Atuação do enfermeiro perfusionista na cirurgia cardíaca / Role of the perfusion nurse in cardiac surgery / La actuación del enfermero perfusionista en la cirugía cardíaca

Objetivo: Analisar a atuação do enfermeiro perfusionista na cirurgia cardíaca. Método: Estudo exploratório com abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvida em ambiente virtual no período de 1 a 30 de junho de 2022. Amostra intencional, não probabilística, constituída de 14 enfermeiros perfusionistas. Os dados foram analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Resultados: Emergiram duas categorias temáticas: Atuação do enfermeiro perfusionista na circulação extracorpórea e A relevância da interação do enfermeiro com os membros da equipe durante a cirurgia cardíaca com circulação extracorpórea. Os relatos identificaram que o enfermeiro perfusionista realiza inúmeras atribuições que vão desde o histórico de enfermagem, até o preparo e a escolha de materiais, circuitos, dispositivos e maquinários para a condução da circulação extracorpórea. Destaca-se a interação desse profissional com os demais membros da equipe no tocante à comunicação a fim de minimizar riscos e obter resultado cirúrgico positivo para o paciente. Conclusão: A atividade do enfermeiro perfusionista é complexa e necessita de um rigoroso preparo teórico-prático, especializações reconhecidas pelos órgãos competentes, bem como frequentes atualizações mesmo já sendo um profissional experiente. (AU)

Objective: To analyze the role of the perfusionist nurse in cardiac surgery. Method: Exploratory study with a qualitative approach, conducted in a virtual environment from June 1st to June 30th, 2022. The sample consisted of 14 perfusionist nurses, selected intentionally and non-probabilistically. Data were analyzed through Bardin's content analysis. Results: Two thematic categories emerged: the role of the perfusionist nurse in extracorporeal circulation and the relevance of the nurse's interaction with team members during cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. The reports identi-fied that the perfusionist nurse performs numerous tasks ranging from nursing history to the preparation and selection of materials, circuits, devices, and machinery for extracorporeal circulation. The interaction of this professional with other team members regarding communication stands out, aiming to minimize risks and achieve positive surgical outcomes for the patient. Conclusion: The activity of the perfusionist nurse is complex and requires rigo-rous theoretical-practical preparation, recognized specializations by competent bodies, as well as frequent updates even for experienced professionals

Objetivo: Analizar el papel del enfermero de perfusión en la cirugía cardíaca. Método: Estudio exploratorio con enfoque cualitativo, desarrol-lado en ambiente virtual durante el período del 1 al 30 de junio de 2022. Muestra intencional, no probabilística, compuesta por 14 enfermeros de perfu-sión. Los datos fueron analizados mediante el análisis de contenido de Bardin. Resultados: Surgieron dos categorías temáticas: El papel del enfermero perfusionista en circulación extracorporea y la relevancia de la interacción del enfermero con los miembros del equipo durante la cirugía cardíaca con circulación extracorporea. Los informes identificaron que el enfermero perfusionista desempeña numerosas atribuciones que van desde el historial de enfermería hasta la preparación y elección de materiales, circuitos, dispositivos y maquinaria para la conducción de la circulación extracorporea. Se des-taca la interacción de este profesional con los demás miembros del equipo en lo que respecta a la comunicación para minimizar riesgos y obtener resulta-dos quirúrgicos positivos para el paciente. Conclusión: La actividad del enfermero de perfusión es compleja y requiere una preparación teórico-práctica rigurosa, especializaciones reconocidas por los órganos competentes, así como actualizaciones frecuentes incluso siendo un profesional experimentado

Ações de enfermagem para a prevenção e controle do delirium em pacientes pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca: uma revisão integrativa / Nursing actions for prevention and control of delirium in post-operative patients of heart surgery: an integrative review / Acciones de enfermería para la prevención y control del delirio en pacientes postoperatorios de cirugía cardíaca: una revisión integrativa

