Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2023
Role of Cardiac Anesthesiologists in Intraoperative Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery (ERACS) Protocol: A Retrospective Single-Center Study Analyzing Preliminary Results of a Yearlong ERACS Protocol Implementation.
Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery (ERACS) has been gaining rapid acceptance after multiple studies have demonstrated promising results in improved outcomes of enhanced recovery after surgery in other surgical fields (eg, colorectal, orthopedic, thoracic, etc). Cardiac surgery has several unique challenges, including sternotomy, cardiopulmonary bypass and associated coagulopathy, blood transfusion, and postoperative intensive care requirement. Nonetheless, selective cardiac surgical patients can still benefit from ERACS. Guidelines for perioperative care in cardiac surgery, previously published by the ERACS Society, are weighted heavily in preoperative and postoperative management without much focus on intraoperative care provided by anesthesiologists. To address this gap and to explore anesthesiology's contribution in achieving ERACS, the study authors' cardiac anesthesiology division, in collaboration with cardiac surgery, introduced the ERACS protocol in their institution in February 2020. ⋯ The ERACS is achievable after the careful implementation of a series of measures. It does not signify only fast-track extubation and opioid-sparing analgesia, and must be implemented in the entire perioperative period beginning from preoperative clinic to postoperative rehabilitation. Cardiac anesthesiologists play a vital role in execution of intraoperative ERACS measures. Both providers and patients themselves are key stakeholders. A larger randomized prospective trial is warranted to solidify the inference.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2023
Observational StudyImpact of Early Tracheostomy on Clinical Outcomes in Trauma Patients Admitted the to Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Causal Analysis.
To assess the indications, timing, and clinical outcomes that result from the early tracheostomy (ET) administration, by causal inference models. ⋯ The authors' study observed that ET was not associated with reduced mortality in trauma patients, but it was associated with reduced VAP risk and MV duration. The results warrant further validation in randomized controlled trials.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2023
ReviewScreening Modalities for Coronary Artery Disease in Liver Transplant Candidates: A Review of the Literature.
Patients with cirrhosis undergoing liver transplant (LT) are at high risk of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications. It is known that patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have greater rates of post-LT morbidity and mortality than patients without CAD. Thus, identifying significant CAD in LT candidates is of the utmost importance to optimize survival posttransplant. ⋯ Traditional exercise and many pharmacologic stress tests are impractical and inaccurate in patients with cirrhosis due to their unique physiology. The purpose of this review is to describe different screening modalities for CAD among LT candidates. The background, diagnostic accuracy, and limitations of each screening modality are described to achieve this goal.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialA Clinical Comparison of 2 Bronchial Blockers Versus Double-Lumen Tubes for One-Lung Ventilation.
To compare the quality of lung collapse, time, and number of attempts required to achieve lung isolation, and incidence of intraoperative malpositioning between the EZ blocker (EZB), Fuji Uniblocker (UB), and the left-sided double lumen tube (DLT). ⋯ The LCS was comparable among the 3 devices until 20 minutes after pleural opening, when better scores were obtained in the bronchial blocker groups. Lung isolation was achieved fastest with the DLT. The EZB had the highest incidence of cases requiring >2 intraoperative repositions, mostly occurring in R-sided surgery. For L-sided surgery, the EZB performed equally to the UB. This suggests that using the EZB for R-sided video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery may be suboptimal. Preoperative airway dimensions did not correlate with time to achieve isolation or incidence of intraoperative malpositioning.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2023
A Modified 4Ts Score for Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in the Mechanical Circulatory Support Population.
To identify risk factors and develop a pretest scoring system to differentiate patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in the mechanical circulatory support (MCS) population. The authors present a modified "4TMCS" scoring system, which considers the "type of mechanical circulatory support" that may help identify patients at risk for developing postoperative HIT. ⋯ Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia is associated with worse outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality in the MCS population. Awareness of patient risk factors and the application of a modified 4TMCS probability score may allow for more accurate screening and treatment of HIT in the MCS population.