The use of recombinant activated factor VII for refractory bleeding post complex cardiothoracic surgery

We reviewed the outcome following use of recombinant activated factor VII (rVIIa) in patients with major bleeding post cardiothoracic surgery in our unit between January 2002 and July 2004. The unit consists of 16 cardiothoracic intensive care beds in a public metropolitan teaching hospital which serves as a referral centre for heart and lung transplant surgery Patients with refactory bleeding following cardiothoracic surgical procedures who were treated with rVIIa were identified. A total of 12 episodes of rVIIa use were recorded in ten patients, including three episodes with ventricular assist devices, and 5 heart and/or lung transplants. The median dose used was 85 mu g/kg. Chest tube drainage decreased in all patients following administration of rVIIa; median chest tube drainage decreased front 445 ml/h to 171 ml/h (P=0.03). Despite cessation of bleeding, mortality was high, when rVIIa was used after more than 24 hours. In six episodes, despite early rVIIa use (within six hours), continued bleeding necessitated return to theatre, where a surgical source of bleeding was found. In this small retrospective study, rVIIa significantly reduced bleeding that was refractory to standard blood product transfusion. In this series of patients., those that did not respond to rVIla early in the postoperative phase were found to have a surgical source of bleeding.

Differences in surfactant lipids collected from pleural and pulmonary lining fluids

Purpose. The type and relative importance of saturated and unsaturated phospholipid components of surfactant within the epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the inner and outer surfaces of the lung is not known. Methods. Seven healthy dogs were anesthetized and a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, immediately followed by a pleural lavage (PL). Lipid was extracted from lavage fluid and then analyzed for saturated, primarily dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and unsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) species using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with combined fluorescence and ultraviolet detection. Dilution of ELF in lavage fluids was corrected for using the urea method. Results. DPPC (494.7 +/- 213.9 mu g/mL) was the predominant PC present in ELF collected from the alveolar surface. In contrast, significantly higher (p = 0.028) proportions of unsaturated PC species were measured in PL fluid (similar to 105 mu g/mL), particularly stearoyl-linoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (SLPC), which could not be measured in fluid collected from the alveoli, compared to DPPC (2.6 +/- 2.0 mu g/mL). Conclusions. This study indicates that unsaturated PC species seem to be more important than saturated species, particularly DPPC, in the pleural cavity, which has implications for surfactant replenishment following pleural disease or thoracic surgery.

Comparison of surfactant lipids between pleural and pulmonary lining fluids

Saturated phospholipids (PCs), particularly dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), predominate in surfactant lining the alveoli, although little is known about the relationship between saturated and unsaturated PCs on the outer surface of the lung, the pleura. Seven healthy cats were anesthetized and a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, immediately followed by a pleural lavage (PL). Lipid was extracted from lavage fluid and then analyzed for saturated, primarily dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), and unsaturated PC species using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with combined fluorescence and ultraviolet detection. Dilution of epithelial lining fluid (ELF) in lavage fluids was corrected for using the urea method. The concentration of DPPC in BAL fluid (85.3 +/- 15.7 mu g/mL) was significantly higher (P=0.021) than unsaturated PCs (similar to 40 mu g/mL). However, unsaturated PCs (similar to 34 mu g/mL), particularly stearoyl-linoleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (SLPC; 17.4 +/- 6.8), were significantly higher (P = 0.021) than DPPC (4.3 +/- 1.8 mu g/mL) in PL fluid. These results show that unsaturated PCs appear functionally more important in the pleural cavity, which may have implications for surfactant replenishment following pleural disease or thoracic surgery. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.