Prophylactic administration of recombinant activated factor VII in coronary revascularization surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this clinical trial is to study the effectiveness of administering recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) in reducing the amount of bleeding and the need for homologous blood and products transfusion in cardiac surgical coronary revascularization procedures done under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: In a randomized controlled prospective observational study, 30 patients were scheduled for elective cardiac revascularization under CPB. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups. In Group I (Control group), no rFVIIa was administered following CPB. In Group II (Study group), a dose of 90 ug/Kg of rFVIIa was administered following weaning off CPB. The total amount of chest tube drain during the 1(st) 24 h following surgery was recorded as well as the qualitative and quantitative assessments of homologous blood and products transfusion. Serial analysis of hematological parameters including hemoglobin level and coagulation test in a definite data points was done. T0=baseline readings prior to CPB, T1=off CPB after protamine administration and before administration of the study drug, T2=on Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) admission, T3=12 h post-CICU admission, and T4=24 h post-CICU admission. RESULTS: Considering the total chest tube drainage, mean values showed statistically significant results with a P value of 0.001. Homologous blood and products transfusion were statistically lower in the study group. Regarding the mean values for hematological assessment, results showed statistically lower International Normalized Ratio values at CICU admission and 12 h post-CICU admission with a P value of 0.018 and 0.004, respectively. Also, the Partial Thromboplastin Time mean values were statistically lower at same timings with estimated P values of 0.04 and 0.001, respectively. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that the prophylactic use of rFVIIa in patients undergoing coronary revascularization surgery under the management of CPB had a remarkable significant results on both the amount of post-operative bleeding and the amount of blood and products transfusion.

Dexmedetomidine as anesthetic adjunct for fast tracking and pain control in off-pump coronary artery bypass.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to determine the efficacy of dexmedetomidine (a highly selective alpha-2 agonist) in achieving fast tracking and improved postoperative pain control in off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) patients. METHODS: THIRTY PATIENTS SCHEDULED FOR ELECTIVE OPCAB WERE PROSPECTIVELY RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS: Group I (15 patients) started dexmedetomidine at 0.5 ug/kg/hour after the induction of anesthesia; this was reduced to 0.3 ug/kg/hour on admission in the cardiac intensive care unit and continued for 12 hours post extubation. Group II (15 patients) received a similar volume and infusion rate of normal saline. Visual analog scale (VAS) of 10-100 was explained thoroughly to the patients during the preoperative visit. Postoperative pain was managed with morphine. The total dose of morphine was recorded. Extubation time and VAS was recorded every two hours for 12 hours post extubation. RESULTS: Extubation time in group I was 72±8 minutes and 186±22 minutes in group II. Mean total use of narcotics in group II was 23.5±20.7 mg compared to 11.4±6.3 mg in group I. VAS median figures were lower at all data points in group I than in group II. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine showed an effective and safe profile as an anesthetic adjunct in OPCAB, achieving fast tracking of patients and higher quality of pain control with a lower consumption of narcotics.

Mixed venous versus central venous oxygen saturation in patients undergoing on pump beating coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity of central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO(2)) as a numerical substitution of mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO(2)) in adult patients undergoing normothermic on pump beating coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective clinical observational study was done at King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thirty four adult patients scheduled for coronary artery surgery were included. Patients were monitored by a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) as a part of our routine intraoperative monitoring. SvO(2) and ScvO(2) were simultaneously measured 15 minutes (T1) and 30 minutes (T2) after induction of anesthesia, 15 and 30 minutes after initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass (T3 and T4), and 15 and 30 minutes after admission to intensive care unit (T5 and T6). RESULTS: ScvO(2) showed higher reading than SvO(2) all through our study. Our results showed perfect positive statistically significant correlation between SvO(2) and ScvO(2) at all data points. Individual mean of difference (MOD) between both the readings at study time showed MOD of 1.34 and 1.44 at T1 and T2 simultaneously. This MOD was statistically insignificant, but after on pump beating normothermic bypass was initiated; MOD was 5.2 and 4.4 at T3 and T4 with high statistical significance. In ICU, MOD continues to have high statistical significance, MOD was 6.3 at T5 and at T6 it was 4.6. CONCLUSIONS: In on pump beating CABG patients; ScvO(2) and SvO(2) are not interchangeable numerically. ScvO(2) is useful in the meaning of trend; our data suggest that ScvO(2) is equivalent to SvO(2) , only in the course of clinical decisions as long as absolute values are not required.

The effects of pneumoperitoneum on respiratory mechanics during general anesthesia for bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: The effects of pneumoperitoneum (PPM) on respiratory mechanics during bariatric surgery were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 10 patients with BMI 50.5+/-8 kg/m(2) (range 40.9- 66.8) who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding with the Swedish band under general anesthesia were studied. Besides routine monitoring of vital signs and lung volumes, respiratory mechanics (compliance and resistance) were measured during positive pressure ventilation using an anesthesia delivery unit (Datex Ohmeda type A_Elec). Data were recorded at the following stages: 1). before PPM, 2). during PPM, and 3). after gas deflation. One-way analysis of variance was used for analysis of data. P <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The airway, peak inspiratory and plateau pressures increased significantly during PPM. Dynamic lung compliances were 44.6+/-7.8 SD, 31.8+/-5.5 and 44.5+/-8.3 cm/H(2)O before, during and after PPM respectively with significant differences (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although significant decrease in lung mechanics was found in the present study,these variations were well tolerated in morbidly obese patients with PPM pressure of 15 mmHg.

Variations in dynamic lung compliance during endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy with CO2 insufflation.

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is the preferred surgery for treatment of intractable palmar hyperhidrosis (PH). General anesthesia with onelung collapsed ventilation (OLCV) using single-lumen tracheal tube (SLT), is our preferred anesthetic technique for ETS. Intrapleural CO(2) insufflation (capnothorax) was used to ensure lung collapse. The current study examined the effects of capnothorax on dynamic lung compliance (DLC) of the ventilated lung during ETS. After obtaining written informed consent, 10 adult male patients ASA I&II undergoing ETS were studied. Their average age and weight were 25 +/- 7 yr and 67 +/- 8 kg. General anesthesia with SLT and OLCV technique was used. Capnothorax with intrapleural pressure (IPP) of 10 mmHg was initially used, then it was reduced and maintained at 5 mmHg throughout the operation. Anesthesia delivery unit (Datex Ohmeda type A_Elec, Promma, Sweden) was used where airway pressures and DLC were displayed during OLCV. A computer program (SPSS 9.0 for Windows; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used for statistical analysis of the data obtained. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for analysis of data before, during and after OLCV. P<0.05 was considered significant. The mean values of the DLC were 52 +/- 6, 30 +/- 3, 39 +/- 5 and 53 +/- 9 ml/cmH(2)O before, during (at 10 and 5 mmHg IPP) and after OLCV respectively with significant differences before and at 10 and 5mmHg IPP. In conclusions, during OLCV and capnothorax for ETS, DLC tends to decrease with increasing of intrapleural CO(2) insufflation pressure. However, in short procedures it has no deleterious postoperative effect. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study performed to investigate DLC changes during OLCV with capnothorax.