Prevalence and Clinical Impact of Systemic Inflammatory Reaction After Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives: Cardiac surgery induces a systemic inflammatory reaction that has been associated with postoperative mortality and morbidity. Many studies have characterized this reaction through laboratory biomarkers while clinical studies generally are lacking. This study aimed to assess the incidence of postoperative systemic inflammation after cardiac surgery, and the association of postoperative systemic inflammation with preoperative patients' characteristics and postoperative outcomes.

External aortic cross-clamping and endoaortic balloon occlusion in minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery has increasingly been used for patients with valvular pathology. Two techniques of aortic occlusion are utilized with this technique: transthoracic aortic clamp (TTC) and endoaortic balloon occlusion (EAO). Both possibilities present peculiar advantages and limitations whose current evidence is based on few observational studies.

Oral nystatin prophylaxis in surgical/trauma ICU patients: a randomised clinical trial.

Introduction: Candida prophylaxis in ICU is still a matter of debate. Oral chemoprophylaxis has been advocated to reduce the incidence of Candida colonisation and infection.

Methods: We performed a randomised trial studying a single drug (nystatin) versus control in surgical/trauma ICU patients.