[Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of bleeding in cardiac surgery]. / Prevención, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la hemorragia en cirugía cardiaca.

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk of bleeding and transfusion. This risk has increased in recent years and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Moreover, despite being one of the most common complications associated with this surgery, there remains a large variability in its management between institutions. Implementation of algorithms for coagulation management has been shown to reduce transfusion requirements and therefore it seems essential to establish protocols that include preventive measures, effective mechanisms for diagnosis and treatment algorithms. On the other hand, the emergence of new drugs and the use of point of care coagulation monitoring systems, is changing our diagnostic and therapeutic options. This paper reviews several aspects related to the causes, diagnosis and treatment of bleeding associated with cardiac surgery and presents an algorithm for its management.

Incidence and predictors of major perioperative adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events in non-cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) represent the most common cause of serious perioperative morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to identify risk factors for MACCE in a broad surgical population with intermediate-to-high surgery-specific risk and to build and validate a model to predict the risk of MACCE. METHODS: A prospective, multicentre study of patients undergoing surgical procedures under general or regional anaesthesia in 23 hospitals. The main outcome was the occurrence of at least one perioperative MACCE, defined as any of the following complications from admittance to discharge: cardiac death, cerebrovascular death, non-fatal cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, new cardiac arrhythmia, angina, or stroke. The MACCE predictive index was based on ß-coefficients and validated in an external data set. RESULTS: Of 3387 patients recruited, 146 (4.3%) developed at least one MACCE. The regression model identified seven independent risk factors for MACCE: history of coronary artery disease, history of chronic congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, history of cerebrovascular disease, preoperative abnormal ECG, intraoperative hypotension, and blood transfusion. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was 75.9% (95% confidence interval, 71.2-80.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The risk score based on seven objective and easily assessed factors can accurately predict MACCE occurrence after non-cardiac surgery in a population at intermediate-to-high surgery-specific risk.

[Survey of perioperative hemostasis and transfusion management in cardiac surgery: how do anesthesiologists practice?]. / Encuesta de hemostasia y transfusión perioperatoria en cirugía cardiaca: cómo actuamos los anestesólogos?

OBJECTIVE: To determine practices related to control of perioperative hemostasis and transfusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery in Spain, including the extent to which protocols are being used. METHODS: A questionnaire was created to collect information from physicians in anesthesiology and postoperative recovery care between July 1 and September 20, 2007. The physicians were asked about practice in the 12 months prior to the survey. RESULTS: Thirty-four hospitals responded. Seventy percent reported that they did not have protocols or guidelines for the control of hemostasis during cardiac surgery. Forty-four percent did not have information on the proportion of patients who received transfusions; 47% gave transfusions to 75% of patients. The standard preoperative tests were platelet counts, activated partial thromboplastin time, and prothrombin time. Acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel were suspended before surgery at 15 (44%) and 25 (73%) hospitals, respectively. In cases of resistance to heparin, additional doses of the drug were injected, in combination with plasma or antithrombin in 29% and 12% of the hospitals, respectively. In the intensive postoperative recovery care unit, only 1 hospital used thromboelastography. Only 1 other hospital used a platelet function analyzer. CONCLUSIONS: Hemostasis, perioperative coagulation, and criteria for transfusion vary widely among the hospitals surveyed. Few guidelines are available and they are not often being followed. A high percentage of patients receive transfusions, although not all hospitals can cite a figure. New technology has not been widely applied.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in cardiovascular surgery. Consensus document from the Spanish Society of Anesthesia and Critical Care (SEDAR) and the Spanish Society of Endovascular and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECCE). / Ecocardiografía transesofágica intraoperatoria en cirugía cardiovascular. Documento de consenso de la Sociedad Española de Anestesiología y Reanimación (SEDAR) y Sociedad Española de Cirugía Cardiovascular y Endovascular (SECCE).

Transesophageal echocardiography is a semi-invasive technique that allows an evaluation of cardiac morphology and function in real time and it is a quality standard in cardiovascular surgery. It has become a fundamental tool for both monitoring and diagnosis in the intraoperative period that allows decide the correct surgical planning and pharmacological management. The goal of this document is to answer the questions of when and how the perioperative TEE should be performed in cardiovascular surgery, what are their applications in the intraoperative, who should perform it and how the information should be transmitted. The authors made a systematic review of international guidelines, review articles and clinical trials to answer by consensus to these questions.