Objetivo: Analisar as ações de enfermagem no controle e prevenção do delirium em pacientes pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca apresentados na literatura. Método: Estudo de revisão integrativa da literatura. A busca e seleção dos artigos foi realizada através das bases de dados LILACS, MEDLINE, BDENF, IBECS, MEDCARIB, CUMED, Secretaria Estadual de Saúde de São Paulo e coleciona SUS. A amostra foi composta por nove estudos. Resultados: Identificamos entre as ações para o controle e prevenção do delirium a visita familiar estruturada, a comunicação, importância de realizar a orientação verbal sobre o tempo e espaço, reconhecer o delirium precocemente e utilizar escalas para o diagnóstico, sendo a CAM-ICU a mais recomendada e de melhor aplicação. Conclusão: A enfermagem é essencial para realizar ações preventivas e reconhecer o delirium, muitas ações de prevenção são realizadas e, a comunicação e a presença da família é fundamental para se prevenir essa patologia.(AU)

Objective: To analyze nursing actions in the control and prevention of delirium in patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery presented in the literature. Method: Study of integrative literature review. The search and selection of articles was carried out through the LILACS, MEDLINE, BDENF, IBECS, MEDCARIB, CUMED, São Paulo State Health Secretariat and SUS collections. The sample consisted of nine studies. Results: We identified among the actions for the control and prevention of delirium the structured family visit, communication, the importance of carrying out verbal orientations in time and space, recognizing the delirium early and using diagnostic scales, CAM-ICU being the most recommended and best application. Conclusion: Nursing is essential to carry out preventive actions and to recognize delirium, many preventive actions are carried out and communication and the presence of the family are essential to prevent this pathology.(AU)

Objetivo: Analizar las acciones de enfermería en el control y prevención del delirio en pacientes en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca presentadas en la literatura. Método: estudio de revisión integradora de la literatura. La búsqueda de los artículos se realizó a través de las bases de datos LILACS, MEDLINE, BDENF, IBECS, MEDCARIB, CUMED, Secretaría de Salud del Estado de São Paulo y recolecta SUS, la muestra estuvo compuesta por nueve estudios. Resultados: Entre las acciones para el control y prevención del delirio, identificamos la visita familiar estructurada, la comunicación, la importancia de realizar una guía verbal en tiempo y espacio, el reconocimiento temprano del delirio y el uso de escalas diagnósticas, siendo Se recomienda CAM-UCI y se aplica mejor. Conclusión: Enfermería es fundamental para realizar acciones preventivas y para reconocer el delirio, se realizan muchas acciones preventivas y la comunicación y la presencia de la familia son fundamentales para prevenir esta patología.(AU)

Holding and Mobility of Pediatric Patients With Transthoracic Intracardiac Catheters.

BACKGROUND: Nursing care of pediatric patients after cardiac surgery consists of close hemodynamic monitoring, often through transthoracic intracardiac catheters, requiring patients to remain on bed rest and limiting holding and mobility. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to determine the feasibility of safely mobilizing pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters out of bed. Once feasibility was established, the secondary aim was to increase the number of days such patients were out of bed. METHODS AND INTERVENTIONS: New standards and procedures were implemented in July 2015 for pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters. After initiation of the new policies, complications were tracked prospectively. Nursing documentation of activity and positioning for all patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters was extracted from electronic health records for 2 fiscal years before and 3 fiscal years after the new policies were implemented. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend was used to determine whether patterns of out-of-bed documentation changed over time. RESULTS: A total of 1358 patients (approximately 250 to 300 patients each fiscal year) had activity and positioning documented while transthoracic intracardiac catheters were in place. The Cochran-Armitage test for trend revealed that out-of-bed documentation significantly increased after the new policies and procedures were initiated (P < .001). No major complications were noted resulting from patient mobility with transthoracic intracardiac catheters. CONCLUSION: Pediatric patients with transthoracic intracardiac catheters can be safely held and mobilized out of bed.

Effects of auricular acupressure on the quality of sleep and anxiety in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: A single-blind, randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of auricular acupressure (AA), a non-invasive type of reflexotherapy, on sleep quality and anxiety in patients after cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND: Sleep disturbances and anxiety hinder the recovery of patients after cardiac surgery; thus, appropriate and adequate nursing interventions must be pursued. AA is a complementary therapy suitable for patients with limited pharmacological therapy options. METHOD: A single-blind, randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest control group design was applied. The study consisted of 42 patients, comprising an experimental group (n = 21) and a control group (n = 21). AA was applied for six days per trial for a total of 2 trials, while sleep (sleep score, sleep satisfaction) and anxiety (state, trait) were measured at three time points (pre-op, 7 days post-op, and 14 days post-op). RESULTS: The sleep and sleep satisfaction scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group. No significant difference was found in anxiety state/trait between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that AA is a safe, effective, noninvasive, and low-risk nursing intervention that can improve sleep quality in patients after cardiac surgery.

