scholarly journals The Conundrum of Ventricular Dilatations Following Decompressive Craniectomy: Is Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, The Only Panacea?

2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (02) ◽  
pp. 232-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja K. Kutty ◽  
Sunilkumar Balakrishnan Sreemathyamma ◽  
Jyothish Sivanandapanicker ◽  
Prasanth Asher ◽  
Rajmohan Bhanu Prabhakar ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Ventriculomegaly and hydrocephalus (HCP) are sometimes a bewildering sequela of decompressive craniectomy (DC). The distinguishing criteria between both are less well defined. Majority of the studies quoted in the literature have defined HCP radiologically, rather than considering the clinical status of the patient. Accordingly, these patients have been treated with permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedures. We hypothesize that asymptomatic ventriculomegaly following DC should undergo aspiration with cranioplasty and be followed up regularly. Materials and Methods: All patients with post-DC who were scheduled for cranioplasty and satisfied the radiological criteria for HCP were included. These patients were categorized into two groups. Group 1 included ventriculomegaly with clinical signs attributable to HCP and Group 2 constituted ventriculomegaly but no clinical signs attributable to HCP. All patients in Group 1 underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt followed by cranioplasty, whereas all patients in Group 2 underwent cranioplasty along with simultaneous ventriculostomy and temporary aspiration of the lateral ventricle. All patients were regularly followed as the outpatient basis. Results: There were 21 patients who developed ventriculomegaly following DC. There were 10 patients in Group 1 and 11 patients in Group 2. The average duration of follow-up was from 6 months to 2 years. Two patients in the shunt group - (group 1) had over drainage and required revision. One patient in aspiration group - (group 2) required permanent CSF diversion. Conclusion: Cranioplasty with aspiration is a viable option in selected group of patients in whom there is ventriculomegaly but no signs or symptoms attributable to HCP.

2008 ◽  
Vol 108 (5) ◽  
pp. 943-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Long Ho ◽  
Chee Meng Wang ◽  
Kah Keow Lee ◽  
Ivan Ng ◽  
Beng Ti Ang

Object This study addresses the changes in brain oxygenation, cerebrovascular reactivity, and cerebral neurochemistry in patients following decompressive craniectomy for the control of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods Sixteen consecutive patients with isolated TBI and elevated ICP, who were refractory to maximal medical therapy, underwent decompressive craniectomy over a 1-year period. Thirteen patients were male and 3 were female. The mean age of the patients was 38 years and the median Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission was 5. Results Six months following TBI, 11 patients had a poor outcome (Group 1, Glasgow Outcome Scale [GOS] Score 1–3), whereas the remaining 5 patients had a favorable outcome (Group 2, GOS Score 4 or 5). Decompressive craniectomy resulted in a significant reduction (p < 0.001) in the mean ICP and cerebrovascular pressure reactivity index to autoregulatory values (< 0.3) in both groups of patients. There was a significant improvement in brain tissue oxygenation (PbtO2) in Group 2 patients from 3 to 17 mm Hg and an 85% reduction in episodes of cerebral ischemia. In addition, the durations of abnormal PbtO2 and biochemical indices were significantly reduced in Group 2 patients after decompressive craniectomy, but there was no improvement in the biochemical indices in Group 1 patients despite surgery. Conclusions Decompressive craniectomy, when used appropriately in protocol-driven intensive care regimens for the treatment of recalcitrant elevated ICP, is associated with a return of abnormal metabolic parameters to normal values in patients with eventually favorable outcomes.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. e022776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Dos Reis ◽  
Laurie Fraticelli ◽  
Adrien Bassand ◽  
Stéphane Manzo-Silberman ◽  
Nicolas Peschanski ◽  
...  

ObjectivesCardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is the combination of acute heart failure syndrome (AHF) and renal dysfunction (creatinine clearance (CrCl) ≤60 mL/min). Real-life data were used to compare the management and outcome of AHF with and without renal dysfunction.DesignProspective, multicentre.SettingTwenty-six academic, community and regional hospitals in France.Participants507 patients with AHF were assessed in two groups according to renal function: group 1 (patients with CRS (CrCl ≤60 mL/min): n=335) and group 2 (patients with AHF with normal renal function (CrCl >60 mL/min): n=172).ResultsDifferences were observed (group 1 vs group 2) at admission for the incidence of chronic heart failure (56.42% vs 47.67%), use of furosemide (60.9% vs 52.91%), insulin (15.52% vs 9.3%) and amiodarone (14.33% vs 4.65%); additionally, more patients in group 1 carried a defibrillator (4.78% vs 0%), had ≥2 hospitalisations in the last year (15.52% vs 5.81%) and were under the care of a cardiologist (72.24% vs 61.63%). Clinical signs were broadly similar in each group. Brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and BNP prohormone were higher in group 1 than group 2 (1157.5 vs 534 ng/L and 5120 vs 2513 ng/mL), and more patients in group 1 were positive for troponin (58.2% vs 44.19%), had cardiomegaly (51.04% vs 37.21%) and interstitial opacities (60.3% vs 47.67%). The only difference in emergency treatment was the use of nitrates, (higher in group 1 (21.9% vs 12.21%)). In-hospital mortality and the percentage of patients still hospitalised after 30 days were similar between groups, but the median stay was longer in group 1 (8 days vs 6 days).ConclusionsRenal impairment in AHF should not limit the use of loop diuretics and/or vasodilators, but early assessment of pulmonary congestion and close monitoring of the efficacy of conventional therapies is encouraged to allow rapid and appropriate implementation of alternative therapies if necessary.


2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 656-660
Author(s):  
R.S. Rezende ◽  
D. Eurides ◽  
C.P. Barbosa ◽  
M.S. Lacerda ◽  
R.L. Sampaio ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a GnRH synthetic analog, as an estrous inducer in female dogs when administered during the anestrous phase, and to evaluate the pregnancy rate achieved through natural copulation. For this purpose, ten female dogs of different breeds were used. The subjects received buserelin by intramuscular injections at a dose of 2,1mcg when female dogs weighed up to 10kg (Group 1) and of 4,2mcg when the dogs weighed above 10kg (Group 2). Of the ten subjects, only three presented estrus after a single injection of buserelin: two dogs from Group 1 and one dog from Group 2 on average 7±1.29 days. The remaining seven dogs were given a second dose of buserelin, equal to the first administration. Of these, three belonged to Group 1 and four to Group 2. Four of these dogs exhibited clinical signs of estrus within, on average 9±7.3 days from the second injection. The seven female dogs that did enter estrus were fertilized successfully through natural copulation. The administration of buserelin was effective in inducing estrus in female dogs during the anestrous phase, with a maximum of two administrations.


Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 734
Author(s):  
Nadirah Abu Nor ◽  
Mohd Zamri-Saad ◽  
Ina-Salwany Md Yasin ◽  
Annas Salleh ◽  
Farina Mustaffa-Kamal ◽  
...  

Vibrio harveyi causes vibriosis in various commercial marine fish species. The infection leads to significant economic losses for aquaculture farms, and vaccination is an alternative approach for the prevention and control of fish diseases for aquaculture sustainability. This study describes the use of formalin-killed Vibrio harveyi (FKVh) strain Vh1 as a vaccine candidate to stimulate innate and adaptive immunities against vibriosis in a marine red hybrid tilapia model. Tilapia are fast growing; cheap; resistant to diseases; and tolerant to adverse environmental conditions of fresh water, brackish water, and marine water and because of these advantages, marine red hybrid tilapia is a suitable candidate as a model to study fish diseases and vaccinations against vibriosis. A total of 180 healthy red hybrid tilapias were gradually adapted to the marine environment before being divided into two groups, with 90 fish in each group and were kept in triplicate with 30 fish per tank. Group 1 was vaccinated intraperitoneally with 100 µL of FKVh on week 0, and a booster dose was similarly administered on week 2. Group 2 was similarly injected with PBS. Skin mucus, serum, and gut lavage were collected weekly for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a lysozyme activity assay from a total of 30 fish of each group. On week 4, the remaining 60 fish of Groups 1 and 2 were challenged with 108 cfu/fish of live Vibrio harveyi. The clinical signs were monitored while the survival rate was recorded for 48 h post-challenge. Vaccination with FKVh resulted in a significantly (p < 0.05) higher rate of survival (87%) compared to the control (20%). The IgM antibody titer and lysozyme activities of Group 1 were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the unvaccinated Groups 2 in most weeks throughout the experiment. Therefore, the intraperitoneal exposure of marine red hybrid tilapia to killed V. harveyi enhanced the resistance and antibody response of the fish against vibriosis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Paulo Steffens ◽  
Márcia Thaís Pochapski ◽  
Fábio André Santos ◽  
Gibson Luiz Pilatti

