Tapered-cuff Endotracheal Tube Does Not Prevent Early Postoperative Pneumonia Compared with Spherical-cuff Endotracheal Tube after Major Vascular Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing major vascular surgery often develop postoperative pneumonia that impacts their outcomes. Conflicting data exist concerning the potential benefit of tapered-shaped cuffs on tracheal sealing. The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficiency of a polyvinyl chloride tapered-cuff endotracheal tube at reducing the postoperative pneumonia rate after major vascular surgery. Secondary objectives were to determine its impact on microaspiration, ventilator-associated pneumonia rate, and inner cuff pressure. METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled study included 109 patients who were randomly assigned to receive either spherical- (standard cuff) or taper-shaped (tapered cuff) endotracheal tubes inserted after anesthesia induction and then admitted to the intensive care unit after major vascular surgery. Cuff pressure was continuously recorded over 5 h. Pepsin and α-amylase concentrations in tracheal aspirates were quantified on postoperative days 1 and 2. The primary outcome was the early postoperative pneumonia frequency. RESULTS: Comparing the tapered-cuff with standard-cuff group, respectively, postoperative pneumonia rates were comparable (42 vs. 44%, P = 0.87) and the percentage (interquartile range) of cuff-pressure time with overinflation was significantly higher (16.1% [1.5 to 50] vs. 0.6% [0 to 8.3], P = 0.01), with a 2.5-fold higher coefficient of variation (20.2 [10.6 to 29.4] vs. 7.6 [6.2 to 10.2], P < 0.001). Although microaspiration frequencies were high, they did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: For major vascular surgery patients, polyvinyl chloride tapered-cuff endotracheal tubes with intermittent cuff-pressure control did not lower the early postoperative pneumonia frequency and did not prevent microaspiration.

Surgical repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a 10-patient series.

BACKGROUND: Major surgery in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection increases the risk of complications such as cardiovascular morbidity and opportunistic infections. METHODS: This study reports our experience with open surgical repair of 10 descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with HIV. RESULTS: Seven were men, and their median age was 49 years. All patients were controlled with highly active antiretroviral therapy (mean CD4+: 613/mm(3)). Three patients died (1 preoperatively, 1 after rupture, and 1 after elective surgery). No patient had spinal cord ischemia or infectious complications, either early or after a median follow-up of 29 months. Bacteriologic and histologic analyses did not determine any specific etiology for the aneurysms. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with HIV infection is feasible and may not lead to remote infectious complications.

Impact of preoperative statin therapy on adverse postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Chronic statin therapy is associated with reduced postoperative mortality. Renal and cardiovascular benefits have been described, but the effect of chronic statin therapy on postoperative adverse events has not yet been explored. METHODS: In this observational study involving 1,674 patients undergoing aortic reconstruction, we prospectively assessed chronic statin therapy compared with no statin therapy, with regard to serious outcomes, by propensity score and multivariable methods. RESULTS: In propensity-adjusted multivariable logistic regression (c-index: 0.83), statins were associated with an almost threefold reduction in the risk of death in patients undergoing major vascular surgery (odds ratio: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.28-0.59) and an almost twofold reduction in the risk of postoperative myocardial infarction (odds ratio: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.38-0.71). Likewise, the use of chronic statin therapy was associated with a reduced risk of postoperative stroke and renal failure. Statins did not significantly reduce the risk of pneumonia, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and surgical complications; however, in the case of postoperative multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (odds ratio: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.12-0.94) and surgical complications (odds ratio: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.17-0.86), reduced mortality was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic statin therapy was associated with a reduction in all cardiac and vascular outcomes after major vascular surgery. Furthermore, in major adverse events, such as multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and surgical complications, statins were also associated with decreased mortality.

Point-of-care versus central laboratory coagulation testing during haemorrhagic surgery. A multicenter study.