Extubation Failure Rates After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Vary Across Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: Many hospitals aim to extubate children early after cardiac surgery, yet it remains unclear how this practice associates with extubation failure. We evaluated adjusted extubation failure rates and duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation across hospitals and assessed cardiac ICU organizational factors associated with extubation failure. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium clinical registry. SETTING: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium cardiac ICUs. PATIENTS: Patients with qualifying index surgical procedures from August 2014 to June 2017. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We modeled hospital-level adjusted extubation failure rates using multivariable logistic regression. A previously validated Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Consortium model was used to calculate adjusted postoperative mechanical ventilation. Observed-to-expected ratios for both metrics were derived for each hospital to assess performance. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the association between cardiac ICU factors and extubation failure. Overall, 16,052 surgical hospitalizations were analyzed. Predictors of extubation failure (p < 0.05 in final case-mix adjustment model) included younger age, underweight, greater surgical complexity, airway anomaly, chromosomal anomaly/syndrome, longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, and other preoperative comorbidities. Three hospitals were better-than-expected outliers for extubation failure (95% CI around observed-to-expected < 1), and three hospitals were worse-than-expected (95% CI around observed-to-expected > 1). Two hospitals were better-than-expected outliers for both extubation failure and postoperative mechanical ventilation, and three were worse-than-expected for both. No hospital was an outlier in opposite directions. Greater nursing hours per patient day and percent nursing staff with critical care certification were associated with lower odds of extubation failure. Cardiac ICU factors such as fewer inexperienced nurses, greater percent critical care trained attendings, cardiac ICU-dedicated respiratory therapists, and fewer patients per cardiac ICU attending were not associated with lower odds of extubation failure. CONCLUSIONS: We saw no evidence that hospitals trade higher extubation failure rates for shorter duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation after pediatric cardiac surgery. Increasing specialized cardiac ICU nursing hours per patient day may achieve better extubation outcomes and mitigate the impact of inexperienced nurses.

Factors associated with the increased bleeding in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery: A cohort study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with the increased bleeding in patients during the postoperative period after cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND: Bleeding is among the most frequent complications that occur in the postoperative period after cardiac surgery, representing one of the major factors in morbidity and mortality. Understanding the factors associated with the increased bleeding may allow nurses to anticipate and prioritise care, thus reducing the mortality associated with this complication. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Adult patients in a cardiac hospital who were in the postoperative period following cardiac surgery were included. Factors associated with the increased bleeding were investigated by means of linear regression, considering time intervals of 6 and 12 hr. RESULTS: The sample comprised 391 participants. The factors associated with the increased bleeding in the first 6 hr were male sex, body mass index, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, anoxia duration, metabolic acidosis, higher heart rate, platelets and the activated partial thromboplastin time in the postoperative period. Predictors in the first 12 hr were body mass index, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, metabolic acidosis, higher heart rate, platelets and the activated partial thromboplastin time in the postoperative. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified factors associated with the increased postoperative bleeding from cardiac surgery that have not been reported in previous studies. The nurse is important in the vigilance, evaluation and registry of chest tube drainage and modifiable factors associated with the increased bleeding, such as metabolic acidosis and postoperative heart rate, and in discussions with the multiprofessional team. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Knowledge of the factors associated with the increased bleeding is critical for nurses so they can provide prophylactic interventions and early postoperative treatment when needed.

Contribution of transpersonal care to cardiac patients in the postoperative period of heart surgery. / Contribuição do cuidado transpessoal ao ser-cardiopata no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca.

OBJECTIVE: To know the contribution of Watson's theory to nursing care for cardiac patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. METHODS: This is a qualitative study based on the research-care method conducted with ten patients who underwent cardiac surgery in a specialised hospital from June to August 2013, in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Data were submitted to content analysis based on the Clinical Caritas Process. RESULTS: The results led to four thematic categories: Awareness of being cared for by another being, System of beliefs and subjectivity, Relation of support and trust, and Expression of feelings. Surgery transformed the lives of the patients related to the process of being cared for by other people. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The application of Watson's theory to care for cardiac patients after heart surgery shed valuable light on the importance of transpersonal care for the expansion of nursing care.

