Cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery:An important underutilized treatment strategy

Physical inactivity remains in high levels after cardiac surgery,reaching up to 50%.Patients present a significant loss of functional capacity,with prominent muscle weakness after cardiac surgery due to anesthesia,surgical incision,duration of cardiopulmonary bypass,and mechanical ventilation that affects their quality of life.These complications,along with pulmonary complications after surgery,lead to extended intensive care unit(ICU)and hospital length of stay and significant mortality rates.Despite the well-known beneficial effects of cardiac rehabilitation,this treatment strategy still remains broadly underutilized in patients after cardiac surgery.Prehabilitation and ICU early mobilization have been both showed to be valid methods to improve exercise tolerance and muscle strength.Early mobilization should be adjusted to each patient’s functional capacity with progressive exercise training,from passive mobilization to more active range of motion and resistance exercises.Cardiopulmonary exercise testing remains the gold standard for exercise capacity assessment and optimal prescription of aerobic exercise intensity.During the last decade,recent advances in healthcare technology have changed cardiac rehabilitation perspectives,leading to the future of cardiac rehabilitation.By incorporating artificial intelligence,simulation,telemedicine and virtual cardiac rehabilitation,cardiac surgery patients may improve adherence and compliance,targeting to reduced hospital readmissions and decreased healthcare costs.

Quality of life and functional capacity in patients after cardiac surgery intensive care unit

Coronary heart disease and aortic stenosis are prevalent cardiovascular diseases worldwide,leading to morbidity and mortality.Coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)and surgical aortic valve replacement(SAVR)have therapeutic benefits,including improved postoperative quality of life(QoL)and enhanced patient functional capacity which are key indicators of cardiac surgery outcome.In this article,we review the latest studies of QoL outcomes and functional capacity in patients who underwent cardiac surgery.Many standardized instruments are used to evaluate QoL and functional conditions.Preoperative health status,age,length of intensive care unit stay,operative risk,type of procedure,and other pre-,intra-,and postoperative factors affect postoperative QoL.Elderly patients experience impaired physical status soon after cardiac surgery,but it improves in the following period.CABG and SAVR are associated with increases of physical and mental health and functional capacity in the immediate postoperative and the long long-term.Cardiac rehabilitation improves patient functional capacity,QoL,and frailty following cardiac surgery.

Overall approaches to cardiac tumors:Still an unsolved enigma?

Cardiac tumors are neoplasms involving heart structures at any level,meaning the myocardium,valves,and cardiac chambers.When considering cardiac masses,it is not uncommon for surgeons to be surprised when they diagnose one.The real incidence of this complex group of diseases has been explored only after cardiac diagnostic tools became more appropriate.Despite differential diagnosis being relevant,surgical indication is usually requested for all malignant cardiac tumors and also for many types of benign tumors.The development of cardiac imaging techniques,therefore,has been the key point for a better understanding of the history of cardiac tumors and especially of the relevance of surgical indication in such conditions.Systematic and combined applications of echocardiography,cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance allow in the majority of case a clear definition of the nature of a newly discovered cardiac mass.The presence of a Li-Fraumeni syndrome seems to be the trigger aspect in accelerating the propensity of developing a cardiac tumor.Despite the revolutionary usefulness of the cardiac imaging techniques available,it is still considered a hazard to diagnose a malignant cardiac mass just with radiological imaging;the mainstay of the final diagnosis stands in surgical excision of the mass and histopathological report.

Left bundle branch pacing set to outshine biventricular pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy?

