Perioperative management of antithrombotic therapies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Perioperative coagulation management is becoming increasingly frequent in the daily routine of the anesthesiologist and with the plethora of new substances on the market also increasingly complex. The perioperative setting poses unique challenges requiring an individualized evaluation and management of antithrombotic therapy. This review shall summarize the newest developments in this domain. RECENT FINDINGS: New data in patients with atrial fibrillation have led to a paradigm change in the perioperative management of antithrombotics. The role of bridging therapy has been downgraded in the guidelines, which only foresee bridging in patients with high thromboembolic risk. Furthermore, direct oral anticoagulants are now a cornerstone in antithrombotic therapy, calling for specific perioperative management. The new reversal agents idarucizumab, and potentially in the future andexanet alfa and ciraparantag, will play an increasingly important role in the treatment of major bleeding in this group of patients. SUMMARY: With the new evidence and treatment options available, perioperative coagulation management is experiencing a Renaissance, opening many interesting new doors, but also presenting the clinician with new challenges.

Targeting Higher Intraoperative Blood Pressures Does Not Reduce Adverse Cardiovascular Events Following Noncardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative arterial hypotension is strongly associated with postoperative major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE); however, whether targeting higher intraoperative mean arterial blood pressures (MAPs) may prevent adverse events remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether targeting higher intraoperative MAP lowers the incidence of postoperative MACE. METHODS: This single-center randomized controlled trial assigned adult patients at cardiovascular risk undergoing major noncardiac surgery to an intraoperative MAP target of ≥60 mm Hg (control) or ≥75 mm Hg (MAP ≥75). The primary outcome was acute myocardial injury on postoperative days 0-3 and/or 30-day MACE/acute kidney injury (AKI) (acute coronary syndrome, congestive heart failure, coronary revascularization, stroke, AKI, and all-cause mortality). The secondary outcome was 1-year MACE. RESULTS: In total, 458 patients were randomized (intention-to-treat population: 451). The cumulative intraoperative duration with MAP <65 mm Hg was significantly shorter in the MAP ≥75 group (median 9 minutes [interquartile range: 3 to 24 minutes] vs 23 minutes [interquartile range: 8-49 minutes]; P < 0.001). The primary outcome incidence was 48% for MAP ≥75 and 52% for control (risk difference -4.2%; 95% CI: -13% to +5%), the primary contributor being AKI (incidence 44%). Acute myocardial injury occurred in 15% (MAP ≥75) and 19% (control) of patients. The secondary outcome incidence was 17% for MAP ≥75 and 15% for control (risk difference +2.7; 95% CI: -4% to +9.5%). CONCLUSIONS: These findings do not support universally targeting higher intraoperative blood pressures to reduce postoperative complications. Despite a 60% reduction in hypotensive time with MAP <65 mm Hg, no significant reductions in acute myocardial injury or 30-day MACE/AKI could be found. (Biomarkers, Blood Pressure, BIS: Risk Stratification/Management of Patients at Cardiac Risk in Major Noncardiac Surgery [BBB]; NCT02533128).

The Right Ventricle-You May Forget it, but It Will Not Forget You.

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and failure are common and often overlooked causes of perioperative deterioration and adverse outcomes. Due to its unique pathophysiologic underpinnings, RV failure often does not respond to typical therapeutic measures such as volume resuscitation and often worsens when therapy is escalated and mechanical ventilation is begun, with a danger of irreversible cardiovascular collapse and death. The single most important factor in improving outcomes in the context of RV failure is anticipating and recognizing it. Once established, a vicious circle of systemic hypotension, and RV ischemia and dilation is set in motion, rapidly spiraling down into a state of shock culminating in multi-organ failure and ultimately death. Therapy of RV failure must focus on rapidly reestablishing RV coronary perfusion, lowering pulmonary vascular resistance and optimizing volemia. In parallel, underlying reversible causes should be sought and if possible treated. In all stages of diagnostics and therapy, echocardiography plays a central role. In severe cases of RV dysfunction there remains a role for the use of the pulmonary artery catheter. When these mostly simple measures are undertaken in a timely fashion, the spiral of death of RV failure can often be broken or even prevented altogether.

Role of sevoflurane in organ protection during cardiac surgery in children: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The protective effects of volatile anaesthetics against ischaemia-reperfusion injury have been shown in vitro, but clinical studies have yielded variable results. We hypothesized that, in children, sevoflurane provides superior cardioprotection after cardiac surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) compared with totally intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA). METHODS: In this randomized controlled, single-centre study, 60 children with cyanotic and acyanotic heart defects undergoing elective cardiac surgery under CPB (RACHS-1 1-3) were randomized to sevoflurane or TIVA (midazolam <6 months of age, propofol >6 months of age). The primary end-point was the postoperative peak cardiac troponin I/T (cTnI/T). Perioperative cardiac function (as determined by brain-type natriuretic peptide, echocardiography and postoperative vasopressor/inotrope requirements), short-term clinical outcomes (duration of intubation, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay), postoperative inflammatory profile, and pulmonary, renal and liver function were defined as secondary end-points. Analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative peak troponin values or any of the secondary end-points. In the subgroup of acyanotic patients under 6 months, sevoflurane led to significantly lower postoperative troponin levels compared with midazolam [reduction of 54% (95% confidence interval 29-71%, P = 0.002)], without any differences in secondary outcome parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Sevoflurane did not provide superior myocardial protection in our general paediatric cardiac surgical population. In children under 6 months, however, sevoflurane might be beneficial in comparison with midazolam. The conditioning effects of sevoflurane in specific paediatric subgroups need to be further investigated.