Anesthesiology
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This study was designed to evaluate a new point-of-care test (HemoSTATUS) that assesses acceleration of kaolin-activated clotting time (ACT) by platelet activating factor (PAF) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Our specific objectives were to determine whether HemoSTATUS-derived measurements correlate with postoperative blood loss and identify patients at risk for excessive blood loss and to characterize the effect of desmopressin acetate (DDAVP) and/or platelet transfusion on these measurements. ⋯ Activated clotting time-based clot ratio values correlate significantly with postoperative blood loss and detect recovery of PAF-accelerated coagulation after administration of DDAVP or platelet therapy. The HemoSTATUS assay may be useful in the identification of patients at risk for excessive blood loss and who could benefit from administration of DDAVP and/or platelet transfusion.
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Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) are associated with neurological injury. Altered immediate-early gene expression occurs rapidly in the brain in response to ischemia, hypoxia, and severe metabolic stress, which results in long-term changes in the molecular phenotype of neurons. This study determined the effects of CPB and HCA on the expression of the immediate-early gene c-fos. ⋯ Cardiopulmonary bypass and HCA alter immediate-early gene expression in the brain. Translational processes are impaired after 120 min of HCA and correlate with neuron death in the hippocampus.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Platelet function and adrenoceptors during and after induced hypotension using nitroprusside.
Hypotension induced by sodium nitroprusside can minimize intraoperative blood loss. The release of endogenous catecholamines can influence adrenoceptors of platelets and thus might change the ability of platelets to aggregate. ⋯ Controlled hypotension using sodium nitroprusside reduces epinephrine-induced and spontaneous platelet aggregation. Even on the day after hypotension, the usual postoperative reactive increase in platelet aggregation did not occur. These results may be explained by the direct effect of nitroprusside on platelets, the augmented stress response, lower shear stress on platelets due to the lower blood pressure, or the decreased blood loss compared with the controls.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Early tracheal extubation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery reduces costs and improves resource use. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
Economics has caused the trend of early tracheal extubation after cardiac surgery, yet no prospective randomized study has directly validated that early tracheal extubation anesthetic management decreases costs when compared with late extubation after cardiac surgery. ⋯ Early tracheal extubation anesthetic management reduces total costs per CABG surgery by 25%, predominantly in nursing and in CVICU costs. Early extubation reduces CVICU and hospital length of stay but does not increase the rate or costs of complications when compared with patients in the late extubation group. It shifts the high CVICU costs to the lower ward costs. Early extubation also improves resource use after cardiac surgery when compared with late extubation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Sevoflurane depresses myocardial contractility less than halothane during induction of anesthesia in children.
Cardiovascular stability is an important prerequisite for any new volatile anesthetic. We compared echocardiographically derived indices of myocardial contractility during inhalation induction with sevoflurane and halothane in children. ⋯ Myocardial contractility was decreased less during inhalation induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane compared with halothane in children. Although the induction of anesthesia with sevoflurane or halothane was equally well tolerated, the preservation of myocardial contractility with sevoflurane makes it an attractive alternative for inducing anesthesia in children.