Genetic variants are not associated with outcome in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction: results of the Genetic Substudy of the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trials.

OBJECTIVES AND BACKGROUND: We evaluated the ability of 23 genetic variants to provide prognostic information in patients enrolled in the Genetic Substudy of the Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trials. METHODS: Patients assigned to STICH Hypothesis 1 were randomized to medical therapy with or without coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Those assigned to STICH Hypothesis 2 were randomized to CABG or CABG with left ventricular reconstruction. RESULTS: In patients assigned to STICH Hypothesis 2 (n = 714), no genetic variant met the prespecified Bonferroni-adjusted threshold for statistical significance (p < 0.002); however, several variants met nominal prognostic significance: variants in the ß2-adrenergic receptor gene (ß2-AR Gln27Glu) and in the A1-adenosine receptor gene (A1-717 T/G) were associated with an increased risk of a subject dying or being hospitalized for a cardiac problem (p = 0.027 and 0.031, respectively). These relationships remained nominally significant even after multivariable adjustment for prognostic clinical variables. However, none of the 23 genetic variants influenced all-cause mortality or the combination of death or cardiovascular hospitalization in the STICH Hypothesis 1 population (n = 532) by either univariate or multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: We were unable to identify the predictive genotypes in optimally treated patients in these two ischemic heart failure populations.

Cerebral microembolization after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement: comparison of warfarin plus aspirin versus aspirin only.

BACKGROUND: No human physiological data exists on whether aspirin only is as effective as warfarin plus aspirin in preventing cerebral microembolization in the early postoperative period after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (bAVR). METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively enrolled 56 patients who had no other indication for oral anticoagulation, who underwent bAVR and received, in an open-label fashion, either daily warfarin (for INR 2.0-3.0) plus 81 mg of aspirin (n=28) or 325 mg of aspirin only (n=28). Cerebral microembolization was quantified at 4 hours (baseline) and at 1 month postoperatively, by recording 1-hour bilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) microembolic signals (MES). Platelet-function analysis (PFA) of closure times (CT) on collagen was also used as a marker of platelet-dependent activation. Follow-up to 1 year was complete. Preoperative demographics and baseline platelet function were equivalent in both groups. There was no mortality, stroke, or transient ischemic attack at 1 year in either group. No significant differences were found in the proportion of patients with MES among those receiving warfarin plus aspirin versus aspirin only, at baseline (68% versus 82%, respectively; P=0.4) and at 1 month (46% versus 43%; P=1.0) after bAVR. The total MES and PFA were also equivalent between groups, at baseline and follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Early after bAVR, the effects of these 2 antithrombotic regimens on cerebral microembolization and platelet function are equivalent. These data bring new mechanistic support to the premise that aspirin only may safely be used early after bAVR in patients who have no other indication for oral anticoagulation.

Teaching Observation as a Faculty Development Tool in Medical Education: A Scoping Review.

INTRODUCTION: Health professions education often includes teaching observation to inform faculty development (FD) and indirectly improve student performance. Although these FD approaches are well received by faculty, they remain underused and/or underreported, with limited opportunities to receive feedback in workplace contexts. The goal of our study was to map the depth and breadth of education literature on the use of observation of teaching as a tool of professional development in medical education. METHODS: Following the methodology by Arksey and O'Malley, we conducted a scoping review and searched four databases for articles published in English (final searches in April 2022). RESULTS: Of 2080 articles identified, 45 met the inclusion criteria. All observation activities were associated with one of the following FD approaches: peer observation of teaching (23 articles, 51%), peer coaching (12, 27%), peer review (9, 20%), and the critical friends approach (1, 2%). Thirty-three articles (73%) concerned formative versions of the observation model that took place in clinical settings (21, 47%), and they tended to be a voluntary (27, 60%), one-off (18, 40%), in-person intervention (29, 65%), characterized by limited institutional support (13, 29%). Both barriers and challenges of teaching observation were identified. DISCUSSION: This review identified several challenges and shortcomings associated with teaching observation, such as inadequate methodological quality of research articles, inconsistent terminology, and limited understanding of the factors that promote long-term sustainability within FD programs. Practical strategies to consider when designing an FD program that incorporates teaching observation are outlined.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practice preferences in the surgical threshold for ascending aortic aneurysm among Canadian cardiac surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: The survey aimed to assess the practice patterns of Canadian cardiac surgeons on the size threshold at which patients with ascending aortic aneurysm would be offered surgery. METHODS: A 18-question electronic survey was electronically distributed to 148 practicing cardiac surgeons in Canada via email from January to August 2020. Questions presented clinical scenarios focusing on modifying a single variable, and respondents were asked to identify their surgical size threshold for each of the clinical scenarios. RESULTS: The individual response rate was 62.0% (91/148) and institutional response rate was 89.3% (25/29). For an incidental asymptomatic ascending aortic aneurysm in a 60-year-old otherwise-healthy male patient with a tricuspid aortic valve and bicuspid aortic valve of 1.9 m2, 20.2% of the respondents would recommend surgery when the aneurysm was <5.5 cm. A significant number of surgeons modified their surgical threshold in response to changes to BSA, bicuspid aortic valve, growth rate, age, occupation, symptom, and family history (P < .01). Notably, if the patient had a bicuspid aortic valve, 41.0% of respondents lowered their threshold for surgery, with only 43.0% recommending surgery at ≥5.5 cm (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Practice variations exist in the current size threshold for surgery of ascending aortic aneurysms in Canada. These differences between surgeons are further accentuated in the context of bicuspid aortic valve, smaller body stature, younger age, low growth rate, family history, and for the performance of isometric exercise. These represent important areas where future prospective studies are required to inform best practice.

