Preoperative cardiac risk assessment

Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. An important subset of heart disease is perioperative myocardial infarction, which affects approximately 50,000 persons each year. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have coauthored a guideline on preoperative cardiac risk assessment, as has the American College of Physicians (ACP). The ACC/AHA guideline uses major, intermediate, and minor clinical predictors to stratify patients into different cardiac risk categories. Patients with poor functional status or those undergoing high-risk surgery require further risk stratification via cardiac stress testing. The ACP guideline also starts by screening patients for clinical variables that predict perioperative cardiac complications. However, the ACP did not feel there was enough evidence to support poor functional status as a significant predictor of increased risk. High-risk patients would sometimes merit preoperative cardiac catheterization by the ACC/AHA guideline, while the ACP version would reserve catheterization only for those who were candidates for cardiac revascularization independent of their noncardiac surgery. A recent development in prophylaxis of surgery-related cardiac complications is the use of beta blockers perioperatively for patients with cardiac risk factors.     

Noncardiac surgery in the patient with heart disease

Optimal care of the patient with heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery requires that the members of the surgical team, including anesthesiologist, internist-cardiologist, and surgeon, be familiar with the cardiovascular response to surgery, preoperative cardiac risk stratification, and the unique pathogenesis of cardiac complications that may occur in the perioperative period. Preoperative evaluation and computation of cardiac risk, anesthetic considerations, along with perioperative care of the patient with ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and conduction disorders, and hypertension is discussed.     

BNP与ACC/AHA指南评估老年非心脏手术心血管事件比较分析

探讨B型利钠肽（BNP）评估老年非心脏手术心血管事件的价值。方法：比较分析BNP与ACC/AHA指南两种方法对101例老年非心脏手术中评估心血管事件的价值。结果：对于心脏事件的发生,BNP水平〉100 pg/ml与ACC/AHA指南中高危级评估相比,它的敏感性高（100%比92.9%）,特异性高（70.1%比47.1%）,阳性预测价值大（35%比22%）,阴性预测价值大（100%比97.6%）,准确率高（74.3%比53.4%）,而假阳性率低（29.9%比52.9%）,假阴性率低（0%比7.1%）。结论：血浆BNP浓度〉100 pg/ml较ACC/AHA指南中高危级评估对老年非心脏手术心血管事件有更好的评估价值。     

A Summary and Critical Assessment of the 2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Adults: Filling the Gaps

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines has recently released the new cholesterol treatment guideline. This update was based on a systematic review of the evidence and replaces the previous guidelines from 2002 that were widely accepted and implemented in clinical practice. The new cholesterol treatment guideline emphasizes matching the intensity of statin treatment to the level of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk and replaces the old paradigm of pursuing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol targets. The new guideline also emphasizes the primacy of the evidence base for statin therapy for ASCVD risk reduction and lists several patient groups that will not benefit from statin treatment despite their high cardiovascular risk, such as those with heart failure (New York Heart Association class II-IV) and patients undergoing hemodialysis. The guideline has been received with mixed reviews and significant controversy. Because of the evidence-based nature of the guideline, there is room for several questions and uncertainties on when and how to use lipid-lowering therapy in clinical practice. The goal of the Mayo Clinic Task Force in the assessment, interpretation, and expansion of the ACC/AHA cholesterol treatment guideline is to address gaps in information and some of the controversial aspects of the newly released cholesterol management guideline using additional sources of evidence and expert opinion as needed to guide clinicians on key aspects of ASCVD risk reduction.     

Non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: treatment guidelines for the nurse practitioner

PURPOSE: To increase awareness among nurse practitioners (NPs) of the American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) 2002 guideline update for the diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndrome, and for secondary prevention in patients with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). DATA SOURCES: ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for the management of patients with UA and NSTEMI, ACC/AHA guidelines for patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease, 2006 update, selected research and clinical articles. CONCLUSIONS: Recent research has shown that patients with UA/NSTEMI benefit from the routine, long-term use of dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel. In suitable patients, outcome is also improved by adoption of an early invasive strategy combined with aggressive medical therapy. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Familiarity with the patient as well as current management recommendations can improve clinical outcomes for patients with UA/NSTEMI. Thus, NPs can play a pivotal role in the management of coronary disease, both during and following an acute ischemic event.     

