Increasing obesity is associated with lower postoperative bleeding in coronary bypass patients.

OBJECTIVE: Despite inherent comorbidities, obese cardiac surgical patients paradoxically had shown lower morbidity and mortality, although the nature of this association is still unclear. Thus, the authors intended in this large registry-based study to investigate the impact of obesity on short- and long-term postoperative outcomes, focusing on bleeding and transfusion requirements. DESIGN: Retrospective registry study. SETTING: Three university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 12,330 prospectively compiled data from coronary bypass grafting patients undergoing surgery between 2007 to 2020 were retrieved from the Western Denmark Heart Registry. INTERVENTIONS: The parameters were analyzed to assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and the selected outcome parameters. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The crude data showed a clear statistically significant association in postoperative drainage from 637 (418-1108) mL in underweight patients with BMI <18.5 kg/m2 to 427 (295-620) mL in severely obese patients with BMI ≥40 kg/m2 (p < 0.0001, Kruskal-Wallis). Further, 50.0% of patients with BMI <18.5 received an average of 451 mL/m2 in red blood cell transfusions, compared to 16.7% of patients with BMI >40 receiving 84 mL/m2. The obese groups were less often submitted to reexploration due to bleeding, and fewer received perioperative hemostatics, inotropes, and vasoconstrictors. The crude data showed increasing 30-day and 6-month mortality with lower BMI, whereas the one-year mortality showed a V-shaped pattern, but BMI had no independent impact on mortality in logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients with high BMI may carry protection against postoperative bleeding after cardiac surgery, probably secondary to an inherent hypercoagulable state, whereas underweight patients carry a higher risk of bleeding and worse outcomes.

Comparison of free arterial and saphenous vein grafting in outcomes after coronary bypass surgery.

Objectives. The goal of this study was to examine whether the use of free arterial grafts could reduce the need for repeated revascularization and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery grafting. Design. The cohort study included 17,354 consecutive adults with isolated coronary artery grafting from 2000 to 2016 in three cardiac surgery centers. Data were obtained from the Western Denmark Heart Registry. Propensity matching with 24 factors was used to establish comparable groups of patients receiving either vein grafts (n = 1019) or free arterial grafts (n = 1019) for outcome analysis. Results. The need for repeated revascularization and all-cause mortality was similar in both graft groups at 10 years of follow-up. Creatine-Kinase MB Isoenzyme >100 µg/L increased the risk of repeated revascularization rate after 1, 5 and 10 years. Conclusions. Long-term outcomes in revascularization and survival are comparable after free arterial or saphenous vein grafting.

ICU Nurses-An Impact Factor on Patient Turnover in Cardiac Surgery in Western Denmark?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe changes in performance indicators such as length of stay [LOS] in the intensive care unit [ICU] and ventilation time, during the last six years in an attempt to identify associations between patient and systemic performance indicators, including the impact of nurse turnover. DESIGN: A retrospective study of prospectively registered data (2013-2018). Propensity- score matching was performed to establish comparable groups. SETTING: Three Danish university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The study included a total of 12,404 adult cardiac surgical patients registered in the Western Denmark Heart Registry. The cohort was divided into an "early" group (2013-2016) and a "late" group (2017-2018). INTERVENTIONS: An analysis of dynamics in patient indicators and systemic performance indicators, including the impact from selected performance parameters and nurse turnover. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Comorbidity, calculated from the European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation, and the mean age were stable in the study period. Strong predictors of long LOS in the ICU included postoperative use of inotropes, re-exploration surgery, high postoperative drainage, and the "late" time group. Time parameters (relative risks) were all significantly longer in the "late" time group": ventilation time 1.21 (1.05-1.39), length of stay ICU 1.28 (1.11-1.48), and in-hospital time 1.36 (1.19-1.57). ICU nurse turnover increased from four (2013-2014) to 52 (2017-2018). CONCLUSION: No single patient factor, such as age or comorbidity, could explain the decrease in patient turnover in the ICU. In the same period, the turnover of ICU nurses increased. Patient turnover is complex and affected by a mix of patient and systemic performance factors.

