Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Nov 2022
ReviewPerioperative Management of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Cardiac Surgery: Practice Recommendations Based on Current Evidence.
An increasing number of patients on systemic oral anticoagulants present for cardiac surgery, and cardiac anesthesiologists should be well-informed on their management in the perioperative period. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including factor Xa inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors, are an attractive alternative to warfarin due to fewer dietary and drug interactions, less frequent monitoring requirements, and an improved patient adherence. Since the approval of DOACs by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, the number of patients on these medications only has increased. ⋯ The practice recommendations of various monitoring tests and new evolving point-of-care testing are examined herein. The different reversal agents were discussed by the authors for both elective and urgent procedures. The cardiac anesthesiologist needs to be intimately familiar with the management and current best practices of DOACs for safe and appropriate patient care.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Nov 2022
Randomized Controlled TrialA Comparative Study of Bilateral Erector Spinae Block Versus Intravenous Dexmedetomidine for Perioperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting - A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
Regional analgesia, along with general anesthesia, reduce postoperative pain. In this study, the authors compared the erector spinae plane (ESP) block having dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant with conventional pain management along with intravenous dexmedetomidine. ⋯ Erector spinae fascial plane blocks appeared to reduce postoperative pain scores in off-pump coronary artery bypass graft patients. Furthermore, ESP block was beneficial in terms of less intraoperative and postoperative opioid consumption, longer time to first rescue analgesia, and shorter ICU stay.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Nov 2022
Association of Preoperative Pulse Pressure and Oxygen Delivery Index During Cardiopulmonary Bypass With Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury.
To investigate if oxygen delivery index during cardiopulmonary bypass (DO2I) was more strongly associated with acute kidney injury (AKI), the higher the patient's preoperative pulse pressure (PP). ⋯ A lower DO2I during cardiopulmonary bypass appeared more strongly associated with a higher likelihood of developing AKI, the higher the patient's preoperative pulse pressure.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Nov 2022
ReviewParasternal Intercostal Nerve Blocks in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: Evidence Update and Technical Considerations.
In the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery era, parasternal intercostal nerve block has been proposed to improve pain control and reduce opioid use in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However current literature has reported conflicting evidence about the effect of this multimodal pain management, as procedural variations might pose a significant bias on outcomes evaluation. In this setting, the infiltration of the parasternal plane into 2 intercostal spaces, second and fifth, with a local anesthetic spread under or above the costal plane with ultrasound guidance, seem to be standardized in theory, but significant differences might be observed in clinical practice. ⋯ A trend toward reduced intensive care unit stay or duration of mechanical ventilation should be confirmed by adequately powered randomized trials or registry studies. Differences in operative technique might impact outcomes and, therefore, standardization of the procedure plays a pivotal role before reporting specific outcomes. Parasternal plane blocks might significantly improve outcomes of cardiac surgery with full median sternotomy, and should be introduced comprehensively in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols.