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Deep hypothermic perfusionless circulatory arrest was the first practical neuroprotective technique used for open-heart surgery. It was refined at the Novosibirsk Medical Research Center in Siberia and was actively used from the mid-1950s until 2001.This review describes the development of this technique and its contribution to our understanding of the dynamic changes in human physiology during induced hypothermia for circulatory arrest without extracorporeal perfusion. Deep hypothermic perfusionless circulatory arrest was an important stepping stone in the development of modern approaches in neuroprotection and monitoring during cardiac surgery., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Neurologic complications after transcatheter aortic valve replacement are devastating. The etiologies of stroke in this setting are best addressed in an integrated fashion during each phase of the perioperative pathway. The conduct of this triphasic approach will continue to be refined to reduce the stroke risks even further, given the major focus on aspects such as embolic protection devices and valve thrombosis. This neurologic focus in transcatheter aortic valve replacement has transformed the investigational approach to neurologic events in cardiovascular clinical trials, resulting in novel guidelines for the diagnosis and assessