The Adherence to an Intraoperative Blood Product Transfusion Algorithm Is Associated With Reduced Blood Product Transfusions in Cardiac Surgical Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts and Aortic and/or Valve Replacement Surgery: A Single-Center, Observational Study

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the value of a viscoelastic-based intraoperative transfusion algorithm to reduce non-RBC product administration in adult cardiac surgical patients.

DESIGN

A prospective observational study.

SETTING

At a quaternary academic teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Cardiac surgical patients.

INTERVENTIONS

Viscoelastic-based intraoperative transfusion algorithm.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The study authors compared intraoperative blood product transfusion rates in 184 cardiac surgical patients to 236 historic controls after implementing a viscoelastic-based algorithm. The authors found a non-significant reduction in transfusion of 23.8% for fresh frozen plasma (FFP) units (0.84 ± 1.4 v 0.64 ± 1.38; p = ns), 33.4% for platelet units (0.90 ± 1.39 v 0.60 ± 131; p = ns), and 15.8% for cryoprecipitate units (0.19 ± 0.54 v 0.16 ± 0.50; p = ns). They found a 43.9% reduction in red blood cell (RBC) units transfused (1.98 ± 2.24 v 0.55 ± 1.36; p = 0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in time to extubation (8.0 hours (4.0-21.0) v 8.0 (4.0-22.3), reoperation for bleeding (15 [12.3%] v 10 [10.6%]), intensive care unit length of stay (ICU LOS) (51.0 hours [28.0-100.5] v 53.5 [33.3-99.0]) or hospital LOS (9.0 days [6.0-15.0] v 10.0 [7.0-17.0]). Deviation from algorithm adherence was 32.7% (48/147). Packed RBC, FFP, platelets, cryoprecipitate, and cell saver were significantly reduced in the Algorithm Compliant Cohort compared with historic controls, whereas times to extubation, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS did not reach significance.

CONCLUSIONS

After the implementation of a viscoelastic-based algorithm, patients received fewer packed RBC, FFP, platelets, cryoprecipitate, and cell saver. Algorithm-compliant patients received fewer transfusions; however, reductions in times to extubation, ICU LOS, and hospital LOS were not statistically significant compared with historic controls.

Development and Publication of Clinical Practice Parameters, Reviews, and Meta-analyses: A Report From the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Presidential Task Force

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA) is committed to improving the quality, safety, and value that cardiothoracic anesthesiologists bring to patient care. To fulfill this mission, the SCA supports the creation of peer-reviewed manuscripts that establish standards, produce guidelines, critically analyze the literature, interpret preexisting guidelines, and allow experts to engage in consensus opinion. The aim of this report, commissioned by the SCA President, is to summarize the distinctions among these publications and describe a novel SCA-supported framework that provides guidance to SCA members for the creation of these publications. The ultimate goal is that through a standardized and transparent process, the SCA will facilitate up-to-date education and implementation of best practices by cardiovascular and thoracic anesthesiologists to improve patient safety, quality of care, and outcomes.

Change Management and Health Care Culture

Change management in health care is the process of implementing new policies, procedures, and practices in order to improve the quality of patient care. It involves understanding the need for change, identifying the stakeholders involved, and developing a plan to implement and manage the change. Change management in health care requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach to ensure that changes are properly implemented, communicated, and monitored. It is essential for health care providers to be aware of the current trends in health care and to stay up to date with the latest technology in order to provide the best care possible.

Multimodal prehabilitation program valuation for thoracic surgical patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Modifiable patient-related risk factors, such as physical, emotional, and cognitive frailty, poor nutritional status, sleep hygiene, anemia, alcohol abuse, and smoking reduce a patient's ability to effectively recover from the insult of surgery. Herein, we review the value of implementing a comprehensive prehabilitation program for patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although prehabilitation is not a novel concept, recent evidence suggest that 4-6 weeks of prehabilitation prior to surgery is likely to increase a patient's preoperative functional status allowing patients to return to independence earlier after surgery. The value of a prehabilitation program can be determined using cost effectiveness analysis, cost-benefit analysis (CBA), cost-utility analysis (CUA), and cost-consequence analysis (CCA).

