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Journal and News Scan
March 3, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
The impact of the new Lung Allocation Score (implemented in 2005) on outcomes of single and double lung transplants for IPF and COPD was explored. After controlling for confounders with propensity score techniques, DLT was associated with better graft survival for IPF but there was no difference in graft survival between DLT and SLT for COPD patients.
March 3, 2015
Submitted by: CTSNet Staff
This meta-analysis compares short-term mortality, neurological dysfunction and malperfusion in patients who underwent acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) repair with axillary artery cannulation (AXC) compared to femoral artery cannulation (FAC).
March 3, 2015
Submitted by: CTSNet Staff
In in-vitro experiments, human cardiac extracellular matrix supported proliferation and cardiomyocyte differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Artificial matrices did not promote differentiation.
March 3, 2015
Submitted by: CTSNet Staff
412 Fontan patients were evaluated retrospectively for long-term correlations between postoperative haemodynamics and anticoagulant regimens with haemostatic events. Thrombo-embolic events were observed in 2.7% and haemorrhagic events in 4.4% of patients. Risk factors are analysed for both short- and long-term complications.
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
This study evaluated outcomes of synchronous or delayed kidney Tx in patients with lung or heart-lung transplant. Delayed living-donor kidney Tx was associated with favorable outcomes. Synchronous cadaver kidney transplant at the time of heart-lung or lung transplant was clinically challenging.
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
This study examined the utility/accuracy of an administrative database compared to the STS Congenital Database for the outcome of mortality, which is used to rank quality. The administrative database had substantially lower volume and mortality numbers than the STS Database, resulting in ranking differences of 5 or more places for 24% of hospitals.
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
The frequency of blood draws after cardiac surgery is rarely tracked. This study tracked such activity for a 6-month period at the Cleveland Clinic. In over 1,800 pts, the average number of tests requiring blood was 115. Total average blood volume removed was 454 ml. The average for complex procedures was 653 ml. This system is ripe for process improvement.
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Mark Ferguson
This interesting article mapped myocardial remodeling in swine after induced MI using serial 3D MRI imaging. Principal strain magnitude and angle were measured, and demonstrated progressive decrease in magnitude and angle rotation away from the site of injury, resulting in adverse remodeling and decreased contractility.
Extracorporeal life support in cardiogenic shock: impact of acute versus chronic etiology on outcome
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Arie Blitz
The authors retrospectively analyze outcomes for patients placed on ECMO for cardiogenic shock, and separately analyze the patients depending on whether the ECMO support was for isolated acute cardiogenic shock or for acute-upon-chronic cardiogenic shock. Over a 4-year period, 37 (58%) patients fell into the isolated acute category, and 27 (42%) in the acute-upon-chronic category. Overall 30-day survival was 80%, with a hospital discharge rate of 59%. Not surprisingly, the only patients who recovered cardiac function were in the isolated acute group. The acute-upon-chronic category required bridging, either to heart transplantation or mechanical circulatory support.
March 2, 2015
Submitted by: Arie Blitz
This retrospective review of outcomes after reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous trigone combined with aortic and mitral valve replacement tracked patients who were operated upon for either severe endocarditis (n=26) or severe calcification (n=14) involving the trigone. The David Technique for reconstruction was used, and the operative mortality for these complex operations was 15% and 7%, respectively. Despite high operative risk and complexity, the authors from Madrid show that this operation can be performed with respectable morbidity and mortality rates.