A Descriptive Study of Perioperative Hemodynamics in Open Cardiac Surgery Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to describe how the perioperative hemodynamic profile before and after cardiopulmonary bypass during cardiac surgery is influenced by age and to describe the association between postoperative hemodynamics and one-year mortality. DESIGN: A retrospective registry-based study. SETTING: University Hospital of Aarhus, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 6,595 patients undergoing elective on-pump cardiac surgery from 2006 to 2016. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Perioperative hemodynamic values were derived from computerized anesthesia and intensive care reports, including mean arterial pressure, cardiac index, and oxygenation saturation from mixed venous blood in the pulmonary artery, during the perioperative period. Perioperative hemodynamic values were stratified according to age. Logistic regression was applied to predict the crude probability of death within one year from surgery according to hemodynamic values at six hours after surgery, stratified by age and use of inotropic agents, respectively. Lower values for cardiac index and mixed venous blood in the pulmonary artery with increasing age, across all points in time in the perioperative course, were observed. Higher probability of death was associated with lower hemodynamic values in the postoperative phase, and the probability of death was modified by age and the need for inotropic agents. DISCUSSION: This is a large registry based study describing the perioperative hemodynamic profile of patients undergoing cardiac surgery and the results enhance our understanding of age-differentiated values of CI and SvO2 in this specific population.

The Major Decrease in Resource Utilization in Recent Decades Seems Guided by Demographic Changes: Fast Tracking-Real Concept or Demographics.

OBJECTIVE: To identify dynamics of associations and potential areas for optimization of patient turnover between various patient profile and comorbidity indicators and selected system performance indicators such as ventilation time, length of stay in the intensive care unit, and in-hospital stay. DESIGN: Retrospective study of prospectively registered data (2000-2017). SETTING: Three university hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 38,100 adult cardiac surgical patients registered in the Western Denmark Heart Registry. INTERVENTIONS: Analysis of dynamics in patient indicators and system performance indicators, including effect on the selected performance parameters. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Comorbidity, calculated from EuroSCORE, decreased from 2.5 ± 2.2 to 1.5 ± 2.0 (p < 0.001), whereas the average age of patients increased from 65.1 ± 9.9 years to 67.6 ± 10.8 years (p < 0.001). Median ventilation time decreased from 380 to 275 minutes (p < 0.0001). The mean length of stay in the intensive care unit demonstrated a statistically significant decrease from 35.1 hours between 2000 to 2002 to 31.8 hours between 2015 to 2017 (p = 0.004), and the median time was unchanged at 22.0 hours throughout the observation period. The median in-hospital stay decreased from 6.5 to 5.1 days (p < 0.001) and the mean in-hospital stay from 8.7 days (2003-2005) to 7.0 days (2015-2017; p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis of performance factors showed a statistically significant negative independent effect on most comorbidity and surgical factors. CONCLUSION: The increase in performance parameters appears to be highly associated with decreased comorbidities and fast-tracking protocols and may only offer limited effect in additional patient turnover.

Blood cardioplegia benefits only patients with a long cross-clamp time.

INTRODUCTION: A clear advantage of blood versus crystalloid cardioplegia has not yet been observed in smaller population studies. The purpose of this article was to further investigate the clinical outcomes of blood versus crystalloid cardioplegia in a large propensity-matched cohort of patients who underwent cardiac surgery. METHODS: The study was a single-centre study. Data was withdrawn from the Western Denmark Heart Registry, which comprises a perfusion section for each procedure. A total of 4,852 patients were propensity matched into crystalloid (CC) vs blood cardioplegia (BC) groups. The primary end points were creatinine kinase-MB (CKMB) elevation, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, dialysis, coronary angiography (CAG) and mortality (30 days and 6 months). RESULTS: We found lower odds ratio in 30-day mortality in the BC group (OR 0.21; CI 0.06-0.68), but no difference in overall 6-month mortality. There was no difference in CKMB elevation, AMI, dialysis or stroke. Several end points were further analysed for different cross-clamp times. In the CC group, ventilation time above 600 minutes was seen more often in almost all cross-clamp time intervals (23.5 % vs 12.2 %; p<0.0001; χ2-test) and 6-month mortality was significantly higher when the cross-clamp time exceeded 210 minutes (64.3 vs 23.8; p=0.018; χ2-test). CONCLUSIONS: We did not find clear evidence of superiority of either type in the uncomplicated patient. When prolonged cross-clamp time or postoperative ventilation is expected, this study indicates that blood cardioplegia might be preferable.

