Browsing by Author "Alegria, Leyla"

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    Capillary refill time response to a fluid challenge or a vasopressor test: an observational, proof-of-concept study
    (2024) Hernández, Glenn; Valenzuela, Emilio Daniel; Kattan, Eduardo; Castro, Ricardo; Guzmán, Camila; Kraemer, Alicia Elzo; Sarzosa, Nicolás; Alegria, Leyla; Contreras, Roberto; Oviedo, Vanessa; Bravo, Sebastián; Soto, Dagoberto; Sáez, Claudia; Ait-Oufella, Hafid; Ospina Tascón, Gustavo; Bakker, Jan
    Background: Several studies have validated capillary refill time (CRT) as a marker of tissue hypoperfusion, and recent guidelines recommend CRT monitoring during septic shock resuscitation. Therefore, it is relevant to further explore its kinetics of response to short-term hemodynamic interventions with fluids or vasopressors. A couple of previous studies explored the impact of a fluid bolus on CRT, but little is known about the impact of norepinephrine on CRT when aiming at a higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) target in septic shock. We designed this observational study to further evaluate the effect of a fluid challenge (FC) and a vasopressor test (VPT) on CRT in septic shock patients with abnormal CRT after initial resuscitation. Our purpose was to determine the effects of a FC in fluid-responsive patients, and of a VPT aimed at a higher MAP target in chronically hypertensive fluid-unresponsive patients on the direction and magnitude of CRT response. Methods Thirty-four septic shock patients were included. Fluid responsiveness was assessed at baseline, and a FC (500 ml/30 mins) was administered in 9 fluid-responsive patients. A VPT was performed in 25 patients by increasing norepinephrine dose to reach a MAP to 80–85 mmHg for 30 min. Patients shared a multimodal perfusion and hemodynamic monitoring protocol with assessments at at least two time-points (baseline, and at the end of interventions). Results CRT decreased significantly with both tests (from 5 [3.5–7.6] to 4 [2.4–5.1] sec, p = 0.008 after the FC; and from 4.0 [3.3–5.6] to 3 [2.6 -5] sec, p = 0.03 after the VPT. A CRT-response was observed in 7/9 patients after the FC, and in 14/25 pts after the VPT, but CRT deteriorated in 4 patients on this latter group, all of them receiving a concomitant low-dose vasopressin. Conclusions Our findings support that fluid boluses may improve CRT or produce neutral effects in fluid-responsive septic shock patients with persistent hypoperfusion. Conversely, raising NE doses to target a higher MAP in previously hypertensive patients elicits a more heterogeneous response, improving CRT in the majority, but deteriorating skin perfusion in some patients, a fact that deserves further research.
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    Development of mechanical ventilators in Chile. Chronicle of the initiative "Un Respiro para Chile
    (2022) Bugedo, Guillermo; Tobar, Eduardo; Alegria, Leyla; Oviedo, Vanessa; Arellano, Daniel; Basoalto, Roque; Enberg, Luis; Suarez, Pablo; Bitran, Eduardo; Chabert, Steren; Bruhn, Alejandro
    At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, in March 2020, a projection indicated that a significant group of patients with pneumonia would require admission to an Intensive Care Unit and connection to a mechanical ventilator. Therefore, a paucity of these devices and other supplies was predicted. The initiative "Un respiro para Chile" brought together many people and institutions, public and private. In the course of three months, it allowed the design and building of several ventilatory assistance devices, which could be used in critically ill patients.
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    Exploring the relationship between capillary refill time, skin blood flow and microcirculatory reactivity during early resuscitation of patients with septic shock: a pilot study
    (2023) Contreras, Roberto; Hernandez, Glenn; Daniel Valenzuela, Emilio; Gonzalez, Cecilia; Ulloa, Rodrigo; Soto, Dagoberto; Castro, Ricardo; Guzman, Camila; Oviedo, Vanessa; Alegria, Leyla; Vidal, Diego; Morales, Sebastian; Adolfo Ospina-Tascon, Gustavo; Bakker, Jan; Kattan, Eduardo
    Capillary refill time (CRT), a costless and widely available tool, has emerged as a promising target to guide septic shock resuscitation. However, it has yet to gain universal acceptance due to its potential inter-observer variability. Standardization of CRT assessment may minimize this problem, but few studies have compared this approach with techniques that directly assess skin blood flow (SBF). Our objective was to determine if an abnormal CRT is associated with impaired SBF and microvascular reactivity in early septic shock patients. Twelve septic shock patients were subjected to multimodal perfusion and hemodynamic monitoring for 24 h. Three time-points (0, 1, and 24 h) were registered for each patient. SBF was measured by laser doppler. We performed a baseline SBF measurement and two microvascular reactivity tests: one with a thermal challenge at 44 & DEG;C and other with a vascular occlusion test. Ten healthy volunteers were evaluated to obtain reference values. The patients (median age 70 years) exhibited a 28-day mortality of 50%. Baseline CRT was 3.3 [2.7-7.3] seconds. In pooled data analysis, abnormal CRT presented a significantly lower SBF when compared to normal CRT [44 (13.3-80.3) vs 193.2 (99.4-285) APU, p = 0.0001]. CRT was strongly associated with SBF (R-2 0.76, p < 0.0001). An abnormal CRT also was associated with impaired thermal challenge and vascular occlusion tests. Abnormal CRT values observed during early septic shock resuscitation are associated with impaired skin blood flow, and abnormal skin microvascular reactivity. Future studies should confirm these results.
