Impact of a bundle of care (intravenous iron, erythropoietin and transfusion metabolic adjustment) on post-operative transfusion incidence in cardiac surgery: a single-centre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group controlled pilot trial.

Background: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are frequent in patients after cardiac surgery. This study assessed whether a bundle of care including pre-operative and post-operative administration of erythropoietin (EPO) with intravenous iron supplementation, and restrictive transfusion adjusted for ScvO2 could result in reduced postoperative transfusions. Methods: In this single-centre, randomised, open-label, parallel-group controlled pilot study, patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with high risk of transfusion in a University Hospital were enrolled by the investigator and the randomisation procedure using a central internet-based system was made by the clinical research assistant. Since the trial was open-label, no masking was used. Patients were assigned (1:1) to either the STOP group (40,000 IU subcutaneous EPO combined with 20 mg/kg intravenous ferric carboxymaltose if Hb < 13 g/dL the day before surgery or at ICU admission, and RBC transfusion if Hb ≤ 8 g/dL and ScvO2 ≤ 65%, or additional EPO dose if 8 < Hb < 13 g/dL) or to the control group (RBC transfusion if Hb ≤ 8 g/dL, or, if 8 < Hb < 13 g/dL, intravenous iron sucrose 200 mg or 300 mg according to weight). Primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative RBC transfusion up to hospital discharge or postoperative day 28. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04141631. Findings: Between Jan 20, 2020, and Sept 6, 2022, among 128 patients enrolled, 123 (male, 54.4%, 67/123) were included in the full analysis set: 62 in the STOP group and 61 in the control group. Nine patients (14.5%, 9/62) in the STOP group required RBC transfusion vs 19 (31.2%, 19/61) in the control group (odds ratio 0.37 [95% CI: 0.15-0.91], p = 0.03). The median length of follow up to transfusion was 2.6 days (1.5; 4.6) and 3.3 (1.6; 4.2) in control and STOP groups respectively (p = 0.61). Interpretation: The bundle of care may reduce postoperative RBC transfusion. The findings should be taken with caution due to the unblinded and exploratory nature of the study. Funding: University of Montpellier Hospital and Vifor Pharma.

Early temporary mechanical circulatory support for cardiogenic shock: Real-life data from a regional cardiac assistance network.

BACKGROUND: Temporary mechanical circulatory support as well as multidisciplinary team approach in a regional care organization might improve survival of cardiogenic shock. No study has evaluated the relative effect of each temporary mechanical circulatory support on mortality in the context of a regional network. METHODS: Prospective observational data were retrieved from patients consecutively admitted with cardiogenic shock to the intensive care units in 3 centers organized into a regional cardiac assistance network. Temporary mechanical circulatory support indication was decided by a heart team, based on the initial shock severity or if shock was refractory to medical treatment within 24 hours of admission. A propensity score for circulatory support use was used as an adjustment co-variable to emulate a target trial. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-six patients were included in the study (median age: 59.5 years, 71.9% male): 121 received early mechanical assistance. The main etiologies were acute myocardial infraction (46.8%) and decompensated heart failure (27.2%). Patients who received early mechanical assistance had more severe conditions than other patients. Their crude in-hospital mortality was 38% and 22.4% in other patients but adjusted in-hospital mortality was not different (hazard ratio 0.91, 95% CI:0.65-1.26). Patients with mechanical assistance had a higher rate of complications than others with longer Intensive Care Unit and hospital stays. CONCLUSIONS: In the conditions of a cardiac assistance regional network, in-hospital mortality was not improved by early mechanical assistance implantation. A high incidence of complications of temporary mechanical circulatory support may have jeopardized its potential benefit.

Complications in patients with cardiogenic shock on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: distribution and relevance. Results from an international, multicentre cohort study.

AIMS: Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy (VA-ECMO) restores circulation and tissue oxygenation in cardiogenic shock (CS) patients, but can also lead to complications. This study aimed to quantify VA-ECMO complications and analyse their association with overall survival as well as favourable neurological outcome (cerebral performance categories 1 + 2). METHODS AND RESULTS: All-comer patients with CS treated with VA-ECMO were retrospectively enrolled from 16 centres in four countries (2005-2019). Neurological, bleeding, and ischaemic adverse events (AEs) were considered. From these, typical VA-ECMO complications were identified and analysed separately as device-related complications. n = 501. Overall, 118 were women (24%), median age was 56.0 years, median lactate was 8.1 mmol/L. Acute myocardial infarction caused CS in 289 patients (58%). Thirty-days mortality was 40% (198/501 patients). At least one device-related complication occurred in 252/486 (52%) patients, neurological AEs in 108/469 (23%), bleeding in 192/480 (40%), ischaemic AEs in 123/478 (26%). The 22% of patients with the most AEs accounted for 50% of all AEs. All types of AEs were associated with a worse prognosis. Aside from neurological ones, all AEs and device-related complications were more likely to occur in women; although prediction of AEs outside of neurological AEs was generally poor. CONCLUSION: Therapy and device-related complications occur in half of all patients treated with VA-ECMO and are associated with a worse prognosis. They accumulate in some patients, especially in women. Aside from neurological events, identification of patients at risk is difficult, highlighting the need to establish additional quantitative markers of complication risk to guide VA-ECMO treatment in CS.

Cost Analysis of Aprotinin Reintroduction in French Cardiac Surgery Centres: A Real-World Data-Based Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The European Medicines Agency restored aprotinin (APR) use for preventing blood loss in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft (iCABG) in 2016 but requested the collection of patient and surgery data in a registry (NAPaR). The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the impact of APR reintroduction in France on the main hospital costs (operating room, transfusion and intensive unit stay) compared to the current use of tranexamic acid (TXA), which was the only antifibrinolytic available before APR reinstatement. METHODS: A multicenter before-after post-hoc analysis to compare APR and TXA was carried out in four French university hospitals. APR use followed the ARCOTHOVA (French Association of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthetists) protocol, which had framed three main indications in 2018. Data from 236 APR patients were retrieved from the NAPaR (N = 874); 223 TXA patients were retrospectively retrieved from each center database and matched to APR patients upon indication classes. Budget impact was evaluated using both direct costs associated with antifibrinolytics and transfusion products (within the first 48 h) and other costs such as surgery duration and ICU stay. RESULTS: The 459 collected patients were distributed as: 17% on-label; 83% off-label. Mean cost per patient until ICU discharge tended to be lower in the APR group versus the TXA group, which resulted in an estimated gross saving of €3136 per patient. These savings concerned operating room and transfusion costs but were mainly driven by reduced ICU stays. When extrapolated to the whole French NAPaR population, the total savings of the therapeutic switch was estimated at around €3 million. CONCLUSION: The budget impact projected that using APR according to ARCOTHOVA protocol resulted in decreased requirement for transfusion and complications related to surgery. Both were associated with substantial cost savings from the hospital's perspective compared with exclusive use of TXA.

Timing of Active Left Ventricular Unloading in Patients on Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: It is currently unclear if active left ventricular (LV) unloading should be used as a primary treatment strategy or as a bailout in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) treated with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate the association between timing of active LV unloading and implantation of VA-ECMO with outcomes of patients with CS. METHODS: Data from 421 patients with CS treated with VA-ECMO and active LV unloading at 18 tertiary care centers in 4 countries were analyzed. Patients were stratified by timing of device implantation in early vs delayed active LV unloading (defined by implantation before up to 2 hours after VA-ECMO). Adjusted Cox and logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the association between early active LV unloading and 30-day mortality as well as successful weaning from ventilation. RESULTS: Overall, 310 (73.6%) patients with CS were treated with early active LV unloading. Early active LV unloading was associated with a lower 30-day mortality risk (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46-0.88) and a higher likelihood of successful weaning from ventilation (OR: 2.17; 95% CI: 1.19-3.93) but not with more complications. Importantly, the relative mortality risk increased and the likelihood of successful weaning from ventilation decreased almost proportionally with the time interval between VA-ECMO implantation and (delayed) initiation of active LV unloading. CONCLUSIONS: This exploratory study lends support to the use of early active LV unloading in CS patients on VA-ECMO, although the findings need to be validated in a randomized controlled trial.

Involvement of Vasopressin in Tissue Hypoperfusion during Cardiogenic Shock Complicating Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rats.

Acute heart failure (AHF) due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is likely to involve cardiogenic shock (CS), with neuro-hormonal activation. A relationship between AHF, CS and vasopressin response is suspected. This study aimed to investigate the implication of vasopressin on hemodynamic parameters and tissue perfusion at the early phase of CS complicating AMI. Experiments were performed on male Wistar rats submitted or not to left coronary artery ligation (AMI and Sham). Six groups were studied Sham and AMI treated or not with either a vasopressin antagonist SR-49059 (Sham-SR, AMI-SR) or agonist terlipressin (Sham-TLP, AMI-TLP). Animals were sacrificed one day after surgery (D1) and after hemodynamic parameters determination. Vascular responses to vasopressin were evaluated, ex vivo, on aorta. AHF was defined by a left ventricular ejection fraction below 40%. CS was defined by AHF plus tissue hypoperfusion evidenced by elevated serum lactate level or low mesenteric oxygen saturation (SmO2) at D1. Mortality rates were 40% in AMI, 0% in AMI-SR and 33% in AMI-TLP. Immediately after surgery, a sharp decrease in SmO2 was observed in all groups. At D1, SmO2 recovered in Sham and in SR-treated animals while it remained low in AMI and further decreased in TLP-treated groups. The incidence of CS among AHF animals was 72% in AMI or AMI-TLP while it was reduced to 25% in AMI-SR. Plasma copeptin level was increased by AMI. Maximal contractile response to vasopressin was decreased in AMI (32%) as in TLP- and SR- treated groups regardless of ligation. Increased vasopressin secretion occurring in the early phase of AMI may be responsible of mesenteric hypoperfusion resulting in tissue hypoxia. Treatment with a vasopressin antagonist enhanced mesenteric perfusion and improve survival. This could be an interesting therapeutic strategy to prevent progression to cardiogenic shock.

Impact of Red Blood Cell Transfusion on In-hospital Mortality of Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study of French Nationwide 3-year Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between red blood cell (RBC) transfusion exposure and in-hospital mortality after isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. BACKGROUND: RBC transfusion was commonly used to treat anemia in isolated CABG surgery, but transfusion was found an independent risk factor of postoperative mortality; recent guidelines on patient blood management strategy issued in the last decade may have changed transfusion incidence and related mortality. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from the National database on patients' hospital discharge reports. Consecutive adult patients who underwent isolated CABG surgery in France from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, were included. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality rate. RBC transfusion during the hospital stay was identified by specific codes and ordered as categorical variables (no, moderate, or massive transfusion). RESULTS: A total of 37,498 participants were studied [mean (SD) age, 66.5 (9.6) years, 31,587 (84.2%) were men]. In-hospital mortality rate was 1.45% (n=541) and RBC transfusion rate was 9.4% (n=3521). In-hospital deaths were more frequent among transfused patients [1.06% (361) if no transfusion up to 10.2% (n=113) if massive transfusion]. After adjustment for confounding variables, RBC transfusion remained a significant independent factor of in-hospital mortality: odds ratio=1.66 (95% confidence interval: 1.27-2.19, P <0.001) for moderate transfusion, 6.40 (95% confidence interval: 5.07-8.09, P <0.001) if massive. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Despite a modest patients' exposure to transfusion, this study suggests that RBC administration is an independent factor of in-hospital mortality in isolated CABG surgery.

Idarucizumab (Praxbind®) for dabigatran reversal in patients undergoing heart transplantation: a cohort of ten patients.

BACKGROUND: Novel oral anticoagulants are used in atrial fibrillation. Idarucizumab has been approved for reversal of dabigatran in situations of life-threatening hemorrhage or emergency surgery. OBJECTIVES: We report a single center experience of ten patients on dabigatran therapy who were given idarucizumab prior to heart transplantation. METHODS & RESULTS: The mean plasma concentration of dabigatran prior to reversal was 139 ± 89 ng/ml. Hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet levels were decreased after surgery. Surgical procedures were successfully performed with no increased risk, especially regarding bleeding complications. All patients were alive after 90 days. CONCLUSION: Dabigatran reversal with idarucizumab in contexts of emergency surgery/urgent procedures is an attractive and safe option to be taken into consideration for patients with end stage heart disease awaiting transplantation and indication of anticoagulant therapy.

Restrictive Transfusion Strategy after Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Recent guidelines on transfusion in cardiac surgery suggest that hemoglobin might not be the only criterion to trigger transfusion. Central venous oxygen saturation (Svo2), which is related to the balance between tissue oxygen delivery and consumption, may help the decision process of transfusion. We designed a randomized study to test whether central Svo2-guided transfusion could reduce transfusion incidence after cardiac surgery. METHODS: This single center, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted on adult patients after cardiac surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary university hospital. Patients were screened preoperatively and were assigned randomly to two study groups (control or Svo2) if they developed anemia (hemoglobin less than 9 g/dl), without active bleeding, during their ICU stay. Patients were transfused at each anemia episode during their ICU stay except the Svo2 patients who were transfused only if the pretransfusion central Svo2 was less than or equal to 65%. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients transfused in the ICU. The main secondary endpoints were (1) number of erythrocyte units transfused in the ICU and at study discharge, and (2) the proportion of patients transfused at study discharge. RESULTS: Among 484 screened patients, 100 were randomized, with 50 in each group. All control patients were transfused in the ICU with a total of 94 transfused erythrocyte units. In the Svo2 group, 34 (68%) patients were transfused (odds ratio, 0.031 [95% CI, 0 to 0.153]; P < 0.001 vs. controls), with a total of 65 erythrocyte units. At study discharge, eight patients of the Svo2 group remained nontransfused and the cumulative count of erythrocyte units was 96 in the Svo2 group and 126 in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: A restrictive transfusion strategy adjusted with central Svo2 may allow a significant reduction in the incidence of transfusion.

Pulmonary hypertension after pneumonectomy: a preclinical model in rats and human pulmonary endothelial cells.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary hypertension and heart disease contribute to the high morbidity rate following pneumonectomy (PN). The pathophysiology is still poorly understood. The objective was to investigate the consequences of PN on cardiopulmonary function in rats and to explore in vitro the involved mechanisms. METHODS: Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats randomly underwent either a right PN (PN group) or sham surgery. Ten rats per group were sacrificed on postoperative days 3, 7 and 28. Cardiopulmonary alterations were investigated by echocardiographic, haemodynamic and histological analyses. In vitro, the shear stress was reproduced using a Flexcell Tension™ cyclic stretch on cultured human pulmonary endothelial cells (P-ECs) to investigate the impact on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PA-SMC) growth. Data are expressed as mean ± SD. RESULTS: Mean pulmonary arterial pressure gradually increased in the PN group to reach 35 ± 7 mmHg on postoperative day 28 vs 18 ± 4 in sham (P = 0.001), likewise the proportion of muscularized distal pulmonary arteries, 83 ± 1% vs 5 ± 1%, respectively (P < 0.001), related to in situ PA-SMC proliferation. The right ventricle area and lateral wall thickness were doubled in the PN group on postoperative day 28. The left ventricle ejection fraction decreased on postoperative days 7 and 28 while the right ventricle function was maintained. In vitro, the human PA-SMC growth was significantly greater when seeded with stretched vs non-stretched P-EC media, highlighting the role of shear stress on the P-EC paracrine function. CONCLUSIONS: Right PN led to pulmonary hypertension and proportional right heart remodelling in rats. The shear stress related to high blood flow alters the pulmonary endothelial paracrine control of SMC growth.

Macintosh Videolaryngoscope for Intubation in the Operating Room: A Comparative Quality Improvement Project.

