Liver transplantation represents a fundamental therapeutic solution to end-stage liver disease. The need for liver allografts has extended the set of criteria for organ acceptability, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes. Little is known about the early postoperative parameters that can be used as valid predictive indices for early graft function, retransplantation or surgical reintervention...

BACKGROUND Capillary refill time has been studied in literature as a perfusion indicator. Two pilot studies have proposed possible reference values in healthy adults. No data exist regarding capillary refill time as an indicator of abnormal clinical conditions in adults, which might be of help for triage nurses. OBJECTIVE We wanted to assess if any relationships existed, between altered capil...

OBJECTIVE To investigate potential mitochondrial toxicity in HIV-uninfected infants exposed to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in utero and/or neonatal zidovudine. DESIGN A prospective observational study performed in a tertiary referral center for HIV-infected women and their infants and children. METHODS Plasma lactate was measured repeatedly during the first 6 months of life...

Carbicarb is a mixture of Na2CO3/NaHCO3 that buffers similarly to NaHCO3, but without net generation of CO2. We studied the effects of carbicarb in an animal preparation of hypoxic lactic acidosis (HLA). HLA was induced by ventilating dogs with an hypoxic gas mixture (8% O2/92% N2). Dogs with HLA (n = 28) were then treated with 2.5 meq/kg of either NaHCO3 or carbicarb over 1 hr. Measurements we...

Methods for the restoration of circulating blood volume, including the use of intravenous fluids, have been widely discussed over many years. There are no clear guidelines regarding the type of solutions, the total volume that should be transfused, or time schedules. Colloid solutions, usually hydroxyethyl starch compositions, are probably the most commonly used volume expanders in resuscitatio...

AIMS Metformin is renally excreted and has been associated with the development of lactic acidosis. Although current advice is to omit metformin during illnesses that may increase the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI), the evidence supporting this is lacking. We investigated the relationship between AKI, lactate concentrations and the risk of lactic acidosis in those exposed to metformin. MAT...

BACKGROUND Recently, veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has become the rewarming treatment of choice in hypothermic cardiac arrest. The detailed indications for extracorporeal rewarming in non-arrested, severely hypothermic patients with circulatory instability have not been established yet. The primary purpose of the study was a preliminary analysis of all aspects of t...

BACKGROUND Operative mortality risk in cardiac surgery is usually assessed using preoperative risk models. However, intraoperative factors may change the risk profile of the patients, and parameters at the admission in the intensive care unit may be relevant in determining the operative mortality. This study investigates the association between a number of parameters at the admission in the int...

OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the incidence of acetaminophen-induced hypotension. Our secondary objectives were to describe systemic hemodynamic changes and factors associated with this complication. DESIGN Prospective observational study. SETTING Three ICUs. PATIENTS Adult patients requiring IV acetaminophen infusion. Arterial pressure was monitored via an arterial catheter for 3 hours....

Sepsis develops when an infection surpasses local tissue containment. A series of dysregulated physiological responses are generated, leading to organ dysfunction and a 10% mortality risk. When patients with sepsis demonstrate elevated serum lactates and require vasopressor therapy to maintain adequate blood pressure in the absence of hypovolemia, they are in septic shock with an in-hospital mo...