POBS-Card, a new score of severe bleeding after cardiac surgery: Construction and external validation.

Objective: Bleeding after cardiac surgery leads to poor outcomes. The objective of the study was to build the PeriOperative Bleeding Score in Cardiac surgery (POBS-Card) to predict bleeding after cardiac surgery. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 2 academic hospitals (2016-2019). Inclusion criteria were adult patients after cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Exclusion criteria were heart transplantation, assistance, aortic dissection, and preoperative hemostasis diseases. Bleeding was defined by the universal definition for perioperative bleeding score ≥2. POBS-Card score was built using multivariate regression (derivation cohort, one center). The performance diagnosis was assessed using the area under the curve in a validation cohort (2 centers) and compared with other scores. Results: In total, 1704 patients were included in the derivation cohort, 344 (20%) with bleeding. Preoperative factors were body mass index <25 kg/m2 (odds ratio [OR], 1.48 [1.14-1.93]), type of surgery (redo: OR, 1.76 [1.07-2.82]; combined: OR, 1.81 [1.19-2.74]; ascendant aorta: OR, 1.56 [1.02-2.38]), ongoing antiplatelet therapy (single: OR, 1.50 [1.09-2.05]; double: OR, 2.00 [1.15-3.37]), activated thromboplastin time ratio >1.2 (OR, 1.44 [1.03-1.99]), prothrombin ratio <60% (OR, 1.91 [1.21-2.97]), platelet count <150 g/L (OR, 1.74 [1.17-2.57]), and fibrinogen <3 g/L (OR, 1.33 [1.02-1.73]). In the validation cohort of 597 patients, the area under the curve was 0.645 [0.605-0.683] and was superior to other scores (WILL-BLEED, Papworth, TRUST, TRACK). A threshold >14 predicted bleeding with a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 73%. Conclusions: POBS-Card score was superior to other scores in predicting severe bleeding after cardiac surgery. Performances remained modest, questioning the place of these scores in the perioperative strategy of bleeding-sparing.

Upgrading extra corporeal life support to ECMELLA using Impella 5.0 in rescued INTERMACS 1 patients, lactate level matters!

Background: Venoarterial extra corporeal life support (ECLS) is the treatment of choice of Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS) class 1 patients, but left ventricle (LV) overload is a complication of ECLS. Unloading the LV by adding Impella 5.0 to ECLS in Impella used in combination with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMELLA) configuration is recommended only in patients with acceptable prognosis. We investigated whether serum lactate level, a simple biological parameter, could be used as a marker to select candidates for bridging from ECLS to ECMELLA. Methods: Forty-one consecutive INTERMACS 1 patients under ECLS were upgraded to ECMELLA using Impella 5.0 pump implantation to unload the LV and were followed-up for 30 days. Demographic, clinical, imaging, and biological parameters were collected. Results: The time between ECLS and Impella 5.0 pump implantation was 9 [0-30] hours. Among these 41 patients, 25 died 6±6 days after implantation. They were older (53±12 vs. 43±12 years, P=0.01) with acute coronary syndrome as the primary etiology (64% vs. 13%, P=0.0007). In univariate analysis, patients who died exhibited a lower mean arterial pressure (74±17 vs. 89±9 mmHg, P=0.01), a higher level of troponin (24,000±38,000 vs. 3,500±5,000 mg/dL, P=0.048), a higher level of serum lactate (8.3±7.4 vs. 4.2±3.8 mmol/L, P=0.05) and more frequent cardiac arrest at admission (80% vs. 25%, P=0.03). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, a serum lactate level of >7.9 mmol/L (P=0.008) was found to be an independent predictor of mortality. Conclusions: In INTERMACS 1 patients who require urgent ECLS for restoring hemodynamics and organ perfusion, an upgrade from ECLS to ECMELLA is relevant if the serum lactate level is ≤7.9 mmol/L.

Favorable evolution of a 43-year-old Starr-Edwards valve in the tricuspid position.

The durability of a Starr-Edwards valve implanted in the tricuspid position in 1967 to treat Ebstein's disease with tricuspid valve regurgitation. At surgery, cardiac permanent pacing for postoperative complete atrioventricular block was achieved using a nuclear-powered pacemaker (NP). Although the 43rd year of cardiologic follow up was free from complications, the patient--a 74-year-old woman--suffered symptomatic mitral regurgitation and underwent a redo mitral valve replacement, during which the Starr-Edwards valve and NP were left in place.

