Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Sensitivity analyses showing the risk ratio estimate and 95% confidence interval omitting one study at a time.
Medline search strategy and methodological quality summary.
Forest plot for the risk of overall mortality in on-pump and off-pump setting.
Beneficial impact of levosimendan in critically ill patients with or at risk for acute renal failure: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Research Interests:
Pediatrics, Adolescent, Medicine, Cardiac Surgery, Heart Failure, and 13 moreHumans, Child, Hemodynamics, Infant, Newborn Infant, Intensive Care Unit, Hydrazones, Randomized Controlled Trial, Cardiovascular Diseases, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Child preschool, Levosimendan, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
Introduction The intra-aortic balloon pump is routinely used in cardiac surgery; however, its impact on outcome is still a matter of debate and several randomized trials have been published recently. We perform an updated meta-analysis of... more
Introduction The intra-aortic balloon pump is routinely used in cardiac surgery; however, its impact on outcome is still a matter of debate and several randomized trials have been published recently. We perform an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that investigated the use of preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump in adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods Potentially eligible trials were identified by searching the Medline, Embase, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge and The Cochrane Library. Searches were not restricted by language or publication status and were updated in August 2014. Randomized controlled trials on preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting either with or without cardiopulmonary bypass were identified. The primary end point was mortality at the longest follow-up available and the secondary end point was 30-day mortality. Results The eight included randomized clinical trial...
Research Interests:
Medicine, Critical Care, Humans, Risk factors, Meta Analysis, and 9 moreRandomized Controlled Trial, Survival Rate, Risk Factors, Coronary artery bypass surgery, Cardiopulmonary bypass, Postoperative Complications, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Medical and Health Sciences, and Coronary Artery Bypass
The incidence of Acute Kidney Injury is nowadays high in critically ill patients. Its etiology is multifactorial and a primary role is played by low cardiac output syndrome. Everything targeted to normalize cardiac output should increase... more
The incidence of Acute Kidney Injury is nowadays high in critically ill patients. Its etiology is multifactorial and a primary role is played by low cardiac output syndrome. Everything targeted to normalize cardiac output should increase the renal perfusion and abolish the secondary vasoconstriction. Levosimendan is a calcium sensitizer drug with inotropic properties that improves cardiac output and seems to increase renal blood flow. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the role of levosimendan in critically ill patients with or at risk of Acute Kidney Injury. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials searching for trials that compared levosimendan with any comparator. The endpoints were the number of patients receiving Renal Replacement Therapy after randomization and the number of patients developing Acute Kidney Injury. Final analysis included 33 trials and 3,879 patients (2,024 levosimendan and 1,855 control). The overall analysis showed that the us...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
BACKGROUND: We recently showed in a pig model of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) that lung edema correlates with glucose consumption. We investigated whether salbutamol, a β-adrenergic receptor agonist known to upregulate fluid transport in... more
BACKGROUND: We recently showed in a pig model of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) that lung edema correlates with glucose consumption. We investigated whether salbutamol, a β-adrenergic receptor agonist known to upregulate fluid transport in the lung, modulates glucose concentration in the perfusate during EVLP. METHODS: Lungs from domestic pigs underwent normothermic EVLP. At the end of controlled reperfusion, lungs were ventilated and perfused for 60 minutes, then randomized to salbutamol (β-Agonist) infusion or placebo (Control) for 180 minutes. Functional parameters were assessed. RESULTS: In the β-Agonist group, glucose concentration decreased over time more than corresponding Control values (analysis of variance [ANOVA], p = 0.05). Mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) was 16 ± 1 mm Hg in the β-Agonist group vs 21 ± 1 mm Hg in the Controls (ANOVA p < 0.05). Baseline mPAP was correlated with the drop of mPAP after the β-agonist infusion (R(2) = 0.856, p < 0.05). Dynamic comp...