Evaluating temporal trends and the impact of surgical subspecialisation on patient outcomes following adhesional small bowel obstruction: a multicentre cohort study.

PURPOSE: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is the most common indication for laparotomy in the UK. While general surgeons have become increasingly subspecialised in their elective practice, emergency admissions commonly remain undifferentiated. This study aimed to assess temporal trends in the management of adhesional SBO and explore the influence of subspecialisation on patient outcomes. METHODS: Data was collected for patients admitted acutely with adhesional SBO across acute NHS trusts in Northern England between 01/01/02 and 31/12/16, including demographics, co-morbidities and procedures performed. Patients were excluded if a potentially non-adhesional cause was identified and were grouped by the responsible consultant's subspecialty. The primary outcome of interest was 30-day inpatient mortality. RESULTS: Overall, 2818 patients were admitted with adhesional SBO during a 15-year period. There was a consistent female preponderance, but age and comorbidity increased significantly over time (both p < 0.001). In recent years, more patients were managed operatively with a trend away from delayed surgery also evident (2002-2006: 65.7% vs. 2012-2016: 42.7%, p < 0.001). Delayed surgery was associated with an increased mortality risk on multivariable regression analysis (OR: 2.46 (1.46-4.23, p = 0.001)). CT scanning was not associated with management strategy or timing of surgery (p = 0.369). There was an increased propensity for patients to be managed by gastrointestinal (colorectal and upper gastrointestinal) subspecialists over time. Length of stay (p < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (p < 0.001) both improved in recent years, with the best outcomes seen in colorectal (2.6%) and vascular subspecialists (2.4%). However, following adjustment for confounding variables, consultant subspecialty was not a predictor of mortality. CONCLUSION: Outcomes for patients presenting with adhesional SBO have improved despite the increasing burden of age and co-morbidity. While gastrointestinal subspecialists are increasingly responsible for their care, mortality is not influenced by consultant subspecialty.

Reoperation of left heart valve bioprostheses according to age at implantation.

BACKGROUND: Evidence supporting the use of bioprostheses for heart valve replacement in young adults is accumulating. However, reoperation data, which may help guide clinical decision making in young patients, remains poorly defined in the literature. METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined the need for reoperation in 3975 patients who underwent first-time bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) (n=3152) or mitral valve replacement (MVR) (n=823). There were 895 patients below the age of 60 years at bioprosthesis implant (AVR, n=636; MVR, n=259). The median interval to reoperation of contemporary, stented aortic bioprostheses was 7.74 years (95% CI 7.28 to 9.97 years) in patients less than 40 years, and 12.93 years (95% CI 11.10 to 15.76 years) in patients between 40 and 60 years of age. Multivariable risk factors associated with reoperation following bioprosthetic AVR include age (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94 per year, 95% CI 0.91 to 0.96, P<0.001) and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.99, P=0.04). The median interval to reoperation of contemporary mitral bioprostheses was 8.11 years (95% CI 5.79 to 16.50 years) in patients less than 40 years, and 10.14 years (95% CI 8.64 to 11.14 years) in patients between 40 and 60 years of age. As for AVR, age (HR 0.96 per year, 95% CI 0.95 to 0.98, P<0.001) and concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (HR 0.55, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.93, P=0.03) were associated with decreased reoperation risk following bioprosthetic MVR. CONCLUSIONS: These data constitute clinically relevant age-specific prognostic information regarding reoperation in young patients, who may wish to select a bioprosthesis at initial left heart valve replacement.