Transoesophageal echocardiography accurately detects cardiac output variation: a prospective comparison with thermodilution in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Intraoperative Doppler ultrasound can be used to measure cardiac output by transoesophageal echocardiography. Recently, its reliability, when compared to the thermodilution technique, has been questioned. The purpose of this study was to compare intraoperative changes in cardiac output measured by echo-Doppler and by thermodilution in cardiac surgery. We also assessed the agreement between the techniques. METHODS: Fifty cardiac surgical patients (38 male, 12 female, mean age of 63.4 +/- 14.3 yr) were prospectively included after approval by the Ethics Committee of the Institution. Cardiac output was assessed by thermodilution, with 10 mL saline at 12 degrees C, and simultaneously and blindly by echo-Doppler in deep transgastric view with pulsed wave Doppler at the level of the left ventricular outflow tract. Matched thermodilution cardiac output and echo-Doppler cardiac output measurements were taken three times at the end of expiration, both pre- and post-cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: Echo-Doppler measurements were obtained in 44 patients (88%). In three patients, Doppler recordings could not be obtained adequately, and three developed left ventricular outflow tract obstruction after bypass. Bland-Altman analysis revealed a bias of 0.015 L min(-1), with narrow limits of agreement (-1.21 to 1.22 L min(-1)) and 29.1% error. Echo-Doppler was accurate (92% sensitivity and 71% specificity, P = 0.008 by receiver operating characteristic curves) for detecting more than 10% of change in thermodilution cardiac output. There were no complications related to the study. CONCLUSIONS: The agreement between cardiac output by echo-Doppler and by thermodilution is clinically acceptable and transoesophageal echocardiography is a reliable tool to assess significant cardiac output changes in a population of selected patients.

[Serious mechanical complications associated with pulmonary artery catheters in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery]. / Complicaciones graves de tipo mecánico asociadas al catéter de arteria pulmonar en cirugía cardiovascular y torácica.

OBJECTIVE: Although the use of pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) in managing critical patients is a subject of debate, they continue to be inserted in many cases and possible complications should be taken into account. Our objective was to review the serious or potentially serious complications associated with PACs in our hospital in the past 15 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of seious mechanical complications of PAC use in patients who underwent vascular, cardiac, and thoracic surgery. RESULTS: The study included the records 7540 patients; 9 cases of serious complications were detected. These complications included 5 cases of pulmonary artery rupture (3 of which resulted in death), 1 perforated internal mammary vein, 1 knotted catheter, 1 bent one, and 1 case of a PAC becoming trapped in the surgical suture. CONCLUSIONS: The 0.12% incidence of complications is lower than rates found in the literature. Although these complications are rare, it is necessary to take precautions against their unexcepted appearance by carefully selecting the patients in whom PACs are placed and by paying special attention to the characteristic clinical and radiological signs of complications.

[The importance of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in the surgical decision in cardiac surgery]. / Importancia de la ecocardiografía transesofágica intraoperatoria en la decisión quirúrgica en cirugía cardiaca.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the importance of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (IOTEE) in the surgical decision in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Prospective observational study of patients undergoing cardiac surgery from January 2009 to May 2012, which was monitored with IOTEE by the anesthesiologist in charge. The data collected were: 1) type of surgery; 2) preoperative echocardiographic diagnosis (baseline ECHO); 3) echocardiographic diagnosis before entering cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (pre-CPB IOTEE); 4) any differences between the baseline ECHO and the pre-CPB IOTEE (new pre-CPB finding) and whether these differences modified the planned surgery, and 5) echocardiographic diagnosis after disconnection of CPB (unexpected post-CPB finding) and whether these post-CPB echocardiographic findings led to reinstating it. The software program SPSS(®) was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The total number of patients studied was 1,273. Monitoring with IOTEE showed "new pre-CPB" findings in 98 patients (7.7%), and 43.8% of these led to a change in the scheduled surgery. Of these findings, the most frequent were abnormalities of the mitral valve that had not been diagnosed, and which led to a replacement or repair that had not been scheduled. The incidence of "unexpected post-CPB findings" was 6.2% (79 patients), and 46.8% of those required reinstating the CPB and modifying the surgery performed. The failed valve repairs and dysfunctional valve prostheses were the main causes that led to re-entry into CPB. In the remaining 42 patients, with "unexpected post-CPB findings", there were no changes in the surgical procedure as the echocardiographic findings were not considered to be significant enough to re-establish CPB and revise or change the surgical procedure. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative monitoring with IOTEE by the anesthesiologist during surgery provides important information before and after the CPB that resulted in modifying surgical management.