The deleterious effects of long-term right ventricular pacing necessitated the search for alternative pacing sites which could prevent or alleviate pacinginduced cardiomyopathy.Until recently,biventricular pacing(BiVP)was the only modality which could mitigate or prevent pacing induced dysfunction.Further,BiVP could resynchronize the baseline electromechanical dssynchrony in heart failure and improve outcomes.However,the high non-response rate of around 20%-30%remains a major limitation.This non-response has been largely attributable to the direct non-physiological stimulation of the left ventricular myocardium bypassing the conduction system.To overcome this limitation,the concept of conduction system pacing(CSP)came up.Despite initial success of the first CSP via His bundle pacing(HBP),certain drawbacks including lead instability and dislodgements,steep learning curve and rapid battery depletion on many occasions prevented its widespread use for cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT).Subsequently,CSP via left bundle branch-area pacing(LBBP)was developed in 2018,which over the last few years has shown efficacy comparable to BiVP-CRT in small observational studies.Further,its safety has also been well established and is largely free of the pitfalls of the HBP-CRT.In the recent metanalysis by Yasmin et al,comprising of 6 studies with 389 participants,LBBPCRT was superior to BiVP-CRT in terms of QRS duration,left ventricular ejection fraction,cardiac chamber dimensions,lead thresholds,and functional status amongst heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.However,there are important limitations of the study including the small overall numbers,inclusion of only a single small randomized controlled trial(RCT)and a small follow-up duration.Further,the entire study population analyzed was from China which makes generalizability a concern.Despite the concerns,the meta-analysis adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of LBBP-CRT.At this stage,one must acknowledge that the fact that still our opinions on this technique are largely based on observational data and there is a dire need for larger RCTs to ascertain the position of LBBPCRT in management of heart failure patients with left bundle branch block.

Safety and effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in cardiac surgery:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Lack of mobilization and prolonged stay in the intensive care unit(ICU)are major factors resulting in the development of ICU-acquired muscle weakness(ICUAW).ICUAW is a type of skeletal muscle dysfunction and a common complication of patients after cardiac surgery,and may be a risk factor for prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation,associated with a higher risk of readmission and higher mortality.Early mobilization in the ICU after cardiac surgery has been found to be low with a significant trend to increase over ICU stay and is also associated with a reduced duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU length of stay.Neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)is an alternative modality of exercise in patients with muscle weakness.A major advantage of NMES is that it can be applied even in sedated patients in the ICU,a fact that might enhance early mobilization in these patients.AIM To evaluate safety,feasibility and effectiveness of NMES on functional capacity and muscle strength in patients before and after cardiac surgery.METHODS We performed a search on Pubmed,Physiotherapy Evidence Database(PEDro),Embase and CINAHL databases,selecting papers published between December 2012 and April 2023 and identified published randomized controlled trials(RCTs)that included implementation of NMES in patients before after cardiac surgery.RCTs were assessed for methodological rigor and risk of bias via the PEDro.The primary outcomes were safety and functional capacity and the secondary outcomes were muscle strength and function.RESULTS Ten studies were included in our systematic review,resulting in 703 participants.Almost half of them performed NMES and the other half were included in the control group,treated with usual care.Nine studies investigated patients after cardiac surgery and 1 study before cardiac surgery.Functional capacity was assessed in 8 studies via 6MWT or other indices,and improved only in 1 study before and in 1 after cardiac surgery.Nine studies explored the effects of NMES on muscle strength and function and,most of them,found increase of muscle strength and improvement in muscle function after NMES.NMES was safe in all studies without any significant complication.CONCLUSION NMES is safe,feasible and has beneficial effects on muscle strength and function in patients after cardiac surgery,but has no significant effect on functional capacity.

