Transplantation proceedings
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Adult orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is associated with considerable blood product requirements. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of preoperative information to predict intraoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements among adult liver recipients. ⋯ Preoperative variables have limited predictive power for intraoperative RBC transfusion requirements even when significant statistical associations exist, identifying only a small portion of the observed total transfusion variability. Preoperative PT, Hb, age, and liver pathology seem to be the most significant predictive factors but other factors like severity of liver disease, surgical technique, medical experience in liver transplantation, and other noncontrollable human variables may play important roles to determine the final transfusion requirements.
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The value of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a novel marker for early detection of acute renal failure has been highlighted recently. The aim of this study was to assess whether serum NGAL correlated with kidney function in heart allograft recipients. We evaluated serum NGAL, creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in 164 heart allograft recipients on triple therapy. ⋯ In contrast, it was moderately correlated with red blood cell count (r = -.39, P < .01), hemoglobin level (r = -.42, P < .01), NT-proBNP (r = .25, P < .01), and only weakly with New York Heart Association class (r = .21, P < .05), time after transplantation (r = .21, P < .05), or age (r = .19, P < .05) upon multiple regression analysis, the best predictor of serum NGAL was estimated GFR (beta -0.87, P < .0001), explaining 89% of the NGAL concentrations. Even a successful heart transplantation is associated with kidney injury as reflected by elevated serum NGAL and reduced estimated GFR. Therefore, NGAL needs to be investigated as a potential early marker for impaired kidney function/injury, especially among patients with risk factors for renal damage, i.e., hypertension or diabetes, other than heart pathology.
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Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) provides accurate confirmation of cerebral circulatory arrest (CCA) in brain death (BD), but is not feasible in patients with absent temporal bone windows. We added the transorbital approach in the TCD protocol for the diagnosis of CCA and compared findings with angiography. Furthermore, we evaluated whether reporting the angiographic and sonographic confirmation of CCA to relatives of brain-dead patients improves their comprehension and satisfaction with the medical information. ⋯ The addition of TOD increases the efficacy of TCD in confirming CCA in BD. Reporting confirmation of CCA to families of brain-dead patients may improve their comprehension and satisfaction with the provided medical information.
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A 63-year-old man with profound phobia of general anesthesia recently underwent successful renal transplantation in our unit under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA). We believe that although this is not a novel technique, it is a realistic option for renal transplantation in patients in whom general anesthesia is not feasible. The use of CSEA for surgery below the umbilicus and its postoperative pain management has increased in popularity in recent years. ⋯ We believe this case demonstrates that CSEA is a practical option for renal transplantation in the United Kingdom, and would recommend CSEA as a useful alternative to general anesthesia in patients with this type of phobia. Careful preoperative planning, patient selection, and consideration of a contingency plan meant that surgically the procedure proceeded as standard, with good results. Because of the success of this case, a second patient with phobia of general anesthesia has recently been placed on the regional transplantation waiting list.
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Ischemic preconditioning (IP) affords resistance to liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, providing an early phase of protection. Development of delayed IP against IR injury was assessed using partial IR in rat liver. ⋯ These data support that delayed IP suppresses IR-induced liver injury, oxidative stress, and TNF-alpha response, which coincide with recovery of IR-altered signaling functions represented by normal AP-1/NF-kappaB DNA binding ratios and acute phase responses.