Prevalence of renovascular abnormality in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of renal artery disease and to correlate the underlying risk factors like age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, urea and creatinine in patients who have undergone angiogram for cardiovascular diseases. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the reports of angiogram of patients who have undergone cardiac catheterization in Vijaya Heart Foundation for cardiovascular diseases. RESULTS: The prevalence of renovascular stenosis is 12.4%. Prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in the group of patients with renovascular stenosis compared with group having coronary artery disease is not statistically significant (p > 0.8). Univariate and multivariate logistic identified age, diabetes, hypertension and urea as independent predicators of renal artery stenosis; while variables like sex and serum creatinine were not associated. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of unsuspected renovascular abnormalities is found in patients who undergo angiography for cardiovascular disease. Factors like age, diabetes, hypertension and urea could be clinical predicators of renal artery stenosis. Hence renal arteries should be visualized routinely in patients undergoing coronary angiogram for cardiovascular disease.

Post-operative Pain Relief by PCA v/s Oral Tramadol in Cardiac Surgery.

Pain relief is pivotal in anaesthesiology practice. Postoperative cardiac surgical patients need good pain relief for haemodynamic stability, early extubation, cooperation for chest physiotherapy and prevention of pulmonary dysfunction; thus reducing and prevention of pulmonary the ICU stay. This prospective study was carried out is 50 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) to assess postoperative pain relief with patient controlled analgesia (PCA) tramadol as compared to oral tramadol after extubation. Visual analogue scale for pain relief, tidal volumes by spirometry, arterial blood gas, and oxygen saturations were the parameters used to compare both groups. [Study group(Group I) -receiving PCA tramaol and Control group (Group II) -receiving oral tramadol]. PCA tramadol was found to be very effective after 4 hrs post-operatively.