PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of chronic virus-related liver disease severity on propofol requirements. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 48 male patients with chronic hepatitis B infection were divided into three groups according to Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification of liver function (groups A, B, and C with mild, moderate and severe liver disease, respectively). After intubation, propofol concentration was adjusted by +/-0.3 microg/mL increments to maintain bispectral index in the range of 40-60. Target propofol concentrations at anesthesia initiation, pre-intubation and pre-incision were recorded. RESULTS: The initial concentration used in group C was significantly lower than that used in group A or B (p<0.05), whereas no difference was observed between groups A and B. At pre-intubation, the actual required concentration of propofol increased significantly (3.2 microg/mL) in group A (p<0.05), which lead to significant differences between the groups (p<0.05). At pre-incision, the requirements for propofol decreased significantly in both groups A and B (3.0 microg/mL and 2.7 microg/mL, respectively) compared with those at pre-intubation (p<0.05), and were significantly different for all three groups (p<0.05), with group C demonstrating the lowest requirement (2.2 microg/mL). The required concentrations of propofol at pre-incision were similar to those at induction. CONCLUSION: In this study, propofol requirements administered by target-controlled infusion to maintain similar depths of hypnosis were shown to depend on the severity of chronic virus-related liver dysfunction. In other words, patients with the most severe liver dysfunction required the least amount of propofol.
Adult ; Anesthesia ; Anesthetics, Intravenous/*administration & dosage ; Chronic Disease ; Electroencephalography ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/complications/drug therapy/*surgery ; Humans ; Liver Diseases/*complications/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Piperidines/*administration & dosage ; Propofol/*administration & dosage ; Virus Diseases/*complications/surgery

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; prevention & control ; surgery ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; virology ; Secondary Prevention

<b>OBJECTIVEb>To assess the clinical features of aspergillosis and its diagnosis, prophylaxis and treatment in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), and to improve the prognosis of the recipients.

<b>METHODSb>Medical records of consecutive patients who underwent OLT in our liver transplant center from May 2002 to May 2004 were analyzed retrospectively. Those with aspergillus infection complications were studied in detail regarding their infected organs, related factors, treatments and prognoses.

<b>RESULTSb>17 out of 207 recipients of OLT were detected with aspergillosis. The incidence was 8.21 percent. 5 patients infected with superficial aspergillus survived. Of the 12 cases with deep aspergillus infection, 3 with infection limited to the sites of their incisions survived, 2 of the 3 patients with infection in their lungs, and 1 of the 2 patients with it in their livers died, and 4 recipients with multi-organ aspergillus infection died. Among the 7 cases that died, 5 had severe hepatitis, 1 had post-hepatitis liver cirrhosis and 1 had primary liver carcinoma.

<b>CONCLUSIONSb>Long-term (> or = 3 weeks) broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunosupression were involved in aspergillus infection in our OLT patients. Patients with chronic severe hepatitis had a higher risk of having aspergillus infection. Amphotericin B is still the best choice for treating aspergillosis. Prophylactic administration of anti-fungal medicine, surveillance of fungal infections as a routine, and treatment of the infection in time may help to improve the prognosis of OLT recipients with aspergillosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Amphotericin B ; therapeutic use ; Antifungal Agents ; therapeutic use ; Aspergillosis ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; etiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Cirrhosis ; surgery ; virology ; Liver Neoplasms ; etiology ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors