60–100 min.

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Dependent functional status is associated with unplanned postoperative intubation after elective cervical spine surgery: a national registry analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The impact of preoperative functional status on 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and clinical outcomes among patients who underwent cervical spine surgery is not well-described. We hypothesized that functional dependence is associated with 30-day unplanned postoperative intubation and that among the reintubated cohort, functional dependence is associated with adverse postoperative clinical outcomes after cervical spine surgery.

Methods

Utilizing the 2007–2016 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, we identified adult elective anterior and posterior cervical spine surgery patients by Current Procedural Terminology codes. We performed (1) a Cox Proportional Hazard analysis for the following outcomes: reintubation, prolonged ventilator use, and pneumonia and (2) an adjusted logistic regression analysis among patients that required postoperative reintubation to evaluate the association of functional status with adverse postoperative outcomes.

Results

The sample size was 26,263, of which 550 (2.1%) were functionally dependent. The adjusted model suggested that when compared with functionally independent patients, dependent patients were at increased risk of unplanned 30-day intubation (HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.26–3.34; P = 0.003). The adjusted risk of 30-day postoperative pneumonia was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (HR 1.61, 95% CI 1.02–2.54, P = 0.036). Among patients that required postoperative reintubation, the odds of 30-day mortality was significantly higher in patients with functional dependence (OR 5.82, 95% CI 1.59–23.4, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Preoperative functional dependence is a good marker for estimating postoperative unplanned intubation following cervical spine surgery.

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