Attributes of excellent clinician teachers and barriers to recognizing and rewarding clinician teachers' performances and achievements: a narrative review.

Background: Over the last 31 years, there have been several institutional efforts to better recognize and reward clinician teachers. However, the perception of inadequate recognition and rewards by clinician teachers for their clinical teaching performance and achievements remains. The objective of this narrative review is two-fold: deepen understanding of the attributes of excellent clinician teachers considered for recognition and reward decisions and identify the barriers clinician teachers face in receiving recognition and rewards. Methods: We searched OVID Medline, Embase, Education Source and Web of Science to identify relevant papers published between 1990 and 2020. After screening for eligibility, we conducted a content analysis of the findings from 43 relevant papers to identify key trends and issues in the literature. Results: We found the majority of relevant papers from the US context, a paucity of relevant papers from the Canadian context, and a declining international focus on the attributes of excellent clinician teachers and barriers to the recognition and rewarding of clinician teachers since 2010. 'Provides feedback', 'excellent communication skills', 'good supervision', and 'organizational skills' were common cognitive attributes considered for recognition and rewards. 'Stimulates', 'passionate and enthusiastic', and 'creates supportive environment', were common non-cognitive attributes considered for recognition and rewards. The devaluation of teaching, unclear criteria, and unreliable metrics were the main barriers to the recognition and rewarding of clinician teachers. Conclusions: The findings of our narrative review highlight a need for local empirical research on recognition and reward issues to better inform local, context-specific reforms to policies and practices.

Contexte: Depuis 31 ans, nous sommes témoins d'efforts institutionnels visant à offrir aux cliniciens enseignants une plus grande reconnaissance et à récompenser leur travail. Cependant, d'après leur perception, la valorisation de leurs réalisations en matière d'enseignement clinique demeure insuffisante. Cette revue narrative a un double objectif : d'une part, repérer les qualités qui sont prises en considération en vue de l'octroi d'une reconnaissance officielle ou de l'attribution de récompenses (prix) aux cliniciens enseignants et d'autre part recenser les éléments qui empêchent certains candidats de se voir accorder une telle reconnaissance ou récompense. Méthodes: Nous avons effectué des recherches dans OVID Medline, Embase, Education Source et Web of Science pour repérer les articles pertinents publiés entre 1990 et 2020. Le contenu des résultats des 43 articles sélectionnés a ensuite été analysé pour dégager les principales tendances et questions abordées. Résultats: La plupart des articles pertinents se rapportaient au contexte des États-Unis. En revanche, peu d'articles pertinents concernaient celui du Canada. Sur le plan international, la question des qualités des cliniciens enseignants et des éléments qui peuvent les empêcher d'obtenir la reconnaissance ou une récompense suscite moins d'intérêt depuis 2010. Le fait « d'offrir de la rétroaction ¼, d'avoir « d'excellentes habiletés de communication ¼, d'assurer une « bonne supervision ¼, et un bon « sens de l'organisation ¼ sont des compétences cognitives souvent considérées pour l'octroi de la reconnaissance et l'attribution de récompenses. Parmi les compétences non cognitives, on note le fait d'être « stimulant ¼, d'être « passionné et enthousiaste ¼ et de « créer un environnement offrant du soutien ¼. La dévalorisation de l'enseignement, le manque de critères clairs et l'utilisation de mesures d'évaluation peu fiables sont les principaux obstacles à l'octroi de la reconnaissance ou à l'attribution d'une récompense aux cliniciens enseignants. Conclusions: Les résultats de notre revue narrative mettent en évidence la nécessité de mener des recherches empiriques localement en matière de reconnaissance et de récompense afin d'éclairer les réformes locales des politiques et des pratiques dans le milieu spécifique où elles sont appliquées.

Long-term clinical and hemodynamic performance of the Hancock II versus the Perimount aortic bioprostheses.