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of 2 anesthetic agents on patients' postoperative pain perception after periodontal surgery. For this parallel-group, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial, 36 open flap debridement surgeries were performed on patients who presented with periodontal disease with clinical signs of inflammation after nonsurgical treatment on at least 1 quadrant. Patients were allocated to 1 of the following groups: group 1, 2% lidocaine with 1 ∶ 100,000 epinephrine; group 2, 2% mepivacaine with 1 ∶ 100,000 norepinephrine. Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale during the first 8 hours after surgery. All patients received 750-mg acetaminophen tablets, which they were instructed to take as a rescue medication if necessary. The results demonstrated that postoperative pain intensity was statistically lower in group 2 than in group 1 at the 1-, 2-, and 3-hour periods after surgery, although the pain intensity for all groups could be considered mild. In conclusion, patients in both groups reported similar mild pain after periodontal surgery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-386
Author(s):  
Iniobong C.I. UGOCHUKWU ◽  
Sunday I. IDOKO ◽  
Jacinta N. OMEKE ◽  
Chioma I. ANEKE ◽  
Nuhu A. SANI ◽  
...  

Peste des petits ruminants poses a major threat to the development of small ruminant production. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative efficacy of amantadine hydrochloride (HCl), oxytetracycline long acting (LA) and levamisole in West African dwarf (WAD) goats experimentally infected with PPR. In addition to the presence of the characteristic clinical signs, complement ELISA and haem agglutination inhibition (HI) tests were used to confirm PPR infection in the West African dwarf goats, then treatment was instituted in the different groups namely, group 1 which was treated with amantadine HCl orally, oxytetracycline LA intramuscularly (IM) and levamisole per os. Group 2 was treated with oxytetracycline LA IM and levamisole. Group 3 was treated with levamisole while group 4 served as untreated control. The physiological parameters namely rectal temperature, pulse rate and respiratory rates of the different groups were recorded. The mortality rates in the different treatment groups were also recorded. The respiratory rates of the WAD goats increased as the infection progressed, but the increase was not significant (P>0.05). The treatment helped reduce the respiratory rates in the treated WAD. The rectal temperatures of all the animals in the different treatment groups increased only slightly as the infection progressed and was not significant (P>0.05). The percentage mortalities were 0% in Group 1, 25% in the Group 2, 50% in the treated group 3 and highest (75%) in the untreated group respectively. In conclusion, incorporation of specific antiviral agents like amantadine hydrochloride in the treatment regimen with oxytetracycline and levamisole particularly during the early stages of the infection can reduce morbidity and mortality of the disease to the barest minimum.


