Purpose Recently a minimal invasive, partial support continuous flow left ventricular assist device (LVAD) became available for treatment of chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to analyze whether partial support is capable of improving kidney function in end-stage heart failure. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective analysis of patients how received a full (n = 43) or partial support LVAD (n = 18) between 2007 and 2013. Patients on dialysis or in INTERMACS class I were excluded. Renal function was assessed until 3 months after the implantation. A calculated GFR less than 60 m/min was considered to be renal failure. Results Creatinine level after LVAD implant decreased 23% in patients on full support (1.3 ± 0.4 mg/dl vs. 1.0 ± 0.3 mg/dl; p<0.001) and 24% in patients on partial support (1.6 ± 0.6 mg/dl vs. 1.2 ± 0.4 mg/dl; p = 0.17) within 3 months. In each group patients with a pre-operative GFR less than 60 ml/min were selected. In this subgroup there was a 35% decrease in creatinine levels for patients on full support (1.7 ± 0.4 mg/dl vs. 1.1 ± 0.5 mg/dl; p<0.01) and a 32% decrease in patients on partial support (2 ± 0.4 mg/dl vs. 1.4 ± 0.3 mg/dl; p<0.05) at 3 months. Conclusions We observed a significant improvement in renal function in patients supported by full or partial support devices, even if the pre-operative renal function was severly impaired. The use of diuretics decreased in both groups. In chronic heart failure patients with impaired renal function, partial support is sufficient to improve renal function significantly.
Purpose: Prevention of myocardial injury is essential during cardiac surgery. Both crystalloid and blood cardioplegia are popular methods for myocardial protection. Most experimental studies have been in favor of blood cardioplegia. The objective of this study is to determine whether the use of warm blood cardioplegia (BCP) is superior to crystalloid cardioplegia (CCP) by means of myocardial injury markers and clinical outcome parameters. Materials and Methods: In a consecutive series of 293 patients, the first 150 received crystalloid cardioplegia, whereas the next 143 patients received blood cardioplegia. Postoperative myocardial injury was assessed by CTnI and CK-MB. Perioperative morbidity and mortality and clinical outcome parameters (need for inotropic support, ICU and hospital stay) were recorded. An unpaired student t-test was performed to analyse continuous postoperative variables relating to myocardial damage. The presence of possible confounders influencing the CTnI or CK-MB concentrations was tested using a student t-test for continuous variables, for categorical variables ANOVA was used. A final longitudinal model was created for CTnI and CK-MB. CTnI was analyzed by a mixed model with random intercept and slope. For all tests performed, statistical significance was 5%. Results: Both groups were well matched with respect to preoperative variables. No significant difference could be found in maximum postoperative levels of CTnI (8.8 ± 18.4 µg/l in BCP vs 9.6 ± 16.5 µg/l in CCP, p = 0.6455) or CK-MB (19.2 ± 31.0 µg/l in BCP vs 26.4 ± 41.5 µg/l in CCP, p = 0.1209). Nor was there any significant difference in other postoperative variables. Testing treatment effect over time proved only significant influence of the surgical intervention type on CTnI levels in time (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study could not show significantly higher myocardial injury in the group of patients re
Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a zoonosis. Vascular infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Osteoarticular Q fever infections are rare. We describe a case of vertebral osteomyelitis with associated infection of an abdominal aortic endograft, caused by C. burnetii. Most probably, an initial pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis extended locally to the endograft. Treatment consisted of antibiotic therapy and surgical resection of the infected aortic endograft and in situ reconstruction with autogenous superficial femoral vein grafts.
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