BACKGROUND: The Medtronic Hancock II and the Carpentier-Edwards Perimount are among the world's most commonly used aortic bioprostheses. However, a direct comparison of their clinical performance is lacking. To minimize biases inherent to between-center comparisons, we examined these prostheses within a large, contemporary, single-center cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2007, 1659 patients (mean age, 73.1±9.3 years) underwent aortic valve replacement with either the Hancock II (N=1021) or the Perimount (N=638). Patients were prospectively followed-up with serial clinic visits and echocardiograms for up to 16 years (mean, 5.0±3.3 years). There was no significant difference in aortic root size preoperatively (P=0.7). Aortic root enlargement was more commonly performed with the Perimount (P<0.001), and the manufacturer valve size of the implanted prosthesis was larger with the Hancock II (P<0.001). Postoperatively, peak and mean transprosthesis gradients were higher for the Hancock II (32.7±0.7 and 16.0±0.3 mm Hg, respectively) than for the Perimount (24.9±0.7 and 13.4±0.4 mm Hg, respectively; P<0.001). However, no difference in left ventricular mass regression was observed at late follow-up (P=0.9). Unadjusted 10-year survival was 59.4%±2.4% for the Hancock II and 70.2%±3.8% for the Perimount (P=0.07). Multivariable predictors of survival did not include prosthesis type (P=0.2). CONCLUSIONS: For the same manufacturer valve size, the Perimount is larger, which may warrant enlarging the aortic root more often, and it is associated with better hemodynamics than the Hancock II. These differences do not impact survival or left ventricular mass regression, and the long-term clinical performances of the Hancock II and Perimount bioprostheses are equivalent.

Implementing Competency-Based Medical Education in Family Medicine: A Narrative Review of Current Trends in Assessment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The implementation of effective competency-based medical education (CBME) relies on building a coherent and integrated system of assessment across the continuum of training to practice. As such, the developmental progression of competencies must be assessed at all stages of the learning process, including continuing professional development (CPD). Yet, much of the recent discussion revolves mostly around residency programs. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the findings of studies spanning the last 2 decades that examined competency-based assessment methods used in family medicine residency and CPD, and to identify gaps in their current practices. METHODS: We adopted a modified form of narrative review and searched five online databases and the gray literature for articles published between 2000 and 2020. Data analysis involved mixed methods including quantitative frequency analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Fourteen were formal evaluation studies that focused on the outcome and impact evaluation of assessment methods. Articles that focused on formative assessment were prevalent. The most common levels of educational outcomes were performance and competence. There were few studies on CBME assessment among practicing family physicians. Thematic analysis of the literature identified several challenges the family medicine educational community faces with CBME assessment. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that those involved in health education systematically evaluate and publish their CBME activities, including assessment-related content and evaluations. The highlighted themes may offer insights into ways in which current CBME assessment practices might be improved to align with efforts to improve health care.

Implementing Competency-Based Medical Education in Family Medicine: A Scoping Review on Residency Programs and Family Practices in Canada and the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: While family medicine has been one of the first specialties to implement competency-based medical education (CBME) in residency, the nature and level of its integration with continuing professional development (CPD) is neither well understood nor well studied. The purpose of this review was to examine the current state of CBME implementation in family medicine residency and CPD programs in the North American education literature, with the aim of identifying implementation concepts and strategies that are generalizable to other medical settings to inform the design and implementation of residency training and CPD. METHODS: Using an Arksey and O'Malley six-step framework, we searched five online databases and the gray literature over the period between January 2000 through April 2017. We included full-text articles that focused on the key words CBME, residency, CPD, and family medicine. RESULTS: Of the articles reviewed, 37 met the inclusion criteria and were selected for full review. Eighty six percent of included articles focused on foundation elements related to designing competency-based curriculum and assessment strategies rather than program evaluation or other outcome measures. Only 19% of the articles were related to CPD that focused only on the implementation at the program and/or institution/organization levels. CONCLUSIONS: Given that the implementation of CBME is in its relative infancy, the pattern of implementation activities described in this scoping review reflected a limited focus on a broad range of issues related to fidelity of implementation of this complex intervention.

