Does preoperative degree of aortic insufficiency influence early and midterm results of sparing surgery?

Objective: Aortic valve-sparing operations have shown excellent results in patients with aortic root and or ascending aorta aneurysm. Aortic valve regurgitation is frequently detected in these patients as a result of significant dilation of the aortic root.The aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative aortic incompetence degree on the early and midterm outcomes of sparing surgery.

Intravenous paracetamol as adjunctive treatment for postoperative pain after cardiac surgery: a double blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids are routinely used after cardiac surgery in order to mitigate postoperative pain; however, these drugs are burdened by side effects. Tramadol and paracetamol are believed to be lacking in such side effects. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of intravenous paracetamol as an adjunctive analgesic to a tramadol-based background analgesia after cardiac surgery.

Lowest hematocrit on cardiopulmonary bypass impairs the outcome in coronary surgery: An Italian Multicenter Study from the National Cardioanesthesia Database.

Severe hemodilutional anemia on cardiopulmonary bypass increases morbidity and mortality after coronary surgery. The present study focuses on the lowest hematocrit values during extracorporeal circulation and on allogenic blood transfusions as mortality and morbidity risk factors. The records of 1,766 consecutive adult patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery at 3 institutions have been analyzed retrospectively for in-hospital mortality and adverse outcomes.

Aortic valve-sparing operations: early and midterm results.

Background: Aortic valve-sparing operations have provided very good clinical outcomes. However, there is still a debate about valve durability because of the absence of the Valsalva sinuses, and various techniques have been proposed to reproduce the native anatomy of the aortic root. We reviewed our total experience with aortic valve-sparing operations to determine early and midterm outcomes.

Clinical experience with polyclonal IgM-enriched immunoglobulins in a group of patients affected by sepsis after cardiac surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency, in terms of decreasing overall mortality (primary endpoint), of an immunoglobulin M (IgM)-enriched, polyclonal intravenous immunoglobulin preparation (IVIg) (Pentaglobin; Biotest AG, Dreieich, Germany) in the treatment of a group of patients affected by sepsis after cardiac surgery. A secondary endpoint was to evaluate which subgroup, on the basis of the infectious state when the patient enrolled, could benefit the most from the treatment. Another secondary endpoint was the evaluation of an improvement in the severity score or in other variables such as Glasgow Coma Scale; arterial pressure (systolic, average, and diastolic); heart rate; central venous pressure; cardiac index; respiratory rate; PaO(2), F(I)O(2), and the ratio of PaO(2) to F(I)O(2); pH, base excess, and bicarbonate; C reactive protein and leukocytes; platelets, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, and anti-thrombin III; creatinine; and bilirubin.

Impact of oligon central venous catheters on catheter colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection.

Objective: To evaluate a new antimicrobial treatment for central venous catheters in comparison with a traditional treatment, by assessing the catheter colonization and catheter-related bloodstream infection rates in two groups of patients.

Design: Multiple-center, prospective randomized study.

Setting: The medical and surgical departments of ten institutions.