Direct peritoneal resuscitation improves survival and decreases inflammation after intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury

Effects and Mechanisms of Peritoneal Resuscitation on Acute Kidney Injury After Severe Burns in Rats

INTRODUCTION

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication in severe burn patients with poor prognosis and high mortality. Reduced kidney perfusion induced by the decreased effective circulating blood volume after severe burn is a common cause of AKI. Routine intravenous resuscitation (IR) is difficult or delayed in extreme conditions such as war and disaster sites. Peritoneal resuscitation (PR) is a simple, rapid resuscitation strategy via a puncture in the abdominal wall. This study investigated whether PR is a validated resuscitation strategy for AKI after severe burns in rats and explored its mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into four groups: (1) sham group; (2) IR group, which was characterized by the full thickness burn of 50% of the total body surface area received IR immediately post-injury; (3) early PR group, in which rats with the same burn model received PR immediately post-injury; and (4) delayed resuscitation (DR) group, in which rats with the same burn model received no resuscitation within 3-hour post-injury. PR and DR groups animals received IR after 3-hour post-injury. The survival rate, mean arterial pressure, renal histopathology, renal function, indicators of renal injury, and renal hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) proteins of rats were measured at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h post-injury.

RESULTS

Compared with rats in the DR group, rats in the PR group had a significantly improved survival rate (100% vs. 58.3% at 24 h, P = 0.0087), an increased mean arterial pressure (92.6 ± 6.6 vs. 65.3 ± 10.7, 85.1 ± 5.7 vs. 61.1 ± 6.9, 90.1 ± 8.7 vs. 74.9 ± 7.4 mmHg, at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, P < 0.01), a reduced renal water content rate (51.6% ± 5.0% vs. 70.1% ± 6.8%, 57.6% ± 7.7% vs. 69.5% ± 8.7%, at 12 h and 24 h, P < 0.01), attenuated histopathological damage, reduced serum creatinine expression (36.36 ± 4.27 vs. 49.98 ± 2.42, 52.29 ± 4.31 vs. 71.32 ± 5.2, 45.25 ± 2.55 vs. 81.15 ± 6.44 μmol/L, at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, P < 0.01) and BUN expression (7.62 ± 0.30 vs. 10.80 ± 0.58, 8.61 ± 0.32 vs. 28.58 ± 1.99, 8.09 ± 0.99 vs. 20.95 ± 1.02 mmol/L, at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, P < 0.01), increased kidney injury markers neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin expression (95.09 ± 7.02 vs. 101.75 ± 6.23, 146.77 ± 11.54 vs. 190.03 ± 9.87, 112.79 ± 15.8 vs. 194.43 ± 11.47 ng/mL, at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, P < 0.01) and cystatin C expression (0.185 ± 0.006 vs. 0.197 ± 0.006, 0.345 ± 0.036 vs. 0.382 ± 0.013, 0.297 ± 0.012 vs. 0.371 ± 0.028 ng/mL, at 3 h, 12 h, and 24 h, P < 0.01), and reduced renal hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and NADPH oxidase 4 protein expression (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between rats in the PR group and the IR group in the above indicators.

CONCLUSIONS

Early PR could protect severe burn injury rats from AKI. It may be an alternative resuscitation strategy in severe burn injury when IR cannot be achieved.

Acute mesenteric ischemia: updated guidelines of the World Society of Emergency Surgery

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is a group of diseases characterized by an interruption of the blood supply to varying portions of the intestine, leading to ischemia and secondary inflammatory changes. If untreated, this process may progress to life-threatening intestinal necrosis. The incidence is low, estimated at 0.09-0.2% of all acute surgical admissions, but increases with age. Although the entity is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain, diligence is required because if untreated, mortality remains in the range of 50%. Early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention are the cornerstones of modern treatment to reduce the high mortality associated with this entity. The advent of endovascular approaches in parallel with modern imaging techniques is evolving and provides new treatment options. Lastly, a focused multidisciplinary approach based on early diagnosis and individualized treatment is essential. Thus, we believe that updated guidelines from World Society of Emergency Surgery are warranted, in order to provide the most recent and practical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of AMI.

Direct Peritoneal Resuscitation for Trauma

Direct peritoneal resuscitation (DPR) has been found to be a useful adjunct in the management of critically ill trauma patients. DPR is performed following damage control surgery by leaving a surgical drain in the mesentery, placing a temporary abdominal closure, and postoperatively running peritoneal dialysis solution through the surgical drain with removal through the temporary closure. In the original animal models, the peritoneal dialysate infusion was found to augment visceral microcirculatory blood flow reducing the ischemic insult that occurs following hemorrhagic shock. DPR was also found to minimize the aberrant immune response that occurs secondary to shock and contributes to multisystem organ dysfunction. In the subsequent human trials, performing DPR had significant effects in several key categories. Traumatically injured patients who received DPR had a significantly shorter time to definitive fascial closure, had a higher likelihood of achieving primary fascial closure, and experienced fewer abdominal complications. The use of DPR has been further expanded as a useful adjunct for emergency general surgery patients and in the pretransplant care of human cadaver organ donors.