Intraoperative milrinone versus dobutamine in cardiac surgery patients: a retrospective cohort study on mortality.

BACKGROUND: Several choices of inotropic therapy are available and used in relation to cardiac surgery. Comparisons are necessary to select optimal therapy. In Denmark, dobutamine and milrinone are the two inotropic agents most commonly used to treat post-bypass low cardiac output syndrome. This study compares all-cause mortality with these drugs. METHODS: In a retrospective observational study we investigated 10,700 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery from 1 April 2006 to 31 December 2013 at Aarhus and Aalborg University Hospitals in the Central and Northern Denmark Region. Prospectively entered data in the Western Danish Heart Registry on intraoperative use of inotropes were used to identify 952 patients treated with milrinone, 418 patients treated with dobutamine, and 82 patients receiving a combination of the two inotropes. All-cause mortality among patients receiving dobutamine was compared to all-cause mortality among milrinone receivers. Multiple logistic regression analyses including preoperative and intraoperative variables along with g-formula analyses were used to model 30-day and 1-year mortality risks. Reported were standardized mortality risk differences between the treatment groups. RESULTS: Among patients receiving intraoperative dobutamine, 18 (4.3%) died within 30 days and 49 (11.7%) within 1 year. Corresponding 30-day and 1-year mortality for milrinone receivers were 81 (8.5%) and 170 (17.9%). Risk of death within 30 days and 1 year was increased for intraoperative milrinone compared to dobutamine with a standardized risk difference of 4.06% (confidence interval (CI) 1.23; 6.89, p = 0.005) and 4.77% (CI 0.39; 9.15, p = 0.033), respectively. Sensitivity analyses including adjustment for milrinone preference, hemodynamic instability prior to cardiopulmonary bypass, and separate analyses on hospital level all confirmed a sign toward increased mortality among milrinone receivers. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative use of milrinone in cardiac surgery may be associated with an increase in all-cause mortality compared to use of dobutamine.

Lower Dose of Sufentanil Does Not Enhance Fast Track Significantly-A Randomized Study.

OBJECTIVE: Adjustment in the doses of opioids has been a focus of interest for achieving better fast-track conditions in cardiac anesthesia, but relatively sparse information exists on the potential effect of psychologic and behavioral factors, such as stress, anxiety, and type of personality, on anesthesia requirements and patient turnover in the cardiac recovery unit (CRU); to the authors' knowledge, this particular focus has not been systematically investigated. In this randomized study, the authors tested the hypothesis that low-dose sufentanil, compared with a standard dose, can improve fast-track parameters and the overall quality of recovery. Opioid requirements related to personality type, pain sensitivity, and preoperative stress and anxiety also were assessed. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 60 patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting with or without aortic valve replacement. SETTING: A university hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either a standard dose (bolus 0.5 µg/kg) or low dose (bolus 0.25 µg/kg) of sufentanil combined with propofol. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome variables were ventilation time and eligible time to discharge from the CRU. The secondary objective was to evaluate the relationship between opioid requirements and personality type, pain sensitivity, and preoperative stress and anxiety. The groups were comparable in selected demographics and perioperative parameters. There was no difference between groups in ventilation time (low dose: 191 [163-257] v standard dose: 205 [139-279] min; p = 0.405); eligible CRU discharge time (10.3 ± 5.0 v 10.3 ± 4.2 h; p = 0.978); or administration of postoperative morphine (25 [11-34) v 27 [10-39] g; p = 0.790). There was no difference between groups in total sufentanil administration and various preoperative psychologic and behavioral test levels nor in the time to reach bispectral index <50 during induction, except that personality type A demonstrated a longer induction time of 10 (8-12) minutes versus 6 (4-8) minutes in low-score patients. CONCLUSION: A lower dose of sufentanil, compared with a standard dose, does not enhance fast-track conditions significantly.

Colloids in Cardiac Surgery-Friend or Foe?

