Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Jun 2019
Observational StudyThe HAS-BLED Score is Associated With Major Bleeding in Patients After Cardiac Surgery.
The Hypertension, Abnormal renal/liver function, Stroke, Bleeding history or predisposition, Labile international normalized ratio, Elderly, Drugs/alcohol (HAS-BLED) score has been developed to predict the risk of potential bleeding in anticoagulated patients affected by atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the HAS-BLED score is associated with major bleeding also in patients after cardiac surgery. ⋯ The HAS-BLED score is associated with increased risk of major bleeding events after cardiac surgery procedures. This may help to plan the standard anticoagulation/antiplatelet therapy in cardiac surgical patients with a higher HAS-BLED score.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Jun 2019
Association Between Infection and Thrombosis After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Cohort Study.
Surgery-related infection remains a major complication for patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and its association with thrombosis is unclear. This study aimed to examine the association of postoperative infection with thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCEs) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). ⋯ There is an association between postoperative infection and perioperative thrombosis after CABG. Several specific management modalities were associated with controlling infection risk, which offers targets for future quality improvement.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Jun 2019
Case ReportsColor Doppler Artifact Masking Iatrogenic Aortic Valve Injury Related to an Impella Device.
The Impella (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) is a minimally invasive transvalvular left ventricular assist device (LVAD) that effectively unloads the left ventricle (LV), especially in patients with ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of a venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (VA ECMO).1,2 Utilization of the Impella device has increased significantly in the last few years for high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiogenic shock because of its relatively easy implantation in the catheterization lab and the operating room. Although rare, iatrogenic injury of the aortic valve (AV) can be caused by placement of the device across the AV.3 This can lead to aortic regurgitation (AR) with significant clinical consequences in the setting of cardiogenic shock. This AR can be challenging to diagnose echocardiographically because of the artifacts generated by the device when using color-flow Doppler. In this E-challenge, the authors emphasize the importance of recognizing these findings for accurate interpretation of the echocardiogram in the management of cardiogenic shock refractory to the Impella LVAD and the utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).