Percutaneous coronary intervention followed by minimally invasive valve surgery compared with median sternotomy coronary artery bypass graft and valve surgery in patients with prior cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: In patients with prior cardiac surgery requiring re-operative coronary and valve surgery, a hybrid approach of percutaneous coronary intervention followed by minimally invasive valve surgery (PCI + MIVS) may be an alternative to the standard median sternotomy coronary artery bypass and valve surgery (CABG + valve). METHODS: The outcomes of patients with prior cardiac surgery, presenting with coronary artery and valvular disease, who underwent PCI + MIVS (N=39) were retrospectively compared with those who underwent CABG + valve (N=28) via a repeat median sternotomy, between February 2009 and April 2014. RESULTS: The mean age for the PCI + MIVS versus CABG + valve group was 75±9 and 72±11 years (P=0.54), respectively. The baseline characteristics were similar between groups, with the exception of a greater prevalence of 1-vessel coronary artery disease and clopidogrel or dual antiplatelet therapy at the time of surgery in the PCI + MIVS group, and more 3-vessel coronary artery disease in those undergoing CABG + valve surgery. The PCI + MIVS approach was associated with a decreased aortic cross-clamp (94 vs. 131 minutes, P=0.001) and cardiopulmonary bypass (128 vs. 190 minutes, P<0.001) times, fewer intraoperative packed red blood transfusions (1.3 vs. 3.8 units, P=0.001), shorter intensive care unit length of stay (41 vs. 71 hours, P<0.001), and decreased incidence of prolonged mechanical ventilation (12.8% vs. 35.7%, P=0.03), re-intubation (2.6% vs. 17.9%, P=0.04), when compared with CABG + valve. The thirty-day and two-year mortality were similar, being 7.7% vs. 7.1% (P=0.66), and 12.8% vs. 10.7% (P=0.55), in the PCI + MIVS vs. CABG + valve group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid PCI + MIVS in patients with prior cardiac surgery is associated with shorter operative times and intensive care unit length of stay, less need for intraoperative blood cell transfusions, decreased use of mechanical ventilation, and similar short-term and follow-up survival, when compared with CABG + valve surgery via median sternotomy. Randomized trials and multicenter registries are needed to further evaluate this approach.

Glycopyrrolate: It's time to review.

Medication shortages have become an all-too-common inconvenience that has forced anesthesia providers to examine our administering practices. Because of these shortages, commonly used medications are at the greatest risk. Glycopyrrolate (Robinul), which has been in short supply in recent years, is one of the most widely used anticholinergic agents, especially in conjunction with the anticholinesterase neostigmine, for reversal of neuromuscular blockade (NMB) drugs. Here we review multiple studies from 1972 through 1986 that used varying methods of patient selection and dosage and drug combination criteria, and which noted that glycopyrrolate had a superior efficacy and adverse effect profile when compared with atropine in NMB reversal. Meta-analysis from these studies indicated that the dosage of 0.2 mg of glycopyrrolate for every 1 mg of neostigmine, given concomitantly (maximum 1 mg glycopyrrolate and 5 mg neostigmine), demonstrated the greatest efficacy with the lowest incidence of unwanted adverse effects. It has now become common practice to use a dosage ratio of 0.2 mg glycopyrrolate to 1.0 mg neostigmine for NMB reversal. Yet since 1986, there have been no studies on reversal with glycopyrrolate and neostigmine. Frequent medication shortages and good medical practice should be an impetus for clinicians to reevaluate dosing practices of critical medications and revisit these drugs, such as glycopyrrolate, with more current studies.