Background Psychiatric disorders are substantially associated with reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Depression and anxiety are two of the most common psychiatric disorders that often co‐occur with each other as well as with other mental health conditions. Because of the limitations of currently available antidepressant therapies, there is a need for agents with improved efficacy and less adverse effects. Hypericum perforatum, widely known as St. John's wort, is a perennial herbaceous plant most well known for its antidepressant properties. Methods We reviewed the available in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidence on the efficacy, safety, and mechanisms of action of St. John's wort and its active constituents in the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Results Several interesting data have been reported about the antidepressant properties of H. perforatum in clinical trials with different designs. In particular, a number of antidepressant‐controlled trials demonstrated that H. perforatum and its active ingredients, hypericin and hyperforin, possess antidepressant properties similar to those of tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors but with fewer and milder side effects. Conclusion St. John's wort may exert potent antidepressant effects and represents an efficacious and safe treatment. However, the current clinical evidence regarding the efficacy of H. perforatum in other psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders is not sufficient to draw a robust conclusion.
Background: Postoperative cognitive decline is a common complication observed frequently after general anesthesia in the immediate postoperative phase. We studied the effects of dexmedetomidine versus midazolam during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery on cognitive and memory function. Methods: In this clinical trial, 42 elective on-pump CABG candidates under general anesthesia, aged between 40 and 65 years, were enrolled randomly in 2 groups. Group A received 0.05–0.1 mg/kg of midazolam and Group B received 1 µg/kg of dexmedetomidine. One day before surgery, all the participants underwent the Persian version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Persian version of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) test for a comparison of cognitive impairment and memory functions. Both groups were given fentanyl and propofol for the induction of anesthesia and muscle relaxants. The MMSE and WMS tests were repeated 5 and 30 days after surgery. Results: The mean±SD of age was 55.47±7.18 y in Group A and 55.39±6.08 y in Group B. Eighty percent of the participants were men in both groups. There were no significant differences between Group A and Group B in the MMSE and WMS before surgery (89.04±14.30 vs. 97.10±18.10, respectively; P=0.059), but the WMS was significantly different 30 days after surgery (87.60±14.30 vs. 103.53±19.93, respectively; P=0.005). Group A showed high cognitive impairment and low WMS scores compared with Group B (P=0.005). Additionally, the MMSE results were not statistically different between the 2 groups postoperatively (24.80±3.18 vs. 23.55±4.18, respectively; P=0.394). Conclusion: Our results showed that dexmedetomidine might have a lower impact on cognitive function than might midazolam among patients undergoing CABG. J Teh Univ Heart Ctr 2019;14(2):67-73 This paper should be cited as: Rajaei M, Tabari M, Soltani G, Alizadeh K, Nazari A, Noroozian M, Morovatdar N. Dexmedetomidine and Midazolam on Postoperative Cognitive Impairment after Coronary Artery Bypasses Graft Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Teh Univ Heart Ctr 2019;14(2):67-73.
Aneurysm of a saphenous vein graft (SVG) is a rare but fatal complication of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The development of SVG aneurysms appears usually about 10-20 years after the operation at an estimated rate of <1%. A 68-year-old male was referred to the emergency department after frequent episodes of dyspnea, chest pain and hemoptysis. He previously had CABG surgery one year before. The physical examination was normal. Chest radiogram showed a left pulmonary midzone mass. CT-angiogram demonstrated a large aortic pseudoaneurysm (6.36 x 6.06 cm) in the middle part of the ascending aorta. After sternotomy, the ascending aorta above sinotubular junction near the origin of brachiocephalic artery was resected and replaced with a tube graft. The patient was transferred to ICU with stable hemodynamic status. SVG aneurysm should be considered while encountering mediastinal mass or undiagnosed cardiopulmonary symptoms in patients with a previous history of CABG because of its rarity and overlap of symptoms with other thoracic, pulmonary, and cardiac diseases. Surgery seems to be the treatment of choice to reduce the risk of rupture and embolism.
Backgrounds and Aims:Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent event after congenital heart surgery with increased mortality and morbidity. We investigated frequency, risk factors, and associated morbidity and mortality of AKI after pediatric cardiac surgery at a single institution.Methods:Children undergoing congenital heart surgery from March 2013 to February 2016 were assessed for development of AKI based on modified pediatric Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, and End-stage renal disease criteria. They were also investigated for predictive risk factors, associated mortality, and morbidity including duration of mechanical ventilation, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and hospital length of stay.Results:Five hundred and nineteen patients were recruited during the study period including 259 (49.9%) males and 260 (50.1%) females. AKI was seen in 150 (28.9%) patients including 101 (67.3%), 42 (28%), and 7 (4.7%) cases with risk, injury, and failure stages, respectively. Patients with AKI had longer ventilation time (P = 0.002), ICU (P = 0.05), and hospital (P = 0.56) stay. Mortality was seen in 31 (2.7%) and 44 (11.9%) patients with and without AKI, respectively (P = 0.01). After multivariable logistic regression, there was an association between AKI and preoperative abnormal levels of creatinine (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22–1.01; P = 0.05), presence of cyanotic heart disease (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.15–3.2; P = 0.01), duration of surgery (aOR = 1.05/10 min, 95% CI = 1.01–1.08; P = 0.007), and elevated lactate level (aOR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03–1.3; P = 0.01).Conclusion:The presence of cyanotic heart disease, duration of surgery, elevated postoperative lactate level, and likely preoperative creatinine level were independent risk factors for the development of AKI after congenital heart surgery.
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