SUMMARY

It stands to reason that well designed prehabilitation programs can add value by improving quality metrics at a lower cost to our healthcare system. Definitive randomized trials are needed to confirm this notion.

Viral Myocarditis-Incidence, Diagnosis and Management

Viral myocarditis has an incidence rate of 10 to 22 per 100,000 individuals. The presentation pattern of viral myocarditis can range from nonspecific symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath to more aggressive symptoms that mimic acute coronary syndrome. After the initial acute phase presentation of viral myocarditis, the virus may be cleared, resulting in full clinical recovery; the viral infection may persist; or the viral infection may lead to a persistent autoimmune-mediated inflammatory process with continuing symptoms of heart failure. As a result of these 3 possibilities, the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of viral myocarditis can be extremely unpredictable and challenging for the clinician. Herein, the incidence, etiology, definition and classification, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, pathogenesis, prognosis, and treatment of viral myocarditis are reviewed, and how acute clinical care teams might differentiate between viral myocarditis and other acute cardiac conditions is discussed.

Identifying Variability in Mental Models Within and Between Disciplines Caring for the Cardiac Surgical Patient

BACKGROUND

The cardiac operating room is a complex environment requiring efficient and effective communication between multiple disciplines. The objectives of this study were to identify and rank critical time points during the perioperative care of cardiac surgical patients, and to assess variability in responses, as a correlate of a shared mental model, regarding the importance of these time points between and within disciplines.

METHODS

Using Delphi technique methodology, panelists from 3 institutions were tasked with developing a list of critical time points, which were subsequently assigned to pause point (PP) categories. Panelists then rated these PPs on a 100-point visual analog scale. Descriptive statistics were expressed as percentages, medians, and interquartile ranges (IQRs). We defined low response variability between panelists as an IQR ≤ 20, moderate response variability as an IQR > 20 and ≤ 40, and high response variability as an IQR > 40.

RESULTS

Panelists identified a total of 12 PPs. The PPs identified by the highest number of panelists were (1) before surgical incision, (2) before aortic cannulation, (3) before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) initiation, (4) before CPB separation, and (5) at time of transfer of care from operating room (OR) to intensive care unit (ICU) staff. There was low variability among panelists' ratings of the PP "before surgical incision," moderate response variability for the PPs "before separation from CPB," "before transfer from OR table to bed," and "at time of transfer of care from OR to ICU staff," and high response variability for the remaining 8 PPs. In addition, the perceived importance of each of these PPs varies between disciplines and between institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiac surgical providers recognize distinct critical time points during cardiac surgery. However, there is a high degree of variability within and between disciplines as to the importance of these times, suggesting an absence of a shared mental model among disciplines caring for cardiac surgical patients during the perioperative period. A lack of a shared mental model could be one of the factors contributing to preventable errors in cardiac operating rooms.

Genome-wide assessment for genetic variants associated with ventricular dysfunction after primary coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Background

Postoperative ventricular dysfunction (VnD) occurs in 9–20% of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgical patients and is associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Understanding genetic causes of postoperative VnD should enhance patient risk stratification and improve treatment and prevention strategies. We aimed to determine if genetic variants associate with occurrence of in-hospital VnD after CABG surgery.

Methods

A genome-wide association study identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with postoperative VnD in male subjects of European ancestry undergoing isolated primary CABG surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. VnD was defined as the need for ≥2 inotropes or mechanical ventricular support after CABG surgery. Validated SNPs were assessed further in two replication CABG cohorts and meta-analysis was performed.

