[Risk Factors for Postoperative Delirium after Cardiac Surgery].

 Delirium is a common psychiatric disorder after cardiac surgery and predisposes patients to increased mortality and morbidity. Its prevention requires knowledge of the risk factors involved.  What are preoperative risk factors for postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery?  Prospective longitudinal study of 241 elective cardiac surgical patients with preoperative assessment of potential risk factors and delirium assessment twice daily over five postoperative days.

Acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase in cardiosurgical patients with postoperative delirium.

Background: Patients in intensive care units (ICU) are often diagnosed with postoperative delirium; the duration of which has a relevant negative impact on various clinical outcomes. Recent research found a potentially important role of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in delirium of critically ill patients on non-surgical ICU or in non-cardiac-surgery patients. We tested the hypothesis that AChE and BChE have an impact on patients after cardiac surgery with postoperative delirium.

Functional residual capacity-guided alveolar recruitment strategy after endotracheal suctioning in cardiac surgery patients.

Objective: To determine whether the results of functional residual capacity measurements after endotracheal suctioning could guide the decision to perform an alveolar recruitment maneuver and thus improve lung function.

Design: Prospective, randomized, controlled interventional study.

Setting: Intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Relationship between functional residual capacity, respiratory compliance, and oxygenation in patients ventilated after cardiac surgery.

Background: Measurement of functional residual capacity (FRC) is now possible at bedside, during mechanical ventilation.

Objectives: To determine the relationship of measured absolute and relative predicted FRC values to oxygenation and respiratory-system compliance, and to identify variables that influence FRC in ventilated patients after cardiac surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 99 patients ventilated after cardiac surgery.

Changes in functional residual capacity during weaning from mechanical ventilation: a pilot study.

Background: Reduction of high positive end-expiratory pressure levels and pressure support ventilation (PSV) are frequently used before tracheal extubation in critically ill patients, but the impact of PSV on functional residual capacity (FRC) is unknown. In this study, we sought to detect the changes of FRC and pulmonary function during a weaning protocol in patients ventilated after cardiac surgery.

Methods: The LUFU system (Dräger Medical, Lübeck, Germany) estimates FRC by oxygen washout, a variant of multiple breath nitrogen washout, using a sidestream O(2) analyzer.

Increased mortality in long-term intensive care patients with active cytomegalovirus infection.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and impact on patient outcome of active human cytomegalovirus infections in patients with prolonged treatment in an intensive care unit.

Design: Retrospective analysis of stored plasma samples.

Setting: Anesthesiological intensive care unit of a university hospital.

Functional residual capacity changes after different endotracheal suctioning methods.

Background: Our primary objective was to investigate the effects of three different endotracheal suctioning procedures on functional residual capacity (FRC).

Methods: Using a crossover design, postoperative cardiac surgery patients (n = 20) received three different suctioning methods in randomized order: closed suctioning during pressure-controlled ventilation, closed suctioning during volume-controlled ventilation, and open suctioning. FRC was measured before and 20 min after the intervention.

The impact of different step changes of inspiratory fraction of oxygen on functional residual capacity measurements using the oxygen washout technique in ventilated patients.

Background: Functional residual capacity (FRC) measurements may help to guide respiratory therapy. Using the oxygen washout technique, FRC can be assessed at bedside during spontaneous breathing. High repeatability, crucial for monitoring, has not been shown in ventilated patients.

[Indication for antimycotic therapy for tracheobronchial candidosis under artificial ventilation].

Tracheobronchial candidosis is an impetuous complication in intensive care medicine. This article presents a concept to compare diagnostic procedure, Candida species and resistant species of different intensive care units with each other. This concept should encourage bench marking between similar intensive care units.

Bronchial stenting and high-frequency percussive ventilation treatment of descending aortic aneurysm-induced atelectasis of the left lung.

This case report shows that atelectasis of the left lung-induced by extrinsic compression of the left main bronchus by an aortic aneurysm and persisting despite aggressive conservative treatment-may be effectively treated by bronchial stenting and high-frequency percussive ventilation.