Novel Peri-Operative Strategy for Sickle Cell Disease with Tetralogy of Fallot.

ABSTRACT: Peri-operative management of cyanotic congenital heart disease in a patient of sickle cell disease (SCD) can be challenging. We report a case of Tetralogy of Fallot and homozygous SCD with history of multiple blood transfusions and sickle cell crises who underwent intracardiac repair. Hemoglobin S level was reduced from 75% pre-operative to 21.8% postoperative with a combination of pre-operative blood transfusion, intraoperative exchange transfusion, and normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Pre-operative optimization and safe intraoperative conduct were essential to avoid sickling crises.

Right coronary sinus aneurysm repair.

In this case report, we describe the surgical treatment of a right coronary sinus aneurysm. A 69-year-old male patient was screened because of palpitations. He was finally diagnosed with an aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva of the right coronary cusp. According to current aortic guidelines, surgical reconstruction was proposed. The patient underwent a cardiac operation through a median sternotomy under routine cardiopulmonary bypass. After aortic cross-clamping, the aorta was opened and the connection between the aorta and the aneurysm was clearly visualized, underneath the ostium of the right coronary artery. After excision of the right coronary button and the remaining right coronary sinus wall, this sinus was reconstructed with a Dacron graft, with subsequent coronary reimplantation. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 7. A complete sinus reconstruction was preferred over local patching of the defect because of the proximity of the aneurysm sac to the right coronary artery and the fragile, thin aortic tissue just underneath the coronary ostium.

The Potential Neurological Impact of Intraoperative Hyponatremia Using Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate Cardioplegia Infusion in Adult Cardiac Surgery.

Background and Objectives: The relationship between histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK)-induced hyponatremia and brain injury in adult cardiac surgery patients is unclear. This study analyzed postoperative neurological outcomes after intraoperative HTK cardioplegia infusion. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted on 60 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Of these patients, 13 and 47 received HTK infusion and conventional hyperkalemic cardioplegia, respectively. The patients' baseline characteristics, intraoperative data, brain injury markers, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) data were collected. Electrolyte changes during cardiopulmonary bypass, the degree of hyponatremia, and any associated brain insults were evaluated. Results: The HTK group presented with acute hyponatremia during cardiopulmonary bypass, which was intraoperatively corrected through ultrafiltration and normal saline administration. Postoperative sodium levels were higher in the HTK group than in the conventional cardioplegia group. The change in neuron-specific enolase levels after cardiopulmonary bypass was significantly higher in the HTK group (p = 0.043). The changes showed no significant differences using case-control matching. qEEG analysis revealed a significant increase in relative delta power in the HTK group on postoperative day (POD) 7 (p = 0.018); however, no significant changes were noted on POD 60. The MMSE scores were not significantly different between the two groups on POD 7 and POD 60. Conclusions: HTK-induced acute hyponatremia and rapid correction with normal saline during adult cardiac surgeries were associated with a potential short-term but not long-term neurological impact. Further studies are required to determine the necessity of correction for HTK-induced hyponatremia.