Delay in collecting coagulation test results from a central laboratory is one of the critical issues to efficiently control haemostasis during surgery. The aim of this multicenter study was to compare the performance of a point-of-care (POC) device (CoaguChek Pro DM) with the central laboratory-based coagulation testing during haemorrhagic surgery. For this purpose, 93 patients undergoing major surgical procedure were prospectively included in three centers. Blood was drawn from all patients before surgical incision and from most patients during surgical procedure after a blood loss of 25% or more was observed. When expressed in activity percentage, POC-based prothrombin time (PT) was in good agreement with central laboratory test result with coefficient of correlation in the range from 0.711 to 0.960 in the three centers. Comparison was less conclusive when PT was expressed in seconds or as the patient-to-control ratio and for activated partial thromboplastin time, with significantly shorter clotting times and lower ratios obtained on the POC device. On-site PT (in activity percentage) monitoring would have induced no significant change in fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion in patients when compared to central laboratory monitoring. Test results were obtained in less than 5 minutes when performed using the POC device versus a median turnaround time of 88 minutes (range: 29-235 minutes) when blood collection tubes were sent to the central laboratory. These results suggest that, in providing a rapid answer, POC-based monitoring of PT (in percentage) using the CoaguChek device could be validly used in patients undergoing haemorrhagic surgical procedures.

Type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair: predictors of postoperative mortality, spinal cord injury, and acute intestinal ischemia.

Our purpose was to identify preoperative and intraoperative predictors of early mortality, spinal cord injury, or acute intestinal ischemia after repair of type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm (TAA IV) as a basis for optimizing surgical indications and techniques. From January 1991 to June 2006 we operated on 171 patients for TAA IV. There were 149 men (87.1%) and 22 women (12.9%), with a mean age of 65.0 +/- 10.9 years (range 23-82). The underlying etiology was degenerative aneurysmal disease in 143 patients (83.6%). Twenty-two patients (12.8%) underwent emergent operation. Comorbidity included coronary disease in 72 patients (45.6%) including 39 who had undergone a revascularization procedure, arterial hypertension in 121 (70.1%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 81 (47.4%), and chronic kidney insufficiency in 58 (33.9%). Seventy-six patients (44.4%) presented concurrent lesions involving at least one visceral artery. Spinal cord arteriography was performed in 91 patients (53.2%). In 25 cases (27.5%) arteriographic findings demonstrated the need for revascularization of the Adamkiewicz artery due to location of the ostium at or below the T12 level. Repair was carried out with cross-clamping only in 160 cases (93.6%). Partial cardiopulmonary bypass was used in 11 patients (6.4%). A total of 23 patients (13.4%) died postoperatively. The cause of death was acute intestinal ischemia in nine cases, multiple organ failure in seven, coagulation disorder in three, cardiac complications in two, and stroke in two. Spinal cord injury occurred in eight patients (4.7%) including two who died. According to univariate analysis, the significant predictors of early death were age over 70 years, degenerative aneurysmal disease, coronary artery disease, chronic renal insufficiency or visceral artery lesions, operator, duration of intestinal ischemia and use of a "complex" surgical technique. Although the only significant predictor of spinal cord injury was duration of digestive ischemia, an almost significant trend (p < 0.1) was observed for coronary artery disease, coronary bypass, and renal insufficiency. The significant predictors of acute intestinal ischemia were kidney insufficiency and visceral artery lesions, but coronary artery disease and previous coronary bypass were almost significant (p = 0.06). Frequent association of TAA IV with arteriosclerotic disease in elderly patients presenting coronary artery disease and chronic kidney insufficiency partly explains why early postoperative mortality remains high. The incidence of spinal cord injury suggests that preoperative spinal cord arteriography is mandatory for prevention. The frequency of intestinal ischemia is more problematic, but a better understanding of the underlying mechanism should enable development of preventive strategies.

