We present an acute type A aortic dissection case complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome in a patient initially not suspected for but later diagnosed with COVID-19. This case clearly illustrated several aspects of emergent cardiac operation during the current COVID-19

Background Bloodstream infections caused by MSSA are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Traditional treatment of MSSA bacteraemia includes an IV antistaphylococcal β-lactam and surgical source control when indicated. Objectives To evaluate the time to blood culture clearance as well as in-hospital and 90 day mortality in patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia treated with combination antistaphylococcal penicillin plus carbapenem therapy. Methods Consecutive patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia treated with combination therapy were identified by study investigators and reviewed by independent clinicians. The decision to initiate combination therapy was made by the consulting clinician or by the institution’s multidisciplinary endocarditis team. Results Among 10 patients with a median of 5 days of persistent MSSA bacteraemia, treatment with an antistaphylococcal penicillin plus carbapenem led to sterilization of blood cultures in all patients. Blood culture clearance occurred in a median of 1 day and patients received a median of 6 days of combination treatment. Four of seven patients who underwent source control of their primary site of infection cleared their bacteraemia on combination therapy prior to the surgical intervention. All patients survived to hospital discharge and 90 days post-discharge. Conclusions These data extend prior findings and provide further evidence that suggests the potential benefits of combination therapy among patients with persistent MSSA bacteraemia.

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Clamping and shunting during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) surgery causes changes in cerebral blood flow. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare, side by side, the cerebral oxygenation (rSO2) and processed electroencephalogram (EEG) response bilaterally to carotid artery clamping and shunting in patients undergoing CEA under general anesthesia. With institutional approval and written informed consent, patients undergoing CEA under general anesthesia and routine carotid artery shunting were recorded bilaterally, simultaneously and continuously with an rSO2 and processed EEG monitor. The response of the monitors during carotid artery clamping and shunting were assessed and compared between monitors and bilaterally within each monitor. Sixty-nine patients were included in the study. At clamping the surgical-side and contralateral-side rSO2 dropped significantly below the baseline incision value (-17.6 and -9.4% respectively). After shunting, the contralateral-side rSO2 returned to baseline while the surgical-side rSO2 remained significantly below baseline (-9.0%) until the shunt was removed following surgery. At clamping the surgical-side and contralateral-side processed EEG also dropped below baseline (-19.9 and -20.6% respectively). However, following shunt activation, the processed EEG returned bilaterally to baseline. During the course of this research, we found the rSO2 monitor to be clinically more robust (4.4% failure rate) than the processed EEG monitor (20.0% failure rate). There was no correlation between the rSO2 or processed EEG changes that occurred immediately after clamping and the degree of surgical side stenosis measured pre-operatively. Both rSO2 and processed EEG respond to clamping and shunting during CEA. Cerebral oximetry discriminates between the surgical and contralateral side during surgery. The rSO2 monitor is more reliable in the real-world clinical setting. Future studies should focus on developing algorithms based on these monitors that can predict clamping-induced cerebral ischemia during CEA in order to decide whether carotid artery shunting is worth the associated risks. From the practical point of view, the rSO2 monitor may be the better monitor for this purpose.