Sternal Retraction and Subclavian Vein Catheter Occlusion during Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Subclavian vein (SV) catheterization is a method for the delivery of fluids, drugs, and blood products, venous blood sampling, and central vein pressure monitoring in cardiac surgery. Catheter occlusion is a serious complication of SV catheterization during cardiac surgery, especially after sternal retractor expansion. METHODS: In this observational study, 303 patients who had successful right infraclavicular SV catheterization from September 2019 to April 2020 were enrolled to determine the incidence of catheter occlusion. After catheterization, the lumens of all catheters were checked for the ability to infuse and withdraw blood from the catheter before and after sternal retractor expansion. The patients' characteristics, cannulation approach, on-pump or off-pump technique, occlusion of the catheter and its lumens, and any associated complications were recorded. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS ver. 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). RESULTS: Of the 303 patients studied, 205 were male (67.7%) and 98 were female (32.3%). Catheter occlusion occurred in 11 patients with on-pump cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (227 patients) and 4 patients with off-pump CPB (76 patients) (p=0.863). The incidence of catheter occlusion was 4.95% (15 of 303 patients) with no cases of simultaneous 3-lumen occlusion in a catheter. The most commonly occluded lumen was the distal lumen (57.92%). Simultaneous 2-lumen occlusion occurred in 4 patients. Catheter occlusion was found in 3 of 13 malpositioned catheters (23.07%). CONCLUSION: The current study showed that malpositioning of the catheter tip was a risk factor for catheter occlusion and that the distal lumen of a triple-lumen catheter was the most commonly occluded lumen.

Short-time anesthesia of a child with phenylketonuria: a case report.

Phenylketonuria is a rare disorder that increases the levels of phenylalanine in the blood. As there are scant articles about anesthesia management in phenylketonuria patients, this encouraged us to report a short-time anesthesia management of a child with phenylketonuria for bone fracture. The anesthesia was induced with intravenous ketamine and midazolam. During procedure, he received 100% oxygen via a face mask throughout spontaneous breathing. The operation was uneventful, and he was completely awakened in the recovery room. This report emphasizes that in some situations, the combination of midazolam with ketamine could be used safely for short time anesthesia in phenylketonuria patients.

Portable Chest Radiography Immediately after Post-Cardiac Surgery; an Essential Tool for the Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Atelectasis: a Case Report.

Atelectasis after endobronchial intubation (ETT) is a known complication of general anesthesia. In-bed auscultation of lungs and use of the 21/23 rule are the two suggestive, but not reliable, methods for the early detection of this event; however, none of them guarantees its prevention. The portable chest radiograph (CXR) is a simple, quick method to detect atelectasis and proper placement of the endotracheal tube in the intensive care unit (ICU). A case of postsurgical, ICU-admitted patient was presented in the report, demonstrating left (LT) lung atelectasis in immediate portable CXR without any evidence of respiratory or hemodynamic abnormality. Portable CXR showed that the tip of the endotracheal tube was located in the lumen of the right main bronchus, leading to LT lung total atelectasis. After repositioning of ETT to the lumen of the trachea, atelectasis was disappeared in early follow-up CXR.

Influence of Cannulation Point on Infraclavicular Subclavian Vein Catheterization: A Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Choosing a proper approach to subclavian vein cannulation is a challenge for physicians. However, percutaneous infraclavicular subclavian vein cannulation is now an acceptable technique. OBJECTIVES: The present study was performed to compare the success rate and complications of subclavian vein cannulation using the midpoint technique and the lateral technique. METHODS: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, we randomly assigned 440 patients undergoing subclavian vein cannulation to either midpoint approach or lateral approach groups from April 2018 to February 2019. The complications and success rates of catheterization were compared between the two approaches. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 20). RESULTS: Unlike the first attempt of catheterization, the success rate was significantly higher in the midpoint technique (75 %) than in lateral technique (39%) in the second attempt (P = 0.003). The overall success rates were 96.8% and 88.6% in the midpoint approach and lateral approach, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the two techniques in the overall success rate (P = 0.001). Inadvertent subclavian artery puncture occurred in 26 (5.9%) patients including 3 (1.4%) patients in the midpoint technique and 23 (10.5%) patients in the lateral technique. In 19 (4.3%) patients, malposition of the catheter tip occurred, including 14 (6.4%) in the midpoint approach and 5 (2.3%) in the lateral approach. There was a significant difference between the two approaches in malposition and subclavian artery puncture (P = 0.035 and P = 0.0001, respectively). There were no significant differences between the two techniques in other complications. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation showed that the midpoint approach was more appropriate than the lateral approach for infraclavicular subclavian vein catheterization with landmark-based techniques.

Frequent Spinal Anesthesia in a Patient with Traumatic Lower Extremity Injury: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal anesthesia is a commonly used anesthetic technique for lower extremity surgery. Despite its widespread use, the acceptable frequency of repeated spinal anesthesia for a patient is unclear. Therefore, herein, we report a patient who frequently received spinal anesthesia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 21-year-old man with severe head and leg injury was admitted to the hospital after a motorcycle accident. On admission, he had a tracheal tube and GCS score of six. After emergency vascular and orthopedic surgeries under general anesthesia, he was transported to the ICU. Within 12 days of admission to the ICU, he was extubated with full awareness. After consultation with a neurosurgeon for spinal anesthesia, the patient received seven spinal anesthesia procedures for his lower extremity injury in a period of 15 days. Spinal anesthesia was performed at the L3 - L4 or L4 - L5 interspace with 24 or 25-gauge Quincke needles in the sitting position (12 - 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine) by four anesthesiologists. Despite performing several spinal anesthesia procedures, no neurologic sequelae were observed. Finally, he was discharged in a good overall condition. At a four-month follow-up, the patient was in a stable situation without any neurological complications. CONCLUSIONS: This report emphasizes that spinal anesthesia with hypertonic bupivacaine could be used several times for a patient in some situation.

Influence of arm position during infraclavicular subclavian vein catheterization in coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Introduction: Percutaneous subclavian vein catheterization via infraclavicular approach is one of the most widely used cannulation techniques for inserting catheters into a central vein. The aim of this study was to evaluate influence of arm position during infraclavicular subclavian vein catheterization with landmark-based technique in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: Between September 2017 and June 2018, this prospective randomized clinical trial was performed in 320 patients. The patients were randomly assigned to the Neutral group (the arms kept by the side) or Abduction group (the arm was abducted to 90°). The success and complication rates were compared in the two groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: In the first attempt of subclavian vein cannulation, the success rate had no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.185). In the second attempt of catheterization, the success rate in Abduction group (40.5%) was lower than Neutral group (81.2%). The overall success rate in two attempts were (84.4%) in the Abduction group and (96.2%) in the Neutral group. There was a significant difference between two groups in the second and overall success rates (P = 0.0001). In 34 (10.6%) patients, subclavian artery puncture occurred, 30 (18.8%) in the Abduction group and 4 (2.5%) in the Neutral group. There was a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.0001). Pneumothorax was occurred in 15 (9.4%) in the Abduction group and 3 (1.9%) in the Neutral group. There was also a significant difference between two groups (P = 0.004). The differences in other complications on two groups were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Compared with Abduction group, the Neutral group resulted in higher success rate and fewer subclavian artery puncture and pneumothorax. The incidences of other complications were similar on both groups.

Effect of Selenium on Stress Response in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: In spite of significant improvements in surgical and anesthetic techniques, acute stress response to surgery remains a main cause of mortality and morbidity in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients. Therefore, doing research to find safe and effective modalities with more cardio protective properties seems necessary. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we sought to determine whether intravenous injection of 600 µg Selenium (Se) prior to surgery would limit stress response measured by blood sugar. METHODS: This double blind clinical trial was conducted at a referral center of cardiac surgery affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS) from June 2015 to October 2015. 73 eligible patients candidate for elective isolated CABG surgery were enrolled in the trial. They were randomly allocated to either Se group (n = 36) receiving 600 µg Se prior to surgery or control group (n = 37). Our evaluation was based on blood sugar (BS) which was measured at four point times, including before induction of anesthesia (T0), at the end of CPB (T1), 24 hours (T2) and 48 hours (T3) after surgery. RESULTS: The data obtained from 73 patients in group S (n = 36) and group C (n = 37) were analyzed. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the baseline characteristics. In both groups, a sharp rise in BS levels was observed following CPB (P = 0.0001). Although the trend of BS changes was remarkable in both groups (P = 0.0001), there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at all point times including T0 (P = 0.45), T1 (P = 0.48), T2 (P = 0.92), and T3 (P = 0.42). Within the study time, our patients were monitored for any adverse effect but nothing was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation showed that intravenous single dose of 600 µg Se was safe in CABG patients, but had no positive effect on stress response to surgery.

Successful Management of Right Ventricular Perforation Associated with a Pacemaker Lead During Off-Pump CABG Surgery: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Intraoperative right ventricular perforation due to pacing catheter after its successful and uneventful insertion is a rare complication. Here, we present a case of cardiac arrest due to right ventricular perforation associated with a pacemaker lead during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: The case was a 68-year-old male, who was admitted to our hospital with retrosternal chest pain. He had a history of implantation of a permanent pacemaker due to symptomatic complete atrioventricular block. Based on angiography, the diagnosis was 3- vessel disease involving the left anterior descending, second obtuse marginal, and right coronary arteries. The right ventricle was perforated by the tip of the permanent pacemaker lead during off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Subsequently, the patient suddenly experienced cardiac arrest and underwent emergency on-pump cardiac surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This case showed that in some situations, emergency surgery as a life saving procedure may be required in cardiac perforation due to permanent pacemaker lead even following cardiac arrest.

