Challenges of Congenital Heart Surgery in Brazil: It is Time to Designate Pediatric Congenital Heart Surgery Subspecialty.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects eight to ten out of every 1,000 births, resulting in approximately 23,057 new cases in Brazil in 2022. About one in four children with CHD requires surgery or other procedures in the first year of life, and it is expected that approximately 81% of these children with CHD will survive until at least 35 years of age. Professionals choosing to specialize in CHD surgery face numerous challenges, not only related to mastering surgical techniques and the complexity of the diseases but also to the lack of recognition by medical societies as a separate subspecialty.

Three-Dimensional Printing: is it useful for Cardiac Surgery?

Introduction: The medical use of three-dimensional (3-D) images has been a topic in the literature since 1988, but 95% of papers on 3-D printing were published in the last six years. The increase in publications is the result of advances in 3-D printing methods, as well as of the increasing availability of these machines in different hospitals. This paper sought to review the literature on 3-D printing and to discuss thoughtful ideas regarding benefits and challenges to its incorporation into cardiothoracic surgeons' routines.

Effect of Preoperative Creatinine Levels on Mortality after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Surgery: an Observational Study.

Introduction: Renal function is an independent risk factor for mortality among on-pump coronary bypass grafting (ONCABG) patients. This association is well known in the international literature, but there is a lack of knowledge of how admission creatinine (AC) levels modulate each cardiovascular risk factor.

Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the effect of different AC levels on mortality among ONCABG patients.

Predictive Factors of Long-Term Stay in the ICU after Cardiac Surgery: Logistic CASUS Score, Serum Bilirubin Dosage and Extracorporeal Circulation Time.

Objective: To test the capacity of the Logistic CASUS Score on the second postoperative day, the total serum bilirubin dosage on the second postoperative day and the extracorporeal circulation time, as possible predictive factors of long-term stay in Intensive Care Unit after cardiac surgery.

Methods: Eight-two patients submitted to cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation were selected. The Logistic CASUS Score on the second postoperative day was calculated and bilirubin dosage on the second postoperative day was measured.

Tadalafil: Protective Action against the Development of Multiple Organ Failure Syndrome.

Introduction: Multiple organ failure syndrome (MOFS) is a pathology associated to unspecified and severe trauma, characterized by elevated morbidity and mortality. The complex inflammatory MOFS-related reactions generate important ischemia-reperfusion responses in the induction of this syndrome. Nitric oxide elevation, through the activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), has the potential of counteracting the typical systemic vasoconstriction, and platelet-induced hypercoagulation.

Surgical Treatment for Thrombus Straddling a Patent Foramen Ovale.

We present a case of a 41-year-old female with deep vein thrombosis after abdominal surgery. The patient quickly developed severe pulmonary embolism and stroke representative of paradoxical embolism. Echocardiography showed a thrombus straddling a patent foramen ovale, which was confirmed intraoperatively.

Technological Devices Improving System of Translating Languages: What About their Usefulness on the Applicability in Medicine and Health Sciences?

Introduction: In a world in which global communication is becoming ever more important and in which English is increasingly positioned as the pre-eminent international language, that is, English as a Lingua Franca refers to the use of English as a medium of communication between peoples of different languages. It is important to highlight the positive advances in communication in health, provided by technology.

Objective: To present an overview on some technological devices of translating languages provided by the Web as well as to point out some advantages and disadvantages specially using Google Translate in Medicine and Health Sciences.

Endnote Web tutorial for BJCVS/RBCCV.

At present, many useful tools for reference management are available for use. They can be either off-line softwares or accessible Websites to all users in the internet. Their target is to facilitate the production of scientific text.

Risk factors for mortality of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass grafting is a safe procedure performed worldwide with low rates of mortality and morbidity in general population.

Objective: To investigate risk factors for mortality of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting coronary artery bypass grafting surgery.

Methods: A total of 1,628 consecutive patients undergoing on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting were retrospectively studied from December 1999 to February 2012.

Modes of induced cardiac arrest: hyperkalemia and hypocalcemia--literature review.

The entry of sodium and calcium play a key effect on myocyte subjected to cardiac arrest by hyperkalemia. They cause cell swelling, acidosis, consumption of adenosine triphosphate and trigger programmed cell death. Cardiac arrest caused by hypocalcemia maintains intracellular adenosine triphosphate levels, improves diastolic performance and reduces oxygen consumption, which can be translated into better protection to myocyte injury induced by cardiac arrest.

The calcium paradox - what should we have to fear?

The calcium paradox was first mentioned in 1966 by Zimmerman et al. Thereafter gained great interest from the scientific community due to the fact of the absence of calcium ions in heart muscle cells produce damage similar to ischemia-reperfusion. Although not all known mechanisms involved in cellular injury in the calcium paradox intercellular connection maintained only by nexus seems to have a key role in cellular fragmentation.

Comparison of fractal dimension and Shannon entropy in myocytes from rats treated with histidine-tryptophan-glutamate and histidine-tryptophan cetoglutarate.

Introduction: Solutions that cause elective cardiac arrest are constantly evolving, but the ideal compound has not yet been found. The authors compare a new cardioplegic solution with histidine-tryptophan-glutamate (Group 2) and other one with histidine-tryptophan-cetoglutarate (Group 1) in a model of isolated rat heart.

Objective: To quantify the fractal dimension and Shannon entropy in rat myocytes subjected to cardioplegia solution using histidine-tryptophan with glutamate in an experimental model, considering the caspase markers, IL-8 and KI-67.

Comparison of the solution of histidine-tryptophan-alfacetoglutarate with histidine-tryptophan-glutamate as cardioplegic agents in isolated rat hearts: an immunohistochemical study.

Introduction: Cardiac arrest during heart surgery is a common procedure and allows the surgeon to perform surgical procedures in an environment free of blood and movement. Using a model of isolated rat heart, the authors compare a new cardioplegic solution containing histidine-tryptophan-glutamate (group 2) with the histidine-tryptophan-alphacetoglutarate (group 1) routinely used by some cardiac surgeons.

Objective: To assess caspase, IL-8 and KI-67 in isolated rat hearts using immunohistochemistry.

[Concepts of basic physics that every cardiovascular surgeon should know: part I - mechanics of fluids].

The professional activity that the cardiovascular surgeon performs is much more than a simple gesture to mechanically operate the patient's heart. There is in every act of intraoperative most notions of physiology and physics than we generally realize. This paper discusses, in the light of mathematics, on the dynamics of fluids, ie blood, focused on invasive measurements of blood pressure, the effect of vessel size on its internal resistance and the flow passing through it in conversion of various units of measurements of pressure and resistance, blood viscosity and its relationship to the vessel, hemodilution, differences in laminar and turbulent flow, velocity and blood pressure and wall tension after a stenosis and the origin of poststenotic aneurysm.

Development and assessment of sterility of a closed-system pediatric peritoneal dialysis.

Objective: To develop an easy-handling totally closed pediatric peritoneal dialysis system and assess the sterility assurance level.

Methods: From February to December 2008 was designed and developed a closed-system pediatric peritoneal dialysis at the Bioengineering Division of Braile Biomédica Indústria, Comércio e Representações S/A. Twenty systems were manufactured and submitted to sterility assurance level testing, and were divided into Group A (10)--using the sterility test--and B (10)--ethylene oxide gas penetration.