Conceptualization of Competency-Based Medical Education Terminology in Family Medicine Postgraduate Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: To examine the extent, range, and nature of how competency-based medical education (CBME) implementation terminology is used (i.e., the conceptualization of CBME-related terms) within the family medicine postgraduate medical education (PGME) and continuing professional development (CPD) literature. METHOD: This scoping review's methodology was based on Arksey and O'Malley's framework and subsequent recommendations by Tricco and colleagues. The authors searched 5 databases and the gray literature for U.S. and Canadian publications between January 2000 and April 2017. Full-text English-language articles on CBME implementation that focused exclusively on family medicine PGME and/or CPD programs were eligible for inclusion. A standardized data extraction form was used to collect article demographic data and coding concepts data. Data analysis used mixed methods, including quantitative frequency analysis and qualitative thematic analysis. RESULTS: Of 470 unique articles identified, 80 (17%) met the inclusion criteria and were selected for inclusion in the review. Only 12 (15%) of the 80 articles provided a referenced definition of the coding concepts (i.e., referred to an article/organization as the definition's source), resulting in 19 highly variable-and 12 unique- referenced definitions of key terms used in CBME implementation (competence, competency, competency-based medical education). Thematic analysis of the referenced definitions identified 15 dominant themes, among which the most common were (1) a multidimensional and dynamic concept that encompasses a variety of skill components and (2) being able to use communication, knowledge, technical skills, clinical reasoning, judgment, emotions, attitudes, personal values, and reflection in practice. CONCLUSIONS: The construction and dissemination of shared definitions is essential to CBME's successful implementation. The low number of referenced definitions and lack of consensus on such definitions suggest more attention needs to be paid to conceptual rigor. The authors recommend those involved in family medicine education work with colleagues across medical specialties to develop a common taxonomy.

Twelve tips for bringing competencies into continuing professional development: Curriculum mapping.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. There is a growing worldwide awareness in the field of health professions education and research that a successful implementation of competency-based medical education (CBME) requires embracing all stages of professional development (from undergraduate, through residency to continuing education). However, despite increased levels of cognizance and even enthusiasm about the importance of the entire continuum for the ultimate goal of improved healthcare, much work still remains as CBME principles are not widely adopted in continuing professional development (CPD). Much has been written about the process of competency-based curriculum development (e.g., the formation and development of meaningful and measurable outcomes) in undergraduate studies and postgraduate training, but not in CPD. If we expect a CPD curriculum to integrate CBME, competencies must be developed and clearly specified how they will fit into a coherent and implementable curriculum structure. In this article, we describe existing practices some educational institutions have, including our experiences in the Office of CPD at the University of Ottawa, Canada, in designing a competency-based curriculum and provide 12 tips for those who begin their journey of organizing, developing, and implementing such curricula. We conclude that in order to translate a competency-based approach into CPD, educational programs will have to refine curricula across health professionals' education using curriculum mapping as an important tool of curriculum development and evaluation.

Very long-term survival implications of heart valve replacement with tissue versus mechanical prostheses in adults <60 years of age.

BACKGROUND: Several centers favor replacing a diseased native heart valve with a tissue rather than a mechanical prosthesis, even in younger adult patients. However, long-term data supporting this approach are lacking. We examined the survival implications of selecting a tissue versus a mechanical prosthesis at initial left-heart valve replacement in a cohort of adults <60 years of age who were followed for over 20 years. METHODS AND RESULTS: Comorbid and procedural data were available from 6554 patients who underwent valve replacement at our institution over the last 35 years. Of these, 1512 patients contributed follow-up data beyond 20 years, of whom 567 were adults <60 years of age at first left-heart valve operation (mean survivor follow-up, 24.0+/-3.1 years). Late outcomes were examined with Cox regression. Valve reoperation, often for prostheses that are no longer commercially available, occurred in 89% and 84% of patients by 20 years after tissue aortic and mitral valve replacement, respectively, and was associated with a mortality of 4.3%. There was no survival difference between patients implanted with a tissue versus a mechanical prosthesis at initial aortic valve replacement (hazard ratio 0.95; 95% CI: 0.7, 1.3; P=0.7). For mitral valve replacement patients, long-term survival was poorer than after aortic valve replacement (hazard ratio 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.8; P=0.003), but again no detrimental effect was associated with use of a tissue versus a mechanical prosthesis (hazard ratio 0.9; 95% CI 0.5, 1.4; P=0.5). CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, selecting a tissue prosthesis at initial operation in younger adults does not negatively impact survival into the third decade of follow-up, despite the risk of reoperation.

Using Clinical Questions Asked by Primary Care Providers Through eConsults to Inform Continuing Professional Development.

