Left ventricular function as an independent prognostic factor for coronary artery bypass surgery

Background : Studies have suggested that patients with severe impairment of left ventricular function had a poor outcome following CABG surgery. Objectives: Evaluation of the role of pre-operative left ventricular function on the early post-operative mortality and morbidity following CABG. Patients and methods: This study was carried out from August 2016 to January 2017 including 40 patients undergoing CABG surgery. Patients were divided into two equal groups each containing 20 patients. Group A contained 20 patients with pre-operative ejection fraction > 50%, while group B contained 20 patients with pre-operative ejection fraction < 50%. Results: Mortality was 2 patients in group A (10%) compared to 5 patients in group B (25%) (P value = 0.031). The mean ICU stay in group A was 3.29 ± 1.49 days compared to 4.22 ± 1.98 days in group B (P value = 0.028). Pre-operative renal dysfunction improved in 2 patients (10%) from group A, compared to 1 patient (5%) in group B (P value = 0.555). Conclusion: Left ventricular function as an independent factor is a good prognostic factor regarding the early postoperative outcome in coronary artery bypass grafting including mortality, operative times, ICU stay and hospital stay

Preoperative anaemia and clinical outcomes in the South African surgical outcomes study

Background.In high-income countries, preoperative anaemia has been associated with poor postoperative outcomes. To date, no large study has investigated this association in South Africa (SA). The demographics of SA surgical patients differ from those of surgical patients in the European and Northern American settings from which the preoperative anaemia data were derived. These associations between preoperative anaemia and postoperative outcomes are therefore not necessarily transferable to SA surgical patients.Objectives. The primary objective was to determine the association between preoperative anaemia and in-hospital mortality in SA adult non-cardiac, non-obstetric patients. The secondary objectives were to describe the association between preoperative anaemia and (i) critical care admission and (ii) length of hospital stay, and the prevalence of preoperative anaemia in adult SA surgical patients.Methods. We performed a secondary analysis of the South African Surgical Outcomes Study (SASOS), a large prospective observational study of patients undergoing inpatient non-cardiac, non-obstetric surgery at 50 hospitals across SA over a 1-week period. To determine whether preoperative anaemia is independently associated with mortality or admission to critical care following surgery, we conducted a multivariate logistic regression analysis that included all the independent predictors of mortality and admission to critical care identified in the original SASOS model.Results. The prevalence of preoperative anaemia was 1 727/3 610 (47.8%). Preoperative anaemia was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.657, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.055 - 2.602; p=0.028) and admission to critical care (OR 1.487, 95% CI 1.081 - 2.046; p=0.015).Conclusions. Almost 50% of patients undergoing surgery at government-funded hospitals in SA had preoperative anaemia, which was independently associated with postoperative mortality and critical care admission. These numbers indicate a significant perioperative risk, with a clear need for quality improvement programmes that may improve surgical outcomes. Long waiting lists for elective surgery allow time for assessment and correction of anaemia preoperatively. With a high proportion of patients presenting for urgent or emergency surgery, perioperative clinicians in all specialties should educate themselves in the principles of patient blood management

Preoperative fasting times: Prescribed and actual fasting times at Universitas Hospital Annex, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Background. Guidelines recommend a preoperative fasting period of 6 hours for solid food and 2 hours for clear fluids. Because of fixed meal times and imprecise operation starting times, patients often fast for an extended period of time.Objective. To investigate the prescribed preoperative fasting times, and the actual duration of fasting, compared with the internationally accepted fasting times for solid food and clear fluids.Methods. Patients (N=105) aged 14 - 60 years, who were scheduled for elective surgery in the morning session (list starting time 07h00), were included in this prospective study. On arrival in theatre, all patients were asked when they last ate and drank. Anaesthetic records were used to determine the prescribed fasting times and operation starting times. Results. For solids, patients were most frequently prescribed to start fasting from 22h00 to 00h00 (53.3% and 39.1%, respectively). No patient fasted <8 hours. The median duration of fasting was 14 hours and 45 minutes (range 9 hours and 45 minutes - 19 hours and 5 minutes). For fluids, patients were most frequently prescribed to start fasting from 05h00 (46.7%), 00h00 (27.6%) and 22h00 (7.6%). In practice, no patient ingested fluids after 22h30 or <9 hours preoperatively. The median fasting time for oral fluids was 13 hours and 25 minutes (range 9 hours and 37 minutes - 19 hours and 5 minutes).Conclusion. Most patients started fasting too early preoperatively, consequently withholding food and oral fluids for longer than recommended. An increased awareness regarding complications of unnecessarily long fasting times, and interventions to correct this problem, is required

Valeur pronostique péri-opératoire des anomalies de la repolarisation ventriculaire découvertes sur l'ECG pré-opératoire au Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire de Cotonou

