Predictive factors for bleeding-related re-exploration after cardiac surgery: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding-related re-exploration is a life-threatening complication after cardiac surgery. Nurses must be aware of important risk factors for this complication so that their assessment, monitoring and evaluation activities can be prioritized, focused and anticipated. AIMS: To identify the predictive factors for bleeding-related re-exploration after cardiac surgery and to describe the sources of postoperative bleeding. METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study at a tertiary cardiac school-hospital in São Paulo/SP, Brazil. Adult patients (n=323) submitted to surgical correction of acquired cardiac diseases were included. Potential risk factors for bleeding-related re-exploration within the 24 hours following admission to the intensive care unit were investigated in the patients' charts. A univariate analysis and a multiple analysis through logistic regression were conducted to identify the outcome predictors. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was calculated as a measure of accuracy considering the cut-off points with the highest sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: The univariate factors significantly associated with bleeding-related re-exploration were a lower preoperative platelet count, a lower number of bypasses in coronary artery bypass surgery and postoperatively, a lower body temperature, infusion of lower intravenous volume, a higher positive end-expiratory pressure during mechanical ventilation and transfusion of blood products. The independent predictors of bleeding-related re-exploration included postoperative red blood cell transfusion, and transfusion of fresh frozen plasma, platelet or cryoprecipitate units. These predictors had a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 99.28% and an accuracy of 97.93%. CONCLUSIONS: Blood product transfusion postoperatively is an independent predictor of bleeding-related re-exploration. Surgical errors prevailed as sources of bleeding.

Outpatient Clinic for Health Education: Contribution to Self-Management and Self-Care for People With Heart Failure.

OBJECTIVE: To report the experience of an outpatient nursing education clinic caring for people with chronic heart failure. EXPERIENCE REPORT: In this service, qualified "listening," recreational educational actions about the disease and its treatment are conducted, based on the interventions from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), as well as the evaluation of self-care behaviors with the outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). This article describes the practice of health education activities and the use of NANDA-I-NIC-NOC in a nursing clinic. CONCLUSION: The outpatient clinic supports client learning about the treatment of disease and stimulates self-control of health behaviors. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This experience report will guide nurses in the establishment of outpatient nursing education clinics for different populations of patients with chronic health conditions.

Outpatient clinic for health education: contribution to self-management and self-care for people with heart failure

OBJECTIVE: To report the experience of an outpatient nursing education clinic caring for people with chronic heart failure. EXPERIENCE REPORT: In this service, qualified "listening," recreational educational actions about the disease and its treatment are conducted, based on the interventions from the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), as well as the evaluation of self-care behaviors with the outcomes from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC). This article describes the practice of health education activities and the use of NANDA-I-NIC-NOC in a nursing clinic. CONCLUSION:The outpatient clinic supports client learning about the treatment of disease and stimulates self-control of health behaviors...

Excessive bleeding predictors after cardiac surgery in adults: integrative review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To integrate literature data on the predictors of excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery in adults. BACKGROUND: Perioperative nursing care requires awareness of the risk factors for excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery to assure vigilance prioritising and early correction of those that are modifiable. DESIGN: Integrative literature review. METHODS: Articles were searched in seven databases. Seventeen studies investigating predictive factors for excessive bleeding after open-heart surgery from 2004-2014 were included. RESULTS: Predictors of excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery were: Patient-related: male gender, higher preoperative haemoglobin levels, lower body mass index, diabetes mellitus, impaired left ventricular function, lower amount of prebypass thrombin generation, lower preoperative platelet counts, decreased preoperative platelet aggregation, preoperative platelet inhibition level >20%, preoperative thrombocytopenia and lower preoperative fibrinogen concentration. Procedure-related: the operating surgeon, coronary artery bypass surgery with three or more bypasses, use of the internal mammary artery, duration of surgery, increased cross-clamp time, increased cardiopulmonary bypass time, lower intraoperative core body temperature and bypass-induced haemostatic disorders. Postoperative: fibrinogen levels and metabolic acidosis. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-related, procedure-related and postoperative predictors of excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery were identified. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The predictors summarised in this review can be used for risk stratification of excessive bleeding after cardiac surgery. Assessment, documentation and case reporting can be guided by awareness of these factors, so that postoperative vigilance can be prioritised. Timely identification and correction of the modifiable factors can be facilitated.