Beta-Glucanemia after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Case Report.

Blood salvage techniques are increasingly being used during surgical procedures to reduce the need for exogenous blood products. The blood recovered from the surgical field through aspiration or absorption by surgical sponges is reinfused into a patient. A 65-year old patient who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting using blood salvage techniques developed a fever on post-op day 3 and was noted to have an elevated β-d-glucan level, a marker of systemic fungal infections.

A rare case of two different types of cardiac tumors in a patient.

This report presents a 68-year-old woman in whom two different types of benign cardiac tumors were found. This patient, with multiple comorbidities, presented with weight loss. An initial computed tomography scan showed a left atrial mass.

Cabled butterfly closure: a novel technique for sternal closure.

Impaired sternal wound healing remains problematic after median sternotomy and can lead to significant morbidity after cardiac surgical procedures. Although metal plating systems exist for closing the sternum, their use is limited by expense and practicality, and simple wire closure remains the most common technique to close the sternum. We describe a cabling technique for sternal closure that is secure, uses standard sternal wire, and may be used on every patient.

Perils of rib fractures.

Rib fractures (RF) are noted in 4 to 12 per cent of trauma admissions. To define RF risks at a Level 1 trauma center, investigators conducted a 10-year (1995-2004) retrospective analysis of all trauma patients. Blunt chest trauma was seen in 13 per cent (1,475/11,533) of patients and RF in 808 patients (55% blunt chest trauma, 7% blunt trauma).