Month: December 2019

Blood lactate levels during cardiopulmonary bypass as indicator of outcome in pediatric cardiac surgery

Abstract

Objectives: In pediatric cardiac surgery, high blood lactate levels during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are associated with tissue hypoperfusion and contribute to postoperative complications. Studies indicate that blood lactate level is proportional to tissue oxygen debt. The objective of this study was to evaluate the change in blood lactate levels and perioperative morbidity and mortality.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 81 pediatric patients who have undergone cardiac surgery with continuous monitoring of serial measurement of blood lactate in Integrated Cardiac Service Unit, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta. Arterial blood samples were taken before, during CPB, and on admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and every 6 hours afterward. Duration of CPB, hemodynamic parameters, inotrope dosage and perioperative outcome were documented.

Results: The largest increment in lactate level occurred during CPB and decreased on admission to the ICU. Patients who had complications exhibited higher lactate levels at all time points. Lactate levels were higher in the group with complications at the end of surgery (4.4 vs 2.7 mmol/l; p=0.000), immediately after ICU admission (2.9 vs 1.9 mmol/l; p=0.000), 6 hours (1.9 vs 1.4 mmol/l; p<0.003), and 12 hours after admission (4.6 vs 2.8 mmol/l; p=0.000). Increased lactate concentration was reliably associated with patient length of ICU stay, liver function parameter and anion gap. Logistic regression analysis revealed that peak blood lactate levels of 3.5 mmol/l or higher during CPB were strongly associated with postoperative mortality and morbidity.

Conclusions: Hyperlactatemia occurs during CPB may become an early indicator/predictive index for postoperative morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. This study generates the hypothesis that strategies aimed to preserve oxygen delivery during CPB may reduce the occurrence of elevated lactate levels.

Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein is a more specific biomarker than phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit, heart-fatty acidic protein, neuron specific enolase, and S100B protein for CT-positive mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Background: Several biomarkers show diagnostic value for traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially in patients with severe TBI. In the present study, we examined whether glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit (pNF-H), heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and S100B protein (S100B) measured on admission to an emergency department showed diagnostic value in patients with mild-to-moderate TBI.

Methods: A prospective study performed in our emergency department. After collecting informed consent, blood samples were obtained to measure GFAP, pNF-H, H-FABP, NSE, and S100B concentrations. All of the patients underwent head computed tomography (CT). The CT findings were considered positive if hemorrhagic brain injury was present. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for each biomarker with positive head CT findings as the outcome variable.

Results: Fifty-seven patients were included (39% male). Their median age was 70 years and the median Glasgow coma scale score was 15. Twelve patients (21%) had positive head CT findings (CT-positive group). The area under the ROC curves for GFAP, pNF-H, H-FABP, NSE, and S100B were 0.845, 0.569, 0.518, 0.744, and 0.753, respectively, and were statistically significant for GFAP, NSE, and S100B (p<0.001, p=0.013, and p=0.010, respectively). The area under the ROC curve was greater for GFAP than those for the other biomarkers.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that serum GFAP measured shortly after emergency department admission shows greater diagnostic potential for head CT-positive TBI as compared with pNF-H, H-FABP, NSE, and S100B.

Effects of N-acetylcysteine on high-sensitive C-reactive protein level and wall motion score index after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and fibrinolytic therapy: A randomized trial

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on the high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level and wall motion score index (WMSI) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with fibrinolytic therapy.

Methodology: We performed a randomized pre-post study in consecutive patients who received fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI at Dr. Moewardi Hospital from July through August 2018. Patients were randomly allocated to receive NAC 600 mg 3 times daily for 3 days (treatment group) or no NAC (control group). Patients underwent pre- and post-treatment hsCRP measurement and echocardiographic examination with calculation of the WMSI. Pre- and post-therapy differences in clinical characteristics were analyzed within and between groups using independent sample t-, Mann-Whitney, paired t-, and Wilcoxon tests as appropriate.

Results: Thirty-two patients were analyzed. The control and treatment groups included 15 (mean age 58.27±8.07 years) and 17 (mean age 55.24±10.19 years) patients, respectively. There were significant between-group differences in hsCRP levels (p=0.001) and WMSIs (p=0.005) after therapy. In the control group, the median post-therapy hsCRP and WMSI were 151.50 mg/l (range 42.50-285.20) and 1.3 (range 1.1-1.7), respectively, compared to 14.90 mg/l (range 3.60-266.80) and 1.2 (range 1.0-1.5), respectively, in the treatment group.

Conclusion: Patients with STEMI who received NAC (600 mg 3 times daily for 3 days) in addition to fibrinolytic therapy had lower post-intervention hsCRP levels and WMSIs than patients who received fibrinolytic therapy alone. These findings will provide a therapeutic option for the successful management of patients with AMI.

Intravenous thiamine as an adjuvant therapy for hyperlactatemia in septic shock patients

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of intravenous (IV) thiamine in reducing hyperlactatemia in septic shock patients.

Design: Prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Setting: General intensive care unit (GICU), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

Patients and participants: Adult patients with septic shock and hyperlactatemia (lactate ≥2 mmol/l).

Interventions: IV thiamine 200 mg thrice daily for 3 days.

Measurements and results: A total of 72 patients were recruited into the study. Seven patients died within 24 hours of study commencement and were dropped out. Patients were randomized into the thiamine group (TG) who received IV thiamine 200 mg diluted in 50 ml of normal saline, or placebo group (PG) who received 50 ml of normal saline infusion over 30 minutes. Arterial blood lactate samples were collected at time of enrolment, after 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours of study drugs administration. Relative lactate changes over 24 hours, duration of weaning off vasopressors, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score changes over 72 hours, ICU length of stay (LOS) and mortality rates were compared between groups. There were no significant differences in the relative lactate changes (TG: 37.5% [4.7-59.1] vs PG: 47.8% [29.1-70.7], p=0.091), duration of vasopressors being weaned off (TG: 75.5 [48.0-131.25] vs PG: 88.0 [48.0-147.0]), SOFA score changes (TG: 3.0±3.41 vs PG: 2.7±3.3), ICU LOS (TG: 5.0 [4.0-11.0] vs PG: 6.0 [3.0-12.0]), and ICU mortality rate (TG: 14 [43] vs PG: 12 [37]). Multivariate logistic regression test showed that baseline lactate level was an independent predictor for mortality (p=0.044).

Conclusion: Intravenous thiamine did not show significant improvement in relative lactate changes, time for shock reversal, SOFA scoring, ICU LOS, and mortality rate in septic shock patients with hyperlactatemia. However, baseline lactate level was shown to be an independent predictor for ICU mortality.