Impacto en el manejo diagnóstico/terapéutico de la ecocardiografía básica dirigida a objetivos concretos en una UCI de cirugía cardíaca / Impact of goal directed basic echocardiography on diagnostic and therapeutic management in an ICU of cardiac surgery

OBJETIVO: Pocos estudios han evaluado el impacto en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la ecocardiografía transtorácica básica en los pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue valorar el impacto de la ecocardiografía transtorácica básica en el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico de estos pacientes. DISEÑO: Durante 18 meses se estudiaron prospectivamente todos los pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca que ingresaron en el Servicio de Medicina Intensiva de un hospital universitario. Se realizó una valoración clínica a todos ellos para establecer un diagnóstico y un tratamiento inicial. Se realizó una ecocardiografía transtorácica básica para valoración diagnóstica, que se comparó con la valoración clínica. En caso de discrepancia, se valoró cambiar el tratamiento en función a la ecocardiografía y se evaluó la respuesta terapéutica. Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de los hallazgos. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 136 pacientes y se realizaron 203 ecocardiografías. La ecocardiografía transtorácica difería del diagnóstico inicial en 101 (49,8%) ecocardiografías. En 56 de estas (55,44%) se obtuvo un diagnóstico alternativo, lo que comportó un cambio en el tratamiento en 30pacientes (53,6%). Encontramos mejoría clínica significativa en 26 de estos pacientes (86,76%) en los siguientes 30-60min. CONCLUSIONES: La ecocardiografía transtorácica básica es útil en el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico de los pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca. En la mitad de las ecocardiografías realizadas no se pudo confirmar el diagnóstico clínico. En la mayoría de los pacientes en que observamos cambio en el diagnóstico debido a la ecocardiografía, se observó mejoría clínica tras el cambio de tratamiento

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have evaluated the impact in diagnosis and therapeutic management of basic transthoracic echocardiography in postoperated cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of basic transthoracic echocardiography in the management of this kind of patients. DESIGN: Over an 18-month period, we prospectively studied all patients admitted to a university hospital Intensive Care Unit following heart surgery. We evaluated clinically all of them to establish a diagnosis and an initial treatment. We performed basic transthoracic echocardiography for a diagnosis evaluation that was compared with clinical diagnosis. If they differed, we assessed to change treatment and evaluate the therapeutic response. We performed a descriptive analysis. RESULTS: We included 136 patients and performed 203 echocardiographies. Transthoracic echocardiography differed of initial diagnosis in 101 (49.8%) echocardiographies. In 56 of these echocardiographies (55.44%), we could give an alternative diagnosis with a change in the treatment in 30patients (53,6%). We found clinical improvement in 26 patients (86.76%) in the following 30-60minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Basic transthoracic echocardiography is useful in diagnostic and therapeutic management of postoperative cardiac surgery patients. We could not confirm the clinical diagnosis in half of the performed echocardiographies. In most patients in whom we observe a change in the diagnosis due to echocardiography, we observed a clinical improvement after changing the treatment

Impact of goal directed basic echocardiography on diagnostic and therapeutic management in an ICU of cardiac surgery. / Impacto en el manejo diagnóstico/terapéutico de la ecocardiografía básica dirigida a objetivos concretos en una UCI de cirugía cardíaca.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have evaluated the impact in diagnosis and therapeutic management of basic transthoracic echocardiography in postoperated cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of basic transthoracic echocardiography in the management of this kind of patients. DESIGN: Over an 18-month period, we prospectively studied all patients admitted to a university hospital Intensive Care Unit following heart surgery. We evaluated clinically all of them to establish a diagnosis and an initial treatment. We performed basic transthoracic echocardiography for a diagnosis evaluation that was compared with clinical diagnosis. If they differed, we assessed to change treatment and evaluate the therapeutic response. We performed a descriptive analysis. RESULTS: We included 136 patients and performed 203 echocardiographies. Transthoracic echocardiography differed of initial diagnosis in 101 (49.8%) echocardiographies. In 56 of these echocardiographies (55.44%), we could give an alternative diagnosis with a change in the treatment in 30patients (53,6%). We found clinical improvement in 26 patients (86.76%) in the following 30-60minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Basic transthoracic echocardiography is useful in diagnostic and therapeutic management of postoperative cardiac surgery patients. We could not confirm the clinical diagnosis in half of the performed echocardiographies. In most patients in whom we observe a change in the diagnosis due to echocardiography, we observed a clinical improvement after changing the treatment.

