Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: Anesthetic Challenges and Review of Literature.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH; Fredrickson IIa) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary disease associated with increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We hereby report anesthetic challenges in a rare case of HoFH having severe progressive aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, diffuse aortic and carotid vessel involvement, and severe left ventricular dysfunction. The patient underwent a Konno aortoventriculoplasty with mechanical prosthesis along with mitral valve repair.

Management of iatrogenic pulmonary artery injury during pulmonary artery banding.

Pulmonary Artery banding (PAB) is limited to selected patients who cannot undergo primary repair due to complex anatomy, associated co-morbidities, as a part of staged univentricular palliation, and for preparing the left ventricle prior to an arterial switch operation. We report a catastrophic iatrogenic complication in which the pulmonary artery was injured during the PAB. We discuss its multi-pronged management.

The role of Rajyoga meditation for modulation of anxiety and serum cortisol in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: A prospective randomized control study.

INTRODUCTION: Rajyoga meditation is a form of mind body intervention that is promoted by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. This form of meditation can be easily performed without rituals or mantras and can be practiced anywhere at any time. The practice of Rajyoga meditation can have beneficial effects on modulating anxiety and cortisol level in patients undergoing major cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized control study was carried out in a single tertiary care center. One hundred and fifty patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass surgery were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomized in two groups namely, Group 1 (Rajyoga group) and Group 2 (Control Group). Anxiety was measured on a visual analog scale 1-10 before the start of Rajyoga training or patient counseling (T1), on the morning of the day of surgery (T2), on the 2nd postoperative day (T3), and on the 5th postoperative day (T4). The serum cortisol level was measured in the morning of the day of surgery (T1), on the 2nd postoperative day (T2) and on the 5th postoperative day (T3), respectively. RESULTS: In the study, it was seen that the anxiety level of the patients before the surgery (T1) and on the day of surgery (T2) were comparable between the two groups. However on the 2nd postoperative day (T3), the patients who underwent Rajyoga training had lower anxiety level in comparison to the control group (3.12 ± 1.45 vs. 6.12 ± 0.14, P < 0.05) and on the 5th postoperative day (T4) it was seen that Rajyoga practice had resulted in significant decline in anxiety level (0.69 ± 1.1 vs. 5.6 ± 1.38, P < 0.05). The serum cortisol level was also favorably modulated by the practice of Rajyoga meditation. CONCLUSION: Mindbody intervention is found to effective in reducing the anxiety of the patients and modulating the cortisol level in patients undergoing wellknown stressful surgery like coronary artery bypass surgery.

Diagnostic dilemma: Low oxygen saturation during cardiac surgery.

We report a case of rheumatic heart disease with severe mitral stenosis having cyanosis and low oxygen saturation on pulse oximetry. The findings of clinical examination and low values on pulse oximetry were inconsistent with the findings of normal partial pressure of oxygen and oxygen saturation on arterial blood gas analysis, leading to diagnostic dilemma. In such clinical scenario, the anesthesiologist should be aware and vigilant about the differential diagnosis of low oxygen saturation on pulse oximetry.

Basic arterial blood gas biomarkers as a predictor of mortality in tetralogy of Fallot patients.

BACKGROUND: Serum lactate and base deficit have been shown to be a predictor of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Poor preoperative oxygenation appears to be one of the significant factors that affects early mortality in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). There is little published literature evaluating the utility of serum lactate, base excess (BE), and oxygen partial pressure (PO 2 ) as simple, widely available, prognostic markers in patients undergoing surgical repair of TOF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, observational study was conducted in 150 TOF patients, undergoing elective intracardiac repair. PO 2 , BE, and lactate levels at three different time intervals were recorded. Arterial blood samples were collected after induction (T1), after cardiopulmonary bypass (T2), and 48 h (T3) after surgery in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). To observe the changes in PO 2 , BE, and lactate levels over a period of time, repeated measures analysis was performed with Bonferroni method. The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was used to find area under curve (AUC) and cutoff values of various biomarkers for predicting mortality in ICU. RESULTS: The patients who could not survive showed significant elevated lactate levels at baseline (T1) and postoperatively (T2) as compared to patients who survived after surgery (P < 0.001). However, in nonsurvivors, the BE value decreased significantly in the postoperative period in comparison to survivors (-2.8 ± 4.27 vs. 5.04 ± 2.06) (P < 0.001). In nonsurvivors, there was a significant fall of PO 2 to a mean value of 59.86 ± 15.09 in ICU (T3), whereas those who survived had a PO 2 of 125.86 ± 95.09 (P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis showed that lactate levels (T3) have highest mortality predictive value (AUC: 96.9%) as compared to BE (AUC: 94.5%) and PO 2 (AUC: 81.1%). CONCLUSION: Serum lactate and BE may be used as prognostic markers to predict mortality in patients undergoing TOF repair. The routine analysis of these simple, fast, widely available, and cost-effective biomarkers should be encouraged to predict prognosis of TOF patients.

Simulation-based transthoracic echocardiography: "An anesthesiologist's perspective".

With the growing requirement of echocardiography in the perioperative management, the anesthesiologists need to be well trained in transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Lack of formal, structured teaching program precludes the same. The present article reviews the expanding domain of TTE, simulation-based TTE training, the advancements, current limitations, and the importance of simulation-based training for the anesthesiologists.

Simulation in cardiac catheterization laboratory: Need of the hour to improve the clinical skills.

Simulation is an effective teaching tool to decrease the learning curve for novices without compromising patient safety. Simulation helps interventionalist in mentally translating a two dimentional, black and white image into a usable three dimentional model. It also bridges the gap in training diverse team members on new procedures and products. All simulators have collision detection, i.e., virtual contact forces generated from collision which updates haptic output with new calculations.

The role of blood lactate clearance as a predictor of mortality in children undergoing surgery for tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: The identification of biomarkers for predicting morbidity and mortality, particularly in pediatric population undergoing cardiac surgery will contribute toward improving the patient outcome. There is an increasing body of literature establishing the clinical utility of hyperlactatemia and lactate clearance as prognostic indicator in adult cardiac surgical patients. However, the relationship between lactate clearance and mortality risk in the pediatric population remains to be established. OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of lactate clearance in determining the outcome in children undergoing corrective surgery for tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, observational study. SETTING: A tertiary care center. STUDY POPULATION: Two hundred children undergoing elective surgery for TOF. STUDY METHOD: Blood lactate levels were obtained as baseline before operation (T0), postoperatively at admission to the cardiac intensive care unit after surgery (T1), and then at every 6 h for the first 24 h of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay (T6, T12, T18, and T24, respectively). The lactate clearance in the study is defined by the equation ([lactate initial - lactate delayed]/lactate initial) ×100%. Lactate clearance was determined at T1-T6, T1-T12, T1-T18, and T1-T24 time interval, respectively. The primary outcome measured was mortality. Secondary outcomes measured were the duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of inotropic requirement, and duration of ICU stay. RESULTS: Eleven out of the two hundred patients enrolled in the study died. Nonsurvivors had higher postoperative lactate concentration (P < 0.05) and low-blood lactate clearance rate during 24 h (P < 0.05) in comparison to the survivors. Lactate clearance was significantly higher in survivors than in nonsurvivors for the T1-T6 period (19.55 ± 14.28 vs. 5.24 ± 27.79%, P = 0.009) and remained significantly higher for each studied interval in first 24 h. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of statistically significant univariate variables showed early lactate clearance to have a significant relationship with mortality. Patients with a lactate clearance >10%, relative to patients with a lactate clearance <10%, in the early postoperative period, had improved outcome and lower mortality. CONCLUSION: Lactate clearance in the early postoperative period (6 h) is associated with decreased mortality rate. Patients with higher lactate clearance (>10%) after 6 h have improved outcome compared with those with lower lactate clearance.

Unruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm with Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction and Ventricular Septal Defect--A Rare Combination.

Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are rare cardiac anomalies that may be acquired or congenital. We describe the case of a patient who had an unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm causing right ventricular outflow obstruction, with an associated subaortic ventricular septal defect. Sinus of Valsalva aneurysms rarely present until rupture occurs. However, the unruptured aneurysm of the right sinus of Valsalva caused significant right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, resulting in exertional dyspnea. Intraoperative multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and color Doppler helped in precise identification of structural anomalies, shunt location, and definitive surgical repair.