Development and validation of a machine learning predictive model for perioperative myocardial injury in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative myocardial injury (PMI) with different cut-off values has showed to be associated with different prognostic effect after cardiac surgery. Machine learning (ML) method has been widely used in perioperative risk predictions during cardiac surgery. However, the utilization of ML in PMI has not been studied yet. Therefore, we sought to develop and validate the performances of ML for PMI with different cut-off values in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: This was a second analysis of a multicenter clinical trial (OPTIMAL) and requirement for written informed consent was waived due to the retrospective design. Patients aged 18-70 undergoing elective cardiac surgery with CPB from December 2018 to April 2021 were enrolled in China. The models were developed using the data from Fuwai Hospital and externally validated by the other three cardiac centres. Traditional logistic regression (LR) and eleven ML models were constructed. The primary outcome was PMI, defined as the postoperative maximum cardiac Troponin I beyond different times of upper reference limit (40x, 70x, 100x, 130x) We measured the model performance by examining the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and calibration brier score. RESULTS: A total of 2983 eligible patients eventually participated in both the model development (n = 2420) and external validation (n = 563). The CatboostClassifier and RandomForestClassifier emerged as potential alternatives to the LR model for predicting PMI. The AUROC demonstrated an increase with each of the four cutoffs, peaking at 100x URL in the testing dataset and at 70x URL in the external validation dataset. However, it's worth noting that the AUPRC decreased with each cutoff increment. Additionally, the Brier loss score decreased as the cutoffs increased, reaching its lowest point at 0.16 with a 130x URL cutoff. Moreover, extended CPB time, aortic duration, elevated preoperative N-terminal brain sodium peptide, reduced preoperative neutrophil count, higher body mass index, and increased high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were identified as risk factors for PMI across all four cutoff values. CONCLUSIONS: The CatboostClassifier and RandomForestClassifer algorithms could be an alternative for LR in prediction of PMI. Furthermore, preoperative higher N-terminal brain sodium peptide and lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were strong risk factor for PMI, the underlying mechanism require further investigation.

Adapting and applying student-centered learning in a perfusion clinical rotation.

While the process of teaching student perfusionists has been in development since the 1950s, the publication of the processes to improve perfusion clinical education has been largely lacking. Publications regarding education from other allied health and medical fields have shown the value of student-centered learning. The use of reflective practice to move perfusion students from thinking about actions after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) to reflecting and reacting on actions during CPB is better encouraged by moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered clinical model. Our institution's teaching process has developed into a multi-point procedure to make our students into reflective practicing clinicians. Student preceptor evaluations were reversed to allow the students to evaluate themselves first, with feedback from the preceptor given subsequently. Additionally, a biweekly student educational session, where the student chooses a topic and reviews current evidence-based practice, was instituted. The clinical program director serves as the moderator and clinical expert to facilitate problem-based learning during the sessions. Students were also given three skill/experience levels with goals to reach and move through during the rotation. These student levels were also helpful to our preceptors in knowing what each student's skill level was throughout their rotation. Overall, moving from a teacher-centered to a student-centered clinical rotation has helped make students familiar with reflective practice, self-evaluation, evidence-based practice, and problem-based learning. The incorporation of these processes will hopefully lead students to become lifelong reflective perfusionists.

Ac2-26 reduced the liver injury after cardiopulmonary bypass in rats via AKT1/GSK3ß/eNOS pathway.

OBJECTIVE: About 10% of patients after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) would undergo acute liver injury, which aggravated the mortality of patients. Ac2-26 has been demonstrated to ameliorate organic injury by inhibiting inflammation. The present study aims to evaluate the effect and mechanism of Ac2-26 on acute liver injury after CPB. METHODS: A total of 32 SD rats were randomized into sham, CPB, Ac, and Ac/AKT1 groups. The rats only received anesthesia, and rats in other groups received CPB. The rats in Ac/AKT1 were pre-injected with the shRNA to interfere with the expression of AKT1. The rats in CPB were injected with saline, and rats in Ac and Ac/AKT1 groups were injected with Ac2-26. After 12 h of CPB, all the rats were sacrificed and the peripheral blood and liver samples were collected to analyze. The inflammatory factors in serum and liver were detected. The liver function was tested, and the pathological injury of liver tissue was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the inflammatory factors, liver function, and pathological injury were worsened after CPB. Compared with the CPB group, the Ac2-26 significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory factors and increased the anti-inflammatory factor, improved liver function, and ameliorated the pathological injury. All the therapeutic effects of Ac2-26 were notably attenuated by the shRNA of AKT1. The Ac2-26 increased the GSK3ß and eNOS, and this promotion was inhibited by the shRNA. CONCLUSION: The Ac2-26 significantly treated the liver injury, inhibited inflammation, and improved liver function. The effect of Ac2-26 on liver injury induced by CPB was partly associated with the promotion of AKT1/GSK3ß/eNOS.

Effective application of a direct-acting oral anticoagulants reversal agent in acute type A aortic dissection repair: A case report.

