Clinical impact of rotational thromboelastometry in cardiac surgery.

Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk of postoperative bleeding, which is related to worse prognosis and survival. The use of ROTEM®, together with the implementation of a specific treatment algorithm, to reduce the risk of postoperative bleeding. An observational, comparative, cross-case study with historical controls. A total of 1772 consecutive patients admitted to intensive care unit after having undergone cardiac surgery, was divided into 3 groups: Group 1: Coagulation was only monitored by the classical coagulation test (control group). Group 2: Monitorization was done by ROTEM®, according to a protocol designed in our center. Group 3: VerifyNow® was added to ROTEM®, implementing a specific treatment algorithm. We observed a decreased of red blood cell transfusion (Group 1 55.5%, Group 2 52.7%, Group 3 46.6%, P<0.01). Postoperative results include a significant reduction in complications with a marked improvement in overall survival in the ROTEM® - guided groups. Conclusions: Monitoring of hemostasis by POCT'S (ROTEM® and VerifyNow®) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and cardiac transplantation was associated with a decreased incidence of blood transfusion, postoperative clinical complications, and mortality.

Muscle inflammation, autoimmune Addison's disease and sarcoidosis in a patient with dysferlin deficiency.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are a group of acquired, heterogeneous, systemic diseases commonly regarded as autoimmune disorders. Differential diagnosis includes muscular dystrophies, especially the dysferlin-deficiency myopathy. We report a case of a patient diagnosed with polymyositis and with associated autoimmune diseases that finally turned out to be a dysferlin deficiency (limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B). A possible link between dysferlin deficiency an autoimmunity is discussed.

Effects of a leukocyte depleting arterial line filter on perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a controlled randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Activated leukocytes may increase morbidity in cardiac surgery. The objective of this study is to investigate the influence on morbidity of leukocyte-depleting blood filters placed into the arterial line of cardiopulmonary bypass circuits. METHODS: Simple, blind, prospective, randomized and controlled clinical trial carried out in a cardiac surgery ICU at a university center. We included 159 consecutive low-risk patients (ie, Parsonnet score < 10) undergoing cardiac surgery who were initially stratified in three risk levels according to the Parsonnet score at admission into the hospital (ie, low, < 4; middle, 4 to 7; and high, 8 to 10). Once stratified, all patients were randomized to undergo cardiopulmonary bypass either with a conventional blood filter or with a leukocyte filter (randomization ratio, 2:1). The outcome variable was morbidity. Patients were considered to have a high morbidity if any of the following clinical situations were present (ie, pulmonary dysfunction, cardiac dysfunction, perioperative infections, postoperative hyperthermia, and hyperdynamic states). RESULTS: The leukocyte filter was used in 52 patients and the conventional filter in 107 patients. The morbidity rate was similar in both groups, but patients with leukocyte filter had a lower incidence of perioperative infections, fever, and hyperdynamic states as compared with patients with the conventional filter. CONCLUSIONS: Leukocyte filtration in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with extracorporeal perfusion showed no measurable effects on postoperative morbidity. However, although not statistically significant, a decrease was observed in the rates of perioperative infection, fever, and hyperdynamic states.