Age and blood transfusion: relationship and prognostic implications in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a well-known predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI) and death after cardiac surgery. This study aimed to define the relationship between age and the need for RBC. METHODS: Study population included 1,765 consecutive patients undergoing on-pump procedures from 2013 to 2015. The relationship between RBC transfusion and both survival and AKI, and any interaction with age was estimated. A propensity score for the likelihood to receive RBC transfusion was calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis to adjust for the effect of confounding factors. A logistic estimation curve was developed to investigate the interaction between this score and age. RESULTS: Patients receiving RBC transfusions had more comorbidities irrespective of age. Elderly patients underwent transfusion more often than younger patients with a 1.3-fold increase in the relative risk for transfusion. Age did not independently predict the need for RBC. AKI and mortality rates were significantly higher in transfused subsets irrespective of age. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity profile and not age per se confers an increased risk of transfusion.

Parachute-like technique for off-pump implantation of cardiac support device in isolated and combined procedure.

Cardiac support is a new and promising therapy for refractory heart failure. Only a few previous publications focused on technical implantation of such device. We have developed a new technique that facilitates a consistent and safe implant when the procedure is done without extra-corporeal circulation (ECC). Herein, we report our experience of 60 consecutive CorCap cardiac support device (Acorn Cardiovascular, USA) implantations off-pump for both isolated and combined implantation.

Preoperative C-reactive protein predicts mid-term outcome after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events in the healthy population and in patients with coronary artery disease. High CRP levels before cardiac surgery are associated with worse short-term outcome, but its role after discharge home remains unknown. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of CRP on short-term and mid-term outcome after cardiac surgery. METHODS: From August 2000 to May 2004, values for preoperative CRP were available for 597 unselected patients undergoing cardiac operations. CRP was used to divide this cohort in two groups: a low inflammatory status (LHS) group of 354 patients with CRP of less than 0.5 mg/dL, and a high inflammatory status (HIS) group of 243 patients with a CRP of 0.5 mg/dL or more. Follow-up lasted a maximum of 3 years (median, 1.8 +/- 1.5 years) and was 92.6% complete. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 8.2% in the HIS group and 3.4% in the LIS group (odds ratio [OR], 2.61; p = 0.02). Incidence of postoperative infections was 16.5% in the HIS group and 5.1% in the LIS group (OR, 3.25; p = 0.0001). Sternal wound infections were also more frequent in the HIS group (10.7% versus 2.8%; OR, 3.43; p = 0.002). During follow-up, the HIS group had worse survival (88.5% +/- 2.9% versus 91.9% +/- 2.5%; OR, 1.93; p = 0.05) and a higher need of hospitalization for cardiac-related causes (73.6% +/- 6% versus 86.5% +/- 3.2%; OR, 1.82; p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing cardiac surgery with a CRP level of 0.5 mg/dL or more are exposed to a higher risk of in-hospital mortality and postoperative infections. Despite surgical correction of cardiac disease, a high preoperative CRP value is an independent risk factor for mid-term survival and hospitalization for cardiac causes.