Pamela Williams-Russo

Improvement of outcomes after coronary artery bypass: A randomized trial comparing intraoperative high versus low mean arterial pressure

BACKGROUND The objective of this randomized clinical trial of elective coronary artery bypass grafting was to investigate whether intraoperative mean arterial pressure below autoregulatory limits of the coronary and cerebral circulations was a principal determinant of postoperative complications. The trial compared the impact of two strategies of hemodynamic management during cardiopulmonary bypass on outcome. Patients were randomized to a low mean arterial pressure of 50 to 60 mm Hg or a high mean arterial pressure of 80 to 100 mm Hg during cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS A total of 248 patients undergoing primary, nonemergency coronary bypass were randomized to either low (n = 124) or high (n = 124) mean arterial pressure during cardiopulmonary bypass. The impact of the mean arterial pressure strategies on the following outcomes was assessed: mortality, cardiac morbidity, neurologic morbidity, cognitive deterioration, and changes in quality of life. All patients were observed prospectively to 6 months after the operation. RESULTS The overall incidence of combined cardiac and neurologic complications was significantly lower in the high pressure group at 4.8% than in the low pressure group at 12.9% (p = 0.026). For each of the individual outcomes, the trend favored the high pressure group. At 6 months after coronary bypass for the high and low pressure groups, respectively, total mortality rate was 1.6% versus 4.0%, stroke rate 2.4% versus 7.2%, and cardiac complication rate 2.4% versus 4.8%. Cognitive and functional status outcomes did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION Higher mean arterial pressures during cardiopulmonary bypass can be achieved in a technically safe manner and effectively improve outcomes after coronary bypass.

Post‐Operative Delirium: Predictors and Prognosis in Elderly Orthopedic Patients

To compare the effect of post‐operative analgesia using epidural versus intravenous infusions on the incidence of delirium after bilateral knee replacement surgery in elderly patients. Additional risk factors and impact on post‐operative recovery were also assessed.

Changes in mortality after total hip and knee arthroplasty over a ten-year period.

A retrospective review of in-hospital mortality after total hip and total knee arthroplasty was performed to determine whether extensive changes in anesthesia care, introduced in this institution in July 1986, were associated with changes in mortality rates. From 1981 to 1985, the mortality rate was 0.39% (23 of 5874 patients) and from 1987 to 1991, the mortality rate was 0.10% (10 of 9685 patients) (P = 0.0003). Significant reductions in mortality rate were observed for both total hip arthroplasty (from 0.36% to 0.10%) (P = 0.0277) and total knee arthroplasty (from 0.44% to 0.10%) (P = 0.0131). The mortality rate of 0.10% is significantly less than previously published rates. Marked changes in anesthesia management were associated with a significant reduction in mortality after total hip and knee arthroplasty. (Anesth Analg 1995;80:242-8)

Randomized Trial of Hypotensive Epidural Anesthesia in Older Adults

BACKGROUND Data are sparse on the incidence of postoperative cognitive, cardiac, and renal complications after deliberate hypotensive anesthesia in elderly patients. METHODS This randomized, controlled clinical trial included 235 older adults with comorbid medical illnesses undergoing elective primary total hip replacement with epidural anesthesia. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two levels of intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure management: either to a markedly hypotensive mean arterial blood pressure range of 45-55 mmHg or to a less hypotensive range of 55-70 mmHg. Cognitive outcome was assessed by within-patient change on 10 neuropsychologic tests assessing memory, psychomotor, and language skills from before surgery to 1 week and 4 months after surgery. Prospective standardized surveillance was performed for cardiovascular and renal outcomes, delirium, thromboembolism, and blood loss and replacement. RESULTS The two groups were similar at baseline in terms of age (mean, 72 yr), sex (50% women), comorbid conditions, and cognitive function. After operation, no significant differences in the incidence of early or long-term cognitive dysfunction were observed between the two blood pressure management groups. There were no significant differences in the rates of other adverse consequences, including cardiac, renal, and thromboembolic complications. In addition, no differences occurred in the duration of surgery, intraoperative estimated blood loss, or transfusion rates. CONCLUSIONS Elderly patients can safely receive controlled hypotensive epidural anesthesia with this protocol. There was no evidence of greater risks, or early benefits, with the use of the more markedly hypotensive range.

Depressive symptomatology in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients

Depression is commonly reported in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients. This study assesses the relationship of preoperative characteristics, life stressors, social support, major cardiac and neurologic outcomes and other complications to depressive symptomatology. Demographic and clinical data, CES‐D score and information on life stressors and social support were collected from 237 patients; 92% completed 6‐month follow‐up. CES‐D score ≥16 was defined as significant depressive symptomatology. Significant depressive symptomatology was found in 43% of patients preoperatively and 23% postoperatively. In multivariate models, low social support (p=0.008), presence of at least one life stressor within a year of surgery (p=0.006), moderate to severe dyspnea (p=0.003), little to no available help (p=0.05) and less education (p=0.05) were associated with higher preoperative CES‐D score, while longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (p=0.0001) and little or no available help (p=0.0008) predicted higher postoperative CES‐D scores when controlling for preoperative CES‐D scores. Neither pre‐ nor postoperative depressive symptomatology was related to major outcomes or other complications. A high rate of significant depressive symptomatology exists in CABG patients preoperatively, and it decreases significantly postoperatively. Patients with the above preoperative characteristics as well as those who stay in the ICU postoperatively for more than 2 days might benefit from psychosocial interventions. Copyright

Diagnosis, treatment, comorbidity, and resource utilization of depressed patients in a general medical practice

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effect of depression on the utilization of health care resources, after adjusting for age and comorbidity from data obtained on routine clinical practice. Method: The study is an observational cohort of 15,186 patients followed over a one-year period beginning December 1993. Comprehensive demographic, clinical, and utilization data were available from the computerized medical information system generated database of a general internal medicine practice in an urban academic medical center. Results: Four point seven percent of patients carried a provider-coded diagnosis of depression. With regards to utilization of health care resources, even after controlling for age and comorbidity, depressed patients had more primary care visits (5.3 vs. 2.9 visits, p < .001), higher rates of referral to specialists (1.1 vs. 0.5, p < .002), and radiologic tests (0.9 vs. 0.4 tests, p < .001). They had higher total outpatient charges (

New postoperative depressive symptoms and long-term cardiac outcomes after coronary artery bypass surgery.

1,324 vs.

Assessing sedation with regional anesthesia: inter-rater agreement on a modified Wilson sedation scale.

701, p < .001) and total charges (

Expectation and outlook: the impact of patient preference on arthritis care among African Americans.

2,808 vs.

Computerized data collection in the operating room during coronary artery bypass surgery: A comparison to the hand-written anesthesia record

1,891, p < .001). Depressed patients also had longer length of stay when hospitalized (14.1 vs. 9.5 days, p < .002). Conclusions: Patients diagnosed as depressed had significantly higher resource utilization of all types, even after controlling for the higher burden of comorbid medical illness associated with depression.