Exploring the Role of Serum Cystatin C in Early Detection of Acute Kidney Injury among On-Pump Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Single-Center Investigation in Bangladesh

Background: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) stands as a prominent postoperative complication in on-pump cardiac surgery, with repercussions on morbidity, mortality, and hospitalization duration. Current diagnostic criteria relying on serum creatinine levels exhibit a delayed identification of AKI, prompting an exploration of alternative biomarkers. Aims and Objectives: This study is designed to overcome diagnostic constraints and explore the viability of serum Cystatin C as an early predictor of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in individuals undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery. The investigation aims to establish the relationship between serum Cystatin C levels and the onset of AKI in patients subjected to on-pump cardiac surgery. Primary objectives involve the assessment of the diagnostic effectiveness of serum Cystatin C, its comparison with serum creatinine, and the exploration of its potential for the early identification and treatment of AKI. Methodology: Conducted as a single-center study at the cardiac surgery department of BSMMU in Bangladesh from September 2020 to August 2022, a comparative cross-sectional analysis involved 31 participants categorized into No AKI and AKI groups based on Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. Data collection encompassed preoperative, post-CBP (cardiopulmonary bypass) conclusion at 2 hours, postoperative day 1, and postoperative day 2 intervals. Statistical analyses included Chi-squared tests, independent Student’s t-tests, and one-sample t-tests. Significance was set at P Results: The study revealed no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the No AKI and AKI groups, except for CPB time and cross-clamp time. Serum Cystatin C levels in the AKI group exhibited statistical significance at various time points, highlighting its potential as an early detector. Conversely, Serum Creatinine levels in the AKI group showed no statistical significance. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis further supported the efficacy of serum Cystatin C, with an Area under the ROC Curve of 0.864 and a cut-off value of 0.55 (p Conclusion: This study supports the superior utility of serum Cystatin C as an early detector of AKI in on-pump cardiac surgery patients compared to serum creatinine. Its ability to identify AKI several hours earlier may contribute to reduced morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. The findings underscore the significance of exploring novel biomarkers for improved post-cardiac surgery renal function assessment.

Effect of Cardiac Rehabilitation on Physical Capacity of Heart Failure Patients in Senegal

Background: Heart failure is a chronic and severe condition that often results from various heart diseases. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is currently a crucial component in managing this condition. The aim was to assess the effects of cardiac rehabilitation on physical capacity of heart failure patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from February 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023. We included all patients with heart failure who underwent cardiac rehabilitation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 24.0, with a significance level set at p Results: The study included 87 heart failure patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.8. Mean age was 57.10 years (±11.75). Coronary artery disease was the primary cause of heart failure, accounting for 75.9% of cases. Atrial fibrillation was present in 4.7% of cases. Following cardiac rehabilitation, Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction increased from 40.15% to 49.48% (p = 0.001). Resting heart rate decreased significantly from 81.4 bpm to 68.3 bpm (p = 0.000), and the number of METS increased from 4.3 to 6.57 (+56.8%;p = 0.000). The mean distance covered in the 6-minute walk test significantly increased from 337.8 meters to 522.7 meters (p = 0.000), reflecting a gain of 183.5 meters. Moreover, the increase in the number of METS was more pronounced in females (p = 0.001), non-obese individuals (p = 0.000), non-diabetics (p = 0.001), non-sedentary individuals (p = 0.000), and non-smokers (p = 0.000). The study reported a low readmissions rate of 2.2% and a mortality rate of 1.1%. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that cardiac rehabilitation is beneficial for black African heart failure patients, resulting in significant improvements in symptoms, physical and capacity.

Early clinical outcomes of two regimens of prophylactic antibiotics in cardiac surgical patients with delayed sternal closure

