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Biomedical subjects

A Laggner

Publications and source records attributed to A Laggner.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

[Circulatory behavior in critically ill patients during hemodialysis].

Haemodynamic data were obtained during haemodialysis on 21 occasions in 7 patients with septicaemia and pancreatitis, and in 5 patients with primary renal failure without septicaemia or pancreatitis. In the former group of patients there was a lowering of the blood pressure 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after haemodialysis had been initiated, which was significantly greater than in the later group. The drop in the blood pressure was caused by a decreased cardiac output. The pulmonary wedge pressure dropped in all patients. Peripheral resistance and heart rate did not change during the whole procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Bedside estimation of extravascular lung water in critically ill patients: comparison of the chest radiograph and the thermal dye technique.

Extravascular lung water (EVLW) was estimated in 53 critically ill patients by the chest radiograph (CXR) and the thermal dye technique. The comparison between these two methods revealed a direct and positive correlation (r = 0.83, p less than 0.001). However, EVLW-values obtained by the thermal dye technique showed considerable overlap between cases of radiographic low grade pulmonary edema and we were able to identify several reasons for radiographic over- or underestimation of EVLW. In these patients EVLW-measurement by the thermal dye technique provides additional information, thereby probably influencing further treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Lung perforation by nasogastric feeding tubes.

Endotracheal misdirection of narrow bore nasogastric feeding tubes resulted in perforation of the lung, pneumothorax and hydrothorax in two intensive care patients. Both were intubated with cuffed endotracheal low pressure tubes, one patient was on respirator therapy with neuromuscular relaxation. Feeding tubes were inserted by experienced personnel with the assistance of a steel stylet without difficulties. Aspiration of fluid was misinterpreted as proof of correct positioning, the liquid being however pleural effusion and not gastric juice. Similarly auscultation of gurgling sounds in the upper epigastrium was not a reliable sign of intragastric position. Insertion of nasoenteric feeding tubes may be complicated by perforation of the upper gastrointestinal tract and lung in poorly responsive patients with cuffed endotracheal devices during neuromuscular blockage. In these patients a laryngoscope and forceps should be used to ensure free passage of the tube into the oesophagus. Röntgenographic confirmation of correct positioning of the tube immediately after insertion is mandatory.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1984

[Partial parenteral nutrition in severe virus hepatitis].

Patients with severe virus hepatitis and a prothrombin concentration below 25% have a bad prognosis. This is due to direct consequences of hepatic failure and to the rather frequent complications of this disease. The clinical course of such patients is essentially dependent upon the degree of liver regeneration, which again is dependent upon the mass of hepatocytes which are able to regenerate and upon the so called hepatotrophic factors. Patients with severe hepatitis suffer during the first weeks rather frequently from nausea and loss of appetite and for that reason their nutrition is insufficient. In the study recorded here 9 cases were investigated (7 patients with hepatitis B, 2 patients with hepatitis non A non B). The question was asked, if partial parenteral nutrition in addition to a liver diet not containing meat would improve liver function. It could be shown that the prothrombin concentration, which could not be improved by vitamine K1 supplements, was increased during a 7 day parenteral nutrition period from 19,3 +/- 2,9% to 41,5 +/- 8,1% (p less than 0,05), serum albumine and cholinesterase activity improved as well. During the first day of treatment there was a significant fall of ammoniac from 115 +/- 10 mumol to 73 +/- 10 mumol/l (p less than 0,05), at the same time production of urea did not increase. All patients survived. The results show, that parenteral nutrition can improve liver function and decrease the catabolic status of metabolism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Effect of gut lavage on phenobarbital elimination in rats.

In the management of intoxications, the major goals are enhanced elimination of the toxin from the organism and prevention of further absorption. Absorption of an orally administered substance from the gastrointestinal tract can be decreased by adequate washing of the stomach. Delayed absorption of the substance from the small intestine cannot be avoided by this procedure and after the gastric lavage, a nonspecific absorbent must be administered and diarrhea induced (1). This study demonstrates that iatrogenic diarrhea via gut lavage can also eliminate toxins already absorbed by the body.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Lipid metabolism in acute renal failure.

Plasma lipid and lipoprotein composition was investigated in acute renal failure (ARF). Forty-seven percent of the patients showed hypertriglyceridemia, whereas serum cholesterol was slightly reduced. Triglyceride (TG) content, predominantly of LDL and to a lesser degree of VLDL, was elevated. Cholesterol concentrations of HDL and LDL fractions were markedly reduced. HDL-TG and VLDL-cholesterol were in the normal range. Forty percent of the patients had a type IV hyperlipoproteinemia. Post-heparin lipolytic activity (PHLA) was reduced owing to an inhibition of hepatic-TG-lipase (HTGL) activity, whereas protamine-inactivated LPL was in the normal range. Fractional elimination (K2) of parenterally administered fat emulsions, determined by an intravenous fat tolerance test (IVFTT) was reduced to 2.44% min, about half of normal. The fat elimination rate increased but did not normalize during parenteral nutrition with amino acids and glucose, suggesting enhanced lipid deposition. Alterations of lipid metabolism develop early in ARF (by 4 days) and, in general, are not influenced by residual renal function, urinary output, or duration of renal failure.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1983

[Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema].

Non-cardiac pulmonary edema comprises all types of pulmonary edema not caused by increase of left ventricular filling pressure and elevated pulmonary capillary pressure. In one year 42 patients at our intensive care unit developed non-cardiac pulmonary edema. In a retrospective study the clinical, radiological and functional changes in patients with non-cardiac pulmonary edema were determined. 76% of the patients had multiple causes for development of non-cardiac pulmonary edema. Sepsis was the most frequent predisposing disease. Over-all mortality reached up to 69%. Additional organ failure caused an increase in mortality. Patients without complications had the best prognosis. Mechanical ventilation (69%), high-dose corticosteroids (50%), hemodialysis with ultrafiltration (33.3%) and hemofiltration (7.1%) were used for treatment of non-cardiac pulmonary edema.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

[Diagnostic key for intensive care patients: combination of clinical parameters with laboratory findings].

A new diagnostic key has been established based on the reports of 3845 critically ill patients in our medical intensive care unit. The clinical diagnoses in these patients were classified in 22 different groups according to different organs or etiological entities (diseases of the liver, infectious diseases, intoxications etc.). 42 different laboratory parameters were selected for classification of metabolic or organ-related complications. Combining of clinical diagnoses with laboratory values characterizes the seriously ill patient. Our new system proved to be practicable in describing the degree, complications and prognosis of disorders in intensive care medicine. The results are demonstrated in patients with hepatic coma.

Clinical Laboratory Techniques↗
PubMed1982

Fat elimination in acute renal failure.

Lipid metabolism and elimination of parenterally administered fat were investigated in 15 patients with acute renal failure (ARF). The mean triglyceride level was elevated to 2.56 +/- 1.43 mmol/l and the mean cholesterol level was 3.32 +/- 0.66 mmol/l, which is slightly below the normal range. A type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia was present in 47 per cent of the patients. The triglyceride content of LDL and VLDL was elevated and the cholesterol concentration of HDL and of LDL was reduced markedly. The fractional removal rate of triglycerides (K2) evaluated by an intravenous fat tolerance test using a bolus technique was reduced to 2.44 +/- 1.56 per cent/min which is about half of normal and correspondingly the elimination half life was prolonged to 28.4 min. No correlation could be demonstrated between the impairment of fat elimination and residual renal function, basal and VLDL triglyceride concentration or HDL cholesterol content.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Impaired secretion of TSH in critically ill patients with 'low T4-syndrome'.

