Mortality reduction in cardiac anesthesia and intensive care: results of the first International Consensus Conference.

There is no consensus on which drugs/techniques/strategies can affect mortality in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery. With the aim of identifying these measures, and suggesting measures for prioritized future investigation we performed the first International Consensus Conference on this topic. The consensus was a continuous international internet-based process with a final meeting on 28 June 2010 in Milan at the Vita-Salute University. Participants included 340 cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac surgeons, and cardiologists from 65 countries all over the world. A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify topics that subsequently generated position statements for discussion, voting, and ranking. Of the 17 major topics with a documented mortality effect, seven were subsequently excluded after further evaluation due to concerns about clinical applicability and/or study methodology. The following topics are documented as reducing mortality: administration of insulin, levosimendan, volatile anesthetics, statins, chronic ß-blockade, early aspirin therapy, the use of pre-operative intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, and referral to high-volume centers. The following are documented as increasing mortality: administration of aprotinin and aged red blood cell transfusion. These interventions were classified according to the level of evidence and effect on mortality and a position statement was generated. This International Consensus Conference has identified the non-surgical interventions that merit urgent study to achieve further reductions in mortality after cardiac surgery: insulin, intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, levosimendan, volatile anesthetics, statins, chronic ß-blockade, early aspirin therapy, and referral to high-volume centers. The use of aprotinin and aged red blood cells may result in increased mortality.

Major themes for 2013 in cardiothoracic and vascular anaesthesia and intensive care.

There has been significant progress throughout 2013 in cardiothoracic and vascular anaesthesia and intensive care. There has been a revolution in the medical and interventional management of atrial fibrillation. The medical advances include robust clinical risk scoring systems, novel oral anticoagulants, and growing clinical experience with a new antiarrhythmic agent. The interventional advances include left atrial appendage occlusion for stroke reduction, generalization of ablation techniques in cardiac surgery, thoracoscopic ablation techniques, and the emergence of the hybrid ablation procedure. Recent European guidelines have defined the organization and practice of two subspecialties, namely general thoracic surgery and grown-up congenital heart disease. The pivotal role of an effective multidisciplinary milieu is a central theme in both these clinical arenas. The anaesthesia team features prominently in each of these recent guidelines aimed at harmonizing delivery of perioperative care for these patient cohorts across Europe. Web-Enabled Democracy-Based Consensus is a system that allows physicians worldwide to agree or disagree with statements and expert consensus meetings and has the potential to increase the understanding of global practice and to help clinicians better define research priorities. This "Democratic based medicine", firstly used to assess the interventions that might reduce perioperative mortality has been applied in 2013 to the setting of critically ill patient with acute kidney injury. These advances in 2013 will likely further improve perioperative outcomes for our patients.

Practice variations in the conduct of hypothermic circulatory arrest for adult aortic arch repair: focus on an emerging European paradigm.

INTRODUCTION: Hypothermic circulatory arrest for adult aortic arch repair is still high-risk. Despite decades of clinical experience, significant practice variations exist around the world. These practice variations in hypothermic circulatory arrest may offer multiple opportunities to improve practice. The hypothesis of this study was that the current conduct of adult hypothermic circulatory arrest in Europe has significant variations that might suggest opportunities for risk reduction. METHODS: An adult hypothermic circulatory arrest questionnaire was developed and then administered at thoracic aortic sessions at international conferences during 2010 in Beijing and Milan. The data was collected, abstracted and analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of the 105 respondents were anesthesiologists based in Europe and China. The typical adult aortic arch repair in Europe was with hypothermic circulatory arrest at moderate hypothermia utilizing bilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion, typically monitored with radial arterial pressure and cerebral oximetry. Brain temperature was frequently measured at distal locations. The preferred neuroprotective agents were steroids, propofol and thiopental. CONCLUSIONS: The opportunities for outcome improvement in this emerging European paradigm of tepid adult aortic arch repair include nasal/tympanic temperature measurement and adoption of unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion monitored with radial artery pressure and cerebral oximetry. The publication of an evidence-based consensus would enhance these practice-improvement opportunities.

Current conduct of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in China.

