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Endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus: early and late efficacy in relation to aetiology.

Summary. Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyse the effectiveness and usefulness of treatment of hydrocephalus by Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy (ETV). We sought to relate rates of failure to the cause of hydrocephalus, distinguishing between early and late outcome. Patients and methods: Between September 1999 and April 2001, 30 patients underwent ETV. In 23 patients hydrocephalus was caused by an expansive mass (tumour). Three groups of patients were distinguished, according to the different aims of ETV. Thus in group T – ETV was carried out to eliminate hydrocephalus prior to the main surgery (53%), in C – ETV was the definite treatment of choice (30%), and in group P – ETV was a palliative treatment (17%). The results were assessed in the early postoperative period and in long term follow-up using clinical relief of symptoms, and radiological criteria (pre- and postoperative computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance scans). Results: In the early postoperative period ETV was rated to be effective by clinical criteria in 29 patients, and by radiological criteria in 27. According to late assessment the method was successful in 25 patients using clinical criteria, and in 21 using radiological criteria. There was no peri-operative mortality. A transient complication (wound CSF leak) occurred in two patients. Conclusions: ETV is effective in well chosen patients in relieving symptoms of hydrocephalus. It is valuable before a definitive major operation to remove the cause of hydrocephalus, as a palliative treatment, and in itself as a method of definitive management when indications are correct.

The sitting position during neurosurgical procedures does not influence serum biomarkers of pulmonary parenchymal injury

BackgroundThe sitting position during neurosurgical operations predisposes to air penetration through veins and the movement of the air through the pulmonary circulation. Contact of an air bubble with the endothelium can lead to acute lung injury. The presence of specific pulmonary proteins in the plasma such as surfactant protein D (SP-D) and Clara cell protein (CC16) is a biomarker of damaging processes at the air-blood barrier. The aim of our study was to examine the hypothesis that the level of investigated pulmonary biomarkers in plasma is higher in patients operated on in the sitting position.MethodsThe study included patients undergoing planned neurosurgical operations, who were divided into two groups: the sitting group (40 patients, operated on in the sitting position) and the supine group (24 patients, operated in the supine position). After the operation blood samples were drawn, centrifuged, frozen and stored until analyses were conducted. The determination of the SP-D and CC16 levels was performed using an ELISA test. Air embolism (VAE) was defined as a sudden drop in etCO2 of more than 2 mmHg and the presence of air bubbles in the aspirated blood from the central cannula. In all patients, the number of hospitalization days in the postoperative period was calculated.ResultsThere were no differences in the average levels of SP-D between the groups (the mean in the sitting group was 95.56 ng/mL and the mean in the supine group was 101.21 ng/mL). The average levels of CC16 were similar in both groups as well (6.56ng/mL in the sitting group and 6.79ng/mL in the supine group). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between SP-D and CC16 values in both groups. VAE was diagnosed clinically in 12.5% of cases in the sitting group without a significant increase in SP-D and CC16 levels. On average, patients in both groups were discharged from the hospital within 9 days of surgery.ConclusionThe sitting position and intraoperative VAE during neurosurgical procedures do not affect the concentration of plasma biomarkers of pulmonary parenchymal injury such as SP-D and CC16.

Serum levels of the S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase are associated with mortality in critically ill patients

INTRODUCTION Evaluation of the prognostic potential of the S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) as predictors of mortality in critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted on 62 patients. Basic clinical variables and blood samples for S100B and NSE level testing were obtained during the first four days after admission. Mortality was described as the patients death during hospitalization in the ICU. RESULTS 35% of the patients had died. The level of S100B and NSE was significantly higher in non-survivors in comparison with survivors (p=0.007 and p=0.02, respectively). Mortality risk was significantly higher in patients with higher levels of biomarkers than the reference values for S100B (OR 9.00; 95% CI 2.38-33.99; p<0.001) as well as for NSE (OR 5.75; 95%CI 1.31-25.27; p=0.016). Receiver operating characteristic proved that S100B is a better mortality predictor than NSE (AUC 0.76 for S100B and 0.68 for NSE). From all the other variables, the Apache II score turned out to be the only significant predictor of mortality (AUC 0.88). CONCLUSION There is a significant correlation between mortality in the ICU and increased serum concentration of S100B and NSE. This correlation is stronger for S100B. Testing for serum levels of S100B and NSE may be useful for prediction of treatment outcomes in the ICU patients.