Determinants and consequences of positive valve culture when cardiac surgery is performed during the acute phase of infective endocarditis.

The optimal timing of cardiac surgery in infective endocarditis (IE) remains debated: Early surgery decreases the risk of embolism, and heart failure, but is associated with an increased rate of positive valve culture. To determine the determinants, and the consequences, of positive valve culture when cardiac surgery is performed during the acute phase of IE, we performed a retrospective study of adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery for definite left-sided IE (Duke Criteria), in two referral centres. During the study period (2002-2016), 148 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria. Median age was 65 years [interquartile range, 53-73], male-to-female ratio was 2.9 (110/38). Cardiac surgery was performed after 14 days [5-26] of appropriate antibiotics. Valve cultures returned positive in 46 cases (31.1%). Factors independently associated with positive valve culture were vegetation size ≥ 10 mm (OR 2.83 [1.16-6.89], P = 0.022) and < 14 days of appropriate antibacterial treatment before surgery (OR 4.68 [2.04-10.7], P < 0.001). Positive valve culture was associated with increased risk of postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome (37.0% vs. 15.7%, P = 0.008) but was associated neither with an increased risk of postoperative relapse nor with the need for additional cardiac surgery. Duration of appropriate antibacterial treatment and vegetation size are independently predictive of positive valve culture in patients operated during the acute phase of IE. Positive valve culture is associated with increased risk of postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome.

[Radioguided surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism: 100 cases]. / Chirurgie radioguidée de l'hyperparathyroïdisme primaire.

One hundred patients with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent radioguided surgery within 90 to 180 minutes following IV injection of a diagnostic dose of MIBI and after parathyroid scanning with planar and oblique views. Exclusion criteria were thyroid pathology requiring surgery and suspicion of multiple endocrine neoplasia. A>20% step-up between the background noise and tissue uptake was the diagnostic threshold for parathyroid hyperfunctionning tissue, and this was observed in only 15% of cases overall all cured, but two. This method of detection is technically demanding and various angles of application of the probe can result in significant discrepancies of recorded uptake for the same spot. Our results demonstrate a physiological step-up between the ipsilateral unaffected upper and lower quadrants of the neck (range: - 34% to - 5%), seemingly because of the proximity of supra-aortic vessels (upper neck-upper mediastinal gradient: - 57% to - 21%). Therefore, significant ratios are meaningful only between either the symmetrical left and right controlateral quadrants, 8% of pre-operative scannings were non-contributory, and probe detection was contributory in 3/8 cases only. Benefit of the technique is limited in routine, but it can be helpful in redo cases if the offending gland is not located in close surroundings of tissues physiologically taking up the radio pharmaceutical (salivary glands, great vessels and heart).

[Heart transplantation for patients on high emergency list with or without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support]. / Transplantation cardiaque en super urgence (SU) avec et sans assistance circulatoire mécanique de type extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

OBJECTIVE: Severely impaired patients may wait in France on a special and temporary high emergency national list (called SU). Some of these patients need mechanical circulatory support with ECMO. In order to compare two groups of patients on SU, who acceeded to heart transplantation (HT) with or without ECMO, we reviewed retrospectively 20 consecutive patients transplanted on SU between January 2004 and September 2007 in Rennes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among them, 10 were transplanted without ECMO and 10 others were implanted with a femoro-femoral ECMO before HT. RESULTS: (1) Considering the group SU without pretransplantation ECMO: 2 years survival rate was 70%. Mean hospital stay was 26.4 days. Three patients were implanted with ECMO for graft dysfunction during postoperative course, without inherent complication. None graft dysfunction occurred after initial hospitalization; (2) considering the group SU with pretransplantation ECMO: 2 years survival rate was 90% (one early death). Mean hospital stay was 45 days with multiple complications due to the ECMO (leg's ischemia: n = 2; lung oedema: n = 1; lymphorrhea: n = 3, low flow requiring change of canulae: n = 1). None graft dysfunction occurred after initial hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Although we didn't reach statistical significance, it seems that ECMO for patients in SU may be useful as bridge to transplant but with a higher morbidity than for similar patients transplanted without ECMO. Additional data from other transplant centers are needed to confirm our findings.