Kardiol Pol
-
Comparative Study
Del Nido cardioplegia as a safe and effective method of myocardial protection in adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a single‑center experience.
Del Nido (DN) cardioplegia is increasingly popular in adult cardiac surgery. It allegedly allows for up to 90 minutes of safe myocardial ischemia with a single dose. ⋯ Del Nido cardioplegia is a safe and effective method of myocardial protection in adults. It allows for a longer redosing interval with a safety profile and mortality comparable to those for CB cardioplegia, as shown by lower troponin T release when corrected for the time of myocardial ischemia.
-
Multicenter Study
Polish regional differences in patient knowledge on atrial fibrillation and its management as well as in patterns of oral anticoagulant prescription.
BACKGROUND The Jessa Atrial Fibrillation Knowledge Questionnaire (JAKQ) was successfully used to assess knowledge gaps in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). AIMS To evaluate the regional differences among Polish patients in their awareness of AF diagnosis and oral anticoagulation use. METHODS A total of 1583 patients with AF at a median (IQR) age of 72 (66-79) years completed the JAKQ in 3 cardiology centers (center I, Kraków; center II, Toruń; center III, Kielce) from January 2017 to June 2018. ⋯ The percentage of correct responses was lower in patients on reduced NOAC doses (35.4% of patients on NOACs), compared with the full-dose NOAC groups in center I (56.9% vs 62.5%; P = 0.012) and II (48.1% vs 56.2%; P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Patients from a high-volume academic center showed better knowledge than their peers from district hospitals. There are large regional differences in prescription patterns of oral anticoagulants, including the preferred NOAC.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Which position should we take during newborn resuscitation? A prospective, randomised, multicentre simulation trial.
Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for cardiac arrest is crucial in the chain of survival. Cardiac arrest in infants is rare, but CPR is also performed in severe bradycardia. European Resuscitation Council and American Heart Association guidelines recommend continuing CPR until the heart muscle is sufficiently oxygenated and regains sufficient contractility and function. The most common and recommended CPR techniques that can be applied in newborns are the two-finger technique and two-thumb technique. ⋯ The quality of CCs in newborns depends on the location of the patient and the rescuer. The optimal form of resuscitation of newborns is resuscitation on the rescuer's forearm.
-
Bleeding complications are frequent and independently impact mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Thromboelastography (TEG) measures viscoelastic properties of clot formation and is currently best known for perioperative management to reduce blood transfusion in cardiac surgery. ⋯ Low strength of fibrin clot measured by TEG immediately after TAVI may serve as an independent predictor of short-term major and life-threatening bleeding complications.