Background: Because of the aging population, the number of low falls in elderly people with pre-existing anticoagulation is rising, often leading to traumatic brain injury (TBI) with a social and economic burden. Hemostatic disorders and disbalances seem to play a pivotal role in bleeding progression. Interrelationships between anticoagulatoric medication, coagulopathy, and bleeding progression seem to be a promising aim of therapy. Methods: We conducted a selective search of the literature in databases like Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane Library and current European treatment recommendations using relevant terms or their combination. Results: Patients with isolated TBI are at risk for developing coagulopathy in the clinical course. Pre-injury intake of anticoagulants is leading to a significant increase in coagulopathy, so every third patient with TBI in this population suffers from coagulopathy, leading to hemorrhagic progression and delayed traumatic intracranial hemorrhage. In an assessment of coagulopathy, viscoelastic tests such as TEG or ROTEM seem to be more beneficial than conventional coagulation assays alone, especially because of their timely and more specific gain of information about coagulopathy. Furthermore, results of point-of-care diagnostic make rapid “goal-directed therapy” possible with promising results in subgroups of patients with TBI. Conclusions: The use of innovative technologies such as viscoelastic tests in the assessment of hemostatic disorders and implementation of treatment algorithms seem to be beneficial in patients with TBI, but further studies are needed to evaluate their impact on secondary brain injury and mortality.
Background: Since diet is generally recognized as an important factor directly modulating the gut microbiome, it is also considered a potential environmental triggering factor for the pathogenesis and onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While the habitual and sex-related dietary behavior of the general population has been the subject of extensive study and reporting, data on IBD patients’ dietary behavior and especially its sex-related differences are underrepresented. However, as diet is an important factor in the course of IBD, we hypothesized that men and women with IBD have a different dietary profile than the general population. Methods: We performed a cohort analysis of a monocentric, cross-sectional study and compared the sex-related dietary behavior of 82 IBD patients (n = 40 women) to a sex- and age-matched cohort of the general German population [n = 328 (n = 160 women)]. Further on, disease-related quality of life and fecal calprotectin were correlated to the IBD patients’ dietary behavior. Results: While sex-related dietary behavior was frequently of statistical difference in the general population within the IBD cohort, only minor numerical differences were observed between the sexes, which were rarely statistically significant. However, correlation analyses of disease-related quality of life (IBDQ) and diet revealed significant differences in male IBD patients but not in female IBD patients (p = 0.007; r = 0.409 for energy intake (kJ/d); p = 0.003, r = 0.449 for adherence to Mediterranean diet). Conclusion: The dietary behavior of IBD patients showed more similarity between the sexes than the general German population. Distinct sex-related trends and differences in correlation with disease parameters demonstrated a significant difference for an adaptive dietary behavior, especially in IBD men.
Background/Aim: This study evaluated the feasibility and safety of whole-body hyperthermia pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (WBH-PIPAC) in patients with peritoneal surface malignancies. Patients and Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed a database of 28 patients who had received one cycle of normothermic PIPAC prior to repetitive WBH-PIPACs. WBH (39-40°C) was induced using a Water-filtered infrared A device. Doxorubicin plus cisplatin or oxaliplatin was nebulized into a constant capnoperitoneum of 20 mmHg for 30 min at doses of 6.0 mg, 30.0 mg, or 120 mg per m2 body surface area, respectively. The primary outcome measures were feasibility and perioperative complications. Results: The median age was 62 years (range=45-78 years). Primary tumor sites included the upper gastrointestinal tract (n=9), colon/rectum (n=7), hepato-pancreato-biliary system (n=3), peritoneum (n=2), ovaries (n=2), and unknown primary (n=5). The induction of WBH failed in one patient (6 liters ascites). After a median warming period of 95 min (53-117 min), the median rectal temperature (Trec) was 39.5°C (39.2-39.9°C). No hyperthermia-related side effects were observed. Twenty-seven patients received 50 WBH-PIPACs. The median time of therapeutic capnoperitoneum and treatment time with Trec ≥39°C was 39 min (37-43 min) and 66 min (53-69 min), respectively. The overall rate of postoperative procedure-related complications was 9/50, including seven grade I and two grade II complications. There were no grade III-V complications. Conclusion: In a highly selected group of patients, the feasibility and perioperative safety of WBH-PIPAC was comparable to normothermic PIPAC.