BACKGROUND Delayed sternal closure(DSC)can be a lifesaving approach for certain patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.The value of the type of prophylactic antibiotics in DSC is still debatable.AIM To investigate clinical outcomes of different prophylactic antibiotic regimens in patients who had DSC after cardiac surgery.METHODS This was a retrospective observational single-center study.Fifty-three consecutive patients who underwent cardiac surgery and had an indication for DSC were included.Patients were subjected to two regimens of antibiotics:Narrow-spectrum and broad-spectrum regimens.RESULTS The main outcome measures were length of hospital and intensive care unit(ICU)stay,duration of mechanical ventilation,and mortality.Of the 53 patients,12(22.6%)received narrow-spectrum antibiotics,and 41(77.4%)received broad-spectrum antibiotics.The mean age was 59.0±12.1 years,without significant differences between the groups.The mean duration of antibiotic use was significantly longer in the broad-spectrum than the narrowspectrum group(11.9±8.7 vs 3.4±2.0 d,P<0.001).The median duration of open chest was 3.0(2.0-5.0)d for all patients,with no difference between groups(P=0.146).The median duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly longer in the broad-spectrum group[60.0(Δinterquartile range(IQR)170.0)h vs 50.0(ΔIQR 113.0)h,P=0.047].Similarly,the median length of stay for both ICU and hospital were significantly longer in the broadspectrum group[7.5(ΔIQR 10.0)d vs 5.0(ΔIQR 5.0)d,P=0.008]and[27.0(ΔIQR 30.0)d vs 19.0(ΔIQR 21.0)d,P=0.031].Five(9.8%)patients were readmitted to the ICU and 18(34.6%)patients died without a difference between groups.CONCLUSION Prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics did not improve clinical outcomes in patients with DSC post-cardiac surgery but was associated with longer ventilation duration,length of ICU and hospital stays vs narrow-spectrum antibiotics.

Coronary Artery Patterns in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Diagnostic Coronary Angiography-Data from a Major Cardiac Center in Yemen

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity, including coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is a shared burden disease and the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries. We aimed to assess the angiographic patterns of coronary arteries in patients with DM in a developing country (Yemen) as the first study. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, prospective, observational study that includes a total of 250 patients who were admitted for elective diagnostic coronary angiography. Results: 96 (38.4%) patients were diabetics;68% were male;mean age was 57 ± 11 years. The incidence of three-vessel disease was 31.2% of patients. Considering the severity of lumen occlusion, (11.2%) of patients had non-significant lesions, (37.6%) of patients had significant lesions, and (32%) had total occlusive lesions. Lesions were of LAD in 76%, RCA in 60%, and LCX in 52% of the population. Among diabetics, two and 3-vessel diseases (33.3% vs. 20.8% & 50% vs. 19.5%, P = 0.001), left main lesion (10.4% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.012), significant stenosis (41.7% vs. 35.1%, P = 0.032), total occlusion of coronary arteries (43.8% vs. 19.5%, P = 0.032) and type C lesion (66.7% vs. 35.1%, P = 0.010) were more frequent than non-DM patients. Conclusion: The burden of significant and severe coronary lesions is more common among DM, which may be the major cause of morbidity and mortality of DM in developing countries.

Interest of thoracic ultrasound after cardiac surgery or interventional cardiology

Thoracic ultrasound has attracted much interest in detecting pleural effusion or pulmonary consolidation after cardiac surgery.In 2016,Trovato reported,in the World Journal of Cardiology,the interest of using,in addition to echocardiography,thoracic ultrasound.In this editorial,we highlight the value of assessing diaphragm function after cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology pro-cedures.Various factors are able to impair diaphragm function after such interventions.Diaphragm motion may be decreased by chest pain secondary to sternotomy,pleural effusion or impaired muscle function.Hemidiaphragmatic paralysis may be secondary to phrenic nerve damage complicating cardiac surgery or atrial fibrillation ablation.Diagnosis may be delayed.Indeed,respi-ratory troubles induced by diaphragm dysfunction are frequently attributed to pre-existing heart disease or pulmonary complications secondary to surgery.In addition,elevated hemidiaphragm secondary to diaphragm dysfunction is sometimes not observed on chest X-ray performed in supine position in the intensive care unit.Analysis of diaphragm function by ultrasound during the recovery period appears essential.Both hemidiaphragms can be studied by two complementary ultrasound methods.The mobility of each hemidiaphragms is measured by M-mode ultrasonography.In addition,recording the percentage of inspiratory thickening provides important information about the quality of muscle function.These two approaches make it possible to detect hemidiaphragm paralysis or dysfunction.Such a diagnosis is important because persistent diaphragm dysfunction after cardiac surgery has been shown to be associated with adverse respiratory outcome.Early respiratory physio-therapy is able to improve respiratory function through strengthening of the inspiratory muscles i.e.diaphragm and accessory inspiratory muscles.

