Preoperative Diaphragm Function Is Associated With Postoperative Pulmonary Complications After Cardiac Surgery.

Objectives: Postoperative pulmonary complications increase mortality, length, and cost of hospitalization. A better diaphragmatic strength may help face an increased work of breathing postoperatively. We, therefore, sought to determine if a low preoperative diaphragm thickening fraction (TFdi) determined by ultrasonography helped predict the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery independently of indicators of frailty, sarcopenia, and pulmonary function.

The Association Between Pulsatile Portal Flow and Acute Kidney Injury after Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: Venous congestion is a possible mechanism leading to acute kidney injury (AKI) following cardiac surgery. Portal vein flow pulsatility is an echographic marker of cardiogenic portal hypertension and might identify clinically significant organ congestion. This exploratory study aims to assess if the presence of portal flow pulsatility measured by transthoracic echography in the postsurgical intensive care unit is associated with AKI after cardiac surgery.

Clinical Significance of Portal Hypertension Diagnosed With Bedside Ultrasound After Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Portal venous flow pulsatility detected by Doppler ultrasound is a sign of congestive heart failure in noncritically ill patients. The assessment of portal and splenic venous flows has never been reported in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: This is a case series performed in patients undergoing cardiac surgery between February 2014 and February 2015 in which portal and/or splenic venous flows were assessed by the attending anesthesiologist during surgery or by the intensivist after surgery using transthoracic echography in 9 patients or transesophageal echocardiography in 5 patients.

Albumin administration for fluid resuscitation in burn patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective was to systematically review the literature summarizing the effect on mortality of albumin compared to non-albumin solutions during the fluid resuscitation phase of burn injured patients.

Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL and the content of two leading journals in burn care, Burns and Journal of Burn Care and Research.

Study Selection: Two reviewers independently selected randomized controlled trials comparing albumin vs.

Hypoalbuminemia in the first 24h of admission is associated with organ dysfunction in burned patients.

Objective: Hypoalbuminemia is a common finding in burned patients, but its association with increased morbidity and mortality has not been well established. We assessed whether hypoalbuminemia in the first 24h of admission is associated with organ dysfunction in patients with severe burns.

Methods: For a two year period (2008-2009), we reviewed the records of burn adult patients with a total body surface area 20% admitted in our unit within the first 24h of injury.