The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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The literature concerning postcardiotomy delirium contains confusing definitions and contradictory results. In a critical review of the subject, we conclude that cardiac status, the severity of physical illness, the complexity of the surgical procedure, and preoperative organic brain disease are the determining factors in postcardiotomy delirium. Preoperative anxiety, denial, and depression also have some correlation. ⋯ Long-term follow-up studies suggest that psychological problems impair functional recovery from heart surgery. The suggested treatment of patients with delirium includes chemotherapy, psychotherapy, and environmental support. Finally we suggest that investigation of biochemical abnormalities in delirium may prove to be a model for clarifying the role of neurotransmitters in functional psychiatric illnesses.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 1979
Case ReportsCongenital aortic valve anomaly. Aortic regurgitation with left coronary artery isolation.
A case is reported of aortic regurgitation resulting from a congenitally abnormal aortic valve. The left coronary cusp of the valve was small and adhered to the aortic wall, so that there was insufficient valve tissue to maintain diastolic valve competence. In addition, this rudimentary cusp completely occluded the left coronary ostium. The patient was treated successfully by valve replacement.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 1979
Myocardial depression after elective ischemic arrest. Subcellular biochemistry and prevention.
The hemodynamic and cardiac biochemical effects of global ischemic arrest during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were studied in 54 animals and compared to seven animals without ischemic arrest. Ischemic arrest alone reduced the first derivative of left ventricular force of contraction (LV dF/dt) to 52 percent of control 10 minutes after resuming function and to 64 percent after 1 hour of reperfusion. Cardiac output was depressed to 52 percent of control after 10 minutes of reperfusion, and to 74 percent of control after 60 minutes of reperfusion. ⋯ The mitochondrial respiration rate after normothermic ischemic arrest was 155 natoms of oxygen per minutes versus 237 natoms for the hypothermic hyperkalemic group. Respiratory control index was 5.5 for the normothermic group versus 9.4 for the hypothermic group. It is concluded that hypothermia, whether effected by surface cooling or by hypothermic potassium infusion, allowed full recovery of hemodynamic and biochemical functions within 1 hour of reperfusion.