OBJECTIVE: The right choice of fluid replacement still is a matter of debate. Recently, two large-scale studies on the use of hydroxyethyl starches (HES) in the intensive care setting have been published, which have caused a huge shift in the daily practice of volume therapy. These results have been applied to patients outside intensive care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact this change has had on the outcomes in a large population of cardiac surgery patients, with a focus on the type of colloid infusion. DESIGN: A prospective, registered, observational study, using propensity score matching. SETTING: Cohort study from 3 university hospitals using a common registry. PARTICIPANTS: The study comprised 17,742 patients who were referred for cardiac surgery from 2007 to 2014. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were divided in groups according to perioperative fluid replacement with either crystalloids or colloids. The colloid group was further divided into HES or human albumin (HA). Analyses were based on the following 3 subsections: HES versus crystalloids, HA versus crystalloids, and HES versus HA, with use of propensity score matching or direct matching of cases. Primary outcome parameters were 30-day and 6-month mortality, new postoperative renal replacement therapy, and new cardiac ischemic events. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The groups were fully comparable in individual analyses. The use of HES had no impact on new dialysis and 30-day mortality. A Cox proportional regression analysis showed that HES had no impact on 6-month mortality and new postoperative ischemic events. When comparing HA with crystalloid use, a significantly increased risk in crude analysis was demonstrated on all outcome parameters; and when comparing HA with HES, a significantly higher risk was observed in HA patients in mortality parameters and new postoperative, but after adjustment, only the risk of new postoperative dialysis persisted. CONCLUSION: This study underlined the difficulties in establishing hardcore outcome data, even in large cohort studies. The findings seemed to diminish the magnitude of risk when using HES in cardiac surgery patients and seriously questioned the choice of HA when a plasma expander is needed.

Remifentanil Compared With Sufentanil Does Not Enhance Fast-Track Possibilities in Cardiac Surgery-A Randomized Study.

OBJECTIVE: Progressive cost containment has resulted in a growing interest for fast-track cardiac surgery. Ventilation time and length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) are important factors in patient turnover, a more efficient use of resources, and early patient mobilization. However, LOS in ICU is not an objective measure because, in addition to medical factors, patient discharge may be guided by logistics and policy, and thus more objective measures are warranted. The authors hypothesized that remifentanil compared with sufentanil would reduce ventilation time and LOS in the ICU and that remifentanil would have beneficial effects on the overall quality of recovery. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting with or without aortic valve replacement. SETTING: A university hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned randomly to receive either remifentanil or sufentanil combined with propofol. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients with ejection fraction<0.3, myocardial infarction within the last 4 weeks, diabetes, and severe pulmonary or arterial hypertension were excluded. The primary outcome variables were ventilation time and time to eligibility of discharge from the cardiac recovery unit. Secondary outcomes were actual LOS in the cardiac recovery unit and quality of recovery. The groups were comparable in selected demographics and perioperative parameters. There were no differences in ventilation time or eligible ICU discharge time between the groups. Remifentanil patients received more morphine than did the sufentanil patients during recovery (20 mg v 10 mg; p = 0.040). No difference was found in pharmacologic support or use of a pacemaker. CONCLUSION: In a fast-track protocol, remifentanil did not seem to be superior to a standard moderate- to high-dose sufentanil regimen.

Follow-Up After Cardiac Surgery Should be Extended to at Least 120 Days When Benchmarking Cardiac Surgery Centers.

OBJECTIVE: Short-term (30 days) mortality frequently is used as an outcome measure after cardiac surgery, although it has been proposed that the follow-up period should be extended to 120 days to allow for more accurate benchmarking. The authors aimed to evaluate whether mortality rates 120 days after surgery were comparable to general mortality and to compare causes of death between the cohort and the general population. DESIGN: A multicenter descriptive cohort study using prospectively entered registry data. SETTING: University hospital. The cohort was obtained from the Western Denmark Heart Registry and matched to the Danish National Hospital Register as well as the Danish Register of Causes of Death. A weighted, age-matched general population consisting of all Danish patients who died within the study period was identified through the central authority on Danish statistics. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 11,988 patients (>15 years) who underwent cardiac-surgery at Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense University Hospitals from April 1, 2006 to December 31, 2012 were included. INTERVENTIONS: Coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery and combinations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Mortality after cardiac surgery matches with mortality in the general population after 140 days. Mortality curves run almost parallel from this point onwards, regardless of The European system for cardiac operative risk evaluation (EuroSCORE) and intervention. The causes of death in the cohort differed statistically significantly from the background population (p<0.0001; one-sample t-test) throughout the first postoperative year. The leading cause of death in the cohort was cardiac (38%); 53% of which was categorized as heart failure. A total of 54% of these patients were assessed preoperatively as having normal or mildly impaired heart function (EuroSCORE). CONCLUSIONS: This study supported an extended follow-up period after cardiac surgery when benchmarking cardiac surgery centers. Regardless of preoperative heart function, heart failure was the consistent leading cause of death.