INTRODUCTION: Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest for adult aortic arch repair is still associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Furthermore, there is still significant variation in the conduct of this complex perioperative technique. This variation in deep hypothermic circulatory arrest practice has not been adequately characterized and may offer multiple opportunities for outcome enhancement. The hypothesis of this study was that the current practice of adult deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in China has significant variations that might offer therapeutic opportunities for reduction of procedural risk. METHODS: An adult deep hypothermic circulatory arrest questionnaire was developed and then administered at a thoracic aortic session at the International Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia Congress convened in Beijing during 2010. The data was abstracted and analyzed. RESULTS: The majority of the 56 respondents were anesthesiologists based in China at low-volume deep hypothermic circulatory arrest centers. The typical aortic arch repair had a prolonged deep hypothermic circulatory arrest time at profound hypothermia. The target temperature for deep hypothermic circulatory arrest was frequently measured distal to the brain. The most common perfusion adjunct was antegrade cerebral perfusion, typically monitored with radial arterial pressure and cerebral venous oximetry. The preferred neuroprotective agents were steroids and propofol. CONCLUSIONS: The identified opportunities for outcome improvement in this delineated deep hypothermic circulatory arrest model include nasal/tympanic temperature measurement and routine cerebral perfusion, preferably with unilateral antegrade cerebral perfusion monitored with radial artery pressure and cerebral oximetry. Development and dissemination of an evidence-based consensus would enhance these practice-improvement opportunities.

Major themes for 2012 in cardiovascular anesthesia and intensive care.

There was major progress through 2012 in cardiovascular anesthesia and intensive care. Although recent meta-analysis has supported prophylactic steroid therapy in adult cardiac surgery, a large Dutch multicenter trial found no outcome advantage with dexamethasone. A second large randomized trial is currently testing the outcome effects of methyprednisolone in this setting. Due to calibration drift, the logistic EuroSCORE has recently been recalibrated. Despite this model revision, EuroSCORE II still overestimates mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. It is likely that a specific perioperative risk model will be developed for this unique patient population. Recent global consensus has prioritized 12 non-surgical interventions that merit further study for reducing mortality after surgery. There is currently a paradigm shift in the conduct of adult aortic arch repair. Recent advances have facilitated aortic arch reconstruction with routine antegrade cerebral perfusion at mild-to-moderate hypothermia. Further integration of hybrid endovascular techniques may allow future aortic arch repair without hypothermia or circulatory arrest. These advances will likely further improve patient outcomes.

Major themes for 2011 in cardiovascular anesthesia and intensive care.

The past year has witnessed major advances in of cardiovascular anesthesia and intensive care. Perioperative interventions such as anesthetic design, inotrope choice, glycemic therapy, blood management, and noninvasive ventilation have significant potential to enhance perioperative outcomes even further.The major theme for 2011 is the international consensus conference that focused on ancillary interventions likely to reduce mortality in cardiac anesthesia and intensive care. This landmark conference prioritized volatile anesthetics, levosimendan, and insulin therapy for their promising life-saving perioperative potential. Although extensive evidence has demonstrated the cardioprotective effects of volatile anesthetics, levosimendan as well as glucose, insulin and potassium therapy, the clinical relevance of these beneficial effects remains to be fully elucidated. Furthermore, controversy still persists about how tight perioperative glucose control should be in adult cardiac surgery because of the risk of hypoglycemia.A second major theme in 2011 has been perioperative hemostasis with the release of multispecialty guidelines. Furthermore, hemostatic agents such as recombinant factor VIIa and tranexamic acid have been studied intensively, even in the setting of major non-cardiac surgery. This review then highlights the remaining two major themes for 2011, namely the expanding role of noninvasive ventilation in our specialty and the formation of the Roland Hetzer International Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Society.In conclusion, it is time for large adequately powered multicenter trials to test whether prioritized perioperative interventions truly reduce mortality and morbidity in cardiac surgical patients. This essential paradigm shift represents a major clinical opportunity for the global cardiovascular anesthesia and critical care community.

Major themes for 2010 in cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia.

