Publications by authors named "Kai D Zacharowski"

Background: Cortical high-frequency activation immediately before death has been reported, raising questions about an enhanced conscious state at this critical time. Here, we analyzed an electroencephalogram (EEG) from a comatose patient during the dying process with a standard bedside monitor and spectral parameterization techniques.

Methods: We report neurophysiologic features of a dying patient without major cortical injury.

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Background: Approximately one in three patients suffers from preoperative anaemia. Even though haemoglobin is measured before surgery, anaemia management is not implemented in every hospital.

Objective: Here, we demonstrate the implementation of an anaemia walk-in clinic at an Orthopedic University Hospital.

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Nitro fatty acids (NFAs) are endogenously generated lipid mediators deriving from reactions of unsaturated electrophilic fatty acids with reactive nitrogen species. Furthermore, Mediterranean diets can be a source of NFA. These highly electrophilic fatty acids can undergo Michael addition reaction with cysteine residues, leading to post-translational modifications (PTM) of selected regulatory proteins.

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Introduction: A multicomponent, evidence-based and interdisciplinary Patient Blood Management (PBM) program was introduced at the University Hospital Frankfurt in July 2013. The implementation strategy included practical and tactical components aimed to increase knowledge on the risks of preoperative anemia, to standardize hemotherapy, and to facilitate PBM components.

Methods: This article analyzes barriers to PBM implementation and outlines a strategy to introduce and manifest PBM.

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Background: Transient episodes of ischemia in a remote organ (remote ischemic preconditioning, RIPC) can attenuate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury but the underlying mechanisms of RIPC in the target organ are still poorly understood. Recent animal studies suggested that the small redox protein thioredoxin may be a potential candidate for preconditioning-induced organprotection. Here we employed a human proteome profiler array to investigate the RIPC regulated expression of cell stress proteins and particularly of thioredoxin in heart tissue of cardiosurgical patients with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

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Blood safety with respect to infectious complications has reached very high standards. Nevertheless, reports on transfusion-associated morbidity and mortality gain momentum. Multidisciplinary patient blood management programs can minimize unnecessary exposure to allogeneic blood products by strengthening and conserving patients' own resources.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how hypothermia affects inflammatory responses in the brain after cardiac arrest, specifically looking at the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  • Thirty pigs were used in the experiment; they underwent induced cardiac arrest, followed by resuscitation, then divided into different treatment groups for analyzing inflammatory responses.
  • Results showed that hypothermia significantly reduced the levels of certain inflammatory markers in the brain, suggesting it may improve neurological recovery after cardiac events.
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Background: Mild therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest is neuroprotective, but its effect on myocardial dysfunction that is a critical issue following resuscitation is not clear. This study sought to examine whether hypothermia and the combination of hypothermia and pharmacological postconditioning are cardioprotective in a model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation following acute myocardial ischemia.

Methodology/principal Findings: Thirty pigs (28-34 kg) were subjected to cardiac arrest following left anterior descending coronary artery ischemia.

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