The recognition of myocardial infarction in the early postoperative period

Surgery in the patient with liver disease

This article deals with the effects of anesthesia and surgery on the healthy and diseased liver and the preoperative assessment of patients with liver disease. Emphasis is placed on estimating surgical risk. Guidelines for optimal preoperative preparation are discussed.

[Theory and practice of perioperative trauma-adapted parenteral feeding]

In this paper we introduce a new perioperative infusion regime. We will discuss problems associated with the water and electrolyte metabolism and show the influence of pre- and postoperative beginning of an intravenous nutrition support on metabolic and hormonal changes after trauma. We also will show the influence of hypercaloric and trauma-adapted nutritional support on hormonal, metabolic and liver-specific enzyme changes after trauma.

[Enzymatic changes and protein metabolism in the early and late postoperative phase during intravenous feeding]

119 metabolically healthy surgical patients, who had to undergo elective intraabdominal surgery, were separated into upper - cholecystectomy, gastric resection - and lower - colonic and sigma surgery - intraabdominal procedures and divided into 8 groups with different infusion regimens. During the early postoperative period, patients with upper abdominal surgery had significantly higher postoperative enzyme changes compared with patients with lower abdominal surgery. Patients with cholecystectomy had the significantly highest postoperative enzyme changes. On postoperative day 6 the enzyme changes showed a significant dependence from the duration of total parenteral nutrition, the chosen calorie-nitrogen ratio, and the chosen energy substrate, Xylitol or glucose. We could show a significant negative correlation between the extent of the stimulation of hepatic lipid synthesis and the protein parameters. Of all chosen infusion regimens, Xylitol in a dosis of 0.11 g/kg BW x h together with the high amino acid infusion rate of 1.76 g/kg BW x day had the most favourable effect on the extent of stimulation of hepatic lipid synthesis, the late postoperative enzyme changes, and the synthesis rate of visceral proteins. This study could demonstrate that different intraabdominal surgical procedures need a more specific nutritional therapy.

Serum enzyme, bilirubin, uric acid, and cholesterol concentration changes during 7 days of total parenteral nutrition

Lactic dehydrogenase, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase remained within normal limits during 7 days of total parenteral nutrition. Five patients showed a rise of total bilirubin up to 1.1 mg/100 ml on the fifth postoperative day, with no change in serum enzymes. Uric acid concentration fell continuously up to the third postoperative day (but within normal limits) and remained decreased until the end of infusion. During the preoperative nutrition period and after surgical intervention, cholesterol concentration showed a steep fall. Very low cholesterol concentrations can cause an alteration of erythrocyte membrane synthesis and should, therefore, be avoided.

[Changes in several important metabolic parameters and insulin level during a 7-day total parenteral nutrition under pre- and postoperative conditions]

After the 24 hours preoperative infusion period 0.37% glucose, 0.05% fructose and 1.28% xylitol of the infused amount were excreted in the urine. Postoperatively fructose was the best metabolized energy donator before xylitol and glucose. As a sign of an undisturbed hepatic synthesis of lipoproteins the triglycerides rose up to the 5th postoperative day. During the parenteral nutrition and the additional surgical intervention the cholesterol fell from 192.3 to 128.5 mg/100 ml on the first postoperative day. The infusion solutions caused a rise of the insulin concentration from 23.2 to 46.3 U/l on the operation day. There is a positive nitrogen balance of 3.5 g/24 h on the operation day. The slight negative balance of - 1.15 g/24 h on the first postoperative day is reduced to - 0.61 g/24 h on the postoperative day. The changes of the enzymes LDH, GOT and AP were at normal range. The postoperative changes were due to the surgical intervention. Without a simultaneous change of enzymes, 5 patients had a rise of bilirubin up to 1.1 mg/100 ml. To avoid a too great loose of phosphate during a long-term parenteral nutrition period, it is important to put up a balance.

Myocardial infarction following surgical operations

One hundred and forty-one randomly selected surgical patients, aged 35 years or over, were studied preoperatively, followed through their operative procedures, and reassessed during the first post-operative week for evidence of myocardial ischaemia associated with surgical operations under general anaesthesia. Of these patients 38% were found to have preoperative clinical evidence of heart disease, hypertension, or diabetes; 45% had abnormal preoperative E.C.G. patterns.Three patients experienced myocardial infarction during or within 36 hours of operation, all of the occult type; all were in the preoperative abnormal groups. Non-specific postoperative E.C.G. changes were equally common in the groups of patients with normal or abnormal preoperative electrocardiograms.A relationship existed between a rise in serum lactic dehydrogenase (L.D.H.) concentration and the field of the operation, but the diagnosis of infarction was not confused provided serum L.D.H. isoenzyme patterns and a rise in serum aspartate aminotransferase (S.G.O.T.) levels were consistent with the diagnosis.