Perfusion
-
Myocardial protection with cardioplegia is an integral component of most cardiac surgical procedures, providing protection of the heart by limiting metabolic activity and increasing the myocardium's capacity to withstand ischemia for prolonged periods of time. Cardioplegia has greatly affected the landscape of cardiothoracic surgery since its introduction in the 1960s, but, to this day, there continues to be a debate over what the ideal cardioplegic solution should be. The goal of this analysis is to describe current practices in cardioplegia and to point out the lack of quality human research and subsequent publications that prevent best practices from being utilized. ⋯ Uniform variables among different studies would be preferable for analysis of this topic; thus, it is the researchers' recommendation that the collection of multicenter data be undertaken in order to more fully answer this research question.Comparative effectiveness studies to associate commonly used solutions are needed. Without this research, surgeon preference remains the primary determining factor for deciding which cardioplegic solution to use. Cardioplegia selection should rely more on higher scientific research, using evidenced-based medicine and ranking of clinical studies.
-
Review Case Reports
ECMO support for right main bronchial disruption in multiple trauma patient with brain injury--a case report and literature review.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may offer life-saving treatment in severe pulmonary contusion or acute respiratory distress syndrome when conventional treatments have failed. However, because of the bleeding risk of systemic anticoagulation, ECMO should be performed only as a last resort in multiple trauma victims. ⋯ The patient was discharged without any obvious complication. ECMO support in a traumatic brain injured patient with severe hypoxemia caused by lung contusion and/or tracheal bronchus disruption is not an absolute contraindication.
-
Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Central versus peripheral arterial cannulation and neurological outcomes after thoracic aortic surgery: meta-analysis and meta-regression of 4459 patients.
Thoracic aortic surgeries remain with high mortality rates, often associated with postoperative neurological complications. The choice of the right cannulation site is extremely important for suitable blood supply and maintenance of vital functions, especially of the central nervous system. ⋯ When it comes to neurological outcomes in patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery, there was no evidence that argues in favor of any choice of arterial cannulation site, which makes us reject any superiority of one approach over the other in this regard.