BACKGROUND: "Macintosh"-videolaryngoscopes (VLs) are VLs that allow both direct and indirect laryngoscopy for intubation. We describe the decision-making and implementation-processes that our hospital used regarding the choice of device. We compared the performances of 4 Macintosh-VLs both in direct and indirect laryngoscopy. METHODS: A quality-improvement-project for airway management aiming at implementing Macintosh-VL for all intubation procedures performed in the operating room, involving 4 Macintosh-VLs (McGrath-Mac, C-MAC-S, C-MAC-S-Pocket-Monitor [PM], and APA). Three consecutive steps were described: (1) direct laryngoscopy with Macintosh-VL, (2) indirect laryngoscopy with Macintosh-VL (intubation attempt with Macintosh-style blade in case of Cormack I or II), (3) intubation attempt with hyperangulated blade in case of Cormack III/IV or failure of Macintosh-style blade. The main end point was the need to move to step III and use a hyperangulated blade. A mixed-effects multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to compare devices on the main end point while considering site as a random effect. Comparison of means was performed using analysis of variance and Tukey's test for multiple comparisons (number of laryngoscopy attempts, numeric rate scale [NRS] difficulty of intubation and NRS user-friendliness). Comparison of percentages was performed using a χ2 test for the need to move to step III and a Kruskal-Wallis test for the quality of image (bad, passable, good, very good, excellent). A P value ≤.008 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: From May to September 2017, 589 patients were included. Using the McGrath-Mac (22/180 [12%]) was associated with less use of hyperangulated blade than using the C-MAC-S (39/132 [30%], odds ratio [OR] [99.2% confidence interval {CI}] 0.34 [0.16-0.77], P = .0005), the APA (35/138 [25%], OR [99.2% CI] 0.42 [0.19-0.93]; P = .004), but not the C-MAC-S-PM (29/139 [21%], OR [99.2% CI] 0.53 [0.23-1.2]; P = .04).Overall, the number of intubation attempts was significantly lower using the McGrath Mac than the C-MAC-S or the C-MAC-S-PMVLs. Subjective appreciation of intubation difficulty and user-friendliness of the devices showed respectively lower and higher NRS scores for the McGrath-Mac compared to the other devices, whereas subjective assessment of image quality showed higher quality for the C-MAC-S and C-MAC-S-PM compared to the APA or McGrath-Mac. CONCLUSIONS: Among 4 single-use Macintosh-VLs, glottic visualization in direct and indirect laryngoscopy with the Macintosh-style blade was significantly improved with the McGrath-Mac compared to other Macintosh-VLs, leading to a less frequent need to resort to the hyperangulated blade and reduced overall number of intubation attempts.

Blood Loss Kinetics During the First 12 Hours After On-Pump Cardiac Surgical Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Anemia and coagulation management and a restrictive transfusion strategy are key points of blood management in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. However, little consideration has been given to the kinetics of postoperative bleeding. This prospective observational study investigated bleeding kinetics from chest tubes to assess whether it was possible to predict, within the early postoperative hours, major bleeding at 12 postoperative hours. METHODS: Adult cardiac surgical patients who were admitted consecutively to the postoperative intensive care unit in a tertiary academic hospital from January to June 2016 were included. Blood volume was collected from the chest drains, and major bleeding was defined as bleeding exceeding the 90th percentile of the volume distribution at 12 postoperative hours. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis was performed with hourly bleeding thresholds to determine the best predictor of major bleeding. RESULTS: In 292 patients, bleeding at 12 postoperative hours ranged from 60 to 2190 mL (median, 350 mL), and 30 patients had major bleeding, with a threshold of 675 mL. Bleeding volume declined logarithmically, 54% [IQR, 45% to 63%] within the first 4 hours. Patients with major bleeding had a higher bleeding volume every hour (P < .004). A good predictive value was observed within the first 2 hours (2.73 mL/kg; receiver operating characteristics area under the curve, 0.87 ± 0.04 [IQR, 0.79 to 0.94]; P< .001). CONCLUSIONS: The hourly rate of chest tube blood loss seems to be relevant to predict, within the first postoperative hours after cardiac surgical procedures, major bleeding at 12 postoperative hours. Early detection of blood loss may help to improve a patient's blood conservation strategy because it may prompt preemptive treatments.

Left Ventricular Unloading Is Associated With Lower Mortality in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock Treated With Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: Results From an International, Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) is increasingly used to treat cardiogenic shock. However, VA-ECMO might hamper myocardial recovery. The Impella unloads the left ventricle. This study aimed to evaluate whether left ventricular unloading in patients with cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO was associated with lower mortality. METHODS: Data from 686 consecutive patients with cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO with or without left ventricular unloading using an Impella at 16 tertiary care centers in 4 countries were collected. The association between left ventricular unloading and 30-day mortality was assessed by Cox regression models in a 1:1 propensity score-matched cohort. RESULTS: Left ventricular unloading was used in 337 of the 686 patients (49%). After matching, 255 patients with left ventricular unloading were compared with 255 patients without left ventricular unloading. In the matched cohort, left ventricular unloading was associated with lower 30-day mortality (hazard ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.63-0.98]; P=0.03) without differences in various subgroups. Complications occurred more frequently in patients with left ventricular unloading: severe bleeding in 98 (38.4%) versus 45 (17.9%), access site-related ischemia in 55 (21.6%) versus 31 (12.3%), abdominal compartment in 23 (9.4%) versus 9 (3.7%), and renal replacement therapy in 148 (58.5%) versus 99 (39.1%). CONCLUSIONS: In this international, multicenter cohort study, left ventricular unloading was associated with lower mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO, despite higher complication rates. These findings support use of left ventricular unloading in patients with cardiogenic shock treated with VA-ECMO and call for further validation, ideally in a randomized, controlled trial.

