Percutaneous tracheostomy in patients on anticoagulants.

Aims: To determine if percutaneous tracheostomy is safe in critically ill patients treated with anticoagulant therapies. Settings and Design: Single‑center retrospective study including all the patients who underwent percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) placement over a 1-year period in a 14‑bed, cardiothoracic and vascular Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Materials and Methods: Patients demographics and characteristics, anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies, coagulation profile, performed technique and use of bronchoscopic guidance were retrieved. Results: Thirty‑six patients (2.7% of the overall ICU population) underwent PDT over the study period. Twenty‑six (72%) patients were on anticoagulation therapy, 1 patient was on antiplatelet therapy and 2 further patients received prophylactic doses of low molecular weight heparin. Only 4 patients had normal coagulation profile and were not receiving anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapies. Overall, bleeding of any severity complicated 19% of PDT. No procedure‑related deaths occurred. Conclusions: PDT was proved to be safe even in critically ill‑patients treated with anticoagulant therapies. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin time course during cardiac surgery.

Background: NGAL is one of the most promising AKI biomarkers in cardiac surgery. However, the best timing to dose it and the reference values are still matter of discussion. Aim of the Study: We performed a uNGAL perioperative time course, to better understand its perioperative kinetics and its role in AKI diagnosis. Setting of the Study: San Raffaele University Hospital, cardiac surgery department. Material and Methods: We enrolled in this prospective observational study 19 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Based on preoperative characteristics, they were divided in low-risk and high-risk patients. uNGAL measurements were collected at pre-defined times before, during, and up to 24 hours after surgery. Statistical Analysis: Data were analysed by use of SAS 1999-2001 program or IBM SPSS Statistics. Results: In low-risk patients, uNGAL had the highest value immediately after general anesthesia induction (basal dosage: uNGAL: 12.20ng×ml-1, IQR 14.00). It later decreased significantly (3.40 ng×ml-1, IQR 4.80; P = 0.006) during CPB, and finally return to its original value 24 hours after surgery. In high-risk patients, uNGAL increased immediately after surgery; it had the highest value on ICU arrival (38,20 ng×ml-1; IQR 133,10) and remained high for several hours. A difference in uNGAL levels between the two groups was already observed at the end of surgery, but it became statistically significant on ICU arrival (P = 0.002). Conclusion: This study helps to better understand the different kinetics of this new biomarker in low-risk and high-risk cardiac patients.

Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as an early predictor of prolonged intensive care unit stay after cardiac surgery.

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a protein of lipocalin family highly expressed in various pathologic states and is an early biomarker of acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery. We performed an observational study to evaluate the role of NGAL in predicting postoperative intensive care stay in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery. We enrolled 27 consecutive patients who underwent high-risk cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Urinary NGAL (uNGAL) was measured before surgery, at intensive care unit (ICU) arrival and 24 h later. Univariate and multivariate predictors of ICU stay were performed. uNGAL was 18.0 (8.7-28.1) ng/mL at baseline, 10.7 (4.35-36.0) ng/mL at ICU arrival and 29.6 (9.65-29.5) 24 h later. The predictors of prolonged ICU stay at the multivariate analysis were body mass index (BMI), uNGAL 24 h after surgery, and aortic cross-clamp time. The predictors of high uNGAL levels 24 h after at a multivariate analysis were preoperative uNGAL and logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation. At a multivariate analysis the only independent predictors of prolonged ICU stay were BMI, uNGAL 24 h after surgery and aortic cross-clamp time.