Thyroid and pituitary function was studied in 10 male and 6 patients female during critical non-endocrine disease. Low concentrations of TT3 were observed in each case. Seven patients out of whom 3 survived, presented with low levels of TT4 due to deficiency in TBG in the presence of normal values of FTI and FT4, whereas a 'low T4-syndrome', characterized by low concentrations of both TT4 and FT4 was seen in 9 patients, 8 of whom died 1 to 16 days after evaluation of pituitary function. A diminished response of TSH to iv TRH (400 micrograms), as observed in 4 patients with normal FT4 and in all patients with 'low T4-syndrome', was not accompanied by a concomitant lack in stimulated release of LH, FSH and Pr1 in the majority of cases. However, the secretory maximum of LH and FSH following stimulation by LRH (100 micrograms iv) was delayed in 10 and in 9 patients, respectively, including patients both with normal and subnormal concentrations of FT4. From the above it appears that low stimulated concentrations of TSH in the presence of subnormal concentrations of FT4 indicate an extremely poor prognosis in critically ill patients. The abnormal behaviour of TSH in this group of patients cannot be explained by generalized pituitary insufficiency or by an increase in FT4.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Pulmonary complications in hepatic coma].

Incidence and extent of pulmonary complications were evaluated retrospectively in 101 patients with hepatic coma (34 patients with acute liver failure, 57 patients with hepatic encephalopathy and 10 patients with mixed forms). 76 patients (73.3%) had pulmonary complications (pulmonary edema 57 cases, pneumonia 20 cases, tracheobronchitis 30 cases). Lethality of the group with pulmonary complications was 97% as compared to 16% in the group without pulmonary complications. Pathogenesis of pulmonary complications is not completely clear; different mechanisms are being discussed like central mechanisms, vascular lesions caused by metabolic or toxic factors, cardiac failure, and increased susceptibility to infection. In 9 out of 59 cases (15.3%) with respiratory failure no morphological changes could be observed in the lungs; in these cases intrapulmonary shunts might have been the cause for the pulmonary complications. The incidence of pulmonary complications increased by a factor of 2.4 during intensive care unit treatment of the patients; this increase shows, that intensive care unit treatment still has to be improved.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Shock liver].

UNLABELLED: Hypoxic, central lobular necrosis of the liver has been observed in patients with severe shock of different origin. In many cases diagnosis is not established, since clinical symptoms are unrevealing, and since SGPT levels rise rather late in the course of the disease. 3,788 patients have been treated in the intensive care unit of the Department of Medicine of the Vienna Medical School, within 10 years; liver damage caused by shock has been found during this period only in 32 cases. Diagnosis was established in 31 cases because of highly elevated SGPT levels, and substantiated in 5 cases by liver biopsy; diagnosis was established in one case by biopsy only. The median value of SGPT activity was 1,160 U/l and of lactate concentration 7.5 mmol/l. In 18 patients shock was caused by acute myocardial infarction, in 4 patients by pulmonary infarction and in 3 patients by cardiac as well as pulmonary events. In 4 cases there were heart valve lesions, one case had myocarditis, one case acute pancreatitis and one case hemorrhagic shock. Lethality was 78.1%. There was no correlation between central venous pressure and the maximal SGPT levels. There was however a correlation between prothrombin time and creatinine clearance. IN CONCLUSION: In severe shock typical lesions of the liver may originate as a complication of shock, this complication being due to reduced blood flow leading to central lobulare necrosis of liver cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[Diagnosis of pancreatic function. Simplified screening with fluorescein dilaurate using serum concentration determinations].

Fluorescein-dilaurate has been recommended as a screening test for the assessment of exocrine pancreatic function. In this test fluorescein excretion in the urine is measured for an 8--10 hour period. To avoid urine collection the present study reports on serum fluorescein determinations following oral administration of fluorescein-dilaurate-ester. According to the results of a standard secretin-pancreozymin-test 24 subjects were classified as 10 persons with normal pancreatic function, 7 patients with mild and 7 patients with severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Fluorescein concentrations were measured photometrically after TCA-precipitation. In the normal persons maximal fluorescein levels were observed 4--6 hours after oral load of the test substance. Patients with mild pancreatic insufficiency showed the same pattern and only in patients with severe pancreatic insufficiency much lower serum fluorescein concentrations were found. They were statistically significantly different from normal subjects 3--6 hours after administration of fluorescein-dilaurate.

Adult↗