Allogenic blood transfusion in cardiac surgery.

Blood transfusion carries benefits and risks. Adult cardiac surgery accounts for a significant proportion of all red blood cells transfusions. However, the identification of the patient, who will truly benefit from transfusions, is still controversial.

Absorption of carbon dioxide during endoscopic vein harvest.

Objectives: Carbon dioxide (CO(2)) insufflation was used by some devices for endoscopic vein harvest to create a subcutaneous tunnel and facilitate the vein harvest. In the literature, some cases of CO(2) micro- and macro-embolisms or hypercarbia during this procedure are described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the use of an open CO(2) system rather than a sealed system might be associated with different CO(2) absorption during the procedure.