C. Sponholz

Anticoagulation Strategies in Venovenous Hemodialysis in Critically Ill Patients: A Five-Year Evaluation in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit

Renal failure is a common complication among critically ill patients. Timing, dosage, and mode of renal replacement (RRT) are under debate, but also anticoagulation strategies and vascular access interfere with dialysis success. We present a retrospective, five-year evaluation of patients requiring RRT on a multidisciplinary 50-bed surgical intensive care unit of a university hospital with special regard to anticoagulation strategies and vascular access. Anticoagulation was preferably performed with unfractionated heparin or regional citrate application (RAC). Bleeding and suspected HIT-II were most common causes for RAC. In CVVHD mode filter life span was significantly longer under RAC compared to heparin or other anticoagulation strategies (P = 0.001). Femoral vascular access was associated with reduced filter life span (P = 0.012), especially under heparin anticoagulation (P = 0.015). Patients on RAC had higher rates of metabolic alkalosis (P = 0.001), required more transfusions (P = 0.045), and showed higher illness severity measured by SOFA scores (P = 0.001). RRT with unfractionated heparin represented the most common anticoagulation strategy in this study population. However, patients with bleeding risk and severe organ dysfunction were more likely placed on RAC. Citrate provided longer filter life spans regardless of vascular access site. Attention has to be paid to metabolic disturbances.

Can radiological characteristics of preoperative cerebral lesions predict postoperative intracranial haemorrhage in endocarditis patients

OBJECTIVES Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high mortality (20-40%) and neurological complications (20-50%). Postoperative intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is a feared complication especially in patients with preoperative cerebral infarcts. The aim of this study was to determine the radiological characteristics of cerebral lesions that could predict the occurrence of postoperative ICH in IE patients. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed all charts, brain imaging and follow-up data from patients operated for left-sided endocarditis between January 2007 and April 2013. RESULTS A total of 308 patients (age 62.0 ± 13.9) underwent surgery for IE. Preoperative cerebrovascular complications were present in 122 patients (39.6%), representing stroke in 87, silent cerebral infarctions in 31 patients and transient ischaemic attacks in 4 patients. Among 118 patients with cerebral lesions, the aetiological classification of the lesions was ischaemic in 63.6%, ischaemic with haemorrhagic transformation (HT) in 17.8%, ischaemic with concomitant microbleeds in 16.1% and intracerebral bleeding in 2.5%. Postoperative ICH occurred in 17 patients and its incidence was slightly higher in patients with preoperative cerebral infarcts compared with those without preoperative cerebral infarcts [7.6 vs 4.2%, respectively, odds ratio (OR) 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-5.02, P = 0.21]. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, the incidence of postoperative ICH was higher in cases of HT of ischaemic infarcts than in cases of ischaemic infarcts not complicated with HT (19.0 vs 5.3%). However, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.24). The radiological pattern of preoperative cerebral lesions was single in 35.6% and multiple in 60.0% of cases. Multiple cerebral lesions were associated with a non-significantly lower incidence of postoperative ICH than single lesions (5.6 vs 11.9%, respectively, OR: 0.44, CI: 0.11-1.73, P = 0.29). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the incidence of postoperative ICH in IE patients was slightly higher in the presence of preoperative cerebral infarcts. In addition, preoperative cerebral ischaemic infarcts complicated with HT tended to have a higher incidence of postoperative ICH than those not complicated with HT. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Multiple preoperative cerebral infarcts were not associated with higher incidence of postoperative ICH compared with single cerebral infarcts.

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting using Bilateral Internal Thoracic Arteries through a Left-Sided Minithoracotomy: A Single-Center Starting Experience

OBJECTIVE  Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) is associated with the best long-term survival. However, using BITA increases the risk of sternal wound infections with conventional sternotomy. We describe here our initial results of minimally invasive CABG (MICS-CABG) using BITA. METHODS  Patients were operated through an incision similar to that of standard minimally invasive direct CABG. All operations were performed off-pump. We evaluated patients quality of life (QoL) using the Medical Outcomes trust, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). RESULTS  Between February 2016 and August 2017, we performed 21 cases of MICS-CABG using BITA. There was no intraoperative complication and no conversion to sternotomy or to on-pump. Two patients required reexploration through the same minithoracotomy for postoperative bleeding. Two cases of early postoperative graft failure were identified. There was no stroke or in-hospital mortality. The median duration of follow-up was 13 months, with a maximum of 19 months. Relief of angina was achieved in all patients. There was one readmission for superficial wound infection, which was conservatively treated. An 84-year-old man died 4 months after the operation. The remaining 20 patients attested good QoL with the SF-36 questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS  Myocardial revascularization using BITA can be safely achieved off-pump through a left-sided minithoracotomy with good postoperative and short-term outcomes.