Annals of cardiac anaesthesia
-
The state of vasoplegia in immediate post-cardiopulmonary bypass period is characterized by severe hypotension, supranormal cardiac output, low systemic vascular resistance (SVR), and resistance to vasoconstrictors. We could successfully use induced mild hypothermia to increase SVR, and could avoid very high doses of nor-epinephrine (>0.3 mcg/kg/min) in the background of severe pulmonary hypertension (systolic pulmonary pressure> 90 mmHg). Its effects such as decreased oxygen demand, positive inotropy and better right ventricle performance probably helped to improve oxygenation in presence of pulmonary oedema.
-
Cardiac allotransplantation has, over the years, become the established therapeutic modality for patients with end-stage heart failure. Significant advances in immunosuppressive therapy have dramatically improved the outcome of heart transplantation over the past four decades. This review will focus on the anaesthetic challenges involved in the perioperative management of these complex patients as well as some of the proposed alternatives to transplantation.
-
Perioperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac surgery affect both the outcome and quality of life. Markers such as troponin effectively predict short-term outcome. In a prospective cohort study in a University Hospital we assessed the role of cardiac biomarkers, also as predictors of long-term outcome and life quality after cardiac surgery with a three-year follow-up after conventional heart surgery. ⋯ No limitation in function activities of daily living was reported by most patients (94%), 92% perceived their general health as excellent, very good or good and none considered it insufficient; 80% were NYHA I, 17% NYHA II, 3% NYHA III and none NYHA IV. Multivariate analysis indicated preoperative treatment with digitalis or nitrates, and postoperative cardiac biomarkers release was independently associated to death. Elevated cardiac biomarker release and length of hospital stay were the only postoperative independent predictors of death in this study.