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L Heslet

Publications and source records attributed to L Heslet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

[Translocation and multiple organ failure].

A review of bacterial translocation and multiple organ failure (MOF) is presented. Splanchnic ischaemia plays a central role in the development of MOF, but the exact mechanism of translocation is unclear. The concentration of endotoxins and bacteria in the gut is high. The critically ill patient is often treated with antibiotics with a broad antibacterial spectrum and overgrowth of Gram negative bacteria will take place in the gut favouring the translocation phenomenon. The regime of selective gut decontamination is discussed. Regional and systemic oxygen kinetics together with metabolic markers are important in detecting splanchnic ischaemia. Hepatic vein catheterisation and gastric mucosa pHi are discussed. The regional inflammation in the gut is often initiated by endotoxins, which stimulate the cytokines IL-1, IL-6 and TNF. Another important factor that can accentuate inflammation of the gut is reperfusion injury. A proposal for treatment of splanchnic ischaemia and translocation is discussed i.e.: optimizing central haemodynamic parameters, optimizing the regional microcirculation, treatment with antibodies to endotoxins, gut decontamination and early enteral nutrition. When splanchnic hypoperfusion is detected it cannot be ignored. It may be possible to correct the hypoperfusion with early gastrointestinal resuscitation and to thereby reduce the duration and mortality of MOF. The above mentioned suggestions are all very demanding of resources, but have to be considered in gut directed therapy.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

[Liver transplantation in Denmark. First-year experiences].

During the first 12 months of the Danish Liver Transplantation program, which began in October 1990, 21 transplantations were performed in 11 women, six men and three children. One patient required a retransplant. Fourteen operations were performed electively and six patients were transplanted for acute and subacute fulminant liver failure and coma, two patients had reduced size livers because of large donor liver. There were no peroperative deaths. One of the elective patients died after three weeks from multiorgan failure and sepsis. Two of the emergency patients died after 20 and 22 days. One from graft dysfunction due to stenosis of the celiac trunk and the other of exudative pericarditis. One patient died from chronic rejection and CMV-infection after seven months. Complications were relatively few and acute rejection occurred in 40% of the patients. Fifteen patients are discharged with normal liver function and 11 of these were back at work, school or previous functions in the home. It is concluded that these results are comparable to the best results from other centres but that 21 transplants in 12 months must be a minimum activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Somatic consequences of violence against women.

The rapidly growing literature on the somatic, nonpsychiatric effects of violence on women's health is reviewed, including rape, battery, and the adult consequences of child sexual abuse. The sequelae of these victimizations are summarized with consideration of acute effects (genital and nongenital injuries, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy), late consequences (chronic pelvic pain and other forms of chronic pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, premenstrual symptoms, and negative health behaviors), and long-term increases in the use of medical services. A recurrent theme across the literature is that the medical treatment of all types of victimized women can be improved by providing attention to the underlying cause of their symptoms. Achievement of this goal requires that physicians identify victimization history and provide access to appropriate support services. Because all forms of violence against women are prevalent among primary care populations, and victimization is clearly linked to health, health care providers cannot afford to miss this relevant history. The article concludes with suggestions for fostering and responding to disclosures of victimization.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Reliability of first-pass radionuclide determination of cardiac output in the upright position at rest and during exercise.

The reliability of non-invasive determination of cardiac output using first-pass radionuclide cardiography at rest and during exercise in the upright position was evaluated in 20 patients with coronary artery disease. Cardiac output values ranged from 2.97 to 5.99 l/min at rest and from 5.08 to 10.82 l/min during exercise. Cardiac output results obtained by the radionuclide method were compared with those derived from the thermodilution technique performed simultaneously. The mean difference between the two techniques was 0.02 l/min at rest and -0.34 l/min during exercise; the limits of agreement (mean +/- 1.96 SD) were -1.29 to 1.33 l/min and -1.97 to 1.29 l/min, respectively, indicating an acceptable level of agreement. A high reproducibility of the radionuclide technique was found, with a mean difference between determinations by two observers of 0.03 l/min at rest and 0.21 l/min during exercise, the corresponding limits of agreement being -0.75 to 0.81 l/min and -0.79 to 1.21 l/min, respectively. With the aid of a variance component analysis of two determinations by each of four observers, 95% confidence intervals of +/- 10% at rest and +/- 12% during exercise were computed for the radionuclide cardiac output measurements. The observer variation was most pronounced for the part of the cardiac output determination related to measurement of left ventricular equilibrium activity during exercise. First-pass radionuclide cardiography is a reliable method for determination of cardiac output in cardiac patients at rest and during exercise in the upright position.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Theophylline and ethylenediamine pharmacokinetics following administration of aminophylline to septic patients with multiorgan failure.

The pharmacokinetics of theophylline and ethylenediamine were examined in 6 patients with septicaemia and multiorgan failure (MOF). The patients received a bolus injection of 4 mg/kg aminophylline. Aminophylline is the ethylenediamine salt of theophylline. The clearance of theophylline was reduced in all our patients ranging from 10-66% of the value obtained in healthy volunteers. The median t 1/2 beta was 18.8 h (range 5.8-25.5) compared to a normal value of 6 h. The median clearance of ethylenediamine was 54% of the normal value, while the peripheral volume of distribution was increased to 650%. Due to this t 1/2 beta was 2.3 (2.0-2.7) h, which is 5 times the normal value of 0.55 h. There was no correlation between clearance of theophylline and ethylenediamine. As theophylline has a narrow therapeutic range, routine monitoring with measurements of serum theophylline is mandatory in patients with MOF.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Pulmonary vasodilatation and augmentation of right ventricular function following terbutaline infusion in severe chronic pulmonary disease.

Twenty patients with a median age of 61 years and a median forced expired volume in 1 s (FEV1) after bronchodilating therapy of 0.55 l were studied in order to measure the effect of intravenous terbutaline on bronchial tone, cardiac function, pulmonary haemodynamics, gas exchange, and oxygen transport capacity during rest and in 10 patients during exercise. Terbutaline infusion during rest resulted in an increase in heart rate from 84 to 103 beats min-1 (P less than 0.01), a decrease in mean systemic arterial pressure from 95 to 80 mmHg (P less than 0.02), an unchanged mean pulmonary arterial pressure (18 mmHg), an increase in cardiac index from 2.89 to 3.86 l min-1 m-2 (P less than 0.01), an increase in right ventricular ejection fraction from 45 to 53% (P less than 0.01), an increase in left ventricular ejection fraction from 63 to 67% (NS), an unchanged arterial oxygen tension, and an increase in calculated oxygen delivery from 533 to 638 ml O2 min-1 m-2 (P less than 0.01). During exercise terbutaline infusion resulted in an increase in heart rate from 108 to 120 beats min-1 (P less than 0.05), a decrease in mean systemic arterial pressure from 117 to 106 mmHg (P less than 0.01), a decrease in mean pulmonary arterial pressure from 29 to 22 mmHg (P less than 0.01), an increase in cardiac index from 4.53 to 4.64 min-1 m-2 (NS), an unchanged arterial oxygen tension, and an increase in the calculated oxygen delivery from 834 to 856 ml O2 min-1 m-2 (NS). It was concluded that terbutaline augments right ventricular function: increases right ventricular ejection fraction and decreases right ventricular end-diastolic volume, and further decreases pulmonary vascular resistance without decreasing arterial oxygen tension, and increases oxygen delivery in patients with chronic pulmonary disease during rest and exercise.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Mortality of severe asthma in Danish intensive care units in 1988. A questionnaire study].

The mortality due to asthma is gradually increasing in Denmark. In 1988, 209 patients died from asthma. Of these patients, 108 were under 70 years. Information about patients who died from asthma in Danish intensive care units (ICU) in 1988 was obtained retrospectively by questionnaires. 99% of all the ICU's replied. Eleven of the abovementioned patients died in an ICU because of inadequate oxygenation or ventilation. In cases where an anaesthesiologist was called to a patient with acute severe asthma, who subsequently died from the disease, the majority had developed cardiac arrest, when the anaesthesiologist arrived. The use of objective monitoring of the degree of pulmonary obstruction by use of peak flow measurements and series of arterial blood gas values is recommended. Hypoxemia, the main risk factor, might be revealed in time by measurements of pulseoximetry. If the arterial PCO2 is increasing, the patient should be monitored in an ICU in view of oxygenation and ventilation, and possibly mechanical ventilation.

Asthma↗
PubMed1990

[Rational hemotherapy. Indications, complications and practical performance].

Employment of allogenic blood products involves the risk of a series of complications in the recipient: transfusion-transmitted disease, immune suppression, immunological transfusion reactions and coagulopathy. Hepatitis C is the most common transfusion-transmitted infection with a post-transfusion incidence of 2-4%. Transfusion-transmitted AIDS plays a quantitatively lesser role but the course of the condition is frequently fatal. The duration of the period during which a HIV-sero-negative individual is potentially infectious is uncertain. After blood transfusion, the immune apparatus is suppressed, probably on account of the leukocyte content of the blood transfusion. These disturbances in immune function increase the risk of infection and possibly the frequency of recurrence of cancer after operative treatment of a series of neoplastic diseases. Coagulopathy after blood transfusion may be related primarily to the number of transfusions and can be counteracted by administration of the relevant coagulation factors. Rational hemotherapy aims at minimizing these transfusion-related complications by restricting the indications for blood transfusion, blood component therapy, peroperative normovolaemic haemodilution, preoperative deposition of autologous blood and/or peroperative collection of blood and re-infusion. Employing rational hemotherapy, it becomes possible to reduce the need for transfusion by 20-90% and hence the morbidity and the mortality connected with blood transfusion.

