A better discrimination of phenomenology and severeness of psychopathological disorders after open-heart surgery has been obtained: a) There is no equal distribution of degrees of severeness, a high correlation of severeness with duration of the disorders, a low correlation with age and no dependance of sex. b) Disorientation, clouding of consciousness and disorders of awareness arise earlier, delusions, hallucinations and paranoid ideas tentatively later after surgery. c) Three psychopathological syndromes have been identified. They appear in different frequency, intensity and can be combined.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1976

[Hospital infection during postoperative intensive care (author's transl)].

Since 1970 all postoperative bacteriological findings recorded in surgical patients have been analyzed and compared with the postoperative course. There are also regular checks of bacterial invasion in the operating suites and in the intensive care units. By such means as systems of double lock for personnel and equipment, regular surface disinfection, frequent hand disinfection, cleaning of the respirators with antiseptics, etc., the authors have been able to reduce the incidence of hospital infection very drastically. These measures also almost eliminated cross-infections in patients on long-term ventilation and complications with long-term indwelling catheters.

Asepsis↗

PubMed1976

[Long-term cardiac arrest by cardioplegic coronary perfusion (author's transl)].

UNLABELLED: The Mg++ aspartate-procaine-cardioplegia has been proven in animal experiments as well as from 1970 til 1975 in more than 1000 open-heart-procedures by a myocardial temperature of 32 degrees C and aortic crossclamping time up to 40 minutes superior to all other known procedures of cardiac preservations. To guarantee a safe myocardial protection of the arrested heart for a remarkable longer period of total ischemia, we further developed the cardioplegic technique in the animal lab, and use it now clinically. PRINCIPLE: The arrest is induced by cardioplegia (Mg++ aspartate-procaine), than the arrested heart is cooled down to 15-20 degrees C by cardioplegic coronary perfusion maintaining the oxidative metabolism. The perfusion is stopped. The begin of ischemia is still under normal ATP-levels and continuous cardioplegia. TECHNIQUE: 1. Crossclamping of the aorta; 2. cardioplegic induced cardiac arrest by Mg++ aspartate-procaine (Kirsch); 3. Surface cooling of the heart; 4. Coronary perfusion by hypothermic cardioplegic solution (8-10 min, flow 80-120 ml/min, perfusion pressure maximal 30 mmHg). Perfusate: O2-saturated, erythrocyte free, 6% hydroxyethyl starch solution added 2 mM Mg++ aspartate, 4 mM procaine, 50 mM Na+, 5 mM K+, 0,5 mM Ca++, 25 mM HCO3-, 10 mM glucose, 200 mM mannitol, 250 mg/l 6-methylprednisolone. RESULTS: 84 patients (29 ACVB; 55 valve replacements); crossclamping time: 71 min (SD 22); total time of ischemia: 57 min (SD 18; max 96, min. 27 min); reperfusion time restoring normal excitation-contraction of the heart: 3 min (SD 2); weaning off bypass: 23 min (SD 14). Hemodynamic 12 h postop.: SO2 venous 76% (SD 6). No sympathicomimetics were used. Only 30% of myocardial ATP is splitted after 120 min of cardiac arrest. Electron microscopic findings show only small, reversible alterations of fine structure.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1976

[Some somatic and psychological predictors of psychopathological disorders after cardiac surgery (author's transl)].

Some new predictors of postoperative psychosis in open-heart surgery have been identified in a multifactorial study of somatic and psychological factors: Somatic predictors are lower body weight, higher blood levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine, preoperative use of tranquilizers, especially in patients with double valve replacement or congenital heart disease and preoperative cerebral embolism in mitral valve disease. Bypass-time has not proved to be a valid predictor. Psychological predictors are distress provoked by severity and duration of illness, repeated delay of surgery as well as the manner of psychological coping with the illness.

Blood Urea Nitrogen↗

PubMed1976

[Surgical treatment of occlusive coronary artery disease. Methods and results (author's transl)].

A brief history of the development of coronary heart surgery is presented. Modern methods include the aorto-coronary bypass using saphenous vein graft or the thoracic internal artery, and the resection of ventricular aneurysm. The own experience with a group of 262 patients revealed a total mortality of 11,4%. Selected indication, improved surgical technique and postoperative care changed coronary surgery during the recent years into a routine method. The operative risk is characterized by the anatomical location of the occlusive artery disease as well as by the left ventricular function. But even in the group with high surgical risk the operative treatment is justified since life expectancy under conservative therapy is limited. In a group with 17 late death the main cause was due to cardiac insufficiency. In the group of survivors approximately 84% of the bypass were patent after an average period of 18 months.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

[Metabolism and ultrastructure of magnesium aspartate-procaine arrested hearts of rabbit and man (author's transl)].

In normothermia, mild, and deep hypothermia the metabolism and the electron microscopic structure were investigated in human and rabbit heart muscle after magnesium aspartate-procaine cardioplegia. In comparison to plain ischaemic arrest splitting of adenine nucleotides and glycogen was significantly reduced in all experiments with the induced cardioplegic arrest. For 40 min at 32 degrees C almost no changes in ultrastructure were seen in heart muscle after induced arrest, while severe and/or irreversible damages were seen in the cell structure of the heart muscle due to plain ischaemic arrest.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

PubMed1975

[Diagnosis, frequency and importance of the "low-output-syndrome" in the postoperative period after mitral valve replacement (author's transl)].

From 1970 until 1975 single mitral valve replacement was carried out in 162 patients using Björk-Shiley disc prostheses. The surgical mortality (within 30 days postoperatively) was 9.3% (n=15). Out of these 15 patients 9 died due to myogenic cardiac insufficiency. 21 patients with "Low-output-Syndrome" due to myogenic insufficiency however survived. The improvement of intraoperative myocardial protection since 1972 (using hypothermia and cardioplegic induced cardiac arrest) reduced the frequency of myogenic cardiac insufficiency to 1%. Unrelated to the above mentioned we saw in 18.5% of all patients after ECC-procedures a temporary "Low-output-Syndrome" after the 3rd postoperative day due to pericardial effusion.

Cardiac Output↗

PubMed1975

[Artificial respiration as treatment of postoperative complications after cardiovascular surgery: indication, technique, results (author's transl)].

From 1972 to 1974 524 patients underwent surgery with extra corporal circulation. 83 (15,8%) patients had to be postoperatively ventilated for a prolonged period or reintubed after a symptomfree interval due to anticipated or manifested complications. 31 (37%) out of these expired. There was no death due to the prolonged ventilation itself, shown by the group, in which the causes for the above treatment were others but respiratory failure or insufficiency. All patients of this group survived. Indications, technique and results are described and discussed.

Germany, West↗

PubMed1974