The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 1990
Case ReportsExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation for pediatric cardiopulmonary failure.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is now standard treatment of severe respiratory failure in newborn infants in our center (200 cases) and worldwide (over 2500 cases), but there are few reports of such trials in older children. We reviewed our experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in 33 children aged 1 week to 18 years between 1971 and 1989. The modality was used when all other treatment failed. ⋯ Physiologic complications included bleeding, pneumothorax, cardiac arrest, renal failure, hepatic failure, and brain injury. The major cause of death was irreversible injury to lung, heart, or brain. Extracorporeal life support is a reasonable approach for children with serious but reversible cardiopulmonary failure.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 1990
Regional cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide during cardiopulmonary bypass in patients with cerebrovascular disease.
In patients with cerebrovascular disease, hypercarbia may cause redistribution of regional cerebral blood flow from marginally perfused to well-perfused regions (intracerebral steal), as evidenced by regional cerebral blood flow studies during carotid endarterectomy. During hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, the pH-stat method of acid-base management produces relative hypercarbia. To determine whether pH-stat management produces relative hypercarbia. ⋯ Carbon dioxide reactivity, defined as mean global cerebral blood flow (in ml/100 gm/min) divided by arterial carbon dioxide tension (in mm Hg), was similar in the region having the lowest regional cerebral blood flow and in the brain as a whole. No patient developed evidence of an intracerebral steal at the higher arterial carbon dioxide tension. During hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, higher levels of arterial carbon dioxide tension, such as those associated with the pH-stat management technique, are apparently not associated with potentially harmful redistribution of cerebral blood flow in patients with cerebrovascular disease.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jun 1990
Postpneumonectomy empyema. The role of intrathoracic muscle transposition.
Forty-five patients (36 male and nine female) were treated for postpneumonectomy empyema. All were initially managed with the first stage of the Clagett procedure (open pleural drainage). In 28 patients with associated bronchopleural fistula the fistula was closed and reinforced with muscle transposition at the time of open drainage. ⋯ The bronchopleural fistula remained closed in 85.7% of patients (24/28). There were 19 late deaths, none related to postpneumonectomy empyema. We conclude that the Clagett procedure remains safe and effective in the management of postpneumonectomy empyema in the absence of bronchopleural fistula and that intrathoracic muscle transposition to reinforce the bronchial stump is an effective procedure in the control of postpneumonectomy-associated bronchopleural fistula.