The Effectiveness of Discharge Training for Patients After Cardiac Surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of written and verbal discharge training given to patients who underwent cardiac surgery. DESIGN AND METHODS: It was conducted on 180 patients between November 2011 and June 2012. The patients were divided into two groups. The first 90 patients were given verbal discharge training, whereas the others were provided with both written and verbal trainings. Using pretest and posttest questionnaires, knowledge levels of the patients were evaluated before training and 1 month after discharge. Patients given verbal discharge training had a success rate of 10.2% pretest, 48.1% posttest, whereas the success rate of patients who received both written and verbal discharge training was 6.35% pretest, 90.7% posttest. FINDINGS: The findings show that both written and verbal discharge training increased the knowledge levels. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings imply that written-verbal discharge training may help patients to solve the problems after discharge, which may reduce the number of patients presenting at hospital and, in turn, related healthcare costs.

Nurse and patient factors that influence nursing time in chest tube management early after open heart surgery: A descriptive, correlational study.

PURPOSE: Determine nurse characteristics and patient factors that affect nurses' time in managing chest tubes in the first 24-hours of critical-care stay. DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive. METHODS: Cardiovascular critical-care nurses and post-operative heart surgery patients with chest tubes were enrolled from a single center in Ohio. Nurses completed case report forms about themselves, comfort and time in managing chest tubes, chest tube placement and management factors. Analysis included correlational and comparative statistics; Bonferroni corrections were applied, as appropriate. RESULTS: Of 29 nurses, 86.2% were very comfortable managing chest tubes and oozing/non-secure dressings, but only 41.4% were very comfortable managing clogged chest tubes. Of 364 patients, mean age was 63.1 (±12.3) years and 36% had previous heart surgery. Total minutes of chest tube management was higher with≥3 chest tubes, tube size <28 French, and when both mediastinal and pleural tubes were present (all p<0.001). In the first 4-hours, time spent on chest tubes was higher when patients had previous cardiac surgeries (p≤0.002), heart failure (p<0.001), preoperative anticoagulant medications (p=0.031) and reoperation for postoperative bleeding/tamponade (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Time to manage chest tubes can be anticipated by patient characteristics. Nurse comfort with chest tube-related tasks affected time spent on chest tube management.

Impact of International Quality Improvement Collaborative on Congenital Heart Surgery in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: The International Quality Improvement Collaborative (IQIC) was formed to reduce mortality and morbidity from congenital heart disease (CHD) surgeries in low/middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: We conducted this study to compare the postoperative outcomes of CHD surgeries at a centre in Pakistan before and after joining IQIC. METHODS: The IQIC provides guidelines targeting key drivers responsible for morbidity and mortality in postoperativepatients with CHD. We focused primarily on nurse empowerment and improving the infection control strategies at our centre. Patients with CHD who underwent surgery at this site during the period 2011-2012 (pre-IQIC) were comparedwith those getting surgery in 2013-2014 (post-IQIC). Morbidity (major infections), mortality and factors associated with them were assessed. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in surgical site infections and bacterial sepsis in the post-IQIC versus pre-IQIC period (1% vs 30%, p=0.0001, respectively). A statistically insignificant decrease in the mortality rate was also noted in post-IQIC versus pre-IQIC period (6% vs 9%, p=0.17, respectively). Durations of ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay were significantly reduced in the post-IQIC period. Age <1 year, malnutrition, low preoperative oxygen perfusion, Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery score >3, major chromosomal anomalies, perfusion-related event, longer ventilation and ICU/hospital stay durations were associated with greater odds of morbidity and mortality. CONCLUSION: Enrolling in the IQIC programme was associated with an improvement in the postsurgical outcomes of the CHD surgeries at our centre.