There are insufficient reports on the use of andexanet alfa in cardiac surgery. A 67-year-old man was diagnosed with type A aortic dissection and performed emergent surgery. His medical history included atrial fibrillation treated with Edoxaban. We performed total arch replacement. Despite administration of enough protamine, fresh frozen plasma, and platelet administration, controlling bleeding was difficult. Thus, Andexanet Alfa was initiated after CPB withdrawal. Surgical bleeding was dramatically controlled after its administration. There were no findings suggestive of an embolic event. In conclusion, administration of Andexanet Alfa is safe after cardiopulmonary bypass withdrawal.

Monocytes to lymphocytes multiplying platelets ratio as an early indicator of acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: a retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The monocyte-to-lymphocyte multiplying platelets ratio (MLPR) is a novel systemic inflammatory marker, deriving from the monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR). However, the link between MLPR and acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery (CSA-AKI) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has not been investigated yet. We comprehensively explored the potential linear and nonlinear relationship between MLPR or MLR and CSA-AKI. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent cardiac surgery with CPB between December 2018 and April 2021 were retrospectively collected at Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China. MLPR was defined as monocyte count (×109/L) × 1000/(lymphocyte count (×109/L) × platelets (×109/L)). MLR was defined as monocyte count (×109/L)/lymphocyte count (×109/L). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were used for linear and nonlinear analysis. The primary outcome was postoperative AKI within 48 h of after cardiac surgery. RESULTS: Of the 2420 patients screened, 2387 eligible patients were enrolled in the final analysis; the mean age was 54.7 years, and 1501 [62.9%] were men. The incidence of AKI was 25.8%. Logistic regression showed that MLPR (odds ratio [OR] = 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.48, p < .001) and MLR (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.29-7.29, p = .012) were independent risk factors for AKI. Moreover, in the RCS model with adjustment for age (median: 56), female sex, and history of diabetes, a significant statistical difference was detected between preoperative MLPR, MLR, and AKI (p for non-linearity <.001). The subgroup analyses revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a nonlinear relationship between MLPR and MLR with AKI. MLPR exhibited a J-shaped curve, and MLR showed a favorable S-shaped curve in relation to AKI. Particularly, MLPR emerges as a promising clinical composite index for early CSA-AKI prediction. These findings emphasize the significance of MLPR as a valuable tool in clinical practice for timely identification and management of CSA-AKI.

Impact of extracorporeal haemoadsorption during prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass on the incidence of acute kidney injury.

The usage of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in cardiothoracic surgery contributes to the activation of the inflammatory response. In certain cases, the systemic inflammatory response may be immoderate, leading to organ dysfunction, such as acute renal failure or multiorgan dysfunction. This study aimed to examine the effect of haemoadsorption (HA) therapy on inflammatory markers and renal damage indices during cardiopulmonary bypass and in the early postoperative period. We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in a single tertiary care center on patients operated between January 2021 and May 2022. The levels of inflammatory markers and renal parameters in blood samples (Interleukin (IL) 6, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells, lactate, procalcitonin (PCT), and NT-proBNP, urea, creatinine, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), mechanical ventilation days and intensive care unit (ICU) days) were compared between the three groups. Data from the Jafron HA 330 (n = 20) and CytoSorb300 (n = 20) groups were compared with those from the control group (n = 20). All patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass for more than 120 min. Baseline patient characteristics were similar in all three groups. Acute kidney injury (AKI) was diagnosed in 17 patients (28.3%); seven patients were in the Jafron HA 330, two in the CytoSorb300, and eight in the control group. We found that IL1α, IL 6, IL8, Lactate dehydrogenase, PCT, NT-proBNP, CRP, Leukocyte, and TNFα had no significant or clinical difference between the CytoSorb 300 and Jafron HA 330 adsorber groups. Our results indicate that haemoadsorption therapy does not significantly reduce the risk of AKI after prolonged CPB, but decreases the need for renal replacement therapy.