Plasma magnesium in patients submitted to cardiac surgery and its influence on perioperative morbidity.

BACKGROUND: To determine the changes in magnesaemia in cardiac surgical patients submitted to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and their influence on perioperative morbidity. SETTING: the cardiovascular surgery department of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 60 patients of both sexes, mean age 60+/-12 yrs, operated on consecutively for myocardial revascularization or valve replacement. INTERVENTIONS: plasma Mg2+ levels were measured preoperatively, during CPB, postCPB and throughout the first 24 hrs after operation. Preoperative plasma Mg2+ levels of these patients were compared with those of 15 non-cardiac surgical patients and 11 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: Mean values of Mg2+ similar in the three populations although in the group of cardiac patients the number of hypomagnesaemic patients was significantly higher (16 patients=26.6%). In these 16 patients, preoperative hypomagnesaemia had a statistically significant relationship with the preoperative treatment with beta-blockers and previous history of arrhythmias (p<0.05). A progressive statistically significant decrease of Mg2+ was observed throughout the surgery that remained low at 24 hours postoperatively (p<0.05). Normomagnesemic patients needed significantly more shocks and electrical energy to obtain heart defibrillation after CPB. The incidence of both postoperative arrhythmias and postoperative low cardiac index (<2.5 L.m2) was statistically significantly more frequent in hypomagnesaemic patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative hypomagnesaemia was more frequent in this small sample of cardiac surgical patients than in non-cardiac surgical patients and was related to preoperative treatment with b-blockers. Hypomagne-saemia caused by CPB persisted 24 hrs after operation and was associated with higher incidence of both postoperative arrhythmias and low cardiac index.

[Transposition of the great arteries. Its anatomical correction. Our initial experience]. / Transposición de las grandes arterias. Corrección anatómica. Experiencia inicial.

Arterial switch correction of transposition of the great arteries has been performed without mortality on 8 children, 7 neonates and one 6 years old child, at our institution. One infant and the 6 year old child has previous pulmonary artery banding and modified Blalock-Taussig shunts. The coronary cuffs were anastomosed to the neo-aorta using the "trap-door" technique described by Mee and in seven the Lecompte manoeuvre was used. Postoperative management included treatment for persistent pulmonary hypertension and left ventricular dysfunction. All patients were discharged in satisfactory condition, and continue to do so at a maximum follow-up of ten months. These results encourage us to elect the arterial switch procedure as the primary treatment of transposition of the great arteries.

[Esmolol in anesthesiology: pharmacology and indications]. / Esmolol en anestesiología: farmacología e indicaciones.

Esmolol is a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist with a relatively specific affinity for beta 1 adrenergic receptors. Its mechanism of action is therefore largely cardioselective and only high doses block beta 2 adrenergic receptors. The pharmacologic features of the drug give it rapid onset of beta-blocking action (distribution half-life = 2 minutes) and a short duration of action due to rapid clearance (clearance half-life = 9 minutes). The rapid metabolism of esmolol allows its beta-blocking activity to be lowered rapidly by changing the rate of infusion and obtaining rapid reversibility of effect in the minutes following interruption of the infusion. The esmolol dose is therefore manageable and individual adjustments can be made in function of a patient's clinical status. Such properties mean that esmolol is indicated for short-term treatment of hypertension and tachycardia during the perioperative period and in clinical situations that require easy unblocking of beta receptors. Hypertension and bradycardia are the most frequent complications associated with the administration of esmolol, such that blood pressure, heart rate and electrocardiographic data must be monitored.

[Epidural hematoma after removal of an epidural catheter]. / Hematoma epidural tras la retirada de un catéter epidural.

