Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Mar 2010
Cardiac troponin I levels after cardiac surgery as predictor for in-hospital mortality.
Troponin is a specific marker of myocardial damage. Increased troponins, however, are observed after almost all cardiac surgery. The clinical significance of this elevation is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate if troponin I (cTnI) measured 1 h after cardiac surgery provides additional information to identify patients at risk for hospital mortality. ⋯ Postoperative cTnI level, measured within the first hour after cardiac surgery, can identify a subgroup of patients with increased risk for hospital mortality. These patients may benefit from better monitoring, eventually with specific diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Mar 2010
Case ReportsOperative stabilization of skeletal chest injuries secondary to cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a cardiac surgical patient.
Chest injury, including sternal and rib fractures, is the most common complication of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that usually heals spontaneously. However, a small subset of patients has fractures that need mechanical treatment. We present a case of flail chest with sternum and left anterior rib fractures secondary to CPR in a cardiac surgical patient, which was mechanically ventilated due to respiratory complications. ⋯ The patient had an uneventful postoperative course, painfree, and experienced no sternal instability or infection throughout a six-month follow-up period. Sternal instability after cardiac surgery occurs infrequently but can be challenging to manage. Titanium plate fixation is an effective method to stabilize complicated flail chest, with clinical utility in a cardiothoracic practice.
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Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg · Mar 2010
Editorial Comment Historical ArticleThe evolution of aortic root surgery for Marfan syndrome.