Health outcomes with and without use of inotropic therapy in cardiac surgery: results of a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inotropes used to obtain short-term hemodynamic benefits in cardiac surgery may carry a risk of increased myocardial ischemia and adverse outcomes. This study investigated the association between intra- and postoperative use of inotropes and mortality and postoperative complications. METHODS: A historic cohort study using prospective data from the Western Denmark Heart Registry on 6,005 consecutive cardiac surgery cases from three university hospitals. Propensity matching on pre- and intraoperative variables was used to identify a subgroup of patients receiving inotropic therapy (n = 1,170) versus comparable nonreceivers (n = 1,170) for outcome analysis. RESULTS: Two thousand ninety-seven patients (35%) received inotropic therapy; 3,908 (65%) did not receive any inotropic or vasopressor support perioperatively. Among propensity-matched cohort including 2,340 patients 30-day mortality was 3.2% and 1-yr mortality was 7.6%. In the matched cohort, patients exposed to inotropes had a higher 30-day mortality (adjusted hazards ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.1 to 6.5) as well as a higher 1-yr mortality rate (adjusted hazards ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.5) compared with nonreceivers. Among propensity-matched, the following absolute events rates were observed: myocardial infarction 2.4%, stroke 2.8%, arrhythmia 35%, and renal replacement therapy 23.9%. Inotropic therapy was independently associated with postoperative myocardial infarction (adjusted odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.0), stroke (adjusted odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.3), and renal replacement therapy (adjusted odds ratio, 7.9; 95% CI, 3.8 to 16.4). CONCLUSION: Use of intra- and postoperative inotropes was associated with increased mortality and major postoperative morbidity.

Positive end-expiratory pressure influences echocardiographic measures of diastolic function: a randomized, crossover study in cardiac surgery patients.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography of the cardiovascular system is pivotal for hemodynamic assessment. Diastolic function is evaluated with a combination of tissue Doppler (e' and a') and pulsed Doppler (E and A) measures of transmitral- and mitral valve annuli velocities. However, accurate echocardiographic evaluation in the intensive care unit or perioperative setting is contingent on relative resistance to positive pressure ventilation and changes in preload. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and positioning on echocardiographic measures of diastolic function. METHODS: The study was a prospective, randomized, crossover study. Cardiac surgery patients with ejection fraction greater than 45% and averaged e' of 9 or more were included. Postoperatively, anesthetized patients were randomized into six combinations of PEEP (0, 6, 12 cm H2O) and positions (horizontal, Trendelenburg). At each combination, e' (primary endpoint), a', E, and A were obtained with transesophageal echocardiography along with left ventricular area. Image analysis was performed blinded to the protocol. RESULTS: Thirty patients completed the study. PEEP decreased lateral e' from 6.6±3.6 to 5.3±3.0 cm/s (P<0.001) in the horizontal position and from 7.4±4.2 to 6.5±3.3 cm/s (P<0.001) in Trendelenburg. Similar results were found for septal e', a' bilaterally and transmitral pulsed Doppler measures, and PEEP decreased left ventricular area. E/A, E/e', and e'/a' remained unaffected by PEEP and positioning. CONCLUSIONS: When evaluating diastolic function by echocardiography, the levels of PEEP and its effect on ventricular area have to be taken into account. In addition, this study dissuades the use of E/e' for tracking changes in left ventricular filling pressures in cardiac surgery patients.