The impact of postoperative discontinuation or continuation of chronic statin therapy on cardiac outcome after major vascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: Statins reduce cardiac morbidity in nonsurgical populations, and may benefit surgical patients. We sought to examine cardiac outcome in patients who continued, compared with those who discontinued, statin therapy after major vascular surgery. METHODS: Prospectively collected data were examined for an association between statin therapy and perioperative cardiac morbidity in patients undergoing infrarenal aortic surgery. Between January 2001 and December 2003, there were no guidelines for perioperative continuation of statins (discontinuation group, n = 491). From January 2004, guidelines were instituted whereby statin therapy was continued starting as soon as possible after surgery (continuation group, n = 178). The occurrence of cardiac myonecrosis (defined as an increase of cardiac troponin I more than the 99th percentile or 0.2 ng/mL) was analyzed. Intra-cohort (propensity score) and extra-cohort (Lee score) adjustments of the risk were performed. RESULTS: The median delay between surgery and resumption of statin therapy was 4 days and 1 day in the discontinuation and continuation groups (P < 0.001), respectively. Using propensity score matching for likelihood of preoperative treatment, the odds ratio associated with chronic statin treatment to predict myonecrosis for patients with versus without early postoperative statin resumption (continuation versus discontinuation groups) was 0.38 and 2.1 (relative risk reduction of 5.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-25.3, P < 0.001), respectively. The odds ratio after adjustment for the Lee score was 0.38 in the continuation group and 2.1 in the discontinuation group (relative reduction of 5.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.2-26.0, P < 0.001). Postoperative statin withdrawal (>4 days) was an independent predictor of postoperative myonecrosis (OR 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.6-5.5). CONCLUSIONS: Discontinuation of statin therapy after major vascular surgery is associated with an increased postoperative cardiac risk, suggesting that statin therapy should be resumed early after major vascular surgery.

Does preoperative coronary angioplasty improve perioperative cardiac outcome?

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is performed in patients with coronary artery disease who are undergoing major noncardiac procedures to reduce perioperative cardiac morbidity and mortality. However, the impact of this approach on postoperative outcome remains controversial. METHODS: The authors analyzed a cohort of 1,152 patients after abdominal aortic surgery in which 78 patients underwent PCI. A propensity score analysis was performed. Also, using a logistic regression model, the authors determined variables associated with a severe postoperative coronary event or a death in patients without PCI. Then, in patients with PCI, they compared the expected and observed outcome. RESULTS: Five variables (age > 75 yr, blood transfusion > 3 units, repeated surgery, preoperative hemodialysis, and previous cardiac failure) independently predicted (with 94% correctly classified) a severe postoperative coronary event, and five variables (age > 75 yr, repeated surgery, previously abnormal ST segment/T waves, previous hypertension, and previous cardiac failure) independently predicted (with 97% correctly classified) postoperative death. In the PCI group, the observed percentages of patients with a severe postoperative coronary event (9.0% [95% confidence interval, 4.4-17.4]) or death (5.1% [95% confidence interval, 2.0-12.5]) were not significantly different from the expected percentages (8.2 and 6.9%, respectively). When all patients were pooled together, the odds ratios of PCI were not significant. The propensity score analysis provided a similar conclusion. CONCLUSION: PCI did not seem to limit significantly cardiac risk or death after aortic surgery.

Atenolol administration via a nasogastric tube after abdominal surgery: an unreliable route.

beta-adrenoceptor antagonists, especially atenolol, reduce perioperative cardiac morbidity. Because there are no data on the bioavailability of atenolol given by nasogastric tube in the postoperative period, we assessed the efficacy of this route of administration in 18 patients scheduled for abdominal surgery. We found a 36% reduction in the area under the atenolol concentration curve and a 46% reduction in the peak concentration of atenolol in the postoperative period compared with preoperative values. In addition, patients had more rapid mean heart rates on the second postoperative day compared with the day before surgery. We conclude that the administration of atenolol via nasogastric tube in the postoperative period does not result in adequate plasma concentrations.

