Abstract:
Objective: To gain more detailed information about the complex process of acute liver failure (ALF) we investigated neurological and systemic alterations after total hepatectomy in a swine model.
Subjects: Seventeen female pigs (German Landrace) weighing 34,9 ± 3,6 kg (mean ± SD).
Intervention: ALF was induced by total hepatectomy with end-to-side portocaval anastomosis. Anhepatic pigs were monitored under general anaesthesia and standard intensive care until death occurred. Licox Clare-type oxygen probes (n = 13) and Camino fiberoptic pressure transducers (n = 17) were inserted in the frontoparietal white matter (Both Integra Neurosciences, Plainsboro, USA). Intracranial pressure (ICP), brain tissue oxygenation (ptiO2) and mean arterial pressure (MABP) was measured continuously. Ammonia (NH3) was examined periodically. Five brains were removed and fixed for histological examination.
Measurements and Main Results: Mean survival time was 46,7 ± 24,1 hours. Mean baseline values were ICP 16,6 ± 2,2 mmHg, ptiO2 5,9 ± 5,2 mmHg, CPP 53,9 ± 8,1 mmHg, NH3 88,5 ± 24,2 µM. ICP increased to 41,9 ± 10,1 mmHg before death. ptiO2 values improved 12 h after hepatectomy to 31,5 ± 18,2 mmHg followed by anew decrement to 3,8 ± 6,0 mmHg. NH3 rose to 1878,6 ± 1681,7 µM.
Conclusions: The finding of high ICP, loss of CPP and low ptiO2 clarifies the leading role of cerebral alteration as a major cause of death in ALF. This model is well reproducible, and is therefore suitable for the assessment of bioartificial liver devices and emphasises the necessity of additional online neuromonitoring. Despite the reproducibility, an enormous diversity of cerebral progressions was found. Crucial is the early recognition of trends as especially ptiO2 –values are directly responsive to physiological and pathophysiological variations. Detecting ischemic periods early enables intervention to avoid consequential cerebral dysfunction.