Incidence and peri-operative risk factors for development of acute kidney injury in patients after cardiac surgery:A prospective observational study

BACKGROUND Patients admitted to intensive care unit(ICU) after cardiac surgery develop acute kidney injury(AKI) immediately post-operation. We hypothesized that AKI occurs mainly due to perioperative risk factors and may affect outcome.AIM To assess peri-operative risk factors for AKI post cardiac surgery and its relationship with clinical outcome.METHODS This was an observational single center, tertiary care setting study, which enrolled 206 consecutive patients, admitted to ICU after cardiac surgery. Patients were followed-up until ICU discharge or death, in order to determine the incidence of AKI, perioperative risk factors for AKI and its association with outcome.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess predictor variables for AKI development.RESULTS After ICU admission, 55 patients(26.7%) developed AKI within 48 h. From the logistic regression analysis performed, high EuroScore Ⅱ(OR: 1.18;95%CI: 1.06-1.31, P = 0.003), white blood cells(WBC) pre-operatively(OR: 1.0;95%CI: 1.0-1.0, P = 0.002) and history of chronic kidney disease(OR: 2.82;95%CI: 1.195-6.65, P = 0.018) emerged as independent predictors of AKI among univariate predictors. AKI that developed AKI had longer duration of mechanical ventilation [1113(777–2195) vs 714(511–1020) min, P = 0.0001] and ICU length of stay [70(28–129) vs 26(21–51) h, P = 0.0001], higher rate of ICU-acquired weakness(16.4% vs 5.3%, P =0.015), reintubation(10.9% vs 1.3%, P = 0.005), dialysis(7% vs 0%, P = 0.005), delirium(36.4% vs 23.8%, P = 0.001) and mortality(3.6% vs 0.7%, P = 0.046).CONCLUSION Patients present frequently with AKI after cardiac surgery. EuroScore Ⅱ, WBC count and chronic kidney disease are independent predictors of AKI development. The occurrence of AKI is associated with poor outcome.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Cardiac Surgery in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Review—Kidney Transplant and Cardiac Surgery

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in kidney transplant patients and increasing proportion of these patients are referred to cardiac surgery. Data on short- and long-term outcomes of these patients are limited to single center reports with no randomized trials and no prospective studies published previously. The aim of this review was to report both short- and long-term outcomes of these patients. Methods: Literature review was conducted using three databases from inception to June 2022. Multiple search terms were used and limited to English language. Thirty-one relevant articles were included. Outcomes of interest were short-term mortality, long-term survival, renal allograft failure and infection in kidney transplant patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Results: Cardiac risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) were prevalent in kidney transplant patients. 30-days mortality ranged across the studies from zero to 18.8%. The 1-year survival ranged from 71% - 97% and 5-years survival ranged from 31% - 95.7%. Commonest causes of death were cardiac and sepsis. Multiple predictors of mortality were reported. Postoperative acute kidney injury ranged from 0 - 74% with most of them being transient. Kidney graft failure ranged from 0 - 45% with 5-year kidney graft survival rates ranged between 37% - 80%. Post-operative infection rates ranged from 1% - 25% and the most common sites were pneumonia followed by septicemia and surgical site infections. Conclusion: Cardiac surgery can be performed in kidney transplant patients with good short- and long-term results.