Early postoperative blood pressure and blood loss after cardiac surgery: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Increased blood loss after cardiac surgery is a risk factor for patient morbidity and mortality. Guidelines for postoperative haemodynamics management recommend normotensive blood pressure to avoid increased chest drain volumes. The aim of this study was to verify the correlation of early postoperative hypertension and blood loss in patients after cardiac surgery during the early postoperative period. METHODS: Postoperative mean blood pressure values and chest drain volumes of 431 patients were registered by an intensive care monitoring system during first 60minutes after intensive care admission. Correlation between blood pressure and blood loss was calculated by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: In the entire patient cohort and in various subgroup analyses (body-mass-index, type of surgery, comorbidity, emergency surgery, preoperative anticoagulation therapy) no association between early mean blood pressure >80mmHg and increased blood loss was evident in simple regression analysis. Merely, after aortic surgery a correlation of hypertension and blood loss was found. Multiple regression revealed postoperative INR values >1.5 and thrombocyte counts <100.000/nL to impact blood loss in contrast to postoperative hypertension. CONCLUSION: Evidence for strict blood pressure management to reduce blood loss after cardiac surgery is scarce. Instead, in face of higher INR and low thrombocytes increasing postoperative blood loss, achieving and maintaining a physiological coagulation is essential.

[Screening for Staphylococcus aureus before heart surgery]. / Dépister le Staphylococcus aureus avant une chirurgie cardiaque.

One patient out of four having to undergo an operation is a carrier of Staphylococcus aureus. This, notably in cases of heart surgery, increases the risk of developing a nosocomial infection with this very germ in the post-operative period. Nurses must implement appropriate care procedures to favour decolonisation and the education of these patients.

Computerised insulin dosing calculators for the management of continuous insulin infusions after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effectiveness of computerised insulin dosing calculators for the management of continuous insulin infusions in adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery. METHOD: A systematic review was conducted. The CINAHL, MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were searched for primary studies that compared a computerised insulin dosing calculator to a paper protocol. The main outcome measures were mean Blood Glucose Level (BGL), time to achieve BGL target range, time spent within BGL target range, the incidence of hyperglycaemia and the incidence of hypoglycaemia. RESULTS: Five studies were included in the final review. Pooled data demonstrated significant improvements in mean BGL (MD -14.24, 95% CI -26.93 to -1.55), p=0.03 and significantly lower rates of hypoglycaemia (OR 0.038, 95% CI: 0.16-0.90), p=0.03 amongst the computer calculator groups in comparison to the paper protocol groups. No significant difference in the incidence of severe hypoglycaemia was demonstrated (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.02-1.79), p=0.15. No difference was found in time (hours) to reach target blood glucose range (MD -1.47, 95% CI -3.75 to 0.81), p=0.21. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence to support the use of computerised insulin dosing calculators for insulin infusion management within critical care environments.

Contribuição do cuidado transpessoal ao ser-cardiopata no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca / Contribución del cuidado transpersonal al ser-cardiopata en el post operatorio de cirugía cardíaca / Contribution of transpersonal care to cardiac patients in the postoperative period of heart surgery

Resumo OBJETIVO Conhecer a contribuição da teoria de Watson para o cuidado de enfermagem dirigido ao ser com cardiopatia no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca. Métodos: Pesquisa qualitativa, por meio do método de pesquisa-cuidado, realizado com dez pessoas que realizaram cirurgia cardíaca em um hospital especializado, de junho a agosto de 2013, no município de Fortaleza-CE. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo, com base no processo Clinical Caritas. RESULTADOS Foram construídas quatro categorias temáticas: Consciência de ser cuidado por outro ser, Sistema de crenças e subjetividade, Relação de ajuda-confiança e Expressão dos sentimentos. Compreendeu-se que a realização da cirurgia acarretou transformações na vida dos pesquisados-cuidados, as quais foram relacionadas ao processo de serem cuidados por outras pessoas. CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS Concluiu-se que, ao utilizar a teoria de Watson no cuidado ao ser com cardiopatia no pós-operatório, foi possível compreender a importância do cuidado transpessoal para expansão dos cuidados da enfermeira.

