Takeshi Omae

Clinical effects of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome

PurposeWe assessed the effects of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, on respiratory and organ functions as well as on the mortality of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).MethodsWe retrospectively divided 25 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for SIRS and ARDS into two groups. One group (S group, n = 12) received a continuous infusion of sivelestat (0.2 mg·kg−1·h−1), and the other did not (C group, n = 13).ResultsBetween days 1 and 10, the PaO2/FIO2 ratio in the S group significantly improved from 119.1 ± 51.1 to 214.4 ± 88.2 mmHg (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the S group spent significantly fewer days on a ventilator than the C group (16.7 ± 5.8 vs 26.6 ± 14.3 days; P < 0.05). The length of the intensive care unit stay was also significantly shorter for the S group than for the C group (18.7 ± 4.9 vs 27.5 ± 13.5 days; P < 0.05). However, the mortality rate at 29 days did not statistically differ between the two groups.ConclusionOur results suggested that sivelestat has a beneficial effect only on the pulmonary function of ARDS patients with SIRS.

Hemodynamic changes during off-pump coronary artery bypass anastomosis in patients with coexisting mitral regurgitation: improvement with milrinone.

We hypothesized that mitral regurgitation (MR) would be exacerbated, cardiac index (CI) decreased, and mean pulmonary artery pressure (MPAP) increased in patients with coexisting MR during off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) anastomosis, and that milrinone could ameliorate increases in MR that occur during OPCAB anastomosis. Subjects comprised 140 patients scheduled for elective OPCAB divided into three groups: patients without MR (MR(-) group; n = 57), patients with MR (MR(+) group; n = 41), and patients with MR who received milrinone (M+MR(+) group; n = 42). Patients with grade 1+ or 2+ MR were included, whereas those with grade 3+ or 4+ MR were excluded. Hemodynamic variables were measured after the induction of anesthesia and during anastomosis. IV infusion of milrinone (0.5 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1) started immediately after the induction of anesthesia in the M+MR(+) group. CI was significantly decreased (P < 0.0001), and MPAP and MR were significantly increased (P < 0.001) during left coronary anastomosis in the MR(+) group compared with the MR(-) group. CI was significantly higher (P < 0.001), and neither MPAP nor MR were increased (P < 0.05) during left coronary artery anastomosis in the M+MR(+) group compared to the MR(+) group. In patients with MR, anastomosis of the left coronary artery branches was associated with decreased CI and increased regurgitation and MPAP. In such patients, treatment with milrinone helps to stabilize hemodynamics during anastomosis.

The effect of amino-acid infusion during off-pump coronary arterial bypass surgery on thermogenic and hormonal regulation

PurposeAmino-acid (AA) infusions promote thermogenesis and prevent perioperative hypothermia, but the mechanism of action is unknown. We sought to verify the hypothesis that AA infusions stimulate the release of metabolic hormones during surgery and increase energy expenditure, resulting in thermogenesis.MethodsTwenty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive AA (4 kJ·kg−1·h−1) or saline, which was infused for 2 h during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCABS). Arterial adrenaline, thyroid hormone, insulin, and leptin levels were determined at five defined times during surgery. Oxygen consumption was measured 3 h after the start of infusion.ResultsAA infusion maintained the body core temperature during OPCABS. This effect was accompanied by an increase in oxygen consumption, which depended on increased heart rate. AA infusion prominently stimulated the secretion of insulin and leptin; the insulin level increased rapidly within 2 h after the start of infusion, whereas leptin levels increased gradually over a 6-h period after the start of infusion.ConclusionAA infusion significantly increased body core temperature and oxygen consumption during surgery. Given the release of insulin and leptin in response to AA infusion, it is likely that these hormonal signaling pathways may, in part, have contributed to the thermogenic response that occurred during the surgery.

A short-acting beta-blocker, landiolol, attenuates systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve after mitral valve annuloplasty

Here, we describe three patients with severe hemodynamic instability after mitral valve annuloplasty (MVP) who were treated successfully using a new ultra-short-acting beta-blocker, landiolol hydrochloride. When systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve occurs after MVP, left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) and mitral regurgitation (MR) often lead to hemodynamic collapse. Treatment of SAM is very difficult, and transfusion, or the reduction/discontinuation of catecholamine or vasopressor administration, is often ineffective. In our three patients, landiolol hydrochloride decreased the heart rate, markedly attenuated SAM, and improved the hemodynamics. We recommend that landiolol be administered before further surgical manipulation is considered in patients with SAM after MVP.

Relationship between Redox Behavior of Brain Cytochrome Oxidase and Neurological Prognosis

Currently, no on-line method of assessing cerebral oxygenation is sufficiently accurate to be clinically helpful. In an attempt to find a good predictor of postoperative cerebral outcome, we retrospectively studied the relationship between the redox behavior of cytochrome oxidase (cyt. ox.) during an operation and the neurological prognosis in 83 patients who underwent thoracic aortic surgery. Our data revealed three patterns of change in the redox behavior of cyt. ox. during the operation; the actual pattern exhibited by a given patient showed a highly significant correlation with the neurological prognosis (p < 0.0001). We conclude that the redox behavior of cyt. ox. during an operation is likely to be a good predictor of postoperative cerebral outcome, which implies that brain tissue oxygen sufficiency can be evaluated by near-infrared measurement of cytochrome oxidase (except for that in local regions far from the monitoring site).

Re-evaluation of the reliability of cytochrome oxidase--signal study of cardiopulmonary bypass.

The monitoring of brain oxygen status using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has recently been applied to clinical practice in the field of cardiovascular surgery. Published studies have indicated that NIRS could be used as a continuous and noninvasive way of observing changes in the cerebral oxygenation state during hypoxia and ischemia, since changes occur in optical properties under these conditions. However, the interpretation of NIRS data, especially the cytochrome oxidase (cyt. ox.) signal, remains controversial. A possible source of error that might interfere with the accurate measurement of the redox state of cyt. ox. derives from an overlapping of the absorption spectra for hemoglobin and cyt. ox. in the near-infrared region, with the absorption coefficient for hemoglobin being an order of magnitude greater than that for cyt. ox.. Recently, it was reported that the cyt. ox. signal measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is highly contaminated with the hemoglobin signal [1]. However, the cyt. ox. signal measured by NIRS would be expected to be strongly dependent on the algorithm employed. We have developed a new approach to the measurement of the redox state of cyt. ox. in the brain involving the use of a new algorithm [2], which has already been employed in clinical medicine [3, 4]. Therefore, in this paper we looked for evidence of cross-talk between the cytochrome and hemoglobin (Hb) signals when our new algorithm was used under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in a dog model. Furthermore, we retrospectively studied the relationship between data obtained concerning the redox behavior of cyt. ox. during surgery (again using our new algorithm) and neurological prognosis in 105 patients.

Cibenzoline attenuates systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve after mitral valvoplasty.

We report a patient in whom severe hemodynamic instability occurring after mitral valvoplasty (MVP) was successfully treated with cibenzoline. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) with mitral regurgitation (MR) resulting from the systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve that occurs after MVP often leads to hemodynamic collapse. Patients who develop SAM after MVP have been managed with intravenous volume loading, reduction/discontinuation of inotropic drugs, and with increased afterload, but these strategies were often ineffective. Cibenzoline decreased myocardial contraction, attenuated SAM, and improved hemodynamics in our patient. We recommend that cibenzoline be administered before further surgical manipulation is considered for patients who develop SAM after MVP.