Effect of mechanical ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass on end-expiratory lung volume in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Many studies explored the impact of ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) period with conflicting results. Functional residual capacity or End Expiratory Lung Volume (EELV) may be disturbed after cardiac surgery but the specific effects of CPB have not been studied. Our objective was to compare the effect of two ventilation strategies during CPB on EELV. METHODS: Observational single center study in a tertiary teaching hospital. Adult patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery by sternotomy were included. Maintenance of ventilation during CPB was left to the discretion of the medical team, with division between "ventilated" and "non-ventilated" groups afterwards. Iterative intra and postoperative measurements of EELV were carried out by nitrogen washin-washout technique. Main endpoint was EELV at the end of surgery. Secondary endpoints were EELV one hour after ICU admission, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, driving pressure, duration of mechanical ventilation and post-operative pulmonary complications. RESULTS: Forty consecutive patients were included, 20 in each group. EELV was not significantly different between the ventilated versus non-ventilated groups at the end of surgery (1796 ± 586 mL vs. 1844 ± 524 mL, p = 1) and one hour after ICU admission (2095 ± 562 vs. 2045 ± 476 mL, p = 1). No significant difference between the two groups was observed on PaO2/FiO2 ratio (end of surgery: 339 ± 149 vs. 304 ± 131, p = 0.8; one hour after ICU: 324 ± 115 vs. 329 ± 124, p = 1), driving pressure (end of surgery: 7 ± 1 vs. 8 ± 1 cmH2O, p = 0.3; one hour after ICU: 9 ± 3 vs. 9 ± 3 cmH2O), duration of mechanical ventilation (5.5 ± 4.8 vs 8.2 ± 10.0 h, p = 0.5), need postoperative respiratory support (2 vs. 1, p = 1), occurrence of pneumopathy (2 vs. 0, p = 0.5) and radiographic atelectasis (7 vs. 8, p = 1). CONCLUSION: No significant difference was observed in EELV after cardiac surgery between not ventilated and ventilated patients during CPB.

Left atrial unloading with an 8 mm septal cutting balloon to treat postcapillary pulmonary hypertension: a case report.

We report the case of a 58-year-old female with severe postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (averaged mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 49 mmHg, pulmonary arterial wedge pressure 29 mmHg, and right atrial pressure 8 mmHg) due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. A left-to-right atrial shunt was created using an 8 mm cutting balloon, under transesophageal echocardiography guidance. Both pulmonary arterial and wedge pressure dramatically decreased after the procedure. Symptoms immediately improved and benefits were sustained at 6 months of follow-up. This case suggests that iatrogenic septal defect using a cutting balloon could be an option to treat symptomatic postcapillary pulmonary hypertension.

ACURATE neo™ aortic valve implantation via carotid artery access: first case report.

BACKGROUND: The ACURATE neo™ transcatheter heart valve (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts) is predominantly implanted via femoral access. Transcarotid use of this prothesis has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of an 89-year-old woman referred to us for a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). After apparatus imaging of the aortic annulus and the peripheral vascular pathway, the heart team was confronted with a triple challenge: (i) The preferable choice of a self-expanding valve because of a small aortic annulus in an obese woman. (ii) Gaining favorable access to the coronary ostia, considering multiple recent coronary stenting. (iii) Utilizing an alternative arterial access because of iliac and femoral severely calcified stenosis. Implanting the ACURATE neo™ transcatheter heart valve (THV) via carotidal access allowed us to overcome these challenges. The procedure was performed successfully without any short-term complications. CONCLUSION: We report the first case of implantation of an ACURATE neo™ transcatheter heart valve (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts) via the right common carotid artery.

A Survey of Cardiac Surgery Infections With PICO Negative Pressure Therapy in High-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site complications represent major concerns in many surgical specialties and lead to an increased length of hospital stay and the need for additional treatments and care. This investigation aimed to report survey data from the introduction of the PICO negative pressure wound therapy system (Smith & Nephew, Hull, United Kingdom) in a single hospital in France regarding cardiac surgical procedures through standard median sternotomy. METHODS: The patients in this study were at high risk of developing surgical site infections. PICO was used immediately postoperatively on the closed incision sites in all patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. Data were compared with a retrospective cohort of patients in whom PICO had not been used postoperatively. In total, 233 anonymized patient records were reviewed, 142 of which used the PICO device and 91 of which did not. RESULTS: PICO was shown to provide both clinical and economic benefits over standard care across a range of different cardiac surgical patients. The rates of complications, including deep surgical wound infections and mediastinitis, were reduced. CONCLUSIONS: As noted, PICO had advantages over standard care in these patients, and complication rates decreased. This study demonstrated cost savings and an increase in available surgical and hospital capacity related to PICO use.