Introduction Surgical site infection (SSI) is a major postoperative complication, representing the third cause of health care-associated infection. Even though more than 50% of wound infections are preventable, they represent the main cause of prolonged hospital stay, leading to a hospitalization period more than twice longer, and one of the main causes of hospital readmission.– Therefore, SSI constitutes a financial burden and negatively impacts quality-of-life and healthcare systems, increasing costs by up to 240%.– Among SSIs, sternal wound infection is […]

Abstract Background: Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), a new inflammatory index calculated using platelet, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts, has been demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for the identification of high-risk coronary artery disease in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and cardiovascular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The relationship between SII and CPB-related mortality rates remains unclear. Objective: This research was designed to investigate the use of SII to predict in-hospital mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB. Methods: […]

Abstract Background: Cardiac surgery patients may be exposed to tissue hypoperfusion and anaerobic metabolism. Objective: To verify whether the biomarkers of tissue hypoperfusion have predictive value for prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients with left ventricular dysfunction who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. Methods: After approval by the institution’s Ethics Committee and the signing of informed consent, 87 patients with left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction < 50%) undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were enrolled. Hemodynamic and metabolic biomarkers […]

Introduction Extubation failure is associated with higher morbidity and mortality, longer mechanical ventilation time, and delayed recovery, prolonging the patient’s hospital stay. Between 4% and 20% of extubated patients fail extubation, i.e., they are reintubated in the first 42 to 72 hours after extubation. According to studies, extubation failure in patients undergoing cardiac surgery can be predicted by several variables, such as the patient’s previous medical history, laboratory data, rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI), surgical variables such as the complexity […]

Introduction The novel viral respiratory infection caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), initially known as 2019-nCoV, emerged in late December 2019 in Wuhan, China and quickly spread throughout Asia, Europe, and USA, characterizing the situation as a pandemic. In May 2020, the World Health Organization declared Brazil a new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. With the alarming levels of spread and severity of COVID-19, major disruptions in routine hospital services have occurred, as hospitals adjust in order to increase the […]

Abstract Background The bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) affects 0.5 to 2% of the population and is associated with valve and aortic alterations. There is a lack of studies on the profile of these patients in the Brazilian population. Objective To describe the profile of patients with BAV undergoing valve and/or aortic surgery in a tertiary cardiology center, in addition to the outcomes related to the intervention. Methods Retrospective cohort including 195 patients (mean age 54±14 years, 73.8% male) diagnosed with […]

Introduction Infectious endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease with a mean in-hospital mortality of 20%. – It has shown an increasing incidence, and the rise in its prevalence among the elderly population deserves to be highlighted. – In elderly patients with IE, there are differences regarding the clinical presentation, complications, presence of comorbidities, therapeutic approach and mortality. , – IE guidelines do not specifically address the elderly population and it is not clear to what extent they can be appropriately […]

Abstract Background Heyde’s syndrome is the association of severe aortic stenosis with episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding due to angiodysplastic lesion. Little is known about the factors associated with new episodes of bleeding and long-term outcomes. Furthermore, most data are restricted to case reports and small case series. Objective To assess the clinical, laboratory and echocardiography profile of patients with Heyde’s syndrome who underwent valve intervention or drug therapy. Methods Prospective cohort of 24 consecutive patients from 2005 to 2018. Clinical, […]