Point-of-care ultrasonography changes patient management following open heart surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Although pericardial effusions (PE) and pleural effusions (PLE) may lead to life-threatening respiratory and circulatory deterioration following open heart surgery the postoperative frequency is not fully recognized. The diagnosis is typically based on ultrasonography, X-ray or computer tomography and often disclosed when circulatory collapse is evident. Point-of-care (POC) ultrasonography protocols constitute a noninvasive evaluation of the cardiopulmonary status. We hypothesized that POC ultrasonography could diagnose unknown PE and PLE. DESIGN: Patients scheduled for open heart surgery were eligible for inclusion. Baseline evaluation including POC examination and dyspnea score was performed one day prior to surgery and repeated on the 4th and 30th postoperative day. RESULTS: Eighty patients were included and complete follow-up was 80%. Thirteen patients (19%) had PE on the 4th day postsurgery and 19 patients (30%) had PE on the 30th day. Ultrasonography facilitated change in management in one patient with PE requiring drainage. Forty-nine patients (70%) had PLE on the 4th day following surgery and 19 patients (30%) had PLE on the 30th postoperative day. Ultrasonography facilitated a change in management in seven patients with PLE requiring drainage. CONCLUSION: POC ultrasonography detected pathology, otherwise undisclosed, and was responsible for a change in management in a considerable number of cases.

High thoracic epidural analgesia as an adjunct to general anesthesia is associated with better outcome in low-to-moderate risk cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the addition of high thoracic epidural analgesia (HTEA) to general anesthesia in cardiac surgery patients to enhance the fast-track and improvement in outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively registered data using population-based healthcare databases. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand seven hundred thirteen consecutive patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting, aortic valve replacement, mitral valve surgery, and combinations eligible for supplementation with epidural analgesia. One thousand sixteen patients were matched and analyzed. SETTING: University hospital, single center. INTERVENTION: To minimize bias and confounding, epidural patients were matched using EuroSCORE criteria to nonepidural in a 1:1 ratio requiring exact match on sex, age, patient factors, cardiac factors, and procedure type together with normal/moderate/poor left ventricular function, insulin-dependent diabetes, and on-pump/off-pump surgery. All together, 1,016 patients (508 each group) were identified with matching criteria. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcome parameters were 30-day and 6-month mortality, postoperative dialysis, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Univariate analysis showed that epidural analgesia was associated with lower 6-month mortality (p = 0.021), lower frequency of postoperative dialysis (p = 0.029), and lower frequency of myocardial infarction (p = 0.049). No difference was seen in stroke (p = 0.341). However, adjusted odds ratio of selected perioperative variables showed that HTEA only had a positive impact on the frequency of postoperative dialysis (0.22 [0.06-0.74]). CONCLUSION: This large, uniquely matched single-center cohort was generated, and, subject to the listed limitations the authors concluded that supplemental HTEA to general anesthesia had a better outcome in low-risk cardiac surgery patients, with a significantly lower 6-month mortality rate compared with the control group. However, regression analysis revealed that HTEA only had an independently positive effect on the frequency of postoperative dialysis.

Fewer transfusions are still more-red blood cell transfusions affect long-term mortality in cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies indicated higher long-term mortality after the transfusion of allogeneic red blood cells (RBC); newer recommendations emphasize lower transfusion rates. The consequences of the transfusion of RBCs in cardiac surgery are unclear because later studies focused on transfusion triggers and short-term outcomes. Reports on long-term complications after cardiac surgery are few. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mandatory Western Denmark Heart Registry was used to identify all adult cardiac operations performed in 4 centres from 2000 to 2019. Patients with multiple entries or previous cardiac operations, special/complex procedures, dying within 30 days and not eligible for follow-up were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 32,581 adult cardiac operations performed in 4 centres from 2000 to 2019 were included. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot for low-risk patients undergoing simple cardiac operations showed a significantly lower 15-year survival (0.384 vs 0.661) of patients who received perioperative RBC transfusions [odds ratio 2.43 (confidence level 2.23-2.66)]. The risk decreased with increasing comorbidity or age. No difference was found in high-risk patients. The adjusted risk ratio after an RBC transfusion, including age, sex, comorbidity and surgery, was 1.62 (1.48-1.77). CONCLUSIONS: Despite reduced transfusion rates, long-term follow-up on especially low-risk patients undergoing comparable cardiac operations still demonstrates substantially more deaths of patients receiving perioperative RBC transfusions. Even transfusion of 1-2 units is associated with increased long-term mortality.

