The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Editorial Comment
Blood transfusion and infection after cardiac surgery.
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Comparative Study
Cumulative corticosteroid exposure and infection risk after complex pediatric cardiac surgery.
Children undergoing cardiac surgery may receive corticosteroids preoperatively to temper cardiopulmonary bypass-related inflammation, postoperatively for hemodynamic instability, and periextubation to reduce airway edema. Recent data have associated preoperative corticosteroids with infection. We aimed to determine if there is a relationship between cumulative corticosteroid exposure and infection. ⋯ For children undergoing complex cardiac surgery, greater cumulative duration of corticosteroid exposure is independently associated with postoperative infection.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of three measurements on computed tomography for the prediction of less invasiveness in patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer.
A greater proportion of ground-glass opacity (GGO) is well known to be strongly associated with less invasive lung adenocarcinoma. Recently, the solid area diameter has also been reported to be a simple and better marker for the same purpose compared with the whole nodule diameter. ⋯ Proportion of GGO remains important for predicting less invasive lung cancer.
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A 51-year-old man with severe mitral regurgitation was admitted. While undergoing preoperative examination for mitral disease, he was found to have absence of the right superior vena cava and a persistent left superior vena cava. ⋯ There were no difficulties during the operation. Isolated persistent left superior vena cava is very rare, but if it is diagnosed preoperatively and an appropriate operative plan is made, MICS can be performed safely.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of cardiothoracic training curricula: integrated six-year versus traditional programs.
Traditionally, cardiothoracic residency programs are 2 or 3 years in length and require the completion of a general surgery residency. Six-year integrated programs (IP) that directly match fourth-year medical students have been recently developed. Our objective was to examine the curricula of traditional 2-year (T2) and 3-year (T3) programs and compare them to the curricula of IP. ⋯ Integrated programs should not be considered "cardiac pathways" as they spend a significant amount of time on thoracic rotations. Additional nonsurgical rotations provide an opportunity for residents in IP to develop unique skills not currently provided in traditional programs.