The Annals of thoracic surgery
-
We sought to evaluate the clinical utility of chest tube management after pulmonary resection based on objective digital monitoring of pleural pressure and digital surveillance for air leaks. ⋯ Digital monitoring of peak air leakage and patterns of air leakage were useful for predicting prolonged air leak after pulmonary resection. Information on the disappearance of air leak could be derived from the change in the rate of air leakage and from the increase in fluctuation of pleural pressure.
-
Review
Understanding Children's Heart Surgery Data: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Codevelop a Website.
Risk-adjusted survival statistics after children's heart surgery are published annually in the United Kingdom. Interpreting these statistics is difficult, and better resources about how to interpret survival data are needed. ⋯ Early and ongoing involvement of users was crucial and considerably changed the content, scope, and look of the website, and the formal psychology experiments provided deeper insight. The website http://childrensheartsurgery.info/ was launched in June 2016 to very positive reviews.
-
Topical hemostatic agents are used in conjunction with conventional procedures to reduce blood loss. They are often used in cardiothoracic surgery, which is particularly prone to bleeding risks. ⋯ To address this need, the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management convened an International Hemostatic Expert Panel. This article reviews the available literature and sets out evidence-based recommendations for the use of topical hemostatic agents in cardiothoracic surgery.
-
The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), calculated as 10 × serum albumin (g/dL) + 0.005 × total lymphocyte count (cells/mm3), can reportedly predict postoperative complications and prognosis for various types of malignancy. However, the clinical significance and prognostic value of the PNI for both short- and long-term outcomes remains uncertain in patients with lung cancer. ⋯ The PNI could represent a useful biomarker to predict postoperative complications and survival in patients with completely resected NSCLC.
-
Recently reported in Europe and United States, disseminated Mycobacterium chimaera infection is a novel clinical entity linked to point contamination of Stockert 3T heater-cooler units used for cardiopulmonary bypass. We present here the first two cases in Canada. ⋯ One patient is currently improving, and the other needed mitral valve repair despite aggressive treatment. Because of the nonspecific mode and timing of presentation, a high index of suspicion is necessary for the diagnosis of M. chimaera infection.