Results

Over 100 SNPs were associated with VnD (P<10⁻⁴), with one SNP (rs17691914) encoded at 3p22.3 reaching genome-wide significance (P_{additive model} = 2.14×10⁻⁸). Meta-analysis of validation and replication study data for 17 SNPs identified three SNPs associated with increased risk for developing postoperative VnD after adjusting for clinical risk factors. These SNPs are located at 3p22.3 (rs17691914, OR_{additive model} = 2.01, P = 0.0002), 3p14.2 (rs17061085, OR_{additive model} = 1.70, P = 0.0001) and 11q23.2 (rs12279572, OR_{recessive model} = 2.19, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

No SNPs were consistently associated with strong risk (OR_{additive model}>2.1) of developing in-hospital VnD after CABG surgery. However, three genetic loci identified by meta-analysis were more modestly associated with development of postoperative VnD. Studies of larger cohorts to assess these loci as well as to define other genetic mechanisms and related biology that link genetic variants to postoperative ventricular dysfunction are warranted.

Genomics: risk and outcomes in cardiac surgery

Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is associated with several frequent postoperative adverse events. Outcome prediction is valued by patients and practitioners, because it provides some measure of balancing risks and benefits and provides expensive or higher-risk therapies to individuals at highest risk. Surgeons and anesthesiologists traditionally have relied on demographic, preoperative, and intraoperative risk factors to predict outcomes after cardiac surgery. Yet, such predictions often have poor positive and negative predictive value for the individual patient. Perioperative genetics attempts to determine the impact of an individual's genetic variation on the risk of developing adverse postoperative outcomes. In this article, the authors discuss emerging evidence that a patient's genetic makeup predisposes him or her to adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery and provide examples from perioperative bleeding, myocardial injury/infarction, and atrial fibrillation.

From Stem Cells to Viable Autologous Semilunar Heart Valve

BACKGROUND

An estimated 275,000 patients undergo heart valve replacement each year. However, existing solutions for valve replacement are complicated by the morbidity associated with lifelong anticoagulation of mechanical valves and the limited durability of bioprostheses. Recent advances in tissue engineering and our understanding of stem cell biology may provide a lifelong solution to these problems.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from ovine bone marrow and characterized by their morphology and antigen expression through immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and capacity to differentiate into multiple cell lineages. A biodegradable scaffold was developed and characterized by its tensile strength and stiffness as a function of time in cell-conditioned medium. Autologous semilunar heart valves were then created in vitro using mesenchymal stem cells and the biodegradable scaffold and were implanted into the pulmonary position of sheep on cardiopulmonary bypass. The valves were evaluated by echocardiography at implantation and after 4 months in vivo. Valves were explanted at 4 and 8 months and examined by histology and immunohistochemistry. Valves displayed a maximum instantaneous gradient of 17.2+/-1.33 mm Hg, a mean gradient of 9.7+/-1.3 mm Hg, an effective orifice area of 1.35+/-0.17 cm2, and trivial or mild regurgitation at implantation. Gradients changed little over 4 months of follow-up. Histology showed disposition of extracellular matrix and distribution of cell phenotypes in the engineered valves reminiscent of that in native pulmonary valves.

CONCLUSIONS

Stem-cell tissue-engineered heart valves can be created from mesenchymal stem cells in combination with a biodegradable scaffold and function satisfactorily in vivo for periods of >4 months. Furthermore, such valves undergo extensive remodeling in vivo to resemble native heart valves.

Tissue-engineered microvessels on three-dimensional biodegradable scaffolds using human endothelial progenitor cells

