The Year in Cardiothoracic Transplant Anesthesia: Selected Highlights From 2020 Part I - Lung Transplantation.

This special article focuses on the highlights in cardiothoracic transplantation literature in the year 2020. Part I encompasses the recent literature on lung transplantation, including the advances in preoperative assessment and optimization, donor management, including the use of ex-vivo lung perfusion, recipient management, including those who have been infected with coronavirus disease 2019, updates on the perioperative management, including the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and long-term outcomes.

How do I develop a process to effectively treat parturients with iron deficiency anemia?

Anemia is common in pregnant women and is associated with increased morbidity for the mother and the fetus, including increased risk of allogeneic blood transfusion. Iron deficiency is the most common etiology for anemia during pregnancy. Oral iron therapy remains the standard treatment but is often poorly tolerated due to its gastrointestinal side effects. Intravenous iron has been shown to be a safe and effective way to treat iron deficiency anemia but may be challenging to do in the outpatient setting given the need for an indwelling venous catheter and a small risk of infusion reactions. To improve outcomes associated with anemia, we launched a program to refer and treat obstetric patients with iron deficiency anemia for outpatient intravenous iron therapy through our preoperative anemia clinic. Here, we describe the process and successes of our program, including the clinical outcomes (change in hemoglobin and transfusion rates) from the first 2 years of the program.

The Association of Increased FFP:RBC Transfusion Ratio to Primary Graft Dysfunction in Bleeding Lung Transplantation Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Lung transplantation is associated with a significant risk of needed transfusion. Although algorithm-based transfusion strategies that promote a high fresh frozen plasma:red blood cells (FFP:RBC) ratio have reduced overall blood product requirements in other populations, large-volume transfusions have been linked to primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in lung transplantation, particularly use of platelets and plasma. The authors hypothesized that in lung transplant recipients requiring large-volume transfusions, a higher FFP:RBC ratio would be associated with increased PGD severity at 72 hours. DESIGN: Observational retrospective review. SETTING: Single tertiary academic center. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients undergoing bilateral or single orthotopic lung transplantation and receiving >4 U PRBC in the first 72 hours from February 2014 to March 2019. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient demographics, operative characteristics, blood transfusions, and outcomes including PGD scores and length of stay were collected. Eighty-nine patients received >4U PRBC, had available 72-hour PGD data, and were included in the study. These patients were grouped into a high-ratio (>1:2 units of FFP:RBC, N = 38) or low-ratio group (<1:2 units of FFP:RBC, N = 51). Patients in the high-ratio group received more transfusions and factor concentrates and had significantly longer case length. The high-ratio group had a higher rate of severe PGD at 72 hours (60.5% v 23.5%, p = 0.0013) and longer hospital length of stay (40 v 32 days, p = 0.0273). CONCLUSIONS: In bleeding lung transplantation patients at high risk for PGD, a high FFP:RBC transfusion ratio was associated with worsened 72-hour PGD scores when compared with the low-ratio cohort.

Management of 1-Lung Ventilation in a Patient With Failing Fontan Circulation.

The number of patients reaching adulthood after undergoing Fontan palliation for the repair of a congenital heart defect continues to increase. In this case report, we present the anesthetic management of a patient with a history of tricuspid atresia treated with palliative Fontan repair who had developed clinical evidence of Fontan failure. He presented with septic shock secondary to streptococcal toxic shock syndrome complicated by a loculated pleural effusion. He underwent open thoracic decortication under 1-lung ventilation. Discussion focuses on the management of volume status and pulmonary vascular resistance as well as surgical implications of Fontan physiology in thoracic surgery.

Radiofrequency Scanning for Retained Surgical Items Can Cause Electromagnetic Interference and Pacing Inhibition if an Asynchronous Pacing Mode Is Not Applied.

Radiofrequency (RF) scanning is an increasingly popular method of detecting retained surgical items. RF systems are generally regarded as safe but have the potential to cause electrical interference with pacemakers. This may lead to serious adverse events, including asystole. We present a case of an RF system used with a temporary pacemaker resulting in asystole. With the use of RF devices becoming widespread, it is important for all operating room personnel to recognize the potential for pacemaker interference from RF scanning devices and the requirements for asynchronous pacing when these devices are in use.