Perfusion
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Current trends in pediatric cardiac surgery and anesthesiology include goal-directed allogeneic blood transfusion, but few studies address the transfusion of platelets and cryoprecipitate. We report a quality improvement initiative to reduce the transfusion of platelets and cryoprecipitate in infants having cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). ⋯ Checking laboratory results during the rewarming phase of CPB reduced cryoprecipitate transfusion by 50%. This reproducible strategy avoids empiric and potentially unnecessary transfusion in this vulnerable population.
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This study examines the efficacy of hypobaric oxygenation as it relates to the elimination of gaseous microemboli (GME) at designated flow, pressure and temperature combinations. ⋯ Correlation between the use of hypobaric oxygenation and GME counts suggests hypobaric oxygenation could play a significant role in the reduction of GME.
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Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) and totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) techniques may improve recovery and reduce hospital stay following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). However, working in a limited space with indirect visualisation would greatly benefit from a simple, high-quality and reproducible automated distal anastomotic method. Several devices have been developed; however, their uptake has been limited due to uncertainty around their impact on patient outcomes. ⋯ These results demonstrate the overall acceptable early outcomes of distal anastomotic devices for use in minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. Future research should focus on designing adequately powered, comparative, randomised trials, focusing on major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) outcomes in both the short and long-term, with clear case-by-case reasons for device failure and a comparison of anastomotic times. In this way, we may determine whether such devices will facilitate the minimal access and robotic coronary procedures of the future.
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Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a treatment option to correct blood oxygenation in cases of severe respiratory failure. However, it is time-limited and, in cases of no- recovery, it is a bridge-to-lung transplant therapy. We report our experience of two patients waiting for emergency lung transplantation under VV-ECMO using the Avalon® cannula. ⋯ Ultimately, both patients died from multi-organ failure due to the absence of available donor organs. Few cases having been described up until now, but the addition of a second venous drainage cannula to the Avalon® system could potentially improve hemodynamic parameters and, therefore, stabilize hypoxemic patients. This may be an option to gain time in long-lasting VV-ECMO support as a potential life-saving attempt.