[Upper digestive bleedings after cardiac surgery]. / Hémorragies digestives hautes après chirurgie cardiaque.

INTRODUCTION: Upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (UGH) following cardiac surgery is infrequent with high mortality. The aim of this study is to compare the frequency and outcome of UGH in patients who had undergone open heart surgery at our institution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1994 to December 2005, 1278 cardiac operations were performed. A systematic prophylaxis antiacid was used by antagonists of histaminic receptor (anti-H2, ranitidine 150 mg/12 h) in all patients. The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms (haematemesis and/or melaena) in the postoperative period and confirmed by fibroscopy. We conducted a retrospective study of these patients. RESULTS: Only 8 of the 1278 (0,6%) cardiac operations were complicated by UGH. Demographic data were reported in Table 1. The mean interval between surgery and UGH was 10+/-3,7 days (range 5,15 days). Gastro-duodenal ulcer was the most common cause of UGH in 5 patients (62%), ulcero-hemorrhagic eosophagitis was developed in one patient (12,5%), candidosic eosophagitis in one and multiple gastric ulcer in one patient (12,5%). Medical treatment was applied in 6 patients (72%) with successful result. Surgical intervention was necessary in 2 patients (25%). 2 patients had repeat gastrointestinal bleeding. One patient was died; he was recorded as having severe sepsis and multiple organ failure in addition to UGH. CONCLUSION: UGH in patients undergoing heart operation is rare but associated with poor prognosis despite antiacid prophylaxis. These complications occurred in patients who had in postoperative bad hemodynamic conditions.

[Antifibrinolytic agents and repeat open-heart surgery: a comparison of tranexamic acid and low dose aprotinin]. / Antifibrinolytiques et réinterventions chirurgicales à coeur ouvert: comparaison de l'acide tranexamique aux faibles doses d'aprotinine.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study has for objective to compare the effect of tranexamic acid with low-dose of aprotinin therapy on blood loss in reoperative cardiac surgery. METHODS: Ninety-one adult patients underwent repeated open-heart surgery. Two groups of patients were collected. The aprotinin group AP (N=60) has received an intravenous full low dose of 500000 UIK of aprotinin. The tranexamic group TA (N=31) has received 30 mg/kg of tranexamic acid. Criteria for assessment included: cumulative blood loss at 4 hours and 20 hours after operation, need for transfusion and parameters of coagulation (platelet, fibrinogen count). RESULTS: Demographics characteristics and echocardiographic data were similar between the tow groups. Postoperative blood loss at 4th hour and at 20th hour were reduced in tranexamic group compared with aprotinin group (P=0,009, P=0,001). The transfusion requirement was frequent in the AP group 39% vs 19.4% in TA group. The TA group received fewer total unit of red blood (0.38 unit RBC/patient vs 1.06 in AP group) [RBC=red blood cells]. There was no statistically significant difference in platelet and fibrinogen profiles. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that tranexamic acid and low dose aprotinin effectively reduces postoperative bleeding in repeat open-heart surgery. However, the marked difference in superiority between these tow drug therapies needs the randomized and controlled study.

[Candida albicans endocarditis after treatment of complete atrioventricular canal]. / Endocardite à Candida albicans après cure de canal atrioventriculaire complet.

Infective endocarditis is rare in children, it is rarer after a surgical treatment of atrioventricular canal, and it is exceptional that Candida albicans is the etiologic agent. This is a serious infection found in congenital heart disease with or without surgery. It is potentially lethal, despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances. We report a case of infective endocarditis due to C. albicans after the treatment of a congenital systemic atrioventricular canal in a child with trisomy 21. The diagnosis was suspected on clinical manifestations and cardiac auscultation. Confirmation was provided by positive blood cultures and echocardiography. The large size of the vegetation in the patient was in favor of a fungal etiology, blood cultures allowed to identify the fungus. This observation illustrates a poorly understood disease, with very poor prognosis and which is a potential complication of heart surgery. The improved prognosis should be achieved by shortening the time to diagnosis and optimizing the therapeutic support.