Blood Substitutes↗
PubMed1990

Misplacement of subclavian venous catheters: importance of head position and choice of puncture site.

We have investigated the frequency of misplacement of subclavian catheters in 200 consecutive patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The patients were allocated randomly to an attempt at infraclavicular cannulation of the right or left subclavian vein with the head turned either towards or away from the selected side, giving four groups. Catheterization was successful in 185 (92.5%) patients. Misplacement into the internal jugular vein occurred in 10 (5.4%) patients. No statistically significant difference (P less than 0.05) was demonstrated between the four groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

First passage radionuclide cardiography for determination of cardiac output: evaluation of an improved method.

A noninvasive method for determination of cardiac output by aid of first passage radionuclide cardiography is presented. As opposed to most other scintigraphic methods, a forward blood flow is measured, even in patients with valvar incompetence. In addition, the technique allows measurement of cardiac output in the presence of cardiac arrhythmias. No geometrical assumptions, corrections for radiation attenuation, loss of tracer, or empirical correction factors due to extracardiac radioactivity are required. We have evaluated the method in 19 patients with various heart diseases by comparison of the radionuclide cardiac outputs with those derived from the thermodilution technique performed simultaneously. Eight patients had valvar incompetence and 2 had cardiac arrhythmias. The mean radionuclide and thermodilution cardiac output values were 5.03 l/min (SD 1.21) and 5.18 l/min (SD 1.09), respectively. The 95% confidence interval for the bias was -0.40 to 0.10 l/min, and correlation analysis demonstrated an excellent correlation between results obtained with the two methods, r = 0.91 (P less than 0.001). This study shows that the improved gamma camera method represents a valid noninvasive technique for determination of cardiac output.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Ventilation-perfusion distributions and central hemodynamics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Effects of terbutaline administration.

We studied the effects of intravenous terbutaline on VA/Q distributions and central hemodynamics in 11 patients with mixed-type COPD. Terbutaline caused an increase in VA/Q inequality in patients having PaO2 values greater than 60 mm Hg which resulted in a moderate fall in the PaO2. Patients with PaO2 values less than 60 mm Hg, the highest mean PAPs and the poorest spirometric performances demonstrated no significant changes in VA/Q distributions or PaO2 after terbutaline. Cardiac output increased 40 to 60 percent in all patients after terbutaline with an increase in tissue oxygen delivery. Mean PAP did not change in any patient after terbutaline and pulmonary vasodilatation was indicated by a decrease of calculated static PVR. The decrease of PaO2 after terbutaline in COPD is related to a further deterioration of existing VA/Q relationships. The cause of these effects and lack of such responses in patients with more advanced disease are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Hemodynamic effects of alcohol at rest and during upright exercise in coronary artery disease.

The hemodynamic effects of acute alcohol intoxication were studied at rest and during upright exercise in 28 patients with coronary artery disease by right-sided heart catheterization and radionuclide cardiography. The mean arterial blood pressure at rest was reduced by 5% and the left ventricular ejection fraction at rest decreased 2% because of end-systolic dilation during intoxication (serum ethanol 21 mmol/liter). No changes were observed in heart rate, stroke volume, pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure or total peripheral resistance. No significant changes occurred in plasma catecholamines, and no changes occurred in any variable during mild exercise corresponding to a 30 to 40% heart rate increase. Thus, alcohol ingested in moderate doses causes slight impairment of left ventricular emptying and a reduction in the arterial blood pressure at rest in patients with coronary artery disease. A mild exercise load can be tolerated during alcohol intoxication without hemodynamic changes.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Cardiac function after alcohol ingestion in patients with ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy: a controlled study.

Thirty male patients with ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy entered a controlled study of the acute effects of alcohol on cardiac function evaluated by right heart catheterization. Twenty patients, nine with angina pectoris and 11 with congestive heart failure, were studied during alcohol intoxication, and ten patients, five with angina pectoris and five with heart failure, served as a control group. The mean serum ethanol concentration in the alcohol group was 93 mg/100 ml (S.D. 17). The systemic arterial blood pressure was reduced by 6% in the alcohol group, P less than 0.05 compared with the control group. No significant changes occurred in the central venous pressure, the pulmonary artery pressure, the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, or in cardiac output, stroke volume and total peripheral resistance. Alcohol intake in moderate doses has no measurable effect on pulmonary blood pressures or cardiac output in patients with ischemic heart disease and cardiomyopathy. Such an effect may, however, be masked by a reduction of afterload.

Aged↗