Effect of Position During Spinal Anesthesia on Postdural Puncture Headache After Cesarean Section: A Prospective, Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: The most common method of anesthesia for cesarean section is spinal anesthesia, and postdural puncture headache (PDPH) remains a major complication of this procedure. Nowadays, PDPH is a major cause of morbidity in parturients after spinal anesthesia. This headache is the third most popular reason for claims against anesthesiologists in obstetrics. The position after spinal anesthesia has been evaluated as a contributory factor in the occurrence of PDPH, but the position before spinal anesthesia has not yet been evaluated. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the incidence of PDPH following spinal anesthesia in the sitting position and in the left lateral decubitus position in parturients who underwent elective caesarian section. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After institutional approval, 100 parturients who had been scheduled for elective caesarian section with spinal anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Following patient preparation for the neuraxial blockade, spinal anesthesia was randomly performed in the sitting or in the left lateral decubitus position. Patients were interviewed for PDPH on either postoperative day one, two, or three. The incidence and intensity of PDPH were evaluated and compared using a numeric rating scale (NRS-11). RESULTS: A total of 94 patients were included in the data analysis. The overall incidence of PDPH was 12.7%. In the sitting group, ten patients (20.8%) had PDPH, compared with two patients (4.3%) in the lateral group (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia in the sitting position is more associated with significant PHDH than that in the left lateral decubitus position for patients undergoing elective caesarian section.

Comparing the Effects of Isoflurane-Sufentanil Anesthesia and Propofol-Sufentanil Anesthesia on Serum Cortisol Levels in Open Heart Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

BACKGROUND: Major surgeries such as open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass are associated with a complexity of stress response leading to post-operative complications. Studies have confirmed that anesthesia can mitigate the surgically induced stress response. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of propofol and isoflurane, both supplemented with Sufentanil, on the stress response in coronary artery bypass graft surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, using cortisol as a biochemical marker. METHODS: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 72 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass meeting the inclusion criteria. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups of isoflurane (n = 36) and propofol (n = 36) both supplemented with sufentanil. Serum cortisol levels were measured and compared between the groups; 30 minutes before the surgery (T0), at the end of the cardiopulmonary bypass (T1), and 24 hours after the surgery (T2). RESULTS: Compared to the baseline (T0), at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass (T1), both groups demonstrated a decrease in plasma cortisol levels with no statistical significant difference (P = 0.4). At T2 measuring time point, the level of plasma cortisol significantly increased in both groups (P = 0.02), however this increase was less in the Isoflurane group. CONCLUSIONS: In CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass, using plasma cortisol level as a measure, Isoflurane-Sufentanil significantly reduces the stress response to the surgery, when compared to propofol-Sufentanil.

Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery for Iatrogenic Left Main Coronary Artery Dissection.

Iatrogenic coronary artery dissection during coronary angiography with or without rupture is a rare but feared complication. We herein report a case of iatrogenic left main coronary artery dissection in a 49-year-old female. Admitted to our hospital with a recent history of severe hypotension, she develpled apnea during angiography. She was intubated and resuscitated with an Epinephrine infusion in the Cath-Lab. The diagnosis was iatrogenic left main coronary artery dissection based on angiography. Immediately, the patient was transferred to the operating room in a lethargic state with an Epinephrine infusion and prepared for emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In the ICU, she was completely alert with no hemodynamic complications and finally was discharged in a good overall condition. At 18 months' follow-up, the patient was in a stable situation with good daily function.

Comparison of the Complications between Left Side and Right Side Subclavian Vein Catheter Placement in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous subclavian vein catheterization is one of the most common invasive procedures performed in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to compare left and right subclavian vein catheter placement via the infraclavicular approach in patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. METHODS: This prospective, randomized clinical trial was performed in193 patients. The technique applied for cannulation was infraclavicular approach for both the right and the left sides. Subclavian vein of other side was attempted only when catheterization at initial side was unsuccessful at two attempts. The success and complication rates were compared for the two sides. RESULTS: On193 patients, catheterization attempts were performed. Overall 177 catheterizations (91.7%) were successful during the first attempt, 105 (92.1%) on the right side and 72 (91.1%) on the left side. There was no significant difference between success rate and side of catheterization. Malposition of the catheter tip on the right side (9.6%) was significantly more than the left side (0%) (P= 0.003). The differences in other complications on two sides were statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: Compared with the right side, insertion of the cannula on the left side resulted in fewer catheter tip misplacements. Incidence of cannulation failure and other complications were similar on both sides.