The use of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio to predict complications post cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac surgery remains the gold standard treatment for select cohorts of patients with coronary artery and valvular heart diseases. It induces an acute systemic inflammatory response due to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), myocardial arrest, and surgical trauma. There is growing evidence that increased inflammation leads to greater complications and poorer outcomes for patients post cardiac surgery. Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a promising marker of inflammation. This study assessed if NLR could predict postoperative atrial fibrillation and acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients undergoing first-time on-pump cardiac surgery was performed. Postoperative atrial fibrillation and acute kidney injury within 7 days of surgery was recorded. Preoperative, day 1, and day 2 NLR were recorded. Potential confounders such as age, sex, comorbidities, and operative factors were included in univariate analysis. Backwards stepwise multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of these complications. RESULTS: Nine hundred and six patients were included for analysis. Higher preoperative NLR was significantly associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation. Day 1 and day 2 NLR were associated with postoperative atrial fibrillation in analyses including all patients. Older age, male gender, preexisting atrial arrhythmias, and higher EuroSCORE II also had a significant association. Diabetes mellitus was protective for postoperative arrhythmias. Preoperative NLR was not significantly associated with acute kidney injury. Day 2 NLR, older age, higher EuroSCORE II, and longer CPB time were independently associated with acute kidney injury post cardiac surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Higher preoperative and postoperative NLRs are associated with higher rates of complications post cardiac surgery.

Is there any further advantage of using more than one internal mammary artery? Literature review and analysis.

The use of the internal mammary artery reduces the incidence of late adverse effects and improves survival after coronary artery bypass grafting. Therefore, internal mammary artery grafts ought to be used in all patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (level II evidence), although in the UK, only 95% of the patients receive an internal mammary artery graft. This is due to factors such as poor left ventricular function, old age, previous radiation to the thoracic cavity, or emergency surgery. As there are biological similarities between the left and right internal mammary artery, one can extrapolate that the use of 2 internal mammary artery grafts may provide additional benefits. Bilateral internal mammary artery grafting can be safely performed in most patients (level II evidence). The late survival in patients with bilateral internal mammary artery grafts is favorable. However, there is as yet no completed randomized trial on this subject. Thus the lack of robust data makes previous reports amenable to criticism. This review examines published data on bilateral internal mammary artery revascularization spanning the last 15 years, and addresses the advantages and disadvantages of arterial conduits in coronary surgery.

Transthoracic intra-aortic balloon pump removal without repeat sternotomy.

Transaortic balloon catheter insertion for intra-aortic balloon assistance is a practical alternative to the standard transfemoral cannulation in patients with significant aortoiliac occlusive disease. We describe a technique whereby a transthoracic balloon is removed with the aid of video-assisted thoracoscopy.

Preoperative neutrophil response as a predictive marker of clinical outcome following open heart surgery and the impact of leukocyte filtration.

OBJECTIVES: Open heart surgery is associated with a massive systemic inflammatory response. Neutrophils, are the main mediator of this response. We hypothesised that the degree of neutrophil activation and inflammatory response to open heart surgery varies individually and correlates with clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to determine if individual clinical outcome can be predicted preoperatively through assessment of in-vitro stimulated neutrophil responses. Following that, the effects of neutrophil depletion through leukocyte filters are examined. METHODS: Neutrophil responses were assessed preoperatively (n=40) through change in neutrophil adhesion molecule [CD11b, CD62L and P Selectin Glycoprotein-1 (PSGL-1)] expression before and after in-vitro stimulation with Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, PMA (1 ng/ml), lipopolysaccharide, LPS (1 µg/ml) and N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, fMLP (1 ng/ml). Stimulated neutrophil responses were then correlated with postoperative clinical outcome. Patients were then randomised to leukocyte filtration (n=20) and a control group (n=20) and the effect of leukocyte filtration on neutrophil response and clinical outcome were investigated. RESULTS: An individual variation in in-vitro stimulated neutrophil responses was demonstrated. Significant correlations were shown between neutrophil responses and maximum serum creatinine change, CKMB-fraction, adrenaline requirement, noradrenaline requirement, duration of adrenaline required and time to extubation. White cell count and percentage neutrophils were lower in the LD group (P=0.05). CD11b expression (P=0.005) and PSGL-1 expression (P=0.043) across leukocyte filters were also increased. However, no significant difference was detected in clinical outcome between the LD and control groups. CONCLUSION: Preoperative neutrophil responses to in-vitro stimuli can predict clinical outcome following open heart surgery. However, leukocyte filtration did not offer significant benefit in clinical outcome in our study.