Evaluation of intensivist basic training in transthoracic echocardiography in the postoperative period of heart surgery / Evaluación de la formación de intensivistas en ecocardiografía transtorácica básica en el postoperatorio de cirugía cardíaca

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography can significantly change the management of many critical patients, and is being incorporated into many Intensive Care Units (ICU). Very few studies have examined the feasibility and impact of intensivists performing basic transthoracic echocardiography upon the management of critical patients after cardiac surgery. The present study therefore evaluates the quality of acquisition and accuracy of intensivist interpretation of basic transthoracic echocardiograms in the postoperative period of heart surgery. Methods: Over an 8-month period we prospectively studied 148 patients within 24h after admission to a university hospital ICU following heart surgery. We performed basic transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate ventricular function, pericardial effusion, hypovolemia and mitral regurgitation. Cohen's Kappa was used to compare transthoracic echocardiograms obtained by intensivists with basic versus advanced training. Concordance on image acquisition and interpretation was evaluated. Results: We analyzed data of adequate transthoracic echocardiograms in 148 patients (92.5%). Apical four-chamber view and advanced trainees obtained better quality images. Concordance was good for right and left ventricular function (kappa=0.7±0.14 and 0.87±0.05, respectively), and moderate for the remaining parameters. Interpretation concordance between basic and advanced training intensivists was good (kappa=0.73±0.05). Conclusions: Intensivists with basic training in echocardiography are capable of performing and interpreting echocardiograms in most patients during the postoperative period of heart surgery

Objetivo: La ecocardiografía transtorácica puede cambiar significativamente el manejo en muchos pacientes críticos y se está incorporando dentro de muchas unidades de cuidados intensivos (UCI). Pocos estudios han examinado la factibilidad y el impacto de la ecocardiografía transtorácica básica realizada por intensivistas en el manejo de los pacientes críticos después de una cirugía cardíaca. Por ello, nosotros evaluamos la calidad de adquisición y la precisión en la interpretación de la ecocardiografía básica realizada por intensivistas en los pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca. Métodos: Durante 8 meses, estudiamos prospectivamente 148 pacientes postoperados de cirugía cardíaca dentro de las primeras 24h de ingreso en una UCI de un hospital universitario. Realizamos una ecocardiografía transtorácica básica para evaluar función ventricular, líquido pericárdico, hipovolemia y regurgitación mitral. Utilizamos el coeficiente kappa de Cohen para comparar las ecocardiografías transtorácicas realizadas por los intensivistas con formación básica versus avanzada. Evaluamos la concordancia en la adquisición de imágenes y su interpretación. Resultados: Analizamos los datos de las ecocardiografías transtorácicas de 148 pacientes (92,5%). La visión apical cuatro-cámaras y los intensivistas con formación avanzada obtuvieron mayor calidad de imagen. La concordancia fue buena para la función ventricular derecha e izquierda (kappa=0,7±0,14 y 0,87±0,05, respectivamente), y moderada para el resto de parámetros. La concordancia de la interpretación entre los intensivistas con formación básica y avanzada fue buena (kappa=0,73±0,05). Conclusiones: Los intensivistas formados en ecocardiografía transtorácica básica son capaces de obtener e interpretar las ecocardiografías en la mayoría de postoperados programados de cirugía cardíaca

Evaluation of intensivist basic training in transthoracic echocardiography in the postoperative period of heart surgery.