Designing an experimental method for assessing biocompatibility of circuit coatings using biomarkers for platelet activation during cardiopulmonary bypass.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiopulmonary bypass is an essential component of cardiothoracic surgeries. However, significant complications such as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) resulting from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are a common occurrence due to contact between circulating blood and foreign surfaces that leads to platelet activation. It is suggested that different available CPB circuit coatings can potentially reduce platelet activation. However, there have been no published evidence-based reports confirming these claims. In addition, there is no well-established protocol for studying platelet activation biomarkers during CPB in vitro in a laboratory setting. METHODS: CPB was simulated in the laboratory using bovine blood in two different types of coated CPB circuits: Trillium® Biosurface by Medtronic, and XcoatingTM Surface by Terumo. Fresh bovine blood samples were collected and circulated through the CPB circuit following the standard protocol used in the operation rooms. Blood samples were then collected at 5 min, 30 min, and 55 min during the circulation. Blood plasmas were separated and subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure most established platelet activation markers P-selectin, Platelet Factor 4 (PF4), Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa), and ß-thromboglobulin (ß-TG) at different time points. RESULTS: The biomarker values at 30 min and 55 min were compared to the base values at 5 min for each type of CPB circuit. The results of the means from all measured biomarkers showed data measurements that indicated no significant variability within each coating. All collected data points fell within ±2 SD of the means, which was considered acceptable variations across technical replicates.  Conclusion: In this study, we were able to establish an in vitro protocol in the laboratory setting that is precise and reliable with minimum intra-variability. This established protocol will allow for future studies in which different coated CPB circuits can be compared for their effectiveness in blocking platelet activation during the CPB.

Perfusion Measures and Outcomes (PERForm) registry: First annual report.

BACKGROUND: The Perfusion Measures and Outcomes (PERForm) registry was established in 2010 to advance cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) practices and outcomes. The registry is maintained through the Michigan Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons Quality Collaborative and is the official registry of the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology. METHODS: This first annual PERForm registry report summarizes patient characteristics as well as CPB-related practice patterns in adult (≥18 years of age) patients between 2019 and 2022 from 42 participating hospitals. Data from PERForm are probabilistically matched to institutional surgical registry data. Trends in myocardial protection, glucose, anticoagulation, temperature, anemia (hematocrit), and fluid management are summarized. Additionally, trends in equipment (hardware/disposables) utilization and employed patient safety practices are reported. RESULTS: A total of 40,777 adult patients undergoing CPB were matched to institutional surgical registry data from 42 hospitals. Among these patients, 54.9% underwent a CABG procedure, 71.6% were male, and the median (IQR) age was 66.0 [58.0, 73.0] years. Overall, 33.1% of the CPB procedures utilized a roller pump for the arterial pump device, and a perfusion checklist was employed 99.6% of the time. The use of conventional ultrafiltration decreased over the study period (2019 vs. 2022; 27.1% vs. 24.9%) while the median (IQR) last hematocrit on CPB has remained stable [27.0 (24.0, 30.0) vs. 27.0 (24.0, 30.0)]. Pump sucker termination before protamine administration increased over the study period: (54.8% vs. 75.9%). CONCLUSION: Few robust clinical registries exist to collect data regarding the practice of CPB. Although data submitted to the PERForm registry demonstrate overall compliance with published perfusion evidence-based guidelines, noted opportunities to advance patient safety and outcomes remain.

Partial cardiopulmonary bypass through left thoracotomy for coarctation repair in children.