Open abdomen: is a dedicated emergency surgery team needed? A single center retrospective study on 141 consecutive patients

BACKGROUND

Open Abdomen (OA) is widely used when facing a catastrophic abdomen. Still, no indication is validated by a strong and high quality of evidence. The study reports the 5 year experience of a dedicated emergency general surgery (EGS) team.

METHODS

Retrospective observational cohort study. Patients undergoing OA management from 2/01/2015 to 19/07/2020 for trauma, non-traumatic emergencies or rescue surgery.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-one patients. Age 66.9 ± 15.1. Male 58.2%.9.3% OA for trauma, 64.5% for non-traumatic emergencies and 26.2% for rescue surgery. 40.4% performed by the EGS team 52.4% indication for surgery was a severe intra-abdominal infection. TAC device: commercial negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) (83%), Sandwich VAC (12%), commercial NPWT with polypropylene mesh (5%) for pregressive fascial traction. Enteroatmospheric fistula (EAF) in 3 patients. OA duration 5.3 days (1-25). A 1.8 revision surgeries (0-12) required for definitive closure; ICU stay 9.9 days (0-78). 30-day mortality 23.5%. Overall and 1-year mortality were 47.5% and 43.3%. Overall survival 9.9 months. An increased one-year mortality rate was found in the >65 group (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

We reported a wide use of OA in septic abdomen (90% of cases). We had a low rate of EAF, short ICU stay and OA duration. These results are related to the fact that patients were treated by a dedicated EGS team, suggesting that OA management should be cared for as much as possible by trained and experienced surgeons. Prospective studies with more accurate patient selection are needed to prove our conclusions.

Old targets, new strategy: Apigenin-7-O-β-d-(-6″-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside prevents endothelial ferroptosis and alleviates intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury through HO-1 and MAO-B inhibition

With the increasing morbidity and mortality, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IIRI) has attracted more and more attention, but there is no efficient therapeutics at present. Apigenin-7-O-β-D-(-6″-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (APG) is a new flavonoid glycoside isolated from Clematis tangutica that has strong antioxidant abilities in previous studies. However, the pharmacodynamic function and mechanism of APG on IIRI remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of APG on IIRI both in vivo and in vitro and identify the potential molecular mechanism. We found that APG could significantly improve intestinal edema and increase Chiu's score. MST analysis suggested that APG could specifically bind to heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and monoamine oxidase b (MAO-B). Simultaneously, APG could attenuate ROS generation and Fe²⁺ accumulation, maintain mitochondria function thus inhibit ferroptosis with a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we used siRNA silencing technology to confirm that knocking down both HO-1 and MAO-B had a positive effect on intestine. In addition, we found the HO-1 and MAO-B inhibitors also could reduce endothelial cell loss and protect vascular endothelial after reperfusion. We demonstrate that APG plays a protective role on decreasing activation of HO-1 and MAO-B, attenuating IIRI-induced ROS generation and Fe²⁺ accumulation, maintaining mitochondria function thus inhibiting ferroptosis.

Direct Peritoneal Resuscitation in Trauma Patients Results in Similar Rates of Intra-Abdominal Complications

Background: Trauma patients undergoing damage control surgery (DCS) have a propensity for complicated abdominal closures and intra-abdominal complications. Studies show that management of open abdomens with direct peritoneal resuscitation (DPR) reduces intra-abdominal complications and accelerates abdominal closure. This novel study compares intra-abdominal complication rates and the effect of DPR initiation in patients who received DPR and those who did not. Patients and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 120 patients who underwent DCS. Fifty patients were identified as DCS with DPR, and matched to 70 controls by gender, race, age, body mass index (BMI), past medical history, mechanism of trauma, and injury severity score. Results: The two groups of patients, those without DPR (-DPR) and those with DPR (+DPR), were similar in their characteristics. The +DPR group was more likely to have a mesh closure than the -DPR (14% and 3%; p = 0.022). The +DPR group took longer to have a final closure (3.5 ± 2.6 days vs. 2.5 ± 1.8; p = 0.020). Infection complications and mechanical failure of the closure technique were similar among the two groups. Timing of DPR initiation had no effect on closure type but did statistically increase the number of days to closure (initiation at first operation 2.8 ± 1.8 days vs. initiation at subsequent operations 6.0 ± 3.3 days; p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: The use of DPR did not result in different outcomes in trauma patients. Therefore, traditional resuscitative measures for DCS may not be inferior to DCS with DPR. When choosing to use DPR, initiating it at the first operation could reduce the number of days to closure.

