Clin Lab
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Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is a standard therapy in critically ill patients suffering from acute kidney injury (AKI). Extracorporeal circulation and exposure to foreign surfaces during CRRT may induce disturbances in hemostasis, particularly in platelet function. The present study described the hemostatic changes associated with CRRT and aimed to identify the independent predictors of premature clotting of the circuit. ⋯ The results of the present study indicate that CRRT may lead to impaired primary hemostasis as shown by a decrease in ex vivo arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation. Moreover, viscoelastic measure indicate a fibrinogen-associated trend of increasing clot firmness during the study period. Further studies are needed to analyze whether these findings are of hemostatic relevance.
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Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) has emerged as one of the most troublesome pathogens in healthcare settings worldwide. The present study was conducted to analyze the genes encoding resistance to carbapenems and to determine in vitro activity of colistin and tigecycline against CRAB isolates from blood culture of hospitalized patients at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School hospital. ⋯ This study indicated the most of the CRAB isolates in our hospital carry the OXA-23 gene. Colistin and tigecycline resistance were not detected. However, significant effort must be done to prevent the spread of OXA-23-producing CRAB-isolates and continuous monitoring of drug resistance is necessary in clinical settings.
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Determination of troponin I may be important in the management of the critically ill patient. In medical emergencies, especially when vascular access is difficult to achieve, the use of intraosseous (10) needles is recommended. We aimed to perform a descriptive study, aiming to elucidate whether IO needles can be used to evaluate troponin I in a porcine model of human shock. ⋯ This investigation has shown that troponin I can be analyzed in bone marrow aspirates in a shock model. This may be useful in medical emergencies, where cardiac damage is suspected to be involved. The levels of IO troponin I increased during the first 3 hours of shock, after which it remained at a high level. During this initial period there was, in parallel, a progressive circulatory deterioration.
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Recently, an increasing interest has been extended to the secretory products of fat tissue adipokines and their role in the course of acute pancreatitis (AP). The study aimed to evaluate the levels of adiponectin (ADP), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF 21), and selected proinflammatory markers during the early stage of acute pancreatitis. The parameters were measured for identification of the patients with the high risk of severe AP. ⋯ Elevated levels of CRP and IL-6 in subjects with severe form of AP on day 4 indicate a diagnostic utility of both parameters in the disease severity prediction. Increased FGF 21 at admission compared to day 4 suggests its potential role as an immediate response gene during pancreatic injury. The dynamics of FGF 21 and A-FABP levels probably reflect the improvement of clinical condition in the early stage of AP.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of alcoholic (ASH) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in alcoholics by non-invasive biochemical markers: AshTest and NashTest. ⋯ In conclusion, the prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in alcoholics is higher than of alcoholic steatohepatitis, as estimated by non-invasive tests. Co-occurrence of alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in alcoholic patients is low and the high prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is related with high occurrence of metabolic risk factors.