Annals of cardiac anaesthesia
-
There has been considerable controversy regarding the use of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) in clinical practice. Some studies have indicated poor outcome in patients who were monitored with PAC. However, these studies, which have condemned the use of PAC, were conducted on patients in intensive care units, where the clinical scenarios with regard to patients' status are somewhat different as compared to those of a cardiac operating room. ⋯ A questionnaire was mailed to anasthesiologists in cardiac centers and the response was analyzed. The practicing cardiac anesthesiologists recommended the use of PAC for following indications in cardiac surgery: coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with poor left ventricular (LV) function, LV aneurysmectomy, recent myocardial infarction (MI), pulmonary hypertension, diastolic dysfunction, acute ventricular septal rupture and insertion of left ventricular assist device (LVAD). The analysis of responses from practicing anesthesiologists clearly indicates that use of a PAC cannot be recommended as a matter of routine, but a definite role is suggested in selected groups of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
-
Comment Letter Comparative Study
A comparison of the effects of desflurane, sevoflurane and propofol on on QT, QTc and P dispersion on ECG.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomized trial of anesthetic induction agents in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction.
The deleterious effects of anesthetic agents in patients suffering from coronary artery disease are well known. The risk increases when a patient has compromised ventricular function. There is a paucity of literature regarding the choice of the suitable agent to avoid deleterious effects in such patients. ⋯ The etomidate group was the least effective of all the four groups in minimizing stress response, with statistically significant increase from baseline in both heart rate (P = 0.001) and mean arterial pressure (P = 0.001) at 1 minute after intubation. All the four anesthetic agents were acceptable for induction in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction despite a 30-40% decrease in the cardiac index. Clinician experience along with knowledge of the potential interactions (e.g., premedication, concurrent opioid use) is needed to determine hemodynamic stability during anesthetic induction in these patients with ventricular dysfunction.
-
Review Guideline
Sugammadex--a short review and clinical recommendations for the cardiac anesthesiologist.
This review outlines the basic pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of sugammadex for the cardiac anesthesiologist. It describes the different clinical scenarios when sugammadex can be used during cardiac surgery and gives clinical recommendations. Sugammadex is a unique reversal drug that binds a chemical complex with rocuronium and vecuronium, by which the neuromuscular blockade is quickly reversed. ⋯ Doses below 2 mg/kg should be avoided at any time because of the inherent risk of recurarization. Sugammadex should not replace good clinical practice--titration of neuromuscular blocking drugs to clinical needs and objective monitoring of neuromuscular blockade in the operating room or intensive care unit. Neuromuscular transmission should be determined in all patients before sugammadex is considered and 5 min after its administration to ensure that extubation is performed with normal neuromuscular transmission.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Thoracic epidural analgesia for off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The benefits of thoracic epidural analgesia in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting are well documented. However, the literature available on the role of high thoracic epidural analgesia (HTEA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) surgery is scarce. We conducted a randomized clinical trial to establish whether HTEA is beneficial in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease undergoing elective OPCAB surgery. ⋯ A similar trend was observed in forced expiratory volume in the first second on day 2 in the HTEA group (P = 0.024). We did not observe any significant side-effects/mortality in either group. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients undergoing elective OPCAB surgery, HTEA is a good adjunct to GA for early extubation, faster recovery of pulmonary function and better analgesia.