A Locum’s ScrapBook: Away From the OR

FGF-21, FGF-23, interleukin-6, and monocyte chemotactic protein-3 serum levels were increased postoperatively in patients who developed delirium after major cardiac surgery. This study identified two members of the FGF family as potential putative systemic biomarkers for postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery, suggesting a possible role for metabolic recovery in the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying neurocognitive dysfunction.

As cardiothoracic surgeons seek ways to innovate, novel approaches to data acquisition and analysis enable a more rigorous level of investigatory efforts.