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic echocardiography can significantly change the management of many critical patients, and is being incorporated into many Intensive Care Units (ICU). Very few studies have examined the feasibility and impact of intensivists performing basic transthoracic echocardiography upon the management of critical patients after cardiac surgery. The present study therefore evaluates the quality of acquisition and accuracy of intensivist interpretation of basic transthoracic echocardiograms in the postoperative period of heart surgery. METHODS: Over an 8-month period we prospectively studied 148 patients within 24h after admission to a university hospital ICU following heart surgery. We performed basic transthoracic echocardiography to evaluate ventricular function, pericardial effusion, hypovolemia and mitral regurgitation. Cohen's Kappa was used to compare transthoracic echocardiograms obtained by intensivists with basic versus advanced training. Concordance on image acquisition and interpretation was evaluated. RESULTS: We analyzed data of adequate transthoracic echocardiograms in 148 patients (92.5%). Apical four-chamber view and advanced trainees obtained better quality images. Concordance was good for right and left ventricular function (kappa=0.7±0.14 and 0.87±0.05, respectively), and moderate for the remaining parameters. Interpretation concordance between basic and advanced training intensivists was good (kappa=0.73±0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intensivists with basic training in echocardiography are capable of performing and interpreting echocardiograms in most patients during the postoperative period of heart surgery.

Is short-term amiodarone use post cardiac surgery a cause of acute respiratory failure?

AIM: It was believed that amiodarone-related adverse respiratory effects were found only when receiving amiodarone on a long-term basis, but several reports seem to contradict this hypothesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in an intensive care unit (ICU), the possibility of acute respiratory toxicity induced by short-term amiodarone administration following cardiac surgery. METHODS: We conducted a prospective clinical trial of 111 consecutive patients admitted to our ICU after cardiac surgery (basically, coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery) and who received short-term prophylactic amiodarone treatment if they were considered at high risk of developing atrial fibrillation. We administered 900 mg/day intravenously for the first 2 days and 600 mg/day on the following days of the ICU stay. The oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2 ratio) was evaluated at admission, and then 24 and 48 h postsurgery. RESULTS: One-hundred and two patients were included in the study (9 were excluded for bradycardia), and 25 received amiodarone treatment. The Parsonnet and APACHE II scores differed slightly between the treated and nontreated groups. There were no significant differences between the treated and nontreated groups with respect to left atrial pressure, the number of packed red cells transfused or the oxygenation index at admission and 24 and 48 h postsurgery. CONCLUSION: The short-term administration of amiodarone under the conditions of the present study does not seem to affect respiratory function.

Selective prophylaxis of atrial fibrillation with amiodarone after cardiac surgery.

AIM: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is common after cardiac surgery, but prophylaxis for patients especially prone to developing this arrhythmia has not been studied to date. We investigated amiodarone as prophylaxis for AF in selected patients after open-heart surgery. METHODS: In the first stage we studied a group of 204 consecutive cardiac surgery patients and devised a formula from some of the known risk factors of AF for each sex to serve as a predictor model. In this first group we were able to quantify the probability of developing this arrhythmia. In the second stage we applied this formula to a group of 231 consecutive cardiac surgery patients and then selectively treated the high-risk patients for AF: 25 men (16.1%) and 29 women (53.7%). In the first 24 h of treatment with amiodarone, 22 patients (10 men and 12 women) were excluded from the study due to sinus bradycardia. Therapy consisted of amiodarone 900 mg intravenously every 24 h for the first 2 postoperative days, followed by 600 mg intravenously every 24 h until discharge from the Intensive Care Unit. RESULTS: Expected AF in males fell from 34.4% (52/151) in the observation group to 11% (17/155) in the treated group, and in females from 50.9% in the observation group (27/53) to 9.3% (5/54) in the treated group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patient-selective prophylaxis of AF with amiodarone can be a highly effective measure.