Allograft replacement for infrarenal aortic graft infection: early and late results in 179 patients.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated early and late results of allograft replacement to treat infrarenal aortic graft infection in a large number of patients and compared the results in patients who received fresh allografts versus patients who received cryopreserved allografts. METHODS: From 1988 to 2002 we operated on 179 consecutive patients (mean age, 64.6 +/- 9.0 years; 88.8% men). One hundred twenty-five patients (69.8%) had primary graft infections, and 54 patients (30.2%) had secondary aortoenteric fistulas (AEFs). Fresh allografts were used in 111 patients (62.0%) until 1996, and cryopreserved allografts were used in 68 patients (38.0%) thereafter. RESULTS: Early postoperative mortality was 20.1% (36 patients), including four (2.2%) allograft-related deaths from rupture of the allograft (recurrent AEF, n = 3), all in patients with fresh allografts. Thirty-two deaths were not allograft related. Significant risk factors for early mortality were septic shock (P <.001), presence of AEF (P =.04), emergency operation (P =.003), emergency allograft replacement (P =.0075), surgical complication (P =.003) or medical complication (P <.0001), and need for repeat operation (P =.04). There were five (2.8%) nonlethal allograft complications (rupture, n = 2; thromboses, which were successfully treated at repeat operation, n = 2; and amputation, n = 1), all in patients with fresh allografts. Four patients (2.2%) were lost to follow-up. Mean follow-up was 46.0 +/- 42.1 months (range, 1-148 months). Late mortality was 25.9% (37 patients). There were three (2.1%) allograft-related late deaths from rupture of the allograft, at 9, 10, and 27 months, respectively, all in patients with fresh allografts. Actuarial survival was 73.2% +/- 6.8% at 1 year, 55.0% +/- 8.8% at 5 years, and 49.4% +/- 9.6% at 7 years. Late nonlethal aortic events occurred in 10 patients (7.2%; occlusion, n = 4; dilatation < 4 cm, n = 5; aneurysm, n = 1), at a mean of 28.3 +/- 28.2 months, all but two in patients with fresh allografts. The only significant risk factor for late aortic events was use of an allograft obtained from the descending thoracic aorta (P =.03). Actuarial freedom from late aortic events was 96.6% +/- 3.4% at 1 year, 89.3% +/- 6.6% at 3 years, and 89.3% +/- 6.6% at 5 years. There were 63 late, mostly occlusive, iliofemoral events, which occurred at a mean of 34.9 +/- 33.7 months in 38 patients (26.6%), 28 of whom (73.7%) had received fresh allografts. The only significant risk factor for late iliofemoral events was use of fresh allografts versus cryopreserved allografts (P =.03). Actuarial freedom from late iliofemoral events was 84.6% +/- 7.0% at 1 year, 72.5% +/- 9.0% at 3 years, and 66.4% +/- 10.2% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Early and long-term results of allograft replacement are at least similar to those of other methods to manage infrarenal aortic graft infections. Rare specific complications include early or late allograft rupture and late aortic dilatation. The more frequent late iliofemoral complications may be easily managed through the groin. These complications are significantly reduced by using cryopreserved allografts rather than fresh allografts and by not using allografts obtained from the descending thoracic aorta.

A comparison of intrathecal opioid and intravenous analgesia for the incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal complications after abdominal aortic surgery.

UNLABELLED: Major surgery evokes a stress response that can produce deleterious consequences, especially in a population at high risk for those complications. We tested the hypothesis that decreasing or eliminating one of the sources of stress by providing intense analgesia in the immediate postoperative period via application of neuraxial opioids would decrease major nonsurgical complications. Two-hundred-seventeen patients scheduled to undergo abdominal aortic surgery were randomly allocated to receive either general anesthesia alone (control) or general anesthesia combined with intrathecal opioid (1 micro g/kg sufentanil with 8 micro g/kg preservative-free morphine injected at the L4-5 interspace). Postoperative care was identical in the two groups, including patient-controlled analgesia. Each patient provided an assessment of postoperative pain using a visual analog scale. Postopera-tive complications were recorded according to criteria established a priori. The administration of intrathecal opioid provided more intense analgesia than patient-controlled analgesia during the first 24 h postoperatively (P < 0.05). There was no difference between groups for the incidence of combined major cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal complications (P > 0.05) or mortality (P > 0.05). The incidence of myocardial damage or infarction, as defined by abnormal plasma concentration of troponin I, did not differ between the two groups (P > 0.05). In patients undergoing major abdominal vascular surgery, decrease of one contributor to postoperative stress, by provision of intense analgesia for the intraoperative and initial postoperative period, via application of neuraxial opioid, does not alter the combined major cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal complication rate. IMPLICATIONS: Provision of intense analgesia for the initial postoperative period after major abdominal vascular surgery, via the administration of neuraxial opioid, does not alter the combined incidence of major cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal complications.