Atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is common, with rates up to 60%. POAF has been associated with early and late stroke, but its association with other cardiovascular outcomes is less known. The objective was to perform a meta-analysis of the studies reporting the association of POAF with perioperative and long-term outcomes in patients with cardiac surgery.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies that presented outcomes for cardiac surgery on the basis of the presence or absence of POAF. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were assessed; 57 studies (246,340 patients) were selected. Perioperative mortality was the primary outcome. Inverse variance method and random model were performed. Leave-one-out analysis, subgroup analyses, and metaregression were conducted.ResultsPOAF was associated with perioperative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58-2.33), perioperative stroke (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.90-2.49), perioperative myocardial infarction (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.54), perioperative acute renal failure (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.42-3.11), hospital (standardized mean difference, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.53-1.07) and intensive care unit stay (standardized mean difference, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.24-0.86), long-term mortality (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.54; 95% CI, 1.40-1.69), long-term stroke (IRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.46), and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (IRR, 4.73; 95% CI, 3.36-6.66).ConclusionsThe results suggest that POAF after cardiac surgery is associated with an increased occurrence of most short- and long-term cardiovascular adverse events. However, the causality of this association remains to be established.     

Is routine extubation overnight safe in cardiac surgery patients?

Objectives

Expedient extubation after cardiac surgery has been associated with improved outcomes, leading to postoperative extubation frequently during overnight hours. However, recent evidence in a mixed medical-surgical intensive care unit population demonstrated worse outcomes with overnight extubation. This study investigated the impact of overnight extubation in a statewide, multicenter Society of Thoracic Surgeons database.

Management of Valvular Heart Disease in Adults: Implications for Nurse Practitioner Practice

Valvular heart disease affects patients of all ages, with the highest incidence in patients older than 75 years. The nurse practitioner, whether in the primary or acute care setting, plays a vital role in the detection, monitoring, and shared decisions in treatment options. Assessment skills in conjunction with appropriate testing can identify patients early in the trajectory of the disease. The purpose of this article is to provide tips for history-taking and physical exam techniques, identify appropriate diagnostic testing, and review treatment options for adults with valvular heart disease.     

Comparison of outcomes between minimally invasive and median sternotomy for double and triple valve surgery: A meta-analysis

Background

Limited data exists demonstrating the efficacy of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to median sternotomy (MS) for multiple valvular disease (MVD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare operative and peri-operative outcomes of MIS vs MS in MVD.

Methods

PubMed, Ovid, and Embase were searched from inception until August 2019 for randomized and observational studies comparing MIS and MS in patients with MVD. Clinical outcomes of intra- and postoperative times, reoperation for bleeding and surgical site infection were evaluated.

Results

Five observational studies comparing 340 MIS vs 414 MS patients were eligible for qualitative and quantitative review. The quality of evidence assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was good for all included studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated increased cardiopulmonary bypass time for MIS patients (weighted mean difference [WMD], 0.487; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.365-0.608; P < .0001). Similarly, aortic cross-clamp time was longer in patients undergoing MIS (WMD, 0.632; 95% CI, 0.509-0.755; P < .0001). No differences were found in operative mortality, reoperation for bleeding, surgical site infection, or hospital stay.

Conclusions

MIS for MVD have similar short-term outcomes compared to MS. This adds value to the use of minimally invasive methods for multivalvular surgery, despite conferring longer operative times. However, the paucity in literature and learning curve associated with MIS warrants further evidence, ideally randomized control trials, to support these findings.

     

经食管实时三维超声心动图评价房性心律失常对二尖瓣结构和功能的影响

目的:应用经食管实时三维超声心动图(RT-3D-TEE)技术,探讨房性心律失常对二尖瓣结构和功能的影响.方法:选取2018年6月~2019年6月本院收治的房性心律失常拟行射频消融的患者49例纳入观察组,另外选取21例正常窦性心律者作为对照组,所有患者均行经胸超声心电图(TTE)和经食管实时三维超声心动图(RT-3D-TEE)检查,将两组患者的瓣环投影面积(A2D)、瓣环周长(C3D)、瓣环高度(H)、瓣环前后径(DAP)、瓣环前外侧至后内侧直径(DAIPm)、左室射血分数(LVEF)、左心房前后径(Lad)等参数进行比较,并分别计算对合面积和对合指数,之后采取二项Logistic回归分析或逐步线性回归对各参数及临床因素与对合指数的相关性进行分析.结果:两组患者在LVEF和对合面积方面的比较无明显差异(P>0.05),在A2D、C3D、H、DA、PDAIPm、Lad方面的比较,房性心律失常组患者明显高于正常窦性心律组患者(P<0.05),且观察组患者的对合指数明显降低(P<0.05).将49例观察组患者以不同心律失常类型分为持续性房颤、阵发性房颤、房扑、混合型房性心律失常4个亚组,采用单因素方差分析,发现在LVEF、C3D、Lad、对合指数方面的比较,各亚组间无明显差异(P>0.05).采用二项Logistic回归分析发现,女性是导致对合指数低的危险因素,另外对合指数较低、房性心律失常是导致二尖瓣返流的重要因素.结论:房性心律失常对患者二尖瓣的A2D、C3D、H、DA、PDAIPm、Lad等都会造成较大影响,从而降低对合指数,影响二尖瓣的正常功能,导致二尖瓣返流的发生.     

Anomalous Origin of the Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery: Diagnoses and Surgical Results in 12 Pediatric Patients

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare congenital condition. It responds well to early diagnosis and treatment, but otherwise the prognosis is poor. We present our case series of 12 patients (mean age, 2 ± 2.58 yr; age range, 2 mo–8 yr), emphasizing the diagnostic process and discussing our surgical results. The diagnosis of ALCAPA should be suspected in infants who have dilated cardiomyopathy with electrocardiographic changes that suggest ischemia, and in older children who have isolated mitral regurgitation. When clinical suspicion is high, the results of 2-dimensional echocardiography combined with color-flow Doppler studies in expert hands can establish the diagnosis, thus avoiding angiography in critically ill infants. The treatment of choice in our patients was transfer and reimplantation of the left coronary artery onto the ascending aorta. There were 2 deaths: both were infants in extremis who underwent emergency surgery. An older child with severe ventricular dysfunction was given mechanical ventricular assistance and then heart transplantation. As of this report, all 10 survivors remained well and asymptomatic.