Pulse pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide for monitoring low native cardiac output during veno-arterial ECLS: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (VA-ECLS) results in cardiopulmonary shunting with reduced native cardiac output (NCO). Low NCO occurrence is common and associated with risk of thromboembolic and pulmonary complications. Practical tools for monitoring NCO during VA-ECLS would therefore be valuable. Pulse pressure (PP) and end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) are known to be related to cardiac output. We have designed a study to test whether PP and EtCO2 were efficient for the monitoring of NCO during VA-ECLS. METHODS: In this prospective single-center observational study, patients who underwent a VA-ECLS for cardiogenic shock from January 2016 to October 2017 were included, provided low NCO was suspected by a PP < 20 mmHg. NCO was measured with pulmonary artery catheter or echocardiography and compared to PP and EtCO2. The ability of PP and EtCO2 to predict NCO < 1 L/min was evaluated with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Among the 106 patients treated with VA-ECLS for cardiogenic shock during the study period, 26 were studied, allowing the collection of 196 study points. PP and EtCO2 relationships with NCO were nonlinear and showed strong correlations for NCO < 2 L/min (r = 0.69 and r = 0.78 respectively). A PP < 15 mmHg and EtCO2 < 14 mmHg had good predictive values for detecting NCO < 1 L/min (area under ROC curve 0.93 [95% CI 0.89-0.96] and 0.97 [95% CI 0.94-0.99] respectively, p = 0.058). CONCLUSIONS: PP and EtCO2 may offer an accurate real-time monitoring of low NCO events during VA-ECLS support. Further studies are needed to show if their utilization may help to implement therapeutic strategies in order to prevent thromboembolic and respiratory complications associated with VA-ECLS, and to improve patients' prognosis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03323268 , July 12, 2016.

Serum Phosphate Kinetics in Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery: An Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery and may affect prognosis. Serum phosphate (SPh) elevation is well-known to occur after AKI but not well-documented. The aim of the present study was to describe SPh changes during AKI after cardiac surgery and to assess the accuracy for the diagnosis of AKI severity and recovery. DESIGN: Prospective, single center, observational study. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All patients admitted consecutively to the intensive care unit between February 2015 and March 2016. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: AKI was defined according to Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria and classified as nonsevere (stage 1) and severe (stages 2 and 3). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to test reliability of SPh for AKI severity and recovery. AKI occurred in 86 of the 260 patients included (33%) in the study; 58 (67%) experienced nonsevere AKI, and 28 (33%) experienced severe AKI. A significant elevation of SPh values was observed in AKI patients, which peaked at 48 hours. At this time, an SPh of 1.33 mmol/L demonstrated a good accuracy for AKI severity, with an area under the curve of 0.91 (95% confidence interval 0.82-1.00). For kidney recovery, a 25% SPh decrease 24 hours after the peak had a positive predictive value of 100%, and a 2.5% decrease allowed for the reclassification of patients when the serum creatinine had not decreased enough. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that SPh changes closely follow AKI severity and kidney recovery after cardiac surgery. In addition to serum creatinine, this simple biological marker may help predict early favorable outcome.

Post resuscitation electrocardiogram for coronary angiography indication after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Coronary angiography is the standard of care after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA), but its benefit for patients without persistent ST-segment elevation (STE) remains controversial. METHODS: All patients admitted for coronary angiography after a resuscitated OHCA were consecutively included in this prospective study. Three patient groups were defined according to post-resuscitation ECG: STE or new left bundle branch block (LBBB) (group 1); other ST/T repolarization disorders (group 2) and no repolarisation disorders (group 3). The proportion and predictive factors of an acute coronary lesion, defined by acute coronary occlusion or thrombotic lesion or lesion associated with flow impairment, were evaluated according to different groups as well as thirty-day mortality. RESULTS: Among 129 consecutive patients: 62 (48.1%), 30 (23.3%) and 30 (23.3%) patients were included in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. An acute coronary lesion was observed in 43% (n = 55) of patients, mainly in group 1 (n = 44, 70.9%). Initial coronary TIMI 0/1 flow was more frequently observed in group 1 than in group 2 (n = 25, 40.3% vs n = 1, 3.3%) and never in group 3. Chest pain and STE or new LBBB were independently associated with an acute coronary lesion (adj. OR = 7.14 [1.85-25.00]; p = 0.004 and adj. OR = 11.10 [3.70-33.33]; p < 0.001 respectively). In absence of any repolarization disorders, acute coronary lesion or occlusion were excluded with negative predictive values of 93.3% and 100% respectively. The one-month survival rate was 38.8% and was better in patients among the group 1 compared to those from the 2 other groups (n = 28, 45.2% vs n = 21, 35%, respectively; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Considering the high negative predictive value of post-resuscitation ECG to exclude acute coronary lesion and occlusion after OHCA, a delayed coronary angiography appears a reliable alternative for patients without repolarization disorders.