Automatic referral to cardiac rehabilitation

The pervasive negative impact of cardiovascular disease in the United States is well documented. Although advances have been made, the campaign to reduce the occurrence, progression, and mortality continues. Determining evidence-based data is only half the battle. Implementing new and updated clinical guidelines into daily practice is a challenging task. Cardiac rehabilitation is an example of a proven intervention whose benefit is hindered through erratic implementation. The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the American Heart Association (AHA) have responded to this problem by publishing the AACVPR/ACC/AHA 2007 Performance Measures on Cardiac Rehabilitation for Referral to and Delivery of Cardiac Rehabilitation/Secondary Prevention Services. This new national guideline recommends automatic referral to cardiac rehabilitation for every eligible patient (performance measure A-1). This article offers guidance for the initiation of an automatic referral system, including individualizing your protocol with regard to electronic or paper-based order entry structures.     

术前评估量表对非心脏手术患者围手术期主要心脏不良事件的预测价值

非心脏手术患者围手术期主要心脏不良事件是其并发症和病死率增加的重要原因, 术前应用恰当的评估量表进行风险评估至关重要, 临床已达成共识并进行广泛实践。修订的心脏风险指数、美国外科医师协会国家外科质量改进计划心肌梗死或心脏骤停风险计算器和美国外科医师协会国家外科质量改进计划手术风险计算器是目前临床常用的评估量表。目前尚缺乏相关研究分析上述评估量表的适用条件和优缺点, 以及何种评估量表能较为准确地预测非心脏手术患者围手术期主要心脏不良事件风险。本文总结上述评估量表在非心脏手术患者中的应用表现, 旨在为这一人群寻找最优化的评估量表提供指导。     

Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Medical Management for Noncardiac Surgery

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) often care for patients who have risks for postoperative cardiac complications and face noncardiac surgery. Surgical urgency determines the initial preoperative evaluation, and the immediate action before emergency surgery is to identify high-risk patients and provide appropriate risk reduction. An elective surgery in those with active cardiac disease should be postponed until cardiac evaluation and treatment are complete. Asymptomatic patients may be risk stratified, and the revised cardiac risk index is easy to use and widely adopted. APNs have the opportunity to assess patient risk and take appropriate actions to minimize cardiac complications.     

Improving the Care of Patients with Non-ST-elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes in the Emergency Department: The CRUSADE Initiative

Although acute coronary syndromes (ACS) represent a well-recognized source of morbidity and mortality for patients with cardiovascular disease, evidence-based therapies shown to improve outcomes for ACS are frequently underused in appropriate patients, especially in the emergency department (ED). Despite dissemination of expert recommendations from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and ED-focused recapitulation of them in the emergency medicine literature, significant barriers continue to limit the adoption of guidelines in clinical practice and appear to hinder the use of beneficial therapies and interventions in the ED. Unique and creative approaches are therefore needed to stimulate better adherence to practice guidelines and improve the quality of care for patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTE) ACS. The CRUSADE (Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress ADverse Outcomes with Early Implementation of the ACC/AHA Guidelines) quality improvement and educational initiative provides an innovative and multifaceted approach to the education of emergency physicians and cardiologists in the care of patients with NSTE ACS. The CRUSADE initiative is a multidisciplinary cooperative effort involving over 400 EDs and medical centers. It includes an ACS registry designed to characterize demographic patterns and risk stratification results in patients who meet diagnostic criteria for high-risk NSTE ACS. It also measures the use of ED treatment modalities including aspirin, heparin, beta-blockers, and platelet inhibitors as recommended in the ACC/AHA guidelines. The results of a given institution's treatment patterns will be reported back to the practitioners, with comparisons with national norms. These reports can be used as quality improvement tools to improve care at participating institutions. Beyond a static registry, these reports are coupled with educational efforts by the CRUSADE steering committee, scientific publications of risk stratification practice and success, as well as ED patterns of care, and tailored educational interventions, to reinforce compliance with the ACC/AHA guidelines. This initiative represents a truly innovative approach to improving care for ACS patients in the ED as well as on the cardiology service. This article describes the CRUSADE initiative and its implications for the practicing emergency physician. It is the intent of CRUSADE to improve patient care in the ED by tracking and encouraging compliance with evidence-based guidelines for the evaluation and management of NSTE ACS.     

非心脏手术围手术期心脏事件预测的超声心动图研究现状

对非心脏手术病人进行准确的术前心脏事件危险性评估可以帮助临床采取预防性保护措施并制定合理的治疗方案,降低围手术期心脏事件的发生.采用何种合适的术前检测方法和恰当的术前风险评估一直是临床关注的研究热点.超声心动图,特别是负荷超声心动图通过对非心脏病人术前心脏各指标的检测,可以对围手术期心脏事件的危险性进行分级,被认为是有潜在价值的评估非心脏手术病人心脏事件发生的有效方法.     

Management of non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States. It represents the highest risk category of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTEACS), for which timely diagnosis and appropriate therapy are paramount to improve outcomes. Evidence-based treatment, with combination of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, and with serious consideration of early coronary angiography and revascularization along with anti-ischemic medical therapy, is the mainstay of management for NSTEMI. Aggressive risk-factor control after the acute event is imperative for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Applying in practice the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guideline recommendations results in improved outcomes.     

Perioperative Cardiac Risk Reduction in Noncardiac Surgery

Major adverse cardiovascular events are a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the perioperative setting, estimated to occur in approximately 5% of patients undergoing nonemergent noncardiac surgery. To minimize the incidence and impact of these events, careful attention must be paid to preoperative cardiovascular assessment to identify patients at high risk of cardiovascular complications. Once identified, cardiovascular risk reduction is achieved through optimization of medical conditions, appropriate management of medication, and careful monitoring to allow for early identification of—and intervention for—any new conditions that would increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The major cardiovascular and anesthesiology societies in the United States, Europe, and Canada have published guidelines for perioperative management of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. However, since publication of these guidelines, there has been a practice-changing evolution in the medical literature. In this review, we attempt to reconcile the recommendations made in these 3 comprehensive guidelines, while updating recommendations, based on new evidence, when available.     

Update on exercise stress testing

Exercise stress testing is an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of suspected or known cardiac disease. In 2002, the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) revised their guidelines for exercise testing. Ten categories from the ACC/ AHA 1997 guidelines were modified: ST heart rate adjustment, unstable angina, older patients, acute coronary syndromes, chest pain centers, acute myocardial infarction, asymptomatic patients, valvular heart disease, rhythm disturbances, and hypertension. Adjustment of the ST heart rate can identify myocardial ischemia in asymptomatic patients with elevated cardiac risk. Intermediate- and low-risk patients with unstable angina, acute coronary syndromes, or chest pain should undergo exercise stress testing when clinically stable. Provided they are stable, patients who have had acute myocardial infarction can undergo a submaximal exercise test before discharge or a symptom-limited exercise stress test any time after two to three weeks have elapsed. In asymptomatic patients with cardiac risk factors, the exercise stress test may provide valuable prognostic information. Aortic regurgitation is the only valvular heart disorder in which there is significant evidence that exercise stress testing is useful in management decisions. The stress test also can be used in older patients to identify the presence of coronary artery disease. However, because of other comorbidities, a pharmacologic stress test may be necessary. Exercise stress testing can help physicians successfully evaluate arrhythmia in patients with syncope. The exercise stress test also can help identify patients at risk of developing hypertension if they show an abnormal hypertensive response to exercise.     

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the adult with unrepaired tetralogy of Fallot: a case report.

