A Single-Center Randomized Trial of Intraoperative Zero-Balanced Ultrafiltration During Cardiopulmonary Bypass for Patients With Impaired Kidney Function Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives: The authors investigated whether zero-balance ultrafiltration (Z-BUF) during bypass significantly improves clinical and cost outcomes or biomarkers of kidney injury for patients with preoperative kidney impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]<60 mL/minute) undergoing cardiac surgery.

Design: A single-center randomized controlled trial recruited, patients between 2010 and 2013, with a 12-months follow-up.

Setting: Hospital.

Thoracic epidural or paravertebral catheter for analgesia after lung resection: is the outcome different?

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) or a paravertebral catheter block (PVB) with morphine patient-controlled analgesia influenced outcome in patients undergoing thoracotomy for lung resection.

Design: A retrospective analysis.

Setting: A tertiary referral center.

Mitral valve involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis.

Wegener's granulomatosis is an autoimmune condition resulting in the granulomatous vasculitis of small-to-medium-sized vessels, and is characterized by granulomatous lesions in the renal and respiratory systems. Cardiac involvement in Wegener's granulomatosis has been previously reported. However, involvement of cardiac valves is extremely rare.

Acute renal failure in coronary artery bypass surgery: independent effect of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: Acute renal failure after cardiac surgery is associated with a high morbidity and mortality, particularly when associated with hemodialysis. The aim of the study was to investigate whether the use of cardiopulmonary bypass increased the risk of developing acute renal failure.

Methods: The 2199 consecutive patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between January 2000 and March 2002 were retrospectively analyzed.

Choice of opioid supplementation for day-case rigid bronchoscopy:a randomized placebo-controlled comparison of a bolus of remifentanil and alfentanil.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of different bolus doses of remifentanil, alfentanil, and saline at controlling the hemodynamic responses to day-case rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Setting: Tertiary referral cardiothoracic hospital, single center.

Suprascapular nerve block for ipsilateral shoulder pain after thoracotomy with thoracic epidural analgesia: a double-blind comparison of 0.5% bupivacaine and 0.9% saline.

Unlabelled: Despite receiving thoracic epidural analgesia, severe ipsilateral shoulder pain is common in patients after thoracotomy. We recruited 44 patients into a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled study to investigate whether suprascapular nerve block would treat postthoracotomy shoulder pain effectively. All patients received a standard anesthetic with a midthoracic epidural.