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Biomedical subjects

B Paiement

Publications and source records attributed to B Paiement.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

A simple classification of the risk in cardiac surgery.

A new risk classification for patients undergoing cardiac surgery has been used for the last two years by the anaesthesiologists of the Montreal Heart Institute. The following factors known to be associated with a greater operative morbidity and mortality were selected: (1) poor left ventricular function, (2) congestive heart failure, (3) unstable angina or recent (less than 6 weeks) myocardial infarction, (4) age over 65 years, (5) severe obesity (Body Mass Index greater than 30), (6) reoperation, (7) emergency surgery, (8) other significant or uncontrolled systemic disturbances. Patients with none of the above factors were classified as normal risks; those presenting with one of those selected factors were classified as increased risks, and those with more than one factor were said to carry a high risk. In a prospective study of 500 consecutive open-heart surgery patients classified according to this method, we found that the operated population at normal risk (50 per cent of cases) had a mortality of 0.4 per cent, the patient group with increased risk (32 per cent of cases) had a mortality of 3.1 per cent, and the high risk group (18 per cent of cases) had a 12.2 per cent mortality. Furthermore, 50 deaths following open-heart surgery were assessed retrospectively using the classification; 58 per cent of these patients were classified as high risk, 34 per cent had an increased risk, and only eight per cent were found to be in the normal risk group. Thus, this new risk classification has proven to be a reliable and useful tool for preoperative assessment of patients undergoing open-heart surgery and for teaching purposes.

Age Factors↗

Hypertension following coronary artery bypass graft.

Hypertension following coronary surgery is generally reported at an alarmingly high incidence (30 to 75 per cent). A vigilance program carried out in 1977 at the Montreal Heart Institute disclosed a low incidence of 3.5 per cent in 200 consecutive unselected cases. A similar program in 1980 based on 160 cases showed an incidence of 23.7 per cent. This highly significant difference is found to be related to the differences in anaesthetic management which have occurred since 1977 when anaesthesia was primarily morphine 1.0 to 1.5 mg . kg-1 supplemented as needed with low dose halogenated agents and vasodilation therapy. In 1980, only one of the authors (J.T.) still uses this technique. The incidence of hypertension in 40 of his patients was 2.5 per cent. The others use low dose fentanyl (7.5 to 10 micrograms . kg-1) supplemented as needed with halogenated agents and vasodilating therapy; the incidence of hypertension in 160 cases was 23.7 per cent. Would these results be the same with an anaesthetic technique comparing both drugs at equipotent doses? A prospective clinical study is addressing this question.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

[Delirium after surgery with extra-corporeal circulation].

The recent literature still reports a high incidence of delirium in patients operated with extracorporeal circulation. This syndrome is found more often in patients over 50 years and in patients with a previous history of delirium, alcoholism, drug addiction or cerebral damage and is more frequent after valvular than after coronary surgery. It is also often observed in patients who present major post-operative complications. Attention and concentration capacity are characteristically modified (diminished most of the time) with or without faulty perception (hallucinations), sleep alterations, incoherent language, apathy or agitation. Disorientation and memory troubles are common. Delirium appears within a few hours or a few days of the surgery, its evolution is fluctuant and generally benign. A retrospective study at the Montreal Heart Institute showed an incidence of 2.98 per cent (84 cases/2811 open heart surgery cases) over the last four years. The mean age of these patients was 57.5 years (versus 50.4 for patients without delirium). Major post-operative complications were found in 37 (44 per cent) of these 84 patients. The incidence was lower (1.45 per cent) in coronary than in valvular (4.6 per cent) surgery cases. Several explanations are presented to explain this low incidence.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

[The pre-operative visit in cardiovascular surgery].

This text is intended for new residents in the development of anaesthesia of the Montreal Heart Institute. It presents a classification of the risk of cardiovascular surgery used in that institution and discusses current problems encountered with this type of patient (pulmonary and coagulation problems, diabetes renal failure). The attitudes of anaesthetists of this institution towards patients' medication and premedication are also discussed. The risk is classified as usual, increased or high, depending on the presence (or absence) of several factors known to increase the risk: ventricular dysfunction, heart failure, unstable angina or recent infarction, significant involvement of other systems (unstable diabetes, renal insufficiency, significant pulmonary dysfunction), age, emergency surgery and non-cardiac surgery in the presence of important cardiac pathology. With surgical procedures carrying a high mortality, for example dissecting thoracic aneurysm, the usual risk is high and is classified as such. A table of the usual risk of current surgical procedures is proposed.

Adult↗

Intubation and other experiences in cardiac surgery: the consumer's views.

Recently publications have advocated earlier weaning and early extubation of the trachea in patients after cardiac surgery. Greater comfort of the patients is one of the advantages claimed for this policy. One hundred consecutive adult patients were questioned on the fifth postoperative day to assess the relative comfort or discomfort of the patients during tracheal intubation and ventilation. Overnight tracheal intubation and ventilation were easily tolerated by over 90 per cent of patients who had received morphine and diazepam. There was a high incidence of amnesia. Some of the other claimed advantages appear inconclusive and further study is desirable to elucidate the effect of early removal of the tracheal tube upon the indicence of pulmonary complications.

Adult↗

[A new way of access into the internal jugular vein].

This paper describes a new technique for the canulation of the internal jugular vein. A transsection of the neck at the level of C4 (upper border of the thyroid cartilage) (Figure 1) shows the relative position of the internal jugular vein, the carotid artery and the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The internal jugular vein at this level is more superficial than is usually imagined. A cutaneous point of entry placed at the level of the thyroid cartilage on the medial border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle would be directly above, at the zenith of the carotid artery. From that point, moving a needle externally hugging the posterior aspect of the muscle will make it possible to reach the vein while actually moving away from the carotid artery.

Carotid Artery Injuries↗

[Technics, value and limitations of hemodilution in extracorporeal circulation].

Hemodilution during E.C.C. is into use for more than 15 years. Its interest is obvious (blood economy, beneficient action on viscosity, prevention of "sludging"), but opinions are different concerning the best level of hemodiultion. The authors defend the notion of a moderate dilution (hematocrit larger than or equal to 25 p. 100) required to maintain a high perfusion pressure. For atherosclerotic patients, they describe the hemodilution technics tried on more than 4,000 cases since 1964. The advantages of hemodilution concern on one hand the diminution or the disparition of drawbacks and complications due to the obtainment and to the administration of homologous blood and on the other hand the beneficient intrinsical effects of the blood dilution on the tissular perfusion. In convenients are those due to changes in the concentration of sodium, chlore and specially potassium which may be responsible of serious cardiac arrythmias. Because of increasing difficulties concerning the use of homologous blood (obtaining difficulties and complications relative to its use), the authors consider the utilization of autologous blood taken off before the operation on the patient and freezed.

Blood Viscosity↗

[Conservation of the blood].

Many factors already contribute to limit the amount of bank blood available for therapeutic use; a possible reduction in the amount of available blood could stem from the relative indifference of young people towards the gift of blood and the increase in the size of the pool of positive carriers of Australian antigen. Moreover, new operations appear (coronary by-pass) which increase the demand for blood. It is imperative that we adopt attitudes and practice techniques that will contribute to the conservation of blood. This paper discusses the advantages of an active blood bank committee which, alone, can reduce the consumption of blood by 20 percent. Moreover, actual techniques for conservation of blood are reviewed: controlled hypotension, haemodilution and intraoperative blood salvage.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