A 24-year-old woman with a history of unrepaired tetralogy of Fallot was scheduled to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Her significant history included tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, hypoplastic left pulmonary artery, pulmonary vascular obstructive disease, a functioning right subclavian artery to right pulmonary artery shunt (modified Blalock-Taussig palliative procedure) with a similar shunt on the left side that is occluded. The patient underwent general endotracheal anesthesia for laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis and pancreatitis. Anesthetic induction, intraoperative course, and the postoperative period proceeded uneventfully, and the patient quickly progressed to the preoperative level of functioning. The careful application of pharmacological and physiological principles guided the anesthetic plan and produced a successful outcome. Principles for the anesthetic management of the patient with cyanotic congenital heart disease undergoing noncardiac surgery are reviewed.     

Etomidate vs propofol in coronary heart disease patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUNDThe ideal depth of general anesthesia should achieve the required levels of hypnosis, analgesia, and muscle relaxation while minimizing physiologic responses to awareness. The choice of anesthetic strategy in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) undergoing major noncardiac surgery is becoming an increasingly important issue as the population ages. This is because general anesthesia is associated with a risk of perioperative cardiac complications and death, and this risk is much higher in people with CHD. AIMTo compare hemodynamic function and cardiovascular event rate between etomidate- and propofol-based anesthesia in patients with CHD. METHODSThis prospective study enrolled consecutive patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade II/III) with stable CHD (New York Heart Association class I/II) undergoing major noncardiac surgery. The patients were randomly allocated to receive either etomidate/remifentanil-based or propofol/remifentanil-based general anesthesia. Randomization was performed using a computer-generated random number table and sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes. Concealment was maintained until the patient had arrived in the operating theater, at which point the consulting anesthetist opened the envelope. All patients, data collectors, and data analyzers were blinded to the type of anesthesia used. The primary endpoints were the occurrence of cardiovascular events (bradycardia, tachycardia, hypotension, ST-T segment changes, and ventricular premature beats) during anesthesia and cardiac troponin I level at 24 h. The secondary endpoints were hemodynamic parameters, bispectral index, and use of vasopressors during anesthesia.RESULTSThe final analysis included 40 patients in each of the propofol and etomidate groups. The incidences of bradycardia, hypotension, ST-T segment changes, and ventricular premature beats during anesthesia were significantly higher in the propofol group than in the etomidate group (P < 0.05 for all). The incidence of tachycardia was similar between the two groups. Cardiac troponin I levels were comparable between the two groups both before the induction of anesthesia and at 24 h after surgery. When compared with the etomidate group, the propofol group had significantly lower heart rates at 3 min after the anesthetic was injected (T₁) and immediately after tracheal intubation (T₂), lower systolic blood pressure at T₁, and lower diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure at T₁, T₂, 3 min after tracheal intubation, and 5 min after tracheal intubation (P < 0.05 for all). Vasopressor use was significantly more in the propofol group than in the etomidate group during the induction and maintenance periods (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONIn patients with CHD undergoing noncardiac major surgery, etomidate-based anesthesia is associated with fewer cardiovascular events and smaller hemodynamic changes than propofol-based anesthesia.     

Perioperative risk of patients undergoing noncardiac surgery after coronary artery bypass surgery

BACKGROUND: Most data suggesting that noncardiac surgery early after coronary artery bypass surgery carries low risk are derived from post hoc analyses of randomized controlled trials, with only limited data derived from contemporary, nonselected, and nontrial patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery at our institution between January 1999 and October 2006 to determine whether they subsequently had major noncardiac surgery and what the outcomes of the noncardiac surgery were. RESULTS: During the study period, 1065 patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, and 272 (26%) subsequently underwent 467 major noncardiac surgeries. The mean interval from coronary artery bypass to noncardiac surgery was 1.9 +/- 1.9 years (range, 0-7.8 years). A major complication occurred in 3 surgeries (0.6% [95% confidence interval, 0.1%-1.9%]). Two patients died (both from respiratory arrest during the postoperative period: 1 patient had a tongue cancer excision, and the other patient had polycythemia vera), and the third patient had a perioperative arrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS: Noncardiac surgery is often required early after coronary artery bypass surgery and carries very low risk for cardiac complications, suggesting that preoperative cardiac evaluation may not be required in most such patients.     

