Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 2025
ReviewUse of Intraoperative Hemostatic Checklists for Blood Management in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Scoping Review.
Using intraoperative hemostatic checklists may improve rates of surgical re-exploration and utilization of allogenic blood products in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. In this review, the authors explore the current evidence describing the impact of using intraoperative hemostatic checklists on reducing rates of surgical bleeding and perioperative blood product transfusion in this group of patients. ⋯ These findings suggest that using intraoperative hemostatic checklists may reduce surgical re-exploration rates and improve blood product utilization after cardiac surgery. Large multicenter studies are needed to endorse the utilization of these checklists in routine clinical practice.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 2025
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Potential Role of Albumin in Reducing Cardiac Surgery-Associated Acute Kidney Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a common complication with high morbidity and mortality. This study was designed to determine whether adding human albumin to the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) priming solution reduces the incidence of CSA-AKI. ⋯ Adding albumin to the CPB priming solution did not decrease the incidence of CSA-AKI in patients with normal preoperative renal function. These findings suggest that albumin might benefit patients with impaired renal function, warranting further investigation.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 2025
ReviewThe Year in Cardiothoracic Transplant Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2022 Part II: Cardiac Transplantation.
These highlights focus on research published in the year 2022 and is divided into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative sections. The preoperative section includes research on the assessment and optimization of candidates for heart transplantation; donor optimization and the use of extended donors; organ protection systems; donation after circulatory death allografts; recipient factors including cannabis use, sex, race, and comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, and peripartum cardiomyopathy; the effects of the 2018 heart allocation policy change on waitlist and postoperative mortality; updates on heart transplantation in patients with coronavirus disease 2019; in pediatric patients; and those who require a bridge to transplant. The intraoperative section includes the use of a multidisciplinary team, a proposed transfusion algorithm, bench surgery on the allograft, and size matching. The postoperative section focuses on the research on the development and management of tricuspid regurgitation, echocardiography, arrhythmia management, and, finally, xenotransplantation.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 2025
ReviewSpinal Cord Injury Following Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Scoping Review.
Spinal cord infarction (SCI) or ischemia is a rare but devastating complication of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO). The natural course and outcomes are poorly studied. ⋯ Spinal infarction/ischemia on VA ECMO typically presents with paraplegia of lower extremities with low potential for even partial recovery. Because no treatment is currently available, the efforts should be focused on prevention. Several strategies have been proposed, but they need further testing under controlled settings.