Resumen OBJETIVO Conocer la contribución de la teoría de Watson para el cuidado de enfermería dirigido al ser con cardiopatía en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca. MÉTODOS Investigación cualitativa, por medio del método de investigación-cuidado, realizado con diez personas que realizaron cirugía cardiaca en un hospital especializado, de junio a agosto de 2013, en el municipio de Fortaleza-CE. Los datos fueron sometidos al análisis de contenido, con base en el proceso Clinical Caritas. RESULTADOS Se construyeron cuatro categorías temáticas: Consciencia de ser cuidado por otro ser, Sistema de creencias y subjetividad, Relación de ayuda-confianza y Expresión de los sentimientos. Se comprendió que la realización de la cirugía acarreó transformaciones en la vida de los encuestados-cuidados, las cuales fueron relacionadas al proceso de ser cuidados por otras personas. CONSIDERACIONES FINALES Se concluyó que, al utilizar la teoría de Watson en el cuidado al ser con cardiopatía en el postoperatorio, fue posible comprender la importancia del cuidado transpersonal para la expansión del cuidado de la enfermera.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To know the contribution of Watson's theory to nursing care for cardiac patients in the postoperative period of cardiac surgery. METHODS This is a qualitative study based on the research-care method conducted with ten patients who underwent cardiac surgery in a specialised hospital from June to August 2013, in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Data were submitted to content analysis based on the Clinical Caritas Process. RESULTS The results led to four thematic categories: Awareness of being cared for by another being, System of beliefs and subjectivity, Relation of support and trust, and Expression of feelings. Surgery transformed the lives of the patients related to the process of being cared for by other people. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS The application of Watson's theory to care for cardiac patients after heart surgery shed valuable light on the importance of transpersonal care for the expansion of nursing care.

Infant health after heart surgery.

Background The number of infants who survive initial surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD), such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome, is increasing, but they are often left with residual complex health needs.

Nurses in post-operative heart surgery: professional competencies and organization strategies.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze nurses' competencies with regard to their work in post-operative heart surgery and the strategies implemented to mobilize these competencies. METHOD: This was an exploratory study with a qualitative approach and a methodological design of collective case study. It was carried out in three post-operative heart surgery units, consisting of 18 nurses. Direct observation and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Data were construed through thematic analysis. RESULTS: nine competencies were found, as follows: theoretical-practical knowledge; high-complexity nursing care; nursing supervision; leadership in nursing; decision making; conflict management; personnel management; material and financial resources management; and on-job continued education. Organizational and individual strategies were employed to develop and improve competencies such as regular offerings of courses and lectures, in addition to the individual pursuit for knowledge and improvement. CONCLUSION: the study is expected to lead future nurses and training centers to evaluate the need for furthur training required to work in cardiac units, and also the need for implementing programs aimed at developing the competencies of these professionals. OBJETIVO: Analisar as competências dos enfermeiros para atuarem no pós-operatório de cirurgia cardíaca e estratégias implementadas para a mobilização dessas competências. MÉTODO: Estudo exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa e desenho metodológico estudo de caso coletivo. Foi realizado em três unidades pós-operatórias de cirurgias cardíacas, com 18 enfermeiros. Na coleta de dados utilizou-se observação direta e entrevista semiestruturada. Para interpretação dos dados optou-se pela análise temática. RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas nove competências, sendo: conhecimento teórico-prático, cuidados de enfermagem de alta complexidade, supervisão e liderança em enfermagem, tomada de decisão, gerenciamento de conflitos, de recursos humanos, materiais, financeiros e educação continuada em serviço. Estratégias organizacionais e individuais são realizadas a fim de desenvolver e aprimorar competências, tais como: oferecimento de cursos e palestras periodicamente, além da busca individual por conhecimento e aperfeiçoamento. CONCLUSÃO: O estudo deve provocar a reflexão de futuros enfermeiros e dos centros formadores quanto à formação necessária para atuar em unidades cardíacas e sobre a necessidade de implementação de programas que visam desenvolver competências nestes profissionais.

Tranexamic Acid in Anesthetic Management of Surgical Procedures.

Blood loss during surgical procedures poses a grave risk to the patient, but transfusion is costly and associated with adverse outcomes. Antifibrinolytics, however, offer an economical and effective means of decreasing blood loss associated with surgical procedures. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an antifibrinolytic that blocks lysine-binding sites of fibrinogen and fibrin, preventing the breakdown of existing clots. This journal course reviews extensive research demonstrating that antifibrinolytics such as TXA decrease blood loss and in some studies reduce allogeneic transfusion requirements. In addition, this journal course addresses concerns that use of antifibrinolytics increases embolic events, reviews research that demonstrates TXA does not increase the incidence of vascular occlusive events, and describes methods of TXA use in cardiac and orthopedic surgical procedures, neurosurgery, and obstetrics. The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist should consider the possibility, on a case-by-case basis, of using TXA in surgical procedures to reduce blood loss with minimal adverse effects.