心力衰竭患者尿酸水平与ACC／AHA心力衰竭分期的相关性研究

目的探讨血清尿酸（UA）水平与心力衰竭不同分期的相关性。方法入选2007年7月至2008年9月在北京大学第三医院心内科住院的患者116例,按照美国心脏病学会和美国心脏病协会（ACC／AHA）2005年的心力衰竭指南对患者进行分期：A期（心力衰竭高危期）为心力衰竭高危患者,但无结构性心脏病或心力衰竭症状;B期（心脏结构改变期）为结构性心脏病但无心力衰竭症状;C期（心功能衰竭期）为结构性心脏病但曾经或现有心力衰竭症状。测定血清UA,血浆N末端脑利钠肽（NT-proBNP）水平和超声心动指标。结果C期患者的血UA水平较B期和A期明显升高（434．7±145．1）μmol／L vs（304．5±60．8）μmol／L、（369．7±75．1）μmol／L（P〈0．01或〈0．05）,而B期较A期有升高趋势,但差异无统计学意义（P=0．061）。NT—proBNP则随着ACC／AHA分期的进展相应增加,（37．7±158．4）ng／L、（537．6±201．0）ng／L和（2574．0±2541．0）ng／L,3组间Hc=35．185,P〈0．01。血UA水平与NT-proBNP浓度（r=0．555,P〈0．001）,左心房直径（LA）（r=0．411,P=0．002）和右心室内径（RV）（r=0．496,P=0．000）显著相关。结论血清UA水平与美国ACC／AHA心力衰竭分期、NT-proBNP、LA和RV显著正相关,可能是心脏结构和功能改变的预测指标之一。     

Compliance with acute MI guidelines lowers inpatient mortality

Within the last decade, health care providers have seen the emergence of numerous patient care guidelines that can be used to prevent or manage specific medical conditions. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have issued guidelines for the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In November of 2002, at the annual scientific session of the AHA, researchers presented the results of the first study to show a direct relationship between inpatient mortality and the level of a hospital's compliance with these guidelines. It is hoped that this evidence of a reduction in AMI patient mortality will provide an incentive for all hospitals to improve their adherence to the ACC/AHA AMI guidelines.     

Preoperative pulmonary evaluation: identifying and reducing risks for pulmonary complications

Postoperative pulmonary complications are among the most common sources of morbidity in patients undergoing major surgery. For this reason, the preoperative patient evaluation should emphasize risk factors for pulmonary complications as well as for traditional cardiac complications, as the former are comparably frequent and associated with longer hospital stays. Procedure-related risk factors are more important than patient-related risk factors for predicting pulmonary events, but clinicians should assess both types of factors. Pulmonary function testing has a limited role and should not be the basis for denying surgery if the surgical indication is compelling. Strategies to reduce the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications include optimizing management of chronic lung disease before surgery, lung expansion maneuvers, pain control, and selective placement of nasogastric tubes.     

Perioperative cardiac risk reduction

Cardiovascular complications are the most common cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality. Noninvasive stress testing is rarely helpful in assessing risk, and for most patients there is no evidence that coronary revascularization provides more protection against perioperative cardiovascular events than optimal medical management. Patients likely to benefit from perioperative beta blockade include those with stable coronary artery disease and multiple cardiac risk factors. Perioperative beta blockers should be initiated weeks before surgery and titrated to heart rate and blood pressure targets. The balance of benefits and harms of perioperative beta-blocker therapy is much less favorable in patients with limited cardiac risk factors and when initiated in the acute preoperative period. Perioperative statin therapy is recommended for all patients undergoing vascular surgery. When prescribed for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, aspirin should be continued in the perioperative period.