The role of direct peritoneal resuscitation in the treatment of hemorrhagic shock after trauma and in emergency acute care surgery: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Direct peritoneal resuscitation (DPR) has been used to help preserve microcirculation by reversing vasoconstriction and hypoperfusion associated with the pathophysiological process of shock, which can occur despite appropriate intravenous resuscitation. This approach depends on infusing a hyperosmolar solution intraperitoneally via a percutaneous catheter with the tip ending near the pelvis or the root of the mesentery. The abdomen is usually left open with a negative pressure abdominal dressing to continuously evacuate the infused dialysate. Hypertonicity of the solution triggers visceral vasodilation to help maintain blood flow, even during shock, and is also associated with reduced local inflammatory cytokines and other mediators, preservation of endothelial cell function, and mitigation of organ edema and necrosis. It also has a direct effect on liver perfusion and edema, more rapidly corrects electrolyte abnormalities compared to intravenous resuscitation alone, and may requireless intravenous fluid to stabilize blood pressure, all of which shortens the time required to close patients' abdomen.

METHODS

An online query using the search term "direct peritoneal resuscitation" was carried out in PubMed, MEDLINE and SciELO, limited to publications indexed from January 2014 to June 2020. Of the 20 articles returned, full text was able to be obtained for 19. A manual review of included articles' references was resulted in the addition of 1 article, for a total of 20 included articles.

RESULTS

The 20 articles were comprised of 15 animal studies, 4 clinical studies,and 1 expert opinion. The benefits include both local and possibly systemic effects on perfusion, hypoxia, acidosis, and inflammation, and are associated with improved outcomes and reduced complications.

CONCLUSION

DPR shows promise in patients with hemorrhagic shock, septic shock, and other conditions resulting in an open abdomen after damage control laparotomy.

Direct Peritoneal Resuscitation: A Novel Adjunct to Damage Control Laparotomy

Direct peritoneal resuscitation is a validated resuscitation strategy for patients undergoing damage control surgery for hemorrhage, sepsis, or abdominal compartment syndrome with open abdomen and planned reexploration after a period of resuscitation in the intensive care unit. Direct peritoneal resuscitation can decrease visceral edema, normalize body water ratios, accelerate primary abdominal wall closure after damage control surgery, and prevent complications associated with open abdomen. This review article describes the physiological benefits of direct peritoneal resuscitation, how this technique fits within management priorities for the patient in shock, and procedural components in the care of open abdomen surgical patients receiving direct peritoneal resuscitation. Strategies for successful implementation of a novel multidisciplinary intervention in critical care practice are explored.

Earlier re-initiation of enteral feeding after necrotizing enterocolitis decreases recurrence or stricture: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effects of earlier vs. later re-initiation of enteral feeds after necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

STUDY DESIGN

We reviewed the literature to assess timing of enteral feeding after NEC using fixed effects models.

RESULTS

Three studies met inclusion criteria; no randomized trials. After removal of Bell's Stage I infants, the earlier refeeding group (<5-7 or median 4 days) included 79 infants and later refeeding group (≥5-7 or median 10 days) included 119 infants. Pooled analysis revealed earlier re-initiation reduced the incidence in the composite outcome of recurrent NEC and/or post-NEC stricture (OR = 0.27; 95% Cl = 0.10-0.75; p = 0.012). Individually, NEC recurrence (pooled OR = 0.34; 95% Cl = 0.09-1.29; p = 0.112) or stricture (OR = 0.34; 95% Cl = 0.09-1.26; p = 1.06) did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no increase in negative outcomes with earlier refeeding after NEC. Earlier initiation of enteral feeds resulted in a significantly lower risk for the combined outcome of recurrent NEC and/or post-NEC stricture.

Diazoxide reduces local and remote organ damage in a rat model of intestinal ischemia reperfusion

BACKGROUND

Intestinal ischemia reperfusion is a common clinical condition that causes functional impairment. Once tight junctions are damaged, barrier function is compromised, and the intestines become a source for entry of bacterial and inflammatory mediators into the circulation, leading to systemic inflammatory response syndrome, multiple organ failure, and death. It is possible that diazoxide could protect the intestines against ischemia reperfusion. The aim of this study is to determine whether diazoxide can provide protection in a rat model of intestinal ischemia reperfusion.

METHODS

A total of 32 adult male specific pathogen-free Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: a control group, n = 6; a saline group, n = 13; and a diazoxide group, n = 13. The saline and diazoxide groups underwent clamping of the superior mesenteric artery for 1 h, with samples in all the groups being collected 12 h later.