Incidence and Outcomes of Surgical Site Infections after Adult Cardiac Surgery: A Single-Center Experience

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a challenging medical problem, especially in cardiac surgery patients. There is a lack of studies evaluating the rate of and outcomes of SSIs following cardiac surgeries in Saudi Arabia. Aims: This study aimed to determine the incidence of SSIs after adult cardiac surgeries that were done in Madinah Cardiac Center, Saudi Arabia. Further, to identify the outcomes and risk factors contributing to death among surgical site infection patients. Methods: This was a 6-year, single-center, retrospective cohort study that included 93 consecutive patients who underwent adult cardiac surgery between August 2016 and August 2022. All adult patients aged 18 years or older who had clinical evidence of postoperative surgical wound infection were included. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative data (early and late) were collected from medical records. Microbiological culture reports and clinical outcomes were also recorded. Results: The study revealed a 9.1% (93/1021) incidence rate of SSIs. Of the 93 patients with SSIs, 60 had superficial incisional infections and 33 had deep infections with incidence rates of 5.9% and 3.2%, respectively. In-hospital mortality due to SSI was recorded in 4 out of 93 patients with an incidence rate of 4.3%. There was a significant association between the in-hospital mortality and the type of SSIs (p = 0.014). All non-survivors had deep SSIs. The type of cardiac surgery also showed a significant association with the in-hospital mortality (p = 0.017). Furthermore, the median duration of antibiotic administration was significantly longer in the non-survivors than in the survivors (72.5 vs 17, respectively, p Conclusions: In conclusion, the incidence of surgical wound infections following cardiac surgery is not low (9.1%);of which 3.2% were deep infections. The in-hospital mortality rate after treatment of SSIs was fortunately low (4.3%), and all non-survivors had deep SSIs. The non- survivors showed a significantly longer duration of antibiotics administration than survivors. Combined CABG and valve procedures showed a higher mortality rate (75%) than the isolated procedures.

Application progress of nursing intervention in cardiac surgery

As a stressor,cardiac surgery affects the physiology and psychology of patients,as well as their postoperative recovery.Patients tend to worry about cognitive deficiency,pain,discomfort,the risk of death,sleep,complications,and other factors,resulting in stress and anxiety.Moreover,serious adverse events,such as circulatory and respiratory dysfunction and infection,tend to occur after cardiac surgery and increase the economic burden on patients.Therefore,appropriate nursing interventions should be selected to strengthen patients’cognitive levels,compliance,and postoperative practices to accelerate their recovery,reduce complications,and shorten hospital stays so as to contribute to patients’lives and health.

Classifying Cardiac Anomalies in Right and Left Isomerism:Concordant and Discordant Patterns

Aims:Evidence is emerging that,in the setting of isomerism,the atrial and bronchial arrangement are not always concordant,nor are these patterns always harmonious with the arrangement of the abdominal organs.We aimed to evaluate the concordance between these features in a cohort of patients with cardiac malformations in the setting of known isomerism,seeking to determine whether it was feasible to assess complexity on this basis,in this regard taking note of the potential value of bronchial as opposed to appendage morphology.Methods and Results:We studied 78 patients known to have isomerism of the bronchuses,43 with right and 35 with left isomerism.Appendage anatomy could be determined in 49 cases(63%),all but one of these being concordant with bronchial anatomy.When assessing abdominal features,in only 59 cases(76%)was splenic morphology in keeping with the thoracic findings.As expected,right isomerism was associated with greater complexity of cardiac malformations,with an odds ratio of 6.53,with confidence intervals from 2.2–19.3(p<0.001).The odds were slightly decreased with thoraco-abdominal disharmony,when lesions shown to carry higher risk were then found in the setting of left isomerism.Conclusion:Harmony is excellent between bronchial and appendage isomerism,but less so with the arrangement of the abdominal organs.Right isomerism in our cohort,was indicative of a sixfold increase in intracardiac complexity.When discordance was found between the systems,however,the cardiac anomalies were less typical of the anticipated findings for right vs.left isomerism of the appendages.

