Search

Conventional therapies with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) to sustain preoperative autologous blood collection entail high doses of the drug at short intervals. To evaluate the efficacy of a single weekly dose of rHuEPO for autologous blood collection, we randomly assigned 24 male patients scheduled for coronary artery bypass surgery to receive 400 IU/kg rHuEPO subcutaneously once a week or iron only. Patients were examined weekly and a total of up to 4 units of autologous blood were obtained if the hemoglobin level exceeded 12 g/dL. Patients receiving rHuEPO had consistently higher hemoglobin values than those receiving iron only (P < 0.001). Consequently, more autologous red cells were obtained from this group (776 +/- 49 mL vs 682 +/- 91 mL; P < 0.05). One patient receiving rHuEPO and eight in the control group required homologous blood at surgery (P < 0.01). These results suggest that 400 IU/kg rHuEPO administered subcutaneously once a week efficiently stimulates erythropoiesis and compensates the hemoglobin decrease after autologous blood donation.

Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are high risk factors for early graft failure in orthotopic heart transplantation (oHTx). The need for an oversized donor in patients with elevated PVR aggravates the shortage of suitable donor organs. To decrease the elevated PVR to values suitable for orthotopic heart transplantation prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was administered in 11 patients (11 male, mean age 49.2 years, mean dosage 35 ng/kg per min over 6-8 days). Ten days after the discontinuation of the PGE1 therapy, recatheterization was done. All haemodynamic data were determined by right heart catheterization using a Swan Ganz catheter and thermodilution technique before, and 10 days after, PGE1 treatment. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used for statistics. PVR significantly decreased in all patients (5.5 to 2.8 Wood units, P < 0.005). All patients were considered to be suitable for oHTX and put on the waiting list. At the time of writing, in eight of these patients (eight male, mean age 49.6 years; four ischemic, four dilatative CMP) oHTX had been successfully performed. No right ventricular failure occurred in the postoperative phase. These results sugest that long-term moderation of elevated PVR by PGE1 therapy weeks or months before transplantation enables oHTX in patients with elevated PVR.

Between January 1979 and July 1989, 15 children of Jehovah's Witnesses underwent corrective open surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Ages ranged from 1.5-17 years and body weight from 9.1-63 kg, with five patients weighing less than 15 kg. Eight children were cyanotic, and two of them had had previous thoracic operations. All operations were performed in moderate to deep hypothermia using a modified version of isovolemic hemodilution with bloodless priming technique of extracorporeal circulation. Mean hematocrit levels decreased from 47.3% (36.9-70%) to 34.6% (27.2-49.1%) after hemodilution, and then to 17.9% (10.5-25.6%) during bypass. They increased again to 34.1% (24.4-50%) at the end of the operation and to 33.4% (25.1-40%) on day 12. All intra- and postoperative hematocrit levels were significantly lower (p less than 0.001). There was one postoperative death, not related to the technique. Our results demonstrate that bloodless cardiac surgery on bypass is feasible in children as shown in this special group of children of Jehovah's Witnesses. Knowing the risks of homologous blood transfusion this technique should be used more extensively in the future.

In patients with coronary artery disease, rapid ventricular rates require adequate treatment since disturbed oxygen balance and ischemia may be incurred. By virtue of their isolated action on the sinus node, "specific bradycardic substances" have only negligible hemodynamic side effects and, accordingly, represent an alternative to other available rate-slowing drugs. The clonidine derivative, alinidine (N-allyl-clonidine) was used primarily as the specific bradycardic substance in our studies in patients at the time of aortocoronary bypass surgery. In addition to its rate-slowing properties, this substance also elicits an analgetic and anti-ischemic effect and, in a small percentage, it is metabolized to clonidine. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and hemodynamic actions of alinidine in the treatment of intraoperative heart rate acceleration and, in combination with the calcium channel blocker nifedipine, to evaluate its use for postoperative hypertension. The first study was performed in nine patients in whom, during aortocoronary bypass surgery, there was a heart rate increase in excess of 20% above the preoperative control value. Patients were excluded with impaired ventricular function, absence of sinus rhythm, concomitant increase in arterial mean pressure greater than 30%, hypovolemia, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in excess of 15 mmHg as well as those with ECG changes precluding exact assessment of myocardial ischemia. In addition to the ECG, the following parameters were registered: heart rate, arterial pressure, central venous pressure and, with a semi-floating balloon-tipped catheter, pulmonary artery pressure as well as pulmonary wedge pressure. Cardiac output was determined with thermodilution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Present state of operative techniques in children with congenital cyanotic heart defects is described as well as the early and late results after open heart operations-based on own experiences of many years.

Since 1977, the Department of Anesthesiology of the University of Graz has had a preoperative clinic. Since August 1988 we have processed current data using a personal computer (PC). We have adapted an IBM-compatible PC and a commercial data-processing program (dBase III plus) for the special requirements of the preoperative clinic. The procedure is directed by menus and is also easy to learn for non-professionals. Important functions have been executed automatically by the current program, such as loading the software or securing the data on a floppy disk. No additional work is necessary for data input. Every test result can be supplied immediately by a printer, whereby important parameters are denoted as such. After 13 months of testing, we could see that the use of a PC offers an inexpensive possibility for processing medical data with the help of electronics. The installation was not destined to remain a short trial, but will become a permanent system at our clinic.

Patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses present a special problem when undergoing open heart surgery since they refuse blood transfusion. We performed 15 open heart operations for both acquired and congenital heart disease using a modified version of isovolaemic haemodilution and bloodless prime technique of extracorporeal circulation. Two patients died. One death might have been at least indirectly related to the regimen which excludes blood substitution. We believe that our experience demonstrates the feasibility of open heart procedures in Jehovah's Witnesses, although the mortality risk is increased in these patients.

Unlabelled: As a result of their interpretation of the Bible, members of Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept blood transfusions under any circumstances. Consequently, they present moral and ethical problems to surgeons and anesthetists, especially in cardiac surgery. PATIENTS and METHODS. From November 1978 to November 1988, 66 members Jehovah's Witnesses were scheduled for cardiac surgery; 57 patients were operated upon (mean age 33.3 years, 14 days to 70.4 years; mean body weight 51 kg, 0.7 to 95.5 kg); 21 were younger than 14 years. Patients with hematocrit (Hct) less than 35%, expected high intra- and postoperative blood loss, compromised left ventricular function, ST-segment alterations, critical aortic stenosis, severe unstable angina pectoris, complex heart defects, especially in children, extreme body weight, severe diabetes, renal insufficiency, coagulopathies, severe pulmonary disease, and heavy smokers were excluded from operation. Whereas in nonbypass patients no special blood-saving techniques were used, in bypass patients a modified version of isovolemic hemodilution, with a hypothermic, bloodless priming technique of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) was performed after induction of anesthesia. At the end of the ECC all blood collected in the pericardial and pleural cavities was returned to the oxygenator and the entire content of the extracorporeal circuit was infused into the patient through the aortic cannula. All patients receiving ECC were ventilated for 24 h postoperatively and received dopamine (2-5 micrograms/kg) and antibiotics routinely., Results: Due to the above mentioned contraindications, 9 patients were not accepted for surgery, 10 were operated upon without cardiopulmonary bypass or blood-saving techniques. In 47 patients open heart surgery with ECC and moderate or deep hypothermia was performed. In the adult patients (n = 36) Hct values decreased from 44.4% (35-70%) preoperatively to 32.1% (21-46%) after hemodilution, reached their lowest levels during cardiopulmonary bypass at 17.9% (9.9-43%), and increased to 33.7% (22%-43%) at the end of the operation. Hct averaged 28.2% (20%-39%) on the 3rd and 33.2% (23%-46%) on the 12th postoperative day. In children (n = 11) Hct decreased from 47.2% (36.9%-70%) to 33.6% (27.2%-49.1%) after hemodilution, during bypass to 16.1% (10.5%-25.5%) and increased to 32.1% (24.4%-37.4%) at the end of the operation. On the 3rd postoperative day Hct was 25% (21.4%-39%) and increased to 29.4% (25.1%-40%) on the 12th postoperative day. No statistical differences in Hct values were found between both groups. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

From April 1980 to June 1985 7.3% (15) of 205 PTCA-treated patients required emergency operations. The spectrum of PTCA-induced ischemia included anginal pain alone (2/1, 13%) or transmural infarction (13/15, 87%) with hypotension (8/15), cardiac arrest (4/15), and severe cardiogenic shock (3/15, 20%). 14 patients underwent saphenous-vein-bypass-graft operation (ACBG) with a mean of 1.7 grafts performed per patient. The average time from onset of symptoms to completed revascularisation was 166.5 (110 to 290) minutes. Inspite of the use of IABP one hospital death (6.6%) occurred prior to the institution of ECC in a patient with previous ACBG surgery. No late death was observed during a mean follow up of 11.1 (1 to 33) months with 13/14 patients free of anginal symptoms. Retrospective assessment of postoperative serum enzyme levels of CPK and CK-MB showed evidence of myocardial infarctions in 7/14 (50%) patient. The incidence on ECG of Q-wave infarctions was 35,7% (5/14). With the exception of one patient, IABP was not used pre- or postoperatively. In patients with acute myocardial ischemia following PTCA-attempts immediate restoration of myocardial blood flow can stabilize left ventricular function and reduce the incidence and size of myocardial infarctions. The availability of emergency ACBG-surgery and facilities remain an important prerequisite of PTCA-programs due to the unpredictable natural course of PTCA-induced myocardial ischemia.

Antithrombin III activity was evaluated preoperatively, intraoperatively and postoperatively in the plasma of 54 children with congenital heart disease undergoing open heart surgery. The patients were divided into an acyanotic and a cyanotic group. A comparison of these two groups indicated a significantly decreased AT III activity in cyanotic children as compared to acyanotic children throughout the perioperative phase. AT III levels decreased in the cyanotic group from 71.9 +/- 3.77% preoperatively to 61.5 +/- 2.15% (p less than 0.01) postoperatively and rose to 69.6 +/- 2.36% (p less than 0.01) on the first and to 78.9 +/- 2.24% (p less than 0.01) on the second postoperative day. In the acyanotic group AT III levels decreased from 84.3 +/- 1.98% to 73 +/- 2.97% (p less than 0.01) postoperatively and increased to 78.5 +/- 2.96% (p less than 0.01) on the first and to 90.2 +/- 3.06% on the second postoperative day. A few acyanotic patients, too, showed decreased values of AT III. However, they were never found to be as low as in the cyanotic group. Preoperative AT III values as well as the severity of underlying disease, the success of corrective surgical treatment and postoperative complications proved to be the predominant influencing factors of AT III activity.