Review Article: High Stakes and High Risk: A Focused Qualitative Review of Hazards During Cardiac Surgery
Cardiac surgery is a high-risk procedure performed by a multidisciplinary team using complex tools and technologies.
Patient Safety Reporting Systems: Sustained Quality Improvement Using a Multidisciplinary Team and “Good Catch” Awards
A multidisciplinary team's analysis and mitigation of hazards identified in a patient safety reporting process entailed positive recognition with a Good Catch award, education of practitioners, and long-term follow-up.
Left Atrial Decompression During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Left Ventricular Failure in Children: Current Strategy and Clinical Outcomes
Earlier timing of LA decompression appeared to be associated with a high probability of weaning from ECMO and reasonable LV functional recovery.
Training Residents in Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A 14-year Experience
OPCAB is a safe and reproducible surgical technique that can be taught successfully to cardiothoracic trainees.
Perioperative Fluid Balance and Acute Kidney Injury
Positive FB was associated with increased incidence of AKI.
Outcomes of the First 30 Cases of an Adult Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program: Strategies to Manage the “Learning Curve” and Implications for Intensive Care Unit Risk Adjustment Models
Satisfactory outcomes were achieved using an ICU-based multidisciplinary approach with a broadly based education strategy with additional clinical perfusionist support to manage the learning curve.
Nosocomial Infections in Adult Cardiogenic Shock Patients Supported by Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Incidence and impact on adult patients' outcomes of nosocomial infections (NIs) occurring during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support for refractory cardiogenic shock have rarely been described.
Can Long-Term Ventricular Assist Devices Be Safely Implanted in Low-Volume Non-Heart Transplant Centres
Long-term VADs can be implanted at low-volume, nontransplant centres with survival rates comparable with contemporary clinical trials.
Diagnosis and Management of Circulatory Arrest in Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device Patients: Presentation of Two Cases and Suggested Guidelines
Pediatric patients supported by ventricular assist devices (VADs) are becoming more common. No guidelines exist to provide an approach to diagnosis or management of circulatory arrest in these patients. We present two case reports of apparent circulatory arrest in pediatric VAD-supported patients at our institution.
Infections Occurring in Adult Patients Receiving Mechanical Circulatory Support: The Two-Year Experience of an Italian National Referral Tertiary Care Center
Infection during mechanical circulatory support is a frequent adverse complication. We analyzed infections occurring in this population in a national tertiary care center, and assessed the differences existing between the setting of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and ventricular assist devices (VADs).
Physical Therapist Management of Patients With Ventricular Assist Devices: Key Considerations for the Acute Care Physical Therapist
This article provides an overview of the utilization of ventricular assist devices (VADs), reviews the common features of VADs and management of VAD recipients, discusses clinical considerations in the rehabilitation process, and describes the role of the acute care physical therapist in the care of VAD recipients.
Selective Antegrade Cerebral Perfusion and Mild (28°C-30°C) Systemic Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest for Aortic Arch Replacement: Results from 1002 Patients
Current data suggest that ACP and mild systemic hypothermic circulatory arrest can be safely applied to complex aortic arch surgery even in a subgroup of patients with up to 90 minutes of ACP. Unilateral ACP offers at least equal brain and visceral organ protection as bilateral ACP and might be advantageous in that it reduces the incidence of embolism arising from surgical manipulation on the arch vessels.