Differences in diagnostication, and revascularisation of ischaemic heart disease in Western Denmark.

INTRODUCTION: In Denmark, the incidence of and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) has been declining. In this context, it is of interest to assess any regional differences in diagnostication and invasive treatment of IHD. METHODS: We intended to describe the diagnostication and invasive treatment of IHD in Western Denmark at the regional/municipal level using the Western Denmark Heart Registry. Coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary arterial bypass grafting were registered from 2000 through 2019; cardiac multislice computed tomography (CMCT), from 2015 through 2019. RESULTS: Concerning the use of revascularisation for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), we found comparable regional activity levels but significant differences between individual municipalities. Furthermore, the use of CAG for chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) was significantly higher and the use of CMCT significantly lower in the North Denmark Region than in the Central and South Denmark Regions. CONCLUSION: We found differences in the rates of PCI for ACS at the municipal level but not between the Western Denmark regions. Furthermore, at the regional level, evaluation of chronic IHD differed regarding use of elective CAG and CMCT, and use of CMCT was not paralleled by a reduction in the number of CAG procedures. This may possibly prompt discussions on the strategy for invasive and non-invasive diagnosis of CCS and on targeted preventive measures. FUNDING: none TRIAL REGISTRATION. not relevant.

Echocardiographic evaluation of systolic and diastolic function: a preoperative study of correlation with serum NT-proBNP.

OBJECTIVE: The authors hypothesized that preoperative N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) correlates well with longitudinal strain measurements and with Doppler measurements of diastolic function. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Forty patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Aortic valve replacement, coronary artery bypass grafting, or a combination of these procedures. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Plasma NT-proBNP concentration was obtained by analyzing blood samples with a commercially available kit. Left ventricular systolic function was assessed by speckle tracking ultrasound strain measurements and left ventricular diastolic function was assessed by 2 Doppler methods: E/A ratio and E/E' ratio. Tissue Doppler imaging velocities (E' and A') were measured in the basal septum (annular) and pulse-wave Doppler was used to measure mitral in-flow profile (E and A). The correlation between global strain data from the speckle tracking ultrasound measurement and NT-proBNP levels was ρ = 0.35 (p = 0.026). With a cutoff value of -15% in global strain measurements, there was a significant difference in NT-proBNP levels (117 v 57 pg/mL, p = 0.048). E/E' values correlated with NT-proBNP levels (ρ = 0.46, p = 0.011). With a cutoff of 15 in E/E' values, there were significant differences in corresponding NT-proBNP levels (33 v 113 pg/mL, p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was found between plasma levels of NT-proBNP and speckle tracking ultrasound strain measurements by an easily employed method applicable in the anesthesia and preoperative settings. In addition, the well-established marker of diastolic function, E/E', correlated well with NT-proBNP, whereas the E/A ratio failed to show any association.

High thoracic epidural analgesia in cardiac surgery. Part 1--high thoracic epidural analgesia improves cardiac performance in cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perioperative cardioprotective effect of high thoracic epidural analgesia (HTEA), primarily expressed as an effect on cardiac performance and hemodynamics in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty low-to-moderate risk patients between the ages of 65 and 80 years scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery with or without aortic valve replacement. SETTING: A university hospital. INTERVENTION: Patients randomized to receive HTEA as a supplement to general anesthesia. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Perioperative hemodynamic measurements, perioperative fluid balance, and postoperative release of cardiac enzymes were collected. The end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), the stroke volume index (overall 38 v 32 mL), the cardiac index (overall 2.35 v. 2.18 L/minute/m(2)), the central venous pressure, and central venous oxygenation were higher in the HTEA group. The mean arterial blood pressure was marginally lower in the HTEA group, whereas no difference was noted in the heart rate or peripheral saturation between the groups. No differences were found in the postoperative levels of troponin T and CK-MB between groups. NT-proBNP changed over time (p < 0.001) and was lower in the HTEA group (p = 0.013), with maximal values of 291 ± 265 versus 326 ± 274. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of a higher stroke volume index and central venous oxygenation without an increase in heart rate or mean arterial pressure suggest that HTEA improves cardiac performance in elderly cardiac surgery patients.