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 383-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Alexandrovna Khripun ◽  
Sergey Vladislavovich Vorobyev ◽  
Maxim Nikolaevich Morgunov ◽  
Michail Iosifovich Kogan

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease that is based on endothelial dysfunction (ED). Currently, conventional diagnostic methods are unreliable, especially at early stages of disease.Aims. The aim of this work was to assess endothelial function in men with T2DM without clinical signs of cardiovascular disease.Materials and methods. The study included 100 patients (mean age, 54.3 ± 5.3 years) with a T2DM duration of less than 10 years and without signs of cardiovascular disease. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 60 patients with a T2DM duration of less than five years. Group 2 included 40 men with a history of diabetes between 5 and 10 years. Endothelial function was assessed by the levels of nitric oxide (NO), endothelial NO synthase type 3 (eNOS3), ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, P-selectin, resistin and C-reactive protein and the arterial vasoreactivity of the brachial artery (BA) using the D. Celermajer method.Results. Results revealed decreases in levels of both eNOS3 by 2.5 fold (P = 0.0005) and NO by 1.9 fold (P = 0.043) in group 2 patients, compared to those in group 1 patients. When the duration of diabetes was greater than five years, levels of VCAM-1, resistin and C-reactive protein increased by 12.1% (P = 0.048), 62% (P = 0.01) and 45.6%, respectively. Additionally, the time until maximal BA vasodilatation during reactive hyperemia was observed to be higher in group 2 [105 (90; 180) seconds] than those in group 1 [90 (60; 120) seconds].Conclusions. Biochemical and imaging signs of ED begin to appear in the first five years of T2DM, long before clinical manifestations. The earliest symptoms are decreases in eNOS3 and NO levels, increases in VCAM-1 and resistin concentrations and increased time until maximal BA vasodilatation during reactive hyperemia.


Author(s):  
Camille Ammann ◽  
Christophe Wyss ◽  
Oliver Gämperli ◽  
Peter Martin Wenaweser ◽  
Roberto Corti ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The soluble form of suppression of tumourigenicity 2 (sST2), a recently introduced biomarker, is a strong and NTproBNP-independent predictor of outcome in heart failure patients. This study sought to evaluate the added clinical value of sST2 in addition to NTproBNP in a heterogeneous cardiac outpatient population. METHODS: A total of 297 all-comer patients visiting the outpatient clinic of Heart Clinic Zurich, Switzerland, from January to December 2018 were included. Patients were divided into four groups depending on their sST2 and NTproBNP levels: group 1 (n = 91, 30.6% of all patients) with normal levels of both biomarkers, group 2 (n = 41, 13.8%) with isolated elevation of sST2 but normal NTproBNP, group 3 (n = 97, 32.7%) with elevated NTproBNP but normal sST2 levels, and group 4 (n = 68, 22.9%) with elevation of both biomarkers. Differences between groups, Spearman’s correlations and linear and multiple regression analysis for sST2 were calculated. RESULTS: The median age was 74 ± 19 years and 41.8% were women. NTproBNP levels continuously increased across the groups (medians in pg/ml: group 1 123.0, group 2 152.0, group 3 990.0 and group 4 2610.0), whereas sST2 levels did not (medians in ng/ml: 28.7, 58.9, 28.4 and 63.7 for groups 1 to 4, respectively). In patients with normal NTproBNP (groups 1 and 2), elevation of sST2 (group 2) was associated with significantly higher rates of coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease and renal dysfunction. In patients with elevated NTproBNP (groups 3 and 4), the additional elevation of sST2 (group 4) was associated with clinical signs of heart failure, higher EuroScore II and worse left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF group 3 58.0% vs group 4 53.3%, p = 0.022). Correlation of sST2 was overall weak and weaker than of NTproBNP with most clinical variables. Soluble ST2 significantly correlated with EuroScore II (R = 0.280), kidney function (R = −0.259), C-reactive protein (R = 0.248), right ventricular function (R = 0.213) and left atrial volume (R = 0.199), all p ≤0.001. In multiple regression analysis, left atrial volume was the strongest independent predictor of sST2 elevation (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: In this all-comer cardiology population, the added clinical value of sST2 measurements in addition to NTproBNP was small. In patients with elevated NTproBNP, the simultaneous elevation of sST2 was associated with clinical signs of heart failure. Soluble ST2 measurements could thus be beneficial in patients with uncertain signs of heart failure and confounding factors for NTproBNP elevation. Surprisingly, this study found elevated sST2 levels in a substantial number of a patients with normal NTproBNP levels, pointing to an additional pathway of sST2 elevation independent of heart failure.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-20
Author(s):  
Amit Thapa ◽  
Rupendra Bahadur Adhikari ◽  
Bidur KC ◽  
Bikram Shakya

