The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2016
Editorial CommentCardiac tumors: To treat or not to treat (or both)?
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2016
Antibiotic prophylaxis and risk of Clostridium difficile infection after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
Antibiotic use, particularly type and duration, is a crucial modifiable risk factor for Clostridium difficile. Cardiac surgery is of particular interest because prophylactic antibiotics are recommended for 48 hours or less (vs ≤24 hours for noncardiac surgery), with increasing vancomycin use. We aimed to study associations between antibiotic prophylaxis (duration/vancomycin use) and C difficile among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. ⋯ Although extended use of antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with increased C difficile risk after coronary artery bypass grafting, vancomycin use was not. The observed hospital variation in antibiotic prophylaxis practices suggests great potential for efforts aimed at standardizing practices that subsequently could reduce C difficile risk.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Feb 2016
Comparative StudyMinimally invasive mitral valve surgery is associated with equivalent cost and shorter hospital stay when compared with traditional sternotomy.
Mitral valve surgery is increasingly performed through minimally invasive approaches. There are limited data regarding the cost of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery. Moreover, there are no data on the specific costs associated with mitral valve surgery. We undertook this study to compare the costs (total and subcomponent) of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery relative to traditional sternotomy. ⋯ Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery can be performed with overall equivalent cost and shorter hospital stay relative to traditional sternotomy. There is greater operative cost associated with minimally invasive mitral valve surgery that is offset by shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays.