Studies on intraabdominal infections have been difficult to compare in the past due to a missing system of classification for peritonitis. According to a recently developed classification system, secondary peritonitis, including spontaneous acute peritonitis, postoperative peritonitis and posttraumatic peritonitis, is the most common complication of severe intraabdominal infections. In several studies the mortality rate of postoperative peritonitis was still between 60% and 79%. Scoring systems were developed, some of them with the idea to predict mortality in peritonitis. Although the APACHE II score cannot predict the outcome of peritonitis in an individual patient, it is a reliable, valid and objective system for risk stratification in intraabdominal infections. Local trauma or bacterial contamination is responsible for an acute phase reaction, which involves the release of certain cytokines such as TNF-alpha, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The IL-6 seems to play an important role in the mechanism of the acute phase reaction, acting on hepatocytes to release acute phase proteins (e.g. CRP). Preliminary results of investigations of IL-6 levels in peritonitis indicate a possible role for IL-6 as a predictor of the outcome of peritonitis.

Abdomen↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Microvascular and collateral adaptation in swine hearts following progressive coronary artery stenosis.

We chronically implanted hygroscopic occluders around the left circumflex coronary artery in 49 anesthetized young male domestic pigs and we studied the development of a collateral circulation at 4, 8, 12, and 26 weeks after implantation. At these time intervals groups of animals were again anesthetized, the hearts were explanted and perfused in Langendorff-fashion with leucocyte-filtered pig blood. Maximal coronary vasodilation was induced with adenosine and global (electromagnetic), and regional (tracer microspheres) blood flow was measured at 40, 60, 80, and 100 mm Hg of perfusion pressure. At 4 weeks after occluder implantation maximal left circumflex collateral blood flow was about 20% of normal maximal flow. Collateral flow rose to 60% of maximal normal flow between 4 and 8 weeks and did not improve further with longer time intervals. In contrast to the canine heart numerous small vessels develop in response to ischemia in the pig heart. These vessels develop throughout the entire risk region with a slight preference for the subendocardium. They appear on tomographic angiograms as a dense "blush". The study of the relationship between peripheral coronary pressure vs collateral flow showed a relationship much steeper than that of normal maximal flow vs aortic perfusion pressure which indicates that the minimal resistance of the risk region was decreased as part of the mechanism to ensure adequate blood supply in a situation of progressive coronary narrowing.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasonography of the pancreas. 2. Harmonic imaging.

Tissue harmonic imaging (THI) is a relatively new ultrasonographic imaging modality which has been implemented in many modern scanners. As several previous studies have pointed out, THI can help to overcome some shortcomings of conventional B-mode ultrasonography (US). The aim of this article is to give a compact summary of the potentials of THI, focused on pancreatic imaging. Beginning with a recapitulation of the technical background of THI, the particularities and suitable applications of THI in US of the pancreas are discussed. Examination protocols and typical indications are presented together with example images. Finally, new trends and developments in B-mode sonography of the pancreas such as panorama US, compound imaging, and photopic US are mentioned.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Activated charcoal in the prehospital setting.

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Antidotes↗