The effect of decompressive craniectomy (DC) on survival and functional outcome in traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is far from satisfactory. Additional modalities including cisternal drainage (CD) that provides good control of refractory intracranial pressure (ICP) intraoperatively need careful scrutiny. Two centre retrospective superiority study with one centre offering only standard decompressive craniectomy (DC) i.e. Group 1 and the other centre supplementing cisternal drainage (CD) to standard DC i.e. Group 2 was conducted. Consecutive patients with traumatic brain injury with signs of brain herniation or CT scan showing mass lesion or diffuse brain edema or midline shift or with GCS less than 9 or rapid fall in GCS over 2 points with persistently raised ICP of 25 mmHg over 15 minutes between August 2012 and July 2017 were included. The primary outcome was rating on Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) at 6 months post operatively, with GOS (1-3) categorized as ‘Unfavorable’ and GOS (4,5) as ‘Favorable’. Patients either received DC alone (Group 1=73 patients, 48.7%) or DC with CD (Group 2=77 patients, 51.3%). 107 (71.3%) severe, 36 (24%) moderate, and 7 (4.7%) mild head injuries cases received 72 unilateral and 78 bilateral DC. GOS 1 was observed in 32 DC only group (43.8%) and 22 DC plus CD group (28.6%) (p=0.052), an absolute risk reduction of 15.2% was found. Outcome (favorable sun favorable) against all strata of head injury severity, predominant radiological feature, laterality of surgery, and patient characteristics across the two groups were statistically not significant, however the groups were statistically significantly different on age and GCS at presentation (p=0.016 & 0.034 consecutively). Distinct survival benefit in patients with traumatic brain injury receiving cisternal drainage during decompressive craniectomy did not translate to better functional outcome.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 372-372
Author(s):  
Vanja Vaccaro ◽  
Isabella Sperduti ◽  
Davide Melisi ◽  
Emilio Bria ◽  
Enrico Vasile ◽  
...  

372 Background: Although FOLFIRINOX is considered one of the standards for aPDAC, concerns emerged with regard to the safety profile in clinical practice. Thus, we investigated the impact of dose/schedule modifications and additional supportive measures. Methods: The clinical charts of 292 aPDAC patients (pts) receiving classic (group 1) or modified (m)FOLFIRINOX (group 2) were retrieved at 8 Institutions. Results: Table summarizes pts’ characteristics;82/709 and 188/1127 pts/cycles were analyzed for groups 1 and 2, respectively. Overall toxicity was mild; significant differences in G2-4 toxicities between the two groups: asthenia (12.5% vs 6%, p<0.0001), anemia (6.1% vs 3.1%, p=0. 003), diarrhea (6.5% vs 4%, p=0.02), and thrombocytopenia (5.4% vs 0.5%, p<0.0001), favouring group 2, and neutropenia (4.7% vs 12.3%, p<0.0001), favouring group 1. G-CSF was used more frequently in group 1 (80% vs 36%, p<0.0001). Dose delays were comparable between the two groups; dose reductions were more common in group 2 (39% vs 28%, p<0.00001). No differences in the complete control of nausea/vomiting at cycle 1 (no N/V) with or without aprepitant were observed (50% vs 45%, respectively). The presence of a biliary stent did not appear to significantly worsen toxicity. Overall ORR and disease control rate (DCR: PR+SD) were 40% and 62%, respectively, without significant differences between the two groups. Median PFS was 7 mos for both groups. Median OS, however, was significantly longer in group 2 (12 vs 18 mos, respectively; p=0.01). Conclusions: Both schedulesare easily manageable and well tolerated and may be safely administered on an outpatient basis in pts carrying biliary stents as well. The minimal differences in toxicity and efficacy obtained with mFolfirinox require additional investigation. [Table: see text]


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