Experimental Myocardial Infarction Elicits Time-Dependent Patterns of Vascular Hypoxia in Peripheral Organs and in the Brain.

Aims: Microvascular alterations occurring after myocardial infarction (MI) may represent a risk factor for multi-organ failure. Here we used in vivo photoacoustic (PA) imaging to track and define the changes in vascular oxygen saturation (sO2) occurring over time after experimental MI in multiple peripheral organs and in the brain. Methods and Results: Experimental MI was obtained in BALB/c mice by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending artery. PA imaging (Vevo LAZR-X) allowed tracking mouse-specific sO2 kinetics in the cardiac left ventricular (LV) anterior wall, brain, kidney, and liver at 4 h, 1 day, and 7 days post-MI. Here we reported a correlation between LV sO2 and longitudinal anterior myocardial strain after MI (r = -0.44, p < 0.0001, n = 96). Acute LV dysfunction was associated with global hypoxia, specifically a decrease in sO2 level in the brain (-5.9%), kidney (-6.4%), and liver (-7.3%) at 4 and 24 h post-MI. Concomitantly, a preliminary examination of capillary NG2DsRed pericytes indicated cell rarefication in the heart and kidney. While the cardiac tissue was persistently impacted, sO2 levels returned to pre-MI levels in the brain and in peripheral organs 7 days after MI. Conclusions: Collectively, our data indicate that experimental MI elicits precise trajectories of vascular hypoxia in peripheral organs and in the brain. PA imaging enabled the synchronous tracking of oxygenation in multiple organs and occurring post-MI, potentially enabling a translational diagnostic modality for the identification of vascular modifications in this disease setting.

Effect of open-lung vs conventional perioperative ventilation strategies on postoperative pulmonary complications after on-pump cardiac surgery: the PROVECS randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether a perioperative open-lung ventilation strategy prevents postoperative pulmonary complications after elective on-pump cardiac surgery. METHODS: In a pragmatic, randomized, multicenter, controlled trial, we assigned patients planned for on-pump cardiac surgery to either a conventional ventilation strategy with no ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and lower perioperative positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) levels (2 cm H2O) or an open-lung ventilation strategy that included maintaining ventilation during CPB along with perioperative recruitment maneuvers and higher PEEP levels (8 cm H2O). All study patients were ventilated with low-tidal volumes before and after CPB (6 to 8 ml/kg of predicted body weight). The primary end point was a composite of pulmonary complications occurring within the first 7 postoperative days. RESULTS: Among 493 randomized patients, 488 completed the study (mean age, 65.7 years; 360 (73.7%) men; 230 (47.1%) underwent isolated valve surgery). Postoperative pulmonary complications occurred in 133 of 243 patients (54.7%) assigned to open-lung ventilation and in 145 of 245 patients (59.2%) assigned to conventional ventilation (p = 0.32). Open-lung ventilation did not significantly reduce the use of high-flow nasal oxygenotherapy (8.6% vs 9.4%; p = 0.77), non-invasive ventilation (13.2% vs 15.5%; p = 0.46) or new invasive mechanical ventilation (0.8% vs 2.4%, p = 0.28). Mean alive ICU-free days at postoperative day 7 was 4.4 ± 1.3 days in the open-lung group vs 4.3 ± 1.3 days in the conventional group (mean difference, 0.1 ± 0.1 day, p = 0.51). Extra-pulmonary complications and adverse events did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: A perioperative open-lung ventilation including ventilation during CPB does not reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications as compared with usual care. This finding does not support the use of such a strategy in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02866578. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02866578.