Epidural hematoma is a rare but serious neurological complication of epidural anesthesia. We report the case of a 61-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung who suffered an epidural hematoma after undergoing right double lobectomy. Before anesthetic induction an epidural catheter was inserted to the D5-D6 space for postoperative analgesia. Surgery was without noteworthy events and the patient was extubated in the operating room; 5,000 IU of low molecular weight heparin was injected subcutaneously every 24 hours and 5 mg of methadone was provided by epidural catheter every 8 hours. After removal of the catheter three days after surgery, lumbar back pain and hypoesthesia, and weakness in both legs appeared. Epidural hematoma was suspected and treatment with 30 mg.kg-1 of methylprednisolone i.v. was started. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine confirmed the presence of a hematoma at D6-D8. Neurologic symptoms improved in the following hours and additional surgery was not required. The patient was released without neurological symptoms 10 days after lung surgery. We discuss the prevalence, etiology and treatment of epidural hematoma related to epidural anesthesia.

[Effects of premedication in children with congenital cardiopathy]. / Efectos de la premedicación en niños afectados de cardiopatía congénita.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of premedication in children with congenital heart disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-five children scheduled for surgical repair of congenital heart defects were studied. Two groups were formed based on whether cardiopathy was noncyanotic (group CNC) or cyanotic (group CC). Patients were premedicated rectally with 4 mg/kg pentobarbital and, 15 minutes later, with 0.15 mg/kg of morphine chloride by subcutaneous perfusion. SpO2 was monitored, as was the degree of sedation and airway obstruction prior to premedication (T1), 15 minutes after administration of pentobarbital (T2) and 30 minutes after morphine (T3). RESULTS: In the children with cyanotic cardiopathy, SpO2 increased over T1 (75.5 +/- 8.7%) at times T2 (76.2 +/- 7.7%) and T3 (78.1 +/- 8%), although the change was not statistically significant. In group CNC, average SpO2 did not change, although one case of clinically significant desaturation due to hypoventilation was observed at T3. Adequate sedation was attained in 36% of patients at T2 and in 80% at T3 (p < 0.002). There were no cases of airway obstruction. CONCLUSION: Premedication with 4 mg/kg pentobarbital rectally does not provide adequate sedation. Addition of 0.15 mg/kg subcutaneous morphine chloride increased the effect considerably, providing stability in SpO2 and even improving it in group CC.

[Changes in oxygen saturation in the jugular bulb during cardiac surgery]. / Cambios de la saturación de oxígeno en el bulbo de la yugular durante la cirugía cardíaca.

OBJECTIVE: Heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) leads to changes in supply and consumption of cerebral oxygen (DO2 and VO2C). Monitoring jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2) detects changes in the DO2C/VO2C ratio that occur in patients undergoing heart surgery. The objective of this study was to determine the evolution of SjO2, of the arteriovenous difference of cerebral oxygen and of cerebral oxygen extraction, as well as the possible relation between those variables and changes in mean arterial pressure, hemoglobin counts and temperature in patients undergoing heart surgery with CPB. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A prospective study carried out in 31 patients who underwent coronary valve surgery. To monitor SjO2, each patient's internal jugular vein was cannulated with an oximetric catheter in a retrograde direction to monitor SjO2. RESULTS: Baseline SjO2 (68 +/- 7.4%), obtained after anesthetic induction, was similar to SjO2 before (65 +/- 6%) and after (67 +/- 8.2%) CPB. However, SjO2 upon starting CPB (60 +/- 8.6%) and during rewarming (63 +/- 3%) were significantly lower than at baseline. SjO2 was significantly higher during hypothermic bypass (78 +/- 5%) than at baseline. SjO2 ranged from a low of 60 +/- 8% as CPB was initiated to a high of 78 +/- 5% during hypothermic CPB. Mean arterial pressure was significantly lower at the start of bypass (44 +/- 6 mmHg) than anesthetic induction (83.5 +/- 13.1 mmHg) and the decrease correlated with a significant decrease in SjO2. Changes in mean arterial pressure were unrelated to significant changes in SjO2 at other moments, however. Nor was there a significant relation between changes in temperature or hemoglobin and the evolution of SjO2. At least one episode of SjO2 desaturation (= 50%) occurred in 29% of the patients, with the lowest values being recorded at the start of CPB and during rewarming. CONCLUSIONS: The greatest risk of cerebral oxygen imbalance between supply and demand occurs at the start of CPB and during rewarming, as shown by decreases in SjO2 levels below baseline at those times.

[Use of a new inotropic agent, enoximone, in heart surgery]. / Utilización de un nuevo inotrópico, enoximone, en cirugía cardíaca.

