European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jan 1993
Meta Analysis Comparative StudyOptimal antithrombotic therapy following aortocoronary bypass: a meta-analysis.
To evaluate the role of antithrombotic therapy, on preserving graft patency, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials involving aspirin (ASA), dipyridamole (D), anticoagulants (AC) and placebo or nontreatment controls (P). Manual literature searches were performed supplemented by computerized MEDLINE listings complete to July 1991. Saphenous vein graft occlusion was determined by angiography (patients with > or = 1 distal anastomotic occlusion). ⋯ Early postoperative treatment (< or = 6 h) strongly influenced graft occlusion while preoperative administration provided no additional benefit. No mortality advantage was identified for any antithrombotic therapy. Aspirin or anticoagulants enhance saphenous vein graft patency following aortocoronary bypass surgery, and a combination thereof deserves further investigation in a trial large enough to detect the effects of these treatments with respect to clinical events.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jan 1993
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialArrhythmia prophylaxis after coronary artery surgery. A randomised controlled trial of intravenous magnesium chloride.
One hundred and thirty patients undergoing elective myocardial revascularisation were randomised to receive an intravenous infusion containing either 50 mmol magnesium chloride or placebo during the first 48 h following surgery. Magnesium was given to 66 patients and a placebo infusion to 64 patients. Postoperative serum magnesium concentrations fell in the placebo group (from 0.83 +/- 0.06 to 0.79 +/- 0.11 mmol/l) but were elevated in the magnesium group (from 0.82 +/- 0.05 to 1.2 +/- 0.25 mmol/l). ⋯ Three patients in the magnesium group had an episode of ventricular fibrillation and three patients in the placebo group had frequent ventricular ectopics. There was one death in the magnesium group associated with a perioperative myocardial infarction. This study shows that intravenous magnesium supplements reduce the incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias following coronary artery surgery.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jan 1993
Editorial ReviewOrgan dysfunction and cardiopulmonary bypass: the role of complement and complement regulatory proteins.
Cardiopulmonary bypass-induced organ dysfunction remains a clinical problem in certain groups of patients. Although the pathogenesis is multifactorial, it is likely that a panendothelial injury consequent upon widespread humoral and cellular activation is a major contributor to this process. The biologically active products of complement activation are certainly capable of inducing many of the features of the post-perfusion syndrome. ⋯ Haworth, Personal Communication) whilst pre-existing sepsis could clearly induce a degree of endothelial dysfunction. A further possibility is that the inflammatory response in these patients is already "primed". Some patients with heart failure have been shown to have elevated circulating TNF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jan 1993
Case ReportsEndobronchial hamartoma resected by rigid bronchoscope.
Endobronchial hamartomas are not very common and they are usually symptomatic because of bronchial obstruction. The diagnosis is made by fiberoptic bronchoscopy of thoracotomy and there are several possibilities of treatment but until now the most common has been surgical resection. We report the case of a man with an endobronchial hamartoma who was diagnosed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy and successfully treated by rigid bronchoscopy.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jan 1993
Comparative StudyIntercostal nerve block, interpleural analgesia, thoracic epidural block or systemic opioid application for pain relief after thoracotomy?
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different pain-relief methods (regional and systemic) following thoracotomies on the cardiovascular system, pulmonary gas exchange, various endocrine parameters and subjective perception. A further aspect was to evaluate the benefits of interpleural analgesia as a new regional technique against already established regional techniques, such as intercostal nerve block and thoracic epidural block. All postoperative pain methods led to a significant time-dependent reduction of the adrenaline concentrations in plasma while the noradrenaline concentrations did not change significantly. ⋯ The plasma concentrations of the "stress metabolites", such as glucose, free fatty acids and lactate, as well as the haemodynamic (mean arterial pressure, heart rate) and pulmonary parameters (blood gas analyses), showed no significant differences among groups. In contrast to the other pain-relieving methods, interpleural analgesia did not lead to sufficient pain relief in that 7 out of 10 patients needed supplementary systemic opioid therapy. Therefore, interpleural analgesia for pain relief following thoracotomies cannot be recommended.