Impact and Management under Extracorporeal Circulation of a Patient with Renal Insufficiency on Dialysis with a High-Flow Arteriovenous Fistula in the Cardiac Surgery Department of the Angers Teaching Hospital about a Case and Review of the Literature

Arteriovenous fistulas have a substantial impact on systemic hemodynamics, however their effect on extracorporeal circulation is not well understood. We report our clinical observation on the management under extracorporeal circulation of a patient with renal insufficiency with a high-flow arteriovenous fistula. This is a 59-year-old man who was referred to us for surgical treatment of ischemic coronary artery disease in a context of anuric chronic renal failure. Hypothermia at 32°C is started from the start in CEC due to hyperflow at the level of the arteriovenous fistula. We performed two coronary artery bypasses of the marginal and IVA via the two internal thoracic arteries. The patient is hemofiltered in order to avoid hyperkalaemia and possibly avoid fluid overload related to filling per CEC. The clamping time was 71 minutes and the SCC lasted 141 minutes. There was no homologous transfusion in the operating room. It turns out that the input/output balance is zero at the end of the CEC. The postoperative course was simple.

Electrocardiographic changes during induced therapeutic hypothermia in comatose survivors after cardiac arrest

AIM: To assess the safety of therapeutic hypothermia(TH) concerning arrhythmias we analyzed serial electrocardiograms(ECG) during TH.METHODS: All patients recovered from a cardiac arrest with Glasgow < 9 at admission were treated with induced mild TH to 32-34℃. TH was obtained with cool fluid infusion or a specific intravascular device. Twelvelead ECG before,during,and after TH,as well as ECG telemetry data was recorded in all patients. From a total of 54 patients admitted with cardiac arrest during the study period,47 patients had the 3 ECG and telemetry data available. ECG analysis was blinded and performed with manual caliper by two independent cardiologists from blinded copies of original ECG,recorded at 25 mm/s and 10 mm/m V. Coronary care unit staff analyzed ECG telemetry for rhythm disturbances. Variables measured in ECG were rhythm,RR,PR,QT and corrected QT(QTc by Bazett formula,measured in lead v2) intervals,QRS duration,presence of Osborn's J wave and U wave,as well as ST segment displacement and T wave amplitude in leads Ⅱ,v2 and v5.RESULTS: Heart rate went down an average of 19 bpm during hypothermia and increased again 16 bpm with rewarming(P < 0.0005,both). There was a nonsignificant prolongation of the PR interval during TH and a significant decrease with rewarming(P = 0.041). QRS duration significantly prolonged(P = 0.041) with TH and shortened back(P < 0.005) with rewarming. QTc interval presented a mean prolongation of 58 ms(P < 0.005) during TH and a significant shortening with rewarming of 22.2 ms(P = 0.017). Osborn or J wave was found in 21.3% of the patients. New arrhythmias occurred in 38.3% of the patients. Most frequent arrhythmia was non-sustained ventricular tachycardia(19.1%),followed by severe bradycardia or paced rhythm(10.6%),accelerated nodal rhythm(8.5%) and atrial fibrillation(6.4%). No life threatening arrhythmias(sustained ventricular tachycardia,polymorphic ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation) occurred during TH. CONCLUSION: A 38.3% of patients had cardiac arrhythmias during TH but without life-threatening arrhythmias. A concern may rise when inducing TH to patients with long QT syndrome.

Lymphangiogenesis contributes to exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth

Background:Promoting cardiac lymphangiogenesis exerts beneficial effects for the heart.Exercise can induce physiological cardiac growth with cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased proliferation markers in cardiomyocytes.However,it remains unclear whether and how lymphangiogenesis contributes to exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth.We aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of lymphangiogenesis in exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth.Methods:Adult C57 BL6/J mice were subjected to 3 weeks of swimming exercise to induce physiological cardiac growth.Oral treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3(VEGFR3) inhibitor SAR1 3 1 675 was used to investigate whether cardiac lymphangiogenesis was required for exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth by VEGFR3 activation.Furthermore,human dermal lymphatic endothelial cell(LEC)-conditioned medium was collected to culture isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes to determine whether and how LECs could influence cardiomyocyte proliferation and hypertrophy.Results:Swimming exercise induced physiological cardiac growth accompanied by a remarkable increase of cardiac lymphangiogenesis as evidenced by increased density of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronic acid receptor 1-positive lymphatic vessels in the heart and upregulated LYVE-1 and Podoplanin expressions levels.VEGFR3 was upregulated in the exercised heart,while VEGFR3 inhibitor SAR131675 attenuated exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth as evidenced by blunted myocardial hypertrophy and reduced proliferation marker Ki67 in cardiomyocytes,which was correlated with reduced lymphatic vessel density and downregulated LYVE-1 and Podoplanin in the heart upon exercise.Furthermore,LEC-conditioned medium promoted both hypertrophy and proliferation of cardiomyocytes and contained higher levels of insulinlike growth factor-1 and the extracellular protein Reelin,while LEC-conditioned medium from LECs treated with SAR131675 blocked these effects.Functional rescue assays further demonstrated that protein kinase B(AKT) activation,as well as reduced CCAAT enhancer-binding protein beta(C/EBPβ) and increased CBP/p300-interacting transactivators with E(glutamic acid)/D(aspartic acid)-rich-carboxylterminal domain 4(CITED4),contributed to the promotive effect of LEC-conditioned medium on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and proliferation.Conclusion:Our findings reveal that cardiac lymphangiogenesis is required for exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth by VEGFR3 activation,and they indicate that LEC-conditioned medium promotes both physiological hypertrophy and proliferation of cardiomyocytes through AKT activation and the C/EBPβ-CITED4 axis.These results highlight the essential roles of cardiac lymphangiogenesis in exercise-induced physiological cardiac growth.

Hypoxic hepatitis in children after cardiac surgery

To the Editor: Hypoxic hepatitis(HH), also known as ischemic hepatitis or shock liver, is a liver injury characterized by necrosis of centrilobular hepatocytes with a rapid increase in serum aminotransferase levels. The incidence rate of HH among patients in the intensive care unit(ICU) was found to be 0.9%-11.9% [1]. Occurrence of HH appears to have a significant impact on the clinical outcome.

Effect of Cardioplegia for Myocardial Protection in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery:A Network Meta-Analysis

Cardioplegia has been widely used to reduce myocardial injury during pediatric cardiac surgery;however,which cardioplegia solution has the best protective effect has not been established.Thus,we compared the myocardial protective effects of different cardioplegia solutions used in pediatric cardiac surgery.Seven databases were searched to identify the relevant randomized controlled trials.A network meta-analysis with a Bayesian framework was conducted.The outcomes included the following biochemical and clinical outcomes:serum concentrations of the creatine kinase-myocardial band at 6 h postoperatively;cardiac troponin I(cTnI)at 4,12,and 24 h postoperatively;spontaneous beating after declamping;postoperative arrhythmias;inotropic support percentage and duration;mechanical ventilation hours;intensive care unit stay in days;hospital stay in days;and mortality.The group treated with cold crystalloid cardioplegia(cCCP)was chosen as the control group.The 22 studies involved 1529 patients.Six types of cardioplegia solutions were described in these studies,including cold blood cardioplegia,cCCP,del Nido,histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate(HTK),terminal warm blood cardioplegia,and warm blood cardioplegia(wBCP).The serum concentrations of the 24-h cTnI with wBCP(MD=−2.52,95%CI:−4.74 to−0.27)was significantly lower than cCCP.The serum concentrations of the 24-h cTnI with HTK(MD=4.91,95%CI:2.84–7.24)was significantly higher than cCCP.There was no significant difference in other biochemical and clinical outcomes when compared to cCCP.In conclusion,wBCP may have a superior myocardial protective effect with lower 24-h cTnI levels postoperatively and similar clinical outcomes after pediatric cardiac surgery.