Predicting Readmission to Intensive Care After Cardiac Surgery Within Index Hospitalization: A Systematic Review.

Readmission to the cardiac intensive care unit after cardiac surgery has significant implications for both patients and healthcare providers. Identifying patients at risk of readmission potentially could improve outcomes. The objective of this systematic review was to identify risk factors and clinical prediction models for readmission within a single hospitalization to intensive care after cardiac surgery.

Are Serum Potassium and Magnesium Levels Associated with Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery?

Objectives: Potassium and magnesium are frequently administered after cardiac surgery to reduce the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). The evidence for this practice is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between serum potassium and magnesium levels and AF after cardiac surgery.

A Novel Patient-Specific Model for Predicting Severe Oliguria; Development and Comparison With Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Acute Kidney Injury Classification.

Objectives: The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes urine output criteria for acute kidney injury lack specificity for identifying patients at risk of adverse renal outcomes. The objective was to develop a model that analyses hourly urine output values in real time to identify those at risk of developing severe oliguria.

Design: This was a retrospective cohort study utilizing prospectively collected data.

The KDIGO acute kidney injury guidelines for cardiac surgery patients in critical care: a validation study.

Background: The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) guidelines assign the same stage of AKI to patients whether they fulfil urine output criteria, serum creatinine criteria or both criteria for that stage. This study explores the validity of the KDIGO guidelines as a tool to stratify the risk of adverse outcomes in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods: Prospective data from consecutive adult patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) following cardiac surgery between January 2013 and May 2015 were analysed.

Comparison of traditional microbiological culture and 16S polymerase chain reaction analyses for identification of preoperative airway colonization for patients undergoing lung resection.

Purpose: Preoperative airway colonization is associated with increased risk of postoperative respiratory complications following lung resection. This study compares the rates of preoperative lower respiratory tract colonization identified by traditional culture and novel 16S polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

Materials And Methods: Preoperative sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples for 49 lung resection patients underwent culture and 16S PCR analyses.

Validation of Three Postoperative Risk Prediction Models for Intensive Care Unit Mortality after Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Several cardiac surgery risk prediction models based on postoperative data have been developed. However, unlike preoperative cardiac surgery risk prediction models, postoperative models are rarely externally validated or utilized by clinicians. The objective of this study was to externally validate three postoperative risk prediction models for intensive care unit (ICU) mortality after cardiac surgery.

Oxygenation via a Biventricular Assist Device for Emergency Airway Management.

A 56-year-old man receiving mechanical circulatory support via a biventricular assist device suffered an airway emergency secondary to bleeding into the airway. An improvised solution to gain control of the airway in the short term was devised, and an oxygenator was inserted into the circuit, providing an alternative means of gas exchange while definitive control of the airway was achieved. This case changed practice in our institution, where we now make contingency plans for emergency oxygenator insertion into the circuits of all patients with a biventricular assist device who show any sign of airway hemorrhage.