BACKGROUND: A left thoracotomy approach is anatomically appropriate for childhood aortic coarctation; however, the pediatric femoral arteriovenous diameters are too small for cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation. We aimed to determine the safety of a partial cardiopulmonary bypass through the main pulmonary artery and the descending aorta in pediatric aortic coarctation repair. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 10 patients who underwent coarctation repair under partial main pulmonary artery-to-descending aorta cardiopulmonary bypass with a left thoracotomy as the CPB group. During the same period, 16 cases of simple coarctation of the aorta repair, with end-to-end anastomosis through a left thoracotomy without partial CPB assistance, were included as the non-CPB group to evaluate the impact of partial CPB. RESULTS: The median age and weight at surgery of the CPB group were 3.1 years (range, 9 days to 17.9 years) and 14.0 (range, 2.8-40.7) kg, respectively. Indications for the partial cardiopulmonary bypass with overlap were as follows: age > 1 year (n = 7), mild aortic coarctation (n = 3), and predicted ischemic time > 30 min (n = 5). Coarctation repair using autologous tissue was performed in seven cases and graft replacement in three. The mean partial cardiopulmonary bypass time, descending aortic clamp time, and cardiopulmonary bypass flow rate were 73 ± 37 min, 57 ± 27 min, and 1.6 ± 0.2 L/min/m2, respectively. Urine output during descending aortic clamping was observed in most cases in the CPB group (mean: 9.1 ± 7.9 mL/kg/h), and the total intraoperative urine output was 3.2 ± 2.7 mL/kg/h and 1.2 ± 1.5 mL/kg/h in the CPB and non-CPB group, respectively (p = 0.020). The median ventilation time was 1 day (range, 0-15), and the intensive care unit stay duration was 4 days (range, 1-16) with no surgical deaths. No major complications, including paraplegia or recurrent coarctation, occurred postoperatively during a median observation period of 8.1 (range, 3.4-17.5) years in the CPB group. In contrast, reoperation with recurrent coarctation was observed in 2 cases in the non-CPB group (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: Partial cardiopulmonary bypass through the main pulmonary artery and descending aorta via a left thoracotomy is a safe and useful option for aortic coarctation repair in children.

Neurological Impact of Slower Rewarming during Bypass Surgery in Infants.

BACKGROUND: Hypothermia is a neuroprotective strategy during cardiopulmonary bypass. Rewarming entailing a rapid rise in cerebral metabolism might lead to secondary neurological sequelae. In this pilot study, we aimed to validate the hypothesis that a slower rewarming rate would lower the risk of cerebral hypoxia and seizures in infants. METHODS: This is a prospective, clinical, single-center study. Infants undergoing cardiac surgery in hypothermia were rewarmed either according to the standard (+1°C in < 5 minutes) or a slow (+1°C in > 5-8 minutes) rewarming strategy. We monitored electrocortical activity via amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) and cerebral oxygenation by near-infrared spectroscopy during and after surgery. RESULTS: Fifteen children in the standard rewarming group (age: 13 days [5-251]) were cooled down to 26.6°C (17.2-29.8) and compared with 17 children in the slow-rewarming group (age: 9 days [4-365]) with a minimal temperature of 25.7°C (20.1-31.4). All neonates in both groups (n = 19) exhibited suppressed patterns compared with 28% of the infants > 28 days (p < 0.05). During rewarming, only 26% of the children in the slow-rewarming group revealed suppressed aEEG traces (vs. 41%; p = 0.28). Cerebral oxygenation increased by a median of 3.5% in the slow-rewarming group versus 1.5% in the standard group (p = 0.9). Our slow-rewarming group revealed no aEEG evidence of any postoperative seizures (0 vs. 20%). CONCLUSION: These results might indicate that a slower rewarming rate after hypothermia causes less suppression of electrocortical activity and higher cerebral oxygenation during rewarming, which may imply a reduced risk of postoperative seizures.

Large Hematoma Following Erector Spinae Plane Block: A Case Report.

The ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block is an emerging fascial plane block, first described in 2016 for treating thoracic neuropathic pain. Since its introduction, it has been incorporated into multiple surgical procedures and has demonstrated proven benefits such as postoperative analgesia and reduction in opioid consumption. Being a superficial plane block, it avoids complications such as pneumothorax and hematoma, making it a safe mode of analgesia. We report a rare case of hematoma formation following ESP block in a patient who underwent mitral valve repair under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Probiotics relieve perioperative postoperative cognitive dysfunction induced by cardiopulmonary bypass through the kynurenine metabolic pathway.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) has become the popular critical post-operative consequences, especially cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, leading to an increased risk of mortality. However, no therapeutic effect about POCD. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria living in the gut and help to reduce the risk of POCD. However, the detailed mechanism is still not entirely known. Therefore, our research aims to uncover the effect and mechanism of probiotics in relieving POCD and to figure out the possible relationship between kynurenine metabolic pathway. 36 rats were grouped into three groups: sham operated group (S group, n = 12), Cardiopulmonary bypass group (CPB group, n = 12), and probiotics+CPB (P group, n = 12). After CPB model preparation, water maze test and Garcia score scale was performed to identify the neurological function. Immunofluorescence and Hematoxylin and eosin staining has been used for hippocampal neurons detection. Brain injury related proteins, oxidative stress factors, and inflammatory factors were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Neuronal apoptosis was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining and western blot. High-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) was performed to detect the key factors of the kynurenine metabolic pathway. Our results demonstrated that probiotics improved neurological function of post-CPB rats. The administration of probiotics ameliorated memory and learning in spatial terms CPB rats (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining data, S-100ß and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) data convinced that probiotics agonists reduced brain damage in CPB rats (P < 0.05). Moreover, probiotics regulated inflammatory factors, meanwhile attenuated hippocampal neuronal apoptosis. Probiotics alleviated POCD in rats with CPB through regulation of kynurenine metabolic signaling pathway.

Effects of intravenous inflammasome inhibitor (NuSepin) on suppression of proinflammatory cytokines release induced by cardiopulmonary bypass in swine model: a pilot study.

The systemic inflammatory response syndrome can occur due to an inflammatory reaction to the release of cytokines, and it has been linked to the circulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) system is known to activate numerous inflammatory pathways. Applying CPB in large animals for an extended period may be useful as a controlled experimental model for systemic inflammatory responses. The authors hypothesized that 0.2 mg/kg NuSepin® would inhibit CBP-induced proinflammatory cytokine release, and attenuate CPB-induced vasoplegia. CPB was maintained for 2 h in 8 male Yorkshire pigs. Ten ml of saline was administered intravenously to the control group, while the study group received 10 ml of NuSepin® (0.2 mg/kg), before start of CPB. Blood samples were collected at four different time points to evaluating the level of cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8) release during and after CBP. All vital signals were recorded as continuous waveforms using the vital recorder®. Our study demonstrated that IL-6 increased in both groups during CPB remained unchanged. However, in the Nusepin group, IL-6 levels rapidly decreased when CPB was stopped and the proinflammatory reaction subsided. Furthermore, the dose of norepinephrine required to maintain a mean pressure of 60 mmHg was also lower in the Nusepin group.

[Predictive value of albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio for acute kidney injury in infants undergoing ventricular septal defect repair with cardiopulmonary bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) for postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in infants with ventricular septal defect repair under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on infants diagnosed with ventricular septal defect in Anhui Children's Hospital from January 2019 to July 2023. The infants were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group according to whether AKI occurred in hospital after operation. Demographic data, preoperative data, intraoperative data, postoperative data and laboratory results during CPB were collected. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to find the factors of AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the predictive value of AFR for postoperative AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB. RESULTS: A total of 215 children were collected, including 28 in AKI group and 187 in non-AKI group. There were no significant differences in age, gender, body weight, height, history of pneumonia and history of chronic heart failure between the two groups, but the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the AKI group was significantly lower than that in the non-AKI group (0.526±0.028 vs. 0.538±0.030, P = 0.048). The duration of CPB (minutes: 74.1±12.1 vs. 65.8±11.3, P < 0.001), aortic cross-clamping (minutes: 41.7±9.7 vs. 37.2±9.4, P = 0.021) and hypothermic circulation arrest (21.4% vs. 8.6%, P = 0.047) in AKI group were significantly higher than those in non-AKI group, but there were no significant differences in the proportion of ultrafiltration and urine volume between the two groups. The length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in AKI group was significantly longer than that in non-AKI group (days: 5.3±2.0 vs. 4.0±1.7, P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in duration of mechanical ventilation and the proportion of postoperative hypotension between the two groups. During CPB, the levels of blood glucose (mmol/L: 9.4±1.3 vs. 8.8±0.8, P < 0.001), blood lactic acid (mmol/L: 2.2±0.3 vs. 2.0±0.3, P = 0.015) and serum creatinine (µmol/L: 79.7±11.5 vs. 74.4±10.9, P = 0.018) in AKI group were significantly higher than those in non-AKI group, while the AFR was significantly lower than that in non-AKI group (8.5±1.3 vs. 10.2±1.6, P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in the levels of hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase between the two groups during CPB. Multivariate Logistic regression showed that AFR was a protective factor for AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB [odds ratio (OR) = 0.439, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.288-0.669, P < 0.001]. Blood glucose (OR = 2.133, 95%CI was 1.239-3.672, P = 0.006) and blood lactic acid (OR = 5.568, 95%CI was 1.102-28.149, P = 0.038) were risk factors for AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of AFR in predicting AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB was 0.804 (95%CI was 0.712-0.897, P < 0.001). When the optimal cut-off value was less than 9.05, the corresponding sensitivity was 75.0% and the specificity was 72.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Low AFR (≤9.05) during CPB is an independent risk factor for AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB. AFR during CPB has a high predictive value for postoperative AKI after ventricular septal defect repair with CPB.

Biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation after minimally invasive mitral valve surgery: a prospective comparison to conventional surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery techniques are increasingly used but have longer cardiopulmonary bypass time, which may increase inflammatory response and negatively affect coagulation. Our aim was to compare biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation as well as transfusion rates after minimally invasive mitral valve repair and mitral valve surgery using conventional sternotomy. DESIGN: A prospective non-randomized study was performed enrolling 71 patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (35 right mini-thoracotomy and 36 conventional sternotomy procedures). Blood samples were collected pre- and postoperatively to assess inflammatory response. Thromboelastometry (ROTEM) was performed to assess coagulation, and transfusion rates were monitored. RESULTS: The minimally invasive group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass times compared to the sternotomy group: 127 min ([115-146] vs 79 min [65-112], p < 0.001) and were cooled to a lower temperature during cardiopulmonary bypass, 34 °C vs 36 °C (p = 0.04). IL-6 was lower in the minimally invasive group compared to the conventional sternotomy group when measured at the end of the surgical procedure, (38 [23-69] vs 61[41-139], p = 0.008), but no differences were found at postoperative day 1 or postoperative day 3. The transfusion rate was lower in the minimally invasive group (14%) compared to full sternotomy (35%, p = 0.04) and the chest tube output was reduced, (395 ml [190-705] vs 570 ml [400-1040], p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed that despite the longer use of extra corporal circulation during surgery, minimally invasive mitral valve repair is associated with reduced inflammatory response, lower rates of transfusion, and reduced chest tube output.

Remimazolam inhibits postoperative cognitive impairment after cardiopulmonary bypass by alleviating neuroinflammation and promoting microglia M2 polarization.

Postoperative cognitive impairment (POCD) is a complication of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Remimazolam is an ultra-short acting benzodiazepine that can be used for anesthesia or sedation during surgery. This study investigated the role of remimazolam in inflammasome activation and microglia polarization using CPB rat model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglia model. The cognitive function of rats was evaluated by Morris water maze. TUNEL assay was performed to detect apoptosis. Inflammatory cytokines concentration were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the expression of inflammasome and M1/M2-related microglia markers. Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the expression of CD16/32 and CD206 in microglia. The results showed that remimazolam improved the memory and learning abilities in CPB rats. CPB rats and LPS-treated microglia showed increased apoptosis, pro-inflammatory cytokines level, and inflammasome expression as well as decreased microglia activation, while the results were reversed after remimazolam treatment. Besides, remimazolam treatment promoted the expression of M2-related markers in LPS-treated microglia. Nigericin treatment reversed the increased M2-related mRNA levels and the decreased apoptosis and inflammatory responses induced by remimazolam treatment. In conclusion, remimazolam attenuated POCD after CPB through regulating neuroinflammation and microglia M2 polarization, suggesting a new insight into the clinical treatment of POCD after CPB.