It is heavily debated whether or not treatment with hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 contributes to the development of acute kidney failure in patients with severe sepsis. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Muller and colleagues report no association between initial resuscitation with hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 and renal impairment in a cohort of septic patients. Can we then consider hydroxyet...

BACKGROUND Spinal anesthesia is an important and commonly used method for surgical anesthetic in operating rooms. However, even with identical drug dosage and administration mode, the extent of drug distribution in vivo is highly variable and difficult to control. Preanesthetic administration of fluids immediately before spinal anesthesia (preload) is normal practice. The choice of fluid type m...

OBJECTIVE The optimal strategy for fluid management during gastrointestinal surgery remains unclear. Minimizing the variation in arterial pulse pressure, which is induced by mechanical ventilation, is a potential strategy to improve postoperative outcomes. We tested this hypothesis in a prospective, randomized study with lactated Ringer's solution and 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution. METHOD A...

BACKGROUND Excessive production of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is linked to tissue damage and anastomotic leakage after large bowel surgery. Hence, the aim of this study was to verify whether different strategies of fluids administration can reduce MMP-9 expression. METHODS In the in vitro experiment, the authors tested the hypothesis of a direct inhibition of MMP-9 by the fluids used ...

BACKGROUND Appropriate fluid therapy affects morbidity and mortality rates. A conclusion is yet to be reached on the role of crystalloids and colloids in immediate fluid therapy. This study was done to determine the suitable solution in immediate resuscitation of patients with hemorrhagic shock caused by tissue trauma. METHODS One hundred trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock, who underwent ...

Prevention of hypotension during spinal anesthesia for cesarean section avoids maternal and fetal side effects. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of prehydration with crystalloid and prehydration with Hydroxyethyl starch on maternal blood pressure and neonatal outcome during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. We enrolled 72 full term women weighting between 50 and 85 Kg, cl...

BACKGROUND It is common clinical practice to use fluid infusion to manage high-volume blood loss until a blood transfusion is performed. The authors investigated the influence of fluid infusion associated with blood loss on the pseudo-steady state propofol concentration. METHODS Twenty-seven swine were assigned to a lactated Ringer's solution group, a hydroxyethyl starch group, or a threefold...

Epidural blood patch is the standard treatment for postdural puncture headache when symptomatic therapy is ineffective. We report the cases of two patients who received an epidural injection of hydroxyethyl starch when an epidural blood patch was contraindicated; one due to Streptococcus agalactiae bacteraemia and one due to acute leukaemia. Relief of headache was achieved in both patients with...

The aim of perioperative haemodilution is to reduce loss of red blood cells during elective surgery. The oncotic and molecular characteristics of the various plasma substitutes employed determine how effectively normovolaemia is maintained, and their non-oncotic effects include alterations in microvascular perfusion. In the previous issue of Critical Care, Martini and colleagues assessed the ef...