But : Le but de cette étude était de déterminer la valeur pronostique des anomalies de la repolarisation ventriculaire découvertes sur l'ECG réalisé avant la chirurgie non cardiaque. Méthode : Cette étude prospective effectuée sur une période de 10 mois a inclus des patients âgés de 18 ans au moins ayant réalisé un ECG préopératoire interprété par un cardiologue. Ces patients ont été suivis pendant l'intervention et jusqu'à H48 après. Les évènements cardiovasculaires anormaux étaient enregistrés pendant l'intervention et les deux premiers jours post-opératoires.Résultats : Quatre-vingt-dix-sept (97) patients ont été inclus. Les anomalies de la repolarisation ont été retrouvées chez 58,8% des patients. L'aspect d'ischémie sous-épicardique et la repolarisation précoce étaient les anomalies de la repolarisation les plus fréquentes avec des fréquences respectives de 42,3% et 14,4%. L'hypotension artérielle était l'évènement cardiovasculaire le plus retrouvé en per-opératoire devant la tachycardie sinusale, la poussée hypertensive, le choc cardiogénique et l'accélération de la fibrillation atriale. L'hypotension artérielle était le seul évènement cardiovasculaire péjoratif en per-opératoire, associé aux anomalies de la repolarisation avec un test statistiquement significatif (55,4% versus 32,5% ; p = 0,02). La période post-opératoire a été marquée par la survenue de deux (2) décès dans le groupe des patients ayant présenté une anomalie de repolarisation.Conclusion : L'ECG des patients subissant une chirurgie non-cardiaque contient des informations pronostiques importantes. Les résultats de notre étude montrent que l'ischémie sous-épicardique doit être considérée comme un facteur de risque indépendant d'hypotension per opératoire

Impact of preoperative patient characteristics on posturethroplasty recurrence: The significance of stricture length and prior treatments

Introduction: Urethral strictures are common in urologic practice of Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. We determine the rate of stricture recurrence following urethroplasty for anterior urethral strictures and evaluate preoperative variables that predict of stricture recurrence in our practice. Subjects and Methods: Thirty-six men who had urethroplasty for proven anterior urethral stricture disease between February 2012 and January 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Preoperative factors including age, socioeconomic factors, comorbidities, etiology of strictures, stricture location, stricture length, periurethral spongiofibrosis, and prior stricture treatments were assessed for independent predictors of stricture recurrence. Results: The median age was 49.5 years (range 21-90), median stricture length was 4 cm (range 1-18 cm) and the overall recurrence rate was 27.8%. Postinfectious strictures, pan urethral strictures or multiple strictures involving the penile and bulbar urethra were more common. Most patients had penile circular fasciocutaneous flap urethroplasty. Following univariate analysis of potential preoperative predictors of stricture recurrence, stricture length, and prior treatments with dilations or urethrotomies were found to be significantly associated with stricture recurrence. On multivariate analysis, they both remained statistically significant. Patients who had prior treatments had greater odds of having a recurrent stricture (odds ratio 18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-224.3). Stricture length was dichotomized based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and strictures of length ≥5 cm had significantly greater recurrence (area under ROC curve of 0.825, 95% CI 0.690-0.960, P = 0.032). Conclusion: Patients who had prior dilatations or urethrotomies and those with long strictures particularly strictures ≥5 cm have significantly greater odds of developing a recurrence following urethroplasty in Nigerian urology practice

Evaluation des effets du dichlorate d'hydroxyzine sur l'anxiete preoperatoire et appreciation de l'information donnee aux malades

Evaluer l'anxiete preoperatoire des patients proposes pour une chirurgie elective et apprecier l'information recue du chirurgien et de l'anesthesiste.Type d'etude : Etude prospective et longitudinale sur deux enquetes de pratique hospitaliere. Patients et methode : Tous les patients ages de 16 ans et plus; de classe ASA I et II; admis en hospitalisation pour subir une intervention chirurgicale programmee durant la periode allant du 1er janvier au 30 avril 2007 et apres consentement eclaire; ont ete repartis en deux groupes de facon aleatoire. Les malades appartenant au groupe d'intervention ont recu chacun une premedication au dichlorate d'Hydroxyzine. L'anxiete preoperatoire a ete mesuree dans les deux groupes au moyen de l'echelle visuelle analogique (EVA). Resultats : Sur 145 patients initialement inclus; 139 ont pu participer a l'etude. Il n'y avait pas de difference statistiquement significative entre les deux groupes en ce qui concerne leurs scores d'anxiete avant ou apres la premedication. Par contre; nos resultats montrent que la plupart de nos patients n'avaient recu; en preoperatoire; que partiellement ou pas du tout d'informations sur les actes chirurgicaux et anesthesiques prevus.Conclusion : Les patients sont demandeurs d'informations et une bonne preparation psychologique pourrait reduire de facon sensible l'anxiete preoperatoire et prevenir certains incidents et/ou complications per ou postoperatoires

Visual Outcome after Cataract Surgery at the University College Hospital; Ibadan

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the visual outcome of patients who had cataract surgery in the University College Hospital Ibadan. Methodology: This is an observational descriptive; longitudinal study of consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery at the University College Hospital conducted between May and October 2007. A total of 184 patients who presented to the hospital and met the inclusion criteria were recruited into the study. Patients were examined preoperatively; 1st day postoperatively and 8th week postoperatively. Results: The mean age was 66.5 years; and the male to female ratio was 1.2:1. Preoperatively; 137 patients (74.5) were blind in the operated eye; while 39 patients (23.6) were blind in both eyes at presentation. At 1st day postoperatively; 87 patients (47.3) had pinhole visual acuity of 6/6-6/18. Best corrected vision after refraction eight weeks postoperatively showed that 127 patients out of 161 patients (78.8) had good vision while 28 patients (17.4) had borderline vision; and six patients (3.8) had severe visual impairment after refraction. The number of bilaterally blind patients also reduced from 39 (23.6) to one (0.6). Uncorrected refractive error was the commonest cause of poor vision prior to refraction. Glaucoma was the commonest ocular co-morbidity accounting for poor vision in 9.1of patients eight weeks after cataract surgery. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that good results can be obtained with cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in the developing world. More attention should be directed towards ensuring that successful outcomes are indeed being realized by continued monitoring of postoperative visual outcomes and prompt refraction for all patients