INTRODUCTION: Continuing professional development (CPD) offerings should address the educational needs of health care providers. Innovative programs, such as electronic consultations (eConsults), provide unique educational opportunities for practice-based needs assessment. The purpose of this study is to assess whether CPD offerings match the needs of physicians by coding and comparing session content to clinical questions asked through eConsults. METHODS: This study analyzes questions asked by primary care providers between July 2011 and January 2015 using a service that allows specialists to provide consultation over a secure web-based server. The content of these questions was compared with the CPD courses offered in the area in which these primary care providers are practicing over a similar period (2012-2014). The clinical questions were categorized by the content area. The percentage of questions asked about each content area was calculated for each of the 12 specialties consulted. CPD course offerings were categorized using the same list of content areas. Percentage of minutes dedicated to each content area was calculated for each specialty. The percentage of questions asked and the percentage of CPD course minutes for each content area were compared. RESULTS: There were numerous congruencies and discrepancies between the proportion of questions asked about a given content area and the CPD minutes dedicated to it. DISCUSSION: Traditional needs assessment may underestimate the need to address topics that are frequently the subject of eConsults. Planners should recognize eConsult questions as a valuable source of practice-associated challenges that can identify professional development needs of physicians.

Predictors of early neurocognitive deficits in low-risk patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative cognitive deficits (POCDs) are a source of morbidity and occur frequently even in low-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Predictors of neurocognitive deficits can identify potentially modifiable risk factors as well as high-risk patients in whom alternate revascularization strategies may be considered. METHODS AND RESULTS: 448 patients undergoing coronary surgery (coronary artery bypass graft [CABG]) underwent standardized preoperative and postoperative neurocognitive testing as part of 2 randomized trials evaluating the effects of mild hypothermia during coronary surgery. Prospectively collected data were used to identify univariate predictors of POCDs and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed. Models were bootstrapped 1000 times. POCDs occurred in 59% of patients. Significant univariate predictors included intraoperative normothermia, impaired left ventricular (LV) function, higher educational level, elevated serum creatinine and reduced creatinine clearance, prolonged intubation time, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and hospital stay. Advanced age, presence of carotid disease, and cardiopulmonary bypass time were not associated with increased POCDs in this cohort. Multivariable modeling identified intraoperative normothermia (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] -1.15 [1.01, 1.31]), poor LV function (1.53 [1.02, 2.30]), and elevated preoperative creatinine (1.01 [1.00 to 1.03] for every 1 mmol/L increase), prolonged (>24 hours) ICU stay (1.88 [1.27 to 2.79]), and higher educational level (1.52 [1.01 to 2.28]) as independent predictors of POCD occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Mild hypothermia, in the intraoperative and perioperative period, may be a protective strategy for the prevention of POCDs. Patients with elevated pre-operative creatinine and poor LV function carry a higher risk of POCDs and may benefit from revascularization strategies other than conventional on-pump CABG.

Surgical approach to cardiac papillary fibroelastomas.

The routine use of echocardiography has led to an increase in the diagnosis of cardiac papillary fibroelastomas. From 1990 to 2004, 10 cases of papillary fibroelastoma were observed, nine of which underwent successful surgical excision with valve repair or replacement and without major complications. One patient presented with an asynchronous lesion requiring repeat excision. Surgical excision of papillary fibroelastomas is safe and curative, and carries minimal morbidity. A review of the current literature suggests that symptomatic cardiac papillary fibroelastomas should be surgically removed, whereas asymptomatic lesions that are left-sided, large (larger than 1 cm) or mobile should be considered for surgical excision.

Management of acute severe perioperative failure of cardiac allografts: a single-centre experience with a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Early graft failure is associated with high mortality and is the main cause of death within the first 30 days after transplantation. The purpose of the present study was to examine the investigators' experience of severe perioperative acute graft failure and to review the literature. METHODS: Nine of 385 cardiac transplants (2.3%) performed from 1984 through 2005 developed severe perioperative acute graft failure either in the operating room or within 24 h after cardiac transplantation. Four patients had primary graft failure, two had right heart failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension, one had hyperacute rejection, one had accelerated acute rejection and one possibly sustained a particulate coronary embolus intraoperatively. RESULTS: All except the two patients who had right heart failure secondary to pulmonary hypertension received mechanical circulatory support. Three patients were supported with total artificial hearts, two patients received a left ventricular assist device, one patient was supported with extracorporeal life support followed by a right ventricular assist device when the left ventricle recovered, and one patient was supported for several hours with cardiopulmonary bypass. Three patients were retransplanted after mechanical circulatory support, but only one survived. Only one of the nine patients (11%) survived; this patient was supported with a total artificial heart followed by retransplantation. CONCLUSION: The outcome of severe perioperative acute graft failure is very poor. Mechanical circulatory support and retransplantation are not as successful as in other situations. Due to the shortage of donors and poor outcomes, retransplantation for hyperacute rejection is not advisable.