Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Rommelsheim.
The liver of baboons was removed in neurolept analgesia for the purpose of extracorporeal haemoperfusion in cases of hepatic coma. All livers were functioning. The procedure is described in detail.
Anaesthesia for the surgical correction of scoliosis with the Harrington technique carries serious risks on account of the impaired cardiac and pulmonary function, the length of the operation, the area involved and the post-operative problems. Based on the experience gained in 32 young persons who had this operation the anaesthetic procedure for these cases is described: it comprises detailted pre- operative examination of cardiac and pulmonary function, continuous monitoring during the operation, a careful technique that takes into account the massive blood loss and stress associated with the operation, a careful technique that takes into account the massive blood loss and stress associated with the operation and close surveillance during the post-operative stage. Controlled hypotension (60 mm Hg) succeeded in reducing the blood loss during operation to 2,500 ml, compared with 4,500 ml without hypotension. If the pre-0perative examinations have established adequate cardiac function, if surgeon and anaesthetist work in close collaboration and if the heart action, pulse, arterial and venous pressure (catheter) and body temperature are continuously monitored, then controlled hypotension offers a means to reduce the, generally massive, blood loss during the surgical correction of scoliosis.
In 22 patients with hepatic or renal insufficiency the serum concentrations of trijodothyronin, thyroxine and thyrotropin and also the T4-binding capacity of TBG were determined. The mean serum T3 concentration was found to be significantly lower in patients with hepatic coma when compared with euthyroid subjects. In the cases of renal insufficiency the serum T3 concentrations were in the normal range. Due to hormone loss through dialysis however, the mean value of the T3 concentrations was slightly lower than the average concentration of normal subjects. The obtained results agree with those of our earlier studies which showed that there are significant differences between liver artery and vein T3 concentrations in serum, whereas no such differences could be ascertained between serum concentrations in renal artery and vein. On the basis of these findings it is assumed that conversion of T4 into T3 occurs predominantly in the liver.
Radiological changes that may occur in the depenent lung when surgery is performed in the lateral position are generally of a transient nature; they disappear when the position of the patient is changed after the operation, but may, in some cases, be demonstrable post-operatively as atelectatic areas. From the second post-operative day onwards, and reaching a peak on the 5th post-operative day, there is an increased incidence of ventilatory disturbances and infiltrations. The course and distribution of these pulmonary disturbances point to post-operative immobilization in the recumbent position as the main causal factor.
An analysis was made of the postoperative course of 158 cases of major surgery performed during 1971-1973. The operations comprised thoraco-abdominal resection of the oesophageal and cardia, abdominal duodenopancreatectomy, partial gastrectomy and enterectomy and partial hepatectomy. 63 per cent of the patients were given artificial respiration either prophylactically immediately after the operation (47 per cent) or at a later stage (53 per cent) on account of respiratory complications (arterial hypoxia below 55 mm Hg pO2). Postoperative mortality for the group of patients who did not have artificial respiration was 46 per cent, as compared with 32 per cent for the artifically ventilated patients - a difference of 14 per cent. The causes for this discrepancy, and especially the role of non-respiratory complications are discussed and the indications for prophylactic postoperative artificial respiration are reviewed.
A case of third-degree burns involving 35 per cent of the body surface is reported with occurred in a 28-year-old man. On the 6th day progressive pulmonary insufficiency developed which 3 days later necessitated extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Oxygen diffusion capacity gradually improved and the patients resumed spontaneous respiration with oxygen enriched air. He died 5 days after membrane oxygenation was discontinued due to massive haemorrhages from an infection at the site of the femoral by-pass. The technique adopted for the perfusion, which lasted 83 hours, is described.
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Severe trauma leads to considerable losses of nitrogen in the first days after the accident. As nutritional efforts cannot reduce these losses sufficiently, an adjunctive therapy using the anabolic steroid nandrolone decanoate (Nd) was applied. In a double-blind study 10 male multiple-traumatized patients each received 50 mg of Nd on day 3 and 25 mg of Nd on day 6 after the trauma, an additional 10 patients received placebo only. Both groups had identical nutritional support. Nitrogen balance, total nitrogen excretion as well as plasma amino acid concentration, and urine amino acid excretion were measured daily. The anabolic agent improved the nitrogen balance mainly by reducing nitrogen excretion. 3-Methylhistidine excretion and renal amino acid losses were decreased. Nandrolone decanoate increased the concentration of total plasma amino acids. The underlying principle seems to be an amino acid-saving mechanism with a renal site of action. It is shown that in the early posttraumatic period nandrolone decanoate improves nitrogen metabolism. Further studies are required to determine whether this offers a clinical benefit to trauma patients.
To find the feasibility of treatment for congenital bile duct atresia, we studied the usefullness of extracorporeal hemoperfusion over activated charcoal in canine obstructive jaundice. One, three and five weeks after ligation and disection of common bile duct in 5 dogs we performed the hemoperfusion over activated charcoal extracorporeally (group 3). In this animals we examined hematological and blood coagulation studies, serum electrolyte levels, kidney function tests and liver chemistries. As control in 5 animals we carried out after sham operation the perfusion without common bile duct ligation (group 2) and in 5 animals only common bile duct ligation without perfusion (group 1). In the liver chemistries we found 2 weeks after 2nd and 3rd perfusion (5 and 7 weeks after bile duct ligation) lower levels of serum bilirubin, GOT, GPT and SDH in treated group than in non-treated jaundiced animals. It suggest the effectiveness of hemoperfusion with activated charcoal in the treatment of occlusive jaundice. There were no alteration in the hematological studies, serum electrolyte levels and kidney function tests. PT and PTT was prolonged in the jaundiced animals there were no significant differences with and without hemoperfusion.