Hypotension after intensive care unit drop-off in adult cardiac surgery patients.

Background: Hypotension is a frequent complication in the intensive care unit (ICU) after adult cardiac surgery.

Aim: To describe frequency of hypotension in the ICU following adult cardiac surgery and its relation to the hospital outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective study of post-cardiac adult surgical patients at a tertiary academic medical center in a two-year period.

Neuromuscular blockade management in the critically Ill patient.

Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) can be an effective modality to address challenges that arise daily in the intensive care unit (ICU). These medications are often used to optimize mechanical ventilation, facilitate endotracheal intubation, stop overt shivering during therapeutic hypothermia following cardiac arrest, and may have a role in the management of life-threatening conditions such as elevated intracranial pressure and status asthmaticus (when deep sedation fails or is not tolerated). However, current NMBA use has decreased during the last decade due to concerns of potential adverse effects such as venous thrombosis, patient awareness during paralysis, development of critical illness myopathy, autonomic interactions, and even residual paralysis following cessation of NMBA use.

Heparin vs bivalirudin anticoagulation for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) induces hemostatic alterations that may contribute to hematological complications. Unfractionated heparin (UFH) is the mainstay antithrombotic in ECMO and depends on antithrombin III (AT III) to exhibit its actions. However, it bears the risk for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

The Use of a Novel Endotracheal Tube and Airway Management System to Prevent Complications in Lung Transplantation.

A key component of the perioperative management of lung transplant recipients is the avoidance of airway and pulmonary complications in the immediate postoperative period. The AnapnoGuard™ AG100s (Hospitech Respiration Ltd, Kfar Saba, Israel), a novel endotracheal tube and ventilation management system, holds the potential to assist the care team in attenuating complications related to excessive cuff pressure, subglottic secretions, and endobronchial intubation. In this report, we describe the successful use of the AnapnoGuard™ AG100s system in the postoperative management of a lung transplant recipient.