Tissue engineering may offer patients new options when replacement or repair of an organ is needed. However, most tissues will require a microvascular network to supply oxygen and nutrients. One strategy for creating a microvascular network would be promotion of vasculogenesis in situ by seeding vascular progenitor cells within the biopolymeric construct. To pursue this strategy, we isolated CD34(+)/CD133(+) endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) from human umbilical cord blood and expanded the cells ex vivo as EPC-derived endothelial cells (EC). The EPC lost expression of the stem cell marker CD133 but continued to express the endothelial markers KDR/VEGF-R2, VE-cadherin, CD31, von Willebrand factor, and E-selectin. The cells were also shown to mediate calcium-dependent adhesion of HL-60 cells, a human promyelocytic leukemia cell line, providing evidence for a proinflammatory endothelial phenotype. The EPC-derived EC maintained this endothelial phenotype when expanded in roller bottles and subsequently seeded on polyglycolic acid-poly-l-lactic acid (PGA-PLLA) scaffolds, but microvessel formation was not observed. In contrast, EPC-derived EC seeded with human smooth muscle cells formed capillary-like structures throughout the scaffold (76.5 +/- 35 microvessels/mm(2)). These results indicate that 1) EPC-derived EC can be expanded in vitro and seeded on biodegradable scaffolds with preservation of endothelial phenotype and 2) EPC-derived EC seeded with human smooth muscle cells form microvessels on porous PGA-PLLA scaffolds. These properties indicate that EPC may be well suited for creating microvascular networks within tissue-engineered constructs.

Advances in the mechanisms of cell delivery to cardiovascular scaffolds: comparison of two rotating cell culture systems

Having a reliable method of delivering cells to polymer scaffolds in vitro is fundamental to the development of tissue engineered structures. This paper compares the efficacy of two rotating systems for this purpose. Ten conduits, measuring 40 mm by 10 mm, were fabricated from polyglycolic acid mesh and poly-4-hydrobutyrate. Five conduits were placed in a rotating wall vessel (RWV, Synthecon Inc., Houston, TX), developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); five conduits were also placed in rotating individual sealed tubes (RISTs). Medium in the RWV was left unchanged for the duration of the experiment; medium in the RISTs required daily change. Samples of the discarded medium and samples from the RWV were analyzed for pH, pCO2, pO2, and lactate concentration. Constructs were assayed for DNA content as a surrogate for cell number. In the RWV, pH, pCO2, and pO2 remained stable, while the lactate concentration gradually increased. The measure of PO2 did not differ significantly between the RWV and the RISTs, but the pH was lower and the pCO2 and the lactate concentration measurements were higher in the RIST system at each time point (p = 0.001). After 6 days (p = 0.001), the total DNA per conduit was 226+/-7 microg for the conduits seeded in the RISTs and 396+/-18 microg for the conduits in the RWV, suggesting that the RWV is superior to the RIST system for delivering cells to polymer scaffolds.

The amniotic fluid as a source of cells for fetal tissue engineering

PURPOSE

This study was aimed at determining whether fetal tissue constructs can be engineered from cells normally found in the amniotic fluid.

METHODS

A subpopulation of morphologically distinct cells was isolated mechanically from the amniotic fluid of pregnant ewes (n = 5) and expanded selectively. Its lineage was determined by immunofluorescent staining against multiple intermediate filaments and surface antigens. Proliferation rates were determined by both oxidation and total DNA assays and compared with immunocytochemically identical adult and fetal sheep cells. Statistical analysis was by analysis of variance for repeated measures (ANOVA). After expansion, the amniocytes were seeded onto a polyglycolic acid polymer/poly-4-hydroxybutyrate scaffold. The resulting construct was analyzed by both optical and scanning electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The immunocytochemical profile of expanded amniocytes was consistent with a mesenchymal, fibroblast/myofibroblast cell lineage. These cells proliferated significantly faster than comparable fetal and adult cells in culture. Amniocyte construct analysis showed dense, confluent layers of cells firmly attached to the scaffold, with no evidence of cell death.

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Subpopulations of fetal mesenchymal cells can be isolated consistently from the amniotic fluid. (2) Mesenchymal amniocytes proliferate more rapidly in vitro than comparable fetal and adult cells. (3) Mesenchymal amniocytes attach firmly to polyglycolic acid polymer. The amniotic fluid can be a reliable and practical source of cells for the engineering of select fetal tissue constructs.