Significant variability in transfusion practice persists despite guidelines. Although the lysine analogues are effective antifibrinolytics, safety concerns exist with high doses tranexamic acid. Despite recombinant activated factor VII promising results in massive bleeding after cardiac surgery, it significantly increases arterial thromboembolic risk. Aortic valve repair may evolve to standard of care. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is an established therapy for aortic stenosis. The cardiovascular anesthesiologist features prominently in the new guidelines for thoracic aortic disease. Although intense angiotensin blockade improves outcomes in heart failure, it might aggravate the maintenance of perioperative systemic vascular tone. Ultrafiltration is an alternative to diuresis for volume overload in heart failure. Management of heart failure titrated to brain natriuretic peptide activity reduces mortality. A major surgical advance has been the significant outcome improvement achieved with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices. Advanced liver disease is a significant predictor for perioperative bleeding, transfusion and mortality after ventricular assist device insertion. Acquired von Willebrand syndrome is not only common in patients with these devices but often aggravating bleeding and transfusion in this setting. Metabolic myocardial modulation with perhexilene significantly enhances effort tolerance in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A landmark report has highlighted future priorities in this disease. Pediatric cardiac surgical trials have revealed the importance of perioperative cerebral oxygen saturation monitoring and the Sano shunt. Advances in pediatric-specific ventricular assist devices will likely revolutionize pediatric heart failure. Recent reports have highlighted the priorities for future perioperative trials and for training models in pediatric cardiac anesthesia.

Mortality reduction in cardiac anesthesia and intensive care: results of the first International Consensus Conference.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on which drugs/techniques/strategies can affect mortality in the perioperative period of cardiac surgery. With the aim of identifying these measures, and suggesting measures for prioritized future investigation we performed the first international consensus conference on this topic. METHODS: The consensus was a continuous international internet-based process with a final meeting on June 28th 2010 in Milan at the Vita-Salute University. Participants included 340 cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac surgeons and cardiologists from 65 countries all over the world. A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify topics that subsequently generated position statements for discussion, voting and ranking. RESULTS: Of the 17 major topics with a documented mortality effect, seven were subsequently excluded after further evaluation due to concerns about clinical applicability and/or study methodology. The following topics are documented as reducing mortality: administration of insulin, levosimendan, volatile anesthetics, statins, chronic beta-blockade, early aspirin therapy, the use of preoperative intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation and referral to high-volume centers. The following are documented as increasing mortality: administration of aprotinin and aged red blood cell transfusion. These interventions were classified according to the level of evidence and effect on mortality and a position statement was generated. CONCLUSION: This international consensus conference has identified the non-surgical interventions that merit urgent study to achieve further reductions in mortality after cardiac surgery: insulin, intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation, levosimendan, volatile anesthetics, statins, chronic beta-blockade, early aspirin therapy, and referral to high-volume centers. The use of aprotinin and aged red blood cells may result in increased mortality.

Major themes for 2009 in cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia.

The hybrid operating room is the venue for transcatheter therapy with the convergence of three specialties: cardiac surgery, cardiovascular anesthesiology, and interventional cardiology. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is proof that cardiac specialists have embraced the endovascular revolution. Since pharmacologic and ischemic myocardial conditioning are safe and effective, they are currently the focus of multiple trials. Angiotensin blockade, anemia and endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting worsen outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Although off-pump CABG is equivalent to on-pump CABG, it may improve outcomes in high-risk groups. Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) significantly decreases mortality after myocardial infarction, the evidence is less convincing for intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation. Even though prasugrel was recently approved for platlet blockade in PCI, it may be superceded by ticagrelor. Although PCI and CABG appear equivalent for multivessel coronary disease, CABG lowers revascularization rates and also has superior outcomes in diabetics and the elderly. Hetastarch and N-acetylcysteine both increase bleeding and transfusion in cardiac surgery. Factor VII can treat life-threatening bleeding, but its safety requires further evaluation. Since eltrombopag and romiplostim stimulate platelet production, they may have a future role in hemostasis after cardiac surgery. Even though fenoldopam, atrial natriuretic peptide and sodium bicarbonate are nephroprotective, further trials must confirm these findings. Intensive insulin therapy offers no further outcome advantage and significantly increases hypoglycemic risk. The past year has witnessed the advent of a new clinical venue, new devices, and new drugs. The coming year will most likely advance these achievements.