The diagnostic accuracy of procalcitonin in infectious patients after cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces an acute inflammatory response that may lead to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome. The interest in procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis of bacterial infection in patients after cardiac surgery remains less defined. The aim of this meta-analysis is to prospectively examine the discriminatory power of PCT as markers of infection in hospitalized patients with after cardiac surgery.

[Preservation with high-pressure carbon monoxide better protects ex vivo rabbit heart function than conventional cardioplegic solution preservation].

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of high-pressure carbon monoxide for preservation of ex vivo rabbit heart graft in comparison with the conventional HTK cardioplegic solution preservation.

Methods: Heart grafts isolated from 85 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into Naive group (n=5), HTK group (n=40) and CO group (n=40). The grafts underwent no preservation procedures in Naive group, preserved at 4 degrees celsius; in HTK cardioplegic solution in HTK group, and preserved at 4 degrees celsius; in a high-pressure tank (PO2: PCO=3200 hPa: 800 hPa) in CO group with Krebs-Henseleit solution perfusion but without cardioplegic solution.