European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Apr 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialControl of post-thoracotomy pain by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation: effect on serum cytokine levels, visual analogue scale, pulmonary function and medication.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to control post-thoracotomy pain with contrasting results. We aimed to assess the efficacy of TENS on post-thoracotomy pain in relation of four criterion measurements as: (i) cytokines; (ii) pain; (iii) respiratory function and (iv) intake of narcotic medication. ⋯ TENS is a valuable strategy to alleviate post-thoracotomy pain with reduction of cytokine production and of analgesic consumption, and with positive effects on pulmonary ventilation function.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Apr 2012
Case ReportsSingle site venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as an alternative to invasive ventilation in post-pneumonectomy fistula with acute respiratory failure.
We report the use of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with a single dual lumen cannula in a 42-year-old patient suffering from a post-pneumonectomy fistula and severe respiratory insufficiency, avoiding the classical approach of invasive mechanical ventilation. We discussed the potential advantages of extracorporeal oxygenation as the main support in this particular clinical setting.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Apr 2012
A morbidity score for congenital heart surgery based on observed complications.
The aim of this study was to develop a morbidity score based on observed postoperative complications after congenital heart surgery. ⋯ The reported morbidity scores need to be tested on larger series and in different institutions. The introduced morbidity score has the potential to quantify postoperative complications accurately. Its estimation over time can facilitate the assessment of quality of congenital heart surgery. It will allow comparison of morbidity outcomes across institutions with different case-mixes.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Apr 2012
Modulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression by ischaemic preconditioning in a lung autotransplant model.
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is believed to play a crucial role in lung ischaemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI). Ischaemic preconditioning (IP) has been shown to protect several organs from ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, although less is known about IP's effect on MCP-1 modulation. The objective of this study was to investigate IP's effect on MCP-1 expression in lung tissue and its relationship with oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokine production in an experimental LIRI model. ⋯ In this model, LIRI induced the expression of MCP-1 and the proinflammatory proteins TNF-α and IL-1 in control lungs. IP significantly reduced the expression of these chemokines and cytokines. These features may explain the reduction of oxidative stress observed with IP.