We report our experience with the use of enoximone in 5 patients with severely depressed preoperative myocardial function who underwent cardiac surgery. In patients 1 and 2, enoximone was administered as the inotropic of choice before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and a substantial improvement of cardiac index was achieved; in these patients, enoximone administration after CPB permitted to overcome low cardiac output which persisted after high dose dobutamine in patient 1, and in patient 2 right ventricular contractility improved. In patient 3 the use of enoximone permitted the discontinuation of CPB, which had not been previously possible with the association of dopamine and dobutamine. In this patient, adrenaline perfusion improved the low cardiac output syndrome but resulted in poorly tolerated side effects. However, in patient 4 the administration of enoximone during pre-CPB did not improve in a reduction in filling pressures without an increase in the cardiac index because the patient was hypovolemic. In patient 5, the administration of enoximone permitted to interrupt the infusion of dobutamine and to reduce the dose of sodium nitroprusside, which had resulted in significant tachycardia, with increased myocardial contractility and a reduction of vascular peripheral and pulmonary resistances. We conclude that enoximone, single or in association with other inotropics, should be considered a drug of choice in patients undergoing cardiac surgery who develop a low cardiac output syndrome.

[Tremor and epidural anesthesia]. / Temblores y anestesia epidural.

To evaluate the influence of temperature of the injected anesthetic solution on the development of tremor during epidural anesthesia, 66 patients divided in three homogeneous groups were evaluated: group I (n = 22; bupivacaine 4 degrees C), group II (n = 24; bupivacaine 20 degrees C), and group III (n = 24; bupivacaine 37 degrees C). The incidence of tremor was 20% (4 patients) in group I, 9% (2 patients) in group II and 12.5% (3 patients) in group III. No significant differences were found between the groups. The overall incidence was 13.6%. The epidural injection of 5 ml of saline at 37 degrees C achieved the attenuation and/or disappearance of tremor in three (3/4) group I patients (4 degrees C) and in one (1/3) group III patient (37 degrees C), whereas it was ineffective in one patient from group I and one from group III. In the two patients from group II (20 degrees C) and in one from group III (37 degrees C), tremor was self-limited. We conclude that the incidence of tremor during epidural anesthesia is not correlated with the temperature of anesthetic solutions, and that the epidural injection of saline at 37 degrees C may give some therapeutic benefit.

[Perioperative management of atrial fibrillation]. / Manejo perioperatorio de la fibrilación auricular.

Atrial fibrillation is a frequent complication in the perioperative period. When it appears there is an increased risk of perioperative morbidity due to stroke, thromboembolism, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, anticoagulation haemorrhage, and hospital readmissions. The current article focuses on the recommendations for the management of perioperative atrial fibrillation based on the latest Clinical Practice Guidelines on atrial fibrillation by the European Society of Cardiology and the Spanish Society of Cardiology. This article pays special attention to the preoperative management, as well as to the acute perioperative episode. For this reason, the latest recommendations for the control of cardiac frequency, antiarrhythmic treatment and anticoagulation are included.

Tricuspid valve surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The tricuspid valve has been taken as a non-critical valve in terms of acute or late mortality in a number of conditions. Tricuspid functional regurgitation is a cause of late operations with an increased morbidity. A number of techniques have been described and used in clinical practice in the past forty years and include simple suture techniques and the use of support for annuloplasty with the use of different types of prosthetic rings. The experience accumulated over the years indicates that tricuspid annuloplasty is mandatory to improve late results, which are superior, in general, to replacement of the valve. METHODS: The role of echocardiography in defining surgical planning, intraoperative results and follow-up is reviewed as echocardiography is a fundamental tool in cardiac surgery. Surgery for isolated lesions of the tricuspid valve has not received much attention and herein we report the results of the follow-up of a limited series of patients undergoing isolated tricuspid surgery. RESULTS: The correlation between echocardiographic measurements and surgical measurements was confirmed and was helpful at the time of the confirmation of repair (r=0.53). Forty-seven patients (18 repair, 29 replacement) underwent isolated surgery. Results of isolated tricuspid repair seemed to be superior when compared to those of tricuspid replacement. Survival was 20.7% for tricuspid valve replacement (N=18) and 50% for tricuspid valve repair (N=29) (p=0.04). Freedom from reoperation was 94.4±5.4% for repair and 67.3±12.1% for replacement (p= 0.0011). CONCLUSIONS: The tricuspid valve continues to be a surgical challenge.