RESULTS

Intestinal histology showed greater damage in the intestinal ischemia reperfusion groups. mRNA expression of zonula occludens-1 and occludin (tight junction proteins) and interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 was the highest in the Saline group. The Diazoxide group showed a reduction in aspartate aminotransferase serum levels compared with the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased expression of zonula occludens-1, occludin, and cyclooxygenase-2 suggested a greater regenerative effort because of more severe lesions in the saline group. In addition, increased expression of interleukin-6 in the saline group was suggestive of inflammation, indicating that diazoxide had protective effects in the diazoxide group. Reduced aspartate aminotransferase in the diazoxide group suggested liver protection. Diazoxide protects the intestines and liver from intestinal ischemia reperfusion lesions in rats.

Transcription factors Nrf2 and NF-κB contribute to inflammation and apoptosis induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in mice

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (IIR) is a common pathological event associated with intestinal injury and apoptosis with high mortality. Nuclear factor (NF)-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor that interacts with NF-κB and has a vital anti-inflammatory effect. However, whether Nrf2 has a role in IIR-induced apoptosis and the possible underlining mechanisms, such as modulation of the inflammation regulation pathway, have remained to be fully elucidated. In the present study, IIR was identified to cause significant intestinal injury and apoptosis, with high expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, as well as the apoptotic proteins B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase-3, while simultaneously decreasing the protein levels of Bcl-2. The effect was more pronounced after pretreatment of the animals with all-trans retinoic acid or brusatol, potent inhibitors of Nrf2. t-Butylhydroquinone, an Nrf2 activator, significantly attenuated IIR-induced intestinal injury and apoptosis, with inhibition of the overexpression of the inflammatory cytokines, Bax and caspase-3 protein and partial restoration of Bcl-2 protein expression. Taken together, these results indicated that increased Nrf2 expression reduced IIR-induced intestinal apoptosis and that the protective function of Nrf2 may be based on its anti-inflammatory effects through the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.

Acute mesenteric ischemia: guidelines of the World Society of Emergency Surgery

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) is typically defined as a group of diseases characterized by an interruption of the blood supply to varying portions of the small intestine, leading to ischemia and secondary inflammatory changes. If untreated, this process will eventuate in life threatening intestinal necrosis. The incidence is low, estimated at 0.09–0.2% of all acute surgical admissions. Therefore, although the entity is an uncommon cause of abdominal pain, diligence is always required because if untreated, mortality has consistently been reported in the range of 50%. Early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention are the cornerstones of modern treatment and are essential to reduce the high mortality associated with this entity. The advent of endovascular approaches in parallel with modern imaging techniques may provide new options. Thus, we believe that a current position paper from World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) is warranted, in order to put forth the most recent and practical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of AMI. This review will address the concepts of AMI with the aim of focusing on specific areas where early diagnosis and management hold the strongest potential for improving outcomes in this disease process.

Some of the key points include the prompt use of CT angiography to establish the diagnosis, evaluation of the potential for revascularization to re-establish blood flow to ischemic bowel, resection of necrotic intestine, and use of damage control techniques when appropriate to allow for re-assessment of bowel viability prior to definitive anastomosis and abdominal closure.

Predictive factors and clinical practice profile for strictures post-necrotising enterocolitis

Intestinal stricture is a severe and common complication of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), causing severe and prolonged morbidity. Our goal was to investigate the clinical predictors for strictures developing after NEC and evaluate the management outcome of the post-NEC strictures to better orient their medicosurgical care.A total of 188 patients diagnosed with NEC with identical treatment protocols throughout the period under study were retrospectively reviewed from 4 academic neonatal centers between from January 1, 2011, and October 31, 2016. Clinical predictive factors and clinical outcomes, including demographic information, clinical management, laboratory data, histopathology of resected bowel segment, and discharge summaries, were evaluated on the basis of with post-NEC strictures or not.Of the involved variables examined, the late-onset NEC [risk ratio (RR), 0.56; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.41-0.92; P < 0.001], cesarean delivery (RR, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.98-2.29; P = 0.026), and first procalcitonin (PCT) (onset of symptoms) (RR, 1.82; 95% CI, 0.98-3.15; P = 0.009) were the independent predictive factors for the post-NEC strictures. C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell (WBC), and plateletcrit levels were markedly higher on infants with stricture and elevated levels were maintained until the stricture was healed. Infants with intestinal stricture had significantly longer times to beginning enteral feeds (23.9 ± 12.1), than infants without intestinal stricture (18.6 ± 8.8) (P = 0.023). The median age at discharge was also significantly higher in the group with stricture (P = 0.014).This retrospective and multicenter study demonstrates that the early-onset NEC and cesarean delivery conferred protection over the post-NEC stricture. Infants with post-NEC stricture need prolonged hospitalization.