The Annals of thoracic surgery
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Hypoxemia usually occurs after thoracotomy, and respiratory failure represents a major complication. ⋯ These results suggest that the degree of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in lobectomy and impairment of preoperative breathing pattern in pneumonectomy are the main factors of respiratory failure after lung resection.
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We encountered a rare complication of mitral valve replacement with the CarboMedics prosthesis: a "stuck" leaflet detected by transesophageal echocardiography even though weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass had been uneventful. The patient was immediately managed without significant problems. We emphasize the importance of performing routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in valve replacement as well as in valve repair, from the initial phase of operation.
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Rupture of the heart is usually a fatal injury in patients sustaining blunt trauma. Those arriving in the emergency department alive can be saved with prompt diagnosis and treatment. ⋯ Rarely are patients with rupture of the free cardiac wall seen in an emergency department. The improvements in the prehospital care and the transportation may result in an increase in the numbers of such patients. Physicians treating patients with blunt trauma must suspect the presence of cardiac rupture. Immediate use of ultrasonography will establish the diagnosis and prompt repair of the injury may improve overall survival.
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Large-volume hemoptysis during cardiopulmonary bypass is an infrequent, but life-threatening event. Rapid airway clearance and control are the primary prerequisites for successful management. ⋯ Major hemoptysis during cardiopulmonary bypass is best dealt with initially by rapid airway control and cessation of bypass in an expeditious manner. An algorithm for suggested management is provided. The rigid bronchoscope is the optimal tool for initial management and it should always be available. Definitive treatment is determined by the cause and the persistence of hemorrhage once these maneuvers have been performed.
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There is evidence that lung ischemia reperfusion injury is a result of the activation of components of the inflammatory cascade. However, the role of neutrophils in lung reperfusion injury continues to be a source of controversy. ⋯ Leukocyte depletion of the blood reperfusate protects against microvascular permeability and significantly improves pulmonary graft function. The neutrophil plays a major role in amplifying lung injury later during reperfusion, and this lung ischemia reperfusion injury may be reversed through the interruption of the inflammatory cascade and the interference with neutrophil infiltration.