Case Report: Sclerodermiform Dermatitis After Coronary Artery Bypass Graft with an Internal Thoracic Artery Conduit
In November of 2021, Caroline Gerhardt and colleagues published a report on the first case of sclerodermiform dermatitis at an internal thoracic artery donor graft site. Here we summarize their findings, which are a cautionary tale for those providing post-operative care for patients who undergo a coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure using the internal…
Read
Case Report: Use of VA-ECMO as opposed to CPB in PE treatment
This is a summary of a case study entitled “Surgical pulmonary embolectomy on VA-ECMO” reported by Rachel Steinhorn, Adam A. Dalia, Edward A. Bittner, and Marvin G. Chang, analyzing the use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) as opposed to cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in a patient undergoing treatment for pulmonary embolism. The full study is…
Read
Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest Outcomes in Type A Aortic Dissection Patients
This is a summary of a research study conducted by Xinghua Peng, Ganhua Zeng, Yan Li, and Longren Cai and published in 2021 on PubMed entitled “Analysis of poor prognostic factors of cerebral nerve after deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in patients with type A aortic dissection.” The study examines the cerebral nerve prognosis of patients…
Read
Frailty Impacts on Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair
This is a summary of a research study and statistical analysis conducted by Joseph Hayada, Zachary Tran, Yas Sanaiha, Esteban Aguayo, Vishal Dobaria, Marcella Calfon Press, and Peyman Benharash entitled “Impact of frailty on short term outcomes, resource use, and readmissions after transcatheter mitral valve repair: A national analysis.” This study analyzes data on the…
Read
Heparin sourcing and best practices for use in cardiopulmonary bypass
In this detailed review, Shane Pullins, M.S., C.C.P, provides an overview of the history of heparin sourcing and best practices for heparin use in cardiopulmonary bypass. This is a useful resource for clinicians and students interested in learning more about a drug critical to our practice. History of heparin sourcing Historically, commercial heparin isolation and…
Read
Hyperglycemia and Thrombocytopenia Increase the Risk of Mortality in Patients with AMI Undergoing VA-ECMO
In December of 2021, Yusuke Okadome and colleagues published a retrospective study on acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who had undergone VA-ECMO to better understand clinical indicators that could predict mortality in this group. Here we summarize their findings; their full manuscript is available on PubMed. Patients who show potential to recover from cardiogenic shock following…
Read
Mid-Diastolic Events (L Events): A Critical Review
Emanuele Di Virgilio and colleagues recently published an in-depth review article to discuss mechanisms underlying mid-diastolic events (L events) and summarize the current understanding of these phenomena. Here we summarize their paper, which is a useful resource and is publicly available at MDPI.com. Mid-diastolic events, also known as L events, can be observed using echocardiography. While…
Read
Correlation and Protective Role of Diabetes Mellitus in Aortic Aneurysm Disease
In today’s world, diabetes is one of the main risk factors for peripheral vascular disease and cardiovascular problems. Almost more than half a billion adults in the 20-79 years of age are somehow going through diabetes. Diabetes tends to enhance the body’s metabolic state, which in turn causes an increased risk for vascular dysfunction, occlusive…
Read
Efficacy and safety of next-generation tick transcriptome-derived direct thrombin inhibitors
Cho Yeow Koh and colleagues recently published an article on the efficacy and safety of next-generation tick transcriptome-derived direct thrombin inhibitors in Nature Communications. Here we summarize their work, which is also publicly available on Nature.com. Procedures like percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) increase thrombin generation that results in clotting, which must be combatted using anticoagulants. Common…
Read
Unsuccessful and Successful Clinical Trials in ARDS Patients on Mechanical Ventilation
Jesús Villar and colleagues recently published a review article that synthesizes information from randomized controlled trials among patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) on mechanical ventilation. Their review provides a detailed discussion of six major interventions used to improve oxygenation and ventilation in these patients. This article is a useful resource for anyone seeking a better…
Read
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemoperfusion for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Global incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is on the rise and not expected to peak for another 5-15 years. This is alarming, as survival rates are poor and recurrence after surgical intervention is common. Multimodal treatment is often necessary, and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) has been widely used for this purpose. HITHOC is achieved by…
Read
VIS and VVR Scores as Outcome Predictors for Children on ECMO
Ira Shukla, Sheila Hanson, Ke Yan, and Jian Zhang recently published a paper, “Vasoactive-Inotropic Score and Vasoactive-Ventilation-Renal Score as Outcome Predictors for Children on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation” in Frontiers in Pediatrics. Here we summarize their findings. The complete published manuscript is also available on the Frontiers website. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become more commonly used…
Read