-Introduction: Patients with severe brain lesions (SBL) and brain-dead patients (BD) frequently present with vasopressin (AVP) secretion disorders. Objective: To evaluate AVP serum levels in SBL and BD patients. Design: Prospective, open label, observational trial. Setting: A general teaching hospital. Method:Three groups of adult subjects (age ≥ 18y) of both sexes were included in this study: control group: 29 healthy volunteers; SBL group: 17 patients with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) ≤8; and BD group: 11 brain-dead patients. Samples of venous blood were collected in the morning at rest from healthy volunteers and at 8 hourly intervals over a period of 24h from SBL and BD patients for AVP determinations. Concomitantly, some clinical and laboratorial variables were also recorded. Results: AVP serum levels (pg/ml) were [mean (SD); median]: control [2.2(1.1); 2.0]; SBL [5.7(6.3); 2.9]; and BD [2.6(1.0); 2.8]. AVP serum levels varied greatly in SBL patients, but without statistically significant difference in relation to the other groups (p=0.06). Hypotension (p=0.02), hypernatremia (p=0.0001), serum hyperosmolarity (p=0.0001) and urinary hypoosmolarity (p=0.003) were outstanding in BD patients when compared with SBL. Conclusions: The AVP serum levels did not demonstrate significant statistical difference between the groups, only showing a greater variability in SBL patients (manifested as serum spike levels). Hypernatremia and hyperosmolarity were present in BD patients, indicating a failure of the hypothalamic-pituitary system in AVP production and release.KEY WORDS: brain lesion, brain death, vasopressin. Níveis séricos de arginina vasopressina em pacientes com lesão cerebral grave e em pacientes com morte encefálicaRESUMO -Introdução: Pacientes com lesão cerebral grave (LCG) ou com morte encefálica (ME) freqüentemente apresentam alterações na secreção de vasopressina (AVP). Objetivo: Avaliar os níveis séricos de AVP em pacientes com LCG e ME. Desenho: Estudo prospectivo, aberto, observacional. Local: Um hospital geral universitário. Método: Sujeitos adultos (idade ≥18 anos), de ambos os sexos, foram divididos em três grupos: grupo controle: 29 voluntários sadios; grupo LCG: 17 pacientes com pontuação na Escala de Coma de Glasgow (ECG) ≤8; grupo ME: 11 pacientes com diagnóstico de ME.Amostras de sangue venoso foram colhidas pela manhã, em repouso, nos pacientes do grupo controle, e de 8/8h, por 24h, nos pacientes dos grupos LCG e ME, para dosagens de AVP. Variáveis clínicas e laboratoriais de interesse foram anotadas concomitantemente. Resultados: Os valores da AVP (pg/ml) foram [média (DP); mediana]: grupo controle [2,2(1,1); 2,0]; grupo LCG [5,7(6,3); 2,9] e grupo ME [2,6(1,0); 2,8]. Observouse maior variação dos níveis séricos de AVP no grupo LCG, mas sem diferença estatisticamente significativa em relação aos demais (p=0,06). Hipotensão (p=0,02), hipernatremia (p=0,0001), hiperosmolaridade sérica (p=0,0001) e hiposmolaridade urinária (p=0,003) foram proeminentes no grupo ME em relação ao grupo LCG. Con...

Objective:to compare the efficacy of three active heating methods in the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia in open gastroenterological surgeries. Method:randomized clinical trial with a sample of 75 patients, whose initial body temperature measured by a tympanic thermometer. Esophageal temperature <36ºC was considered hypothermic. Patients were divided into three groups using: thermal mattress, underbody forced-air warming blanket and heated infusion system. The tympanic and esophageal temperatures were measured at different times of the intraoperative period, but the temperature considered gold standard was the esophageal. To evaluate the homogeneity of the groups, we used chi-square test (categorical variables). In the comparison of temperature measurements over time, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the contrast profile test were used for the difference in temperature between the times. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the three groups. The level of significance was 5%. Results:regarding the studied variables, the groups were not homogeneous as to the categorical variable sex. All patients presented hypothermia during the intraoperative period (p> 0.05). Conclusion:there was no significant difference between the heating methods in the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia. .

AVP serum levels remained within the normal range values in these SBI patients, but those who died have shown higher incidence of abnormal sodium and water balance during the first week post-injury.

Objectives: To evaluate plasmatic arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels in patients undergoing scheduled conventional abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair.Methods: Plasmatic AVP concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in 22 non-consecutive adult patients undergoing infra-renal AAA repair. They were under combined general and epidural anesthesia at the following time frames: 1 -pre-operative (T0); 2 -2h (T1) and 6h (T2) after the surgical procedure; 3 -in the morning at the first (T3), second (T4) and third (T5) post-operative days. Some clinical and laboratory variables were also recorded.Results: The mean age of patients was 68±10 years; 17 were males. Plasmatic AVP (mean±SD; pg/mL) was within the normal range at T0 (1.4±0.7; baseline), increasing significantly at T1 (62.6±62.9; P<0.001) and at T2 (31.5±49.7; P<0.001), with a progressive fall, returning to basal levels at T5 (2.1±3.8; P=NS). Positive and statistically significant correlations were found between AVP and glycemia, serum lactate and white blood cells counts, but not with systemic arterial pressure or plasma osmolarity during the postoperative period.Conclusions: Considering that no correlations were found between AVP levels and hemodynamic or plasmatic osmolarity variations in AAA repair, it seems that stress response is mainly secondary to noxious stimulation mediated by the autonomic nervous system that is not completely blocked by anesthetics. Descriptors: Intensive care units. Cardiovascular abnormalities. Receptors, vasopressin. Resumo Objetivos: Avaliar os níveis plasmáticos de vasopressina (AVP) em pacientes submetidos à correção convencional de aneurisma de aorta abdominal (AAA).Métodos: A AVP plasmática foi mensurada por radioimunoensaio em 22 pacientes não-consecutivos submetidos à correção eletiva de AAA infrarrenal sob anestesia geral + epidural nos seguintes momentos: pré-operatório (T0); 2h (T1) e 6h (T2) após a cirurgia; e nas manhãs do primeiro (T3), segundo (T4) e terceiro (T5) dia pós-operatório (PO). Variáveis clínicas e laboratoriais de interesse também foram anotadas.Resultados: A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 68±10 anos, sendo 17 homens. A AVP plasmática (média±DP; pg/ mL) estava dentro de limites normais no T0 (1,4±0,7; basal), aumentando no T1 (62,6±62,9; P<0,001) e no T2 (31,5±49,7; P<0,001), e retornando aos valores basais no T5 (2,1±3,8; RBCCV 44205-1296