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    Hypoxia-related parameters during septic shock resuscitation: Pathophysiological determinants and potential clinical implications
    (AME PUBL CO, 2020) Pavez, Nicolas; Kattan, Eduardo; Vera, Magdalena; Ferri, Giorgio; Daniel Valenzuela, Emilio; Alegria, Leyla; Bravo, Sebastian; Pairumani, Ronald; Santis, Cesar; Oviedo, Vanessa; Soto, Dagoberto; Ospina Tascon, Gustavo; Bakker, Jan; Hernandez, Glenn; Castro, Ricardo
    Background: Assessment of tissue hypoxia at the bedside has yet to be translated into daily clinical practice in septic shock patients. Perfusion markers are surrogates of deeper physiological phenomena. Lactate-to-pyruvate ratio ( LPR) and the ratio between veno-arterial PCO2 difference and Ca-vO(2) (Delta PCO2/Ca-vO(2)) have been proposed as markers of tissue hypoxia, but they have not been compared in the clinical scenario. We studied acute septic shock patients under resuscitation. We wanted to evaluate the relationship of these hypoxia markers with clinical and biochemical markers of hypoperfusion during septic shock resuscitation.
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    Implementation and design of customized ex vivo machine perfusion. Analysis of its first results
    (Wiley, 2021) Riveros, Sergio; Marino, Carlo; Ochoa, Gabriela; Morales, Emilio; Soto, Dagoberto; Alegria, Leyla; Josefina Zenteno, Maria; Branes, Alejandro; Achurra, Pablo; Rebolledo, Rolando A.
    The lack of organs available for transplantation is a global problem. The high mortality rates on the waiting list and the high number of discarded livers are reasons to develop new tools in the preservation and transplantation process. New tools should also be available for low-income countries. This article reports the development of customized normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). An ex vivo dual perfusion machine was designed, composed of a common reservoir organ box (CRO), a centrifugal pump (portal system, low pressure), and a roller pump (arterial system, high pressure). Porcine livers (n = 5) were perfused with an oxygenated normothermic (37celcius) strategy for 3 hours. Hemodynamic variables, metabolic parameters, and bile production during preservation were analyzed. Arterial and portal flow remain stable during perfusion. Total bilirubin production was 11.25 mL (4-14.5) at 180 minutes. The median pH value reached 7.32 (7.25-7.4) at 180 minutes. Lactate values decreased progressively to normalization at 120 minutes. This perfusion setup was stable and able to maintain the metabolic activity of a liver graft in a porcine animal model. Design and initial results from this customized NMP are promising for a future clinical application in low-income countries.
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    Liquid extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal: use of THAM (tris-hydroxymethyl aminomethane) coupled to hemofiltration to control hypercapnic acidosis in a porcine model of protective mechanical ventilation
    (2016) Tapia, Pablo; Lillo, Felipe; Soto, Dagoberto; Escobar, Leslie; Simon, Felipe; Hernandez, Karina; Alegria, Leyla; Bruhn, Alejandro
    A promising approach to facilitate protective mechanical ventilation is the use of extracorporeal CO2 removal techniques. Several strategies based on membrane gas exchangers have been developed. However, these techniques are still poorly available. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of THAM infusion coupled to hemofiltration for the management of hypercapnic acidosis. A severe respiratory acidosis was induced in seven anesthetized pigs. Five of them were treated with THAM 8-mmol . kg(-1) . h(-1) coupled to hemofiltration (THAM+HF group) at 100 mL . kg(-1) . h(-1). After 18-hours of treatment the THAM infusion was stopped but hemofiltration was kept on until 24-hours. The 2 other animals were treated with THAM but without hemofiltration. After 1-hour of treatment in THAM+HF, PaCO2 rapidly decreased from a median of 89.0 (IQR) (80.0, 98.0) to 71.3 (65.8, 82.0) mmHg (P<0.05), while pH increased from 7.12 (7.01, 7.15) to 7.29 (7.27, 7.30) (P<0.05). Thereafter PaCO2 remained stable between 60-70 mmHg, while pH increased above 7.4. After stopping THAM at 18 hours of treatment a profound rebound effect was observed with severe hypercapnic acidosis. The most important side effect we observed was hyperosmolality, which reached a maximum of 330 (328, 332) mOsm . kg H2O-1 at T18. The animals treated only with THAM developed severe hypercapnia, despite the fact that pH returned to normal values, and died after 12 hours. Control-group had an uneven evolution until the end of the experiment. A combined treatment with THAM coupled to hemofiltration may be an effective treatment to control severe hypercapnic acidosis.
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    Reduction of Respiratory Rate in COVID-19-Associated ARDS
    (2022) Damiani, L. Felipe; Oviedo, Vanessa; Alegria, Leyla; Soto, Dagoberto; Basoalto, Roque; Consuelo Bachmann, M.; Jalil Contreras, Yorschua Frederick; Santis, Cesar; Vera, Magdalena; Retamal, Jaime; Bruhn, Alejandro; Bugedo, Guillermo