Seminars in cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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Aortic dissection and aortic intramural hematoma are highly lethal diseases occurring mostly in patients with arterial hypertension or Marfan syndrome. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the diagnostic imaging procedure of choice in the unstable patient. Hallmarks of dissection are the presence of an intimal membrane, or flap, dividing a true and a false lumen, entry and reentry tears, periaortic hematoma, pericardial effusion or tamponade, and aortic regurgitation in dissection of the ascending aorta. ⋯ The accuracy of TEE is similar to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, with the added benefit of being feasible at the bedside or in the operating room. Precautions have to be taken during TEE to avoid an abrupt rise in blood pressure. Aortic intramural hematoma is often a precursor of classic dissection or accompanies it and can also be diagnosed by TEE, although the diagnosis is frequently difficult.
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Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth · Mar 2006
Clinical TrialProtecting the heart with cardiac medication in patients with left ventricular dysfunction undergoing major noncardiac vascular surgery.
Patients with left ventricular dysfunction who are undergoing major noncardiac vascular surgery are at increased risk of adverse postoperative events. We sought to evaluate whether perioperative medication use, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, statins, and aspirin, was associated with a reduced incidence of postoperative in-hospital mortality in these high-risk patients. The study enrolled 511 patients with left ventricular dysfunction (left ventricular ejection fraction <30%) who were undergoing major noncardiac vascular surgery. ⋯ Sixty-four patients (13%) died. Perioperative use of ACE inhibitors (odds ratio [OR], 0.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12-0.91), beta-blockers (OR, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.26), statins (OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.53), and aspirin (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03-0.55), was significantly associated with a reduced incidence of mortality, after adjusting for cardiac risk factors and DSE results. In conclusion, the present study showed that the perioperative use of ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, statins, and aspirin is independently associated with a reduced incidence of in-hospital mortality in patients with left ventricular dysfunction who are undergoing major noncardiac vascular surgery.
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Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth · Mar 2006
ReviewBeta-blockade in the perioperative period: where do we stand after all the trials?
Perioperative myocardial infarction following noncardiac surgery is a complex process with a variety of proposed etiologic factors. Perioperative beta-blockade has been reported to reduce perioperative myocardial infarction and cardiac death, with possible direct effects on longer-term outcome, particularly after vascular surgery. Despite two high-profile studies that have pushed this topic into the mainstream of medicine, the number of patients studied and outcomes observed remains limited, especially for a therapy recommended for widespread adoption in millions of patients globally. ⋯ Adverse effects appear to be limited to the expected primary hemodynamic side effects of bradycardia and hypotension, although a suggestion of increased mortality has been reported in one observational analysis in the lowest-risk group. beta-Blockade may be associated with reduction in length of stay and reduced analgesic requirements, although these effects remain controversial. A single mega-trial being conducted outside of the United States with a target goal of 10,000 patients is ongoing and promises to provide definitive data within the next few years. Ongoing research into various etiologies of perioperative myocardial infarction and other medications with potential efficacy in this setting, including the important antiplatelet agents, must also be considered in developing recommendations for widespread adoption of perioperative beta-blockade.
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All volatile anesthetics have been shown to induce a dose-dependent decrease in myocardial contractility and cardiac loading conditions. These depressant effects decrease myocardial oxygen demand and may, therefore, have a beneficial role on the myocardial oxygen balance during myocardial ischemia. Recently, experimental evidence has clearly demonstrated that in addition to these indirect protective effects, volatile anesthetic agents also have direct protective properties against reversible and irreversible ischemic myocardial damage. ⋯ In the clinical practice, these effects should be associated with improved cardiac function, finally resulting in a better outcome in patients with coronary artery disease. The potential application of these protective properties of volatile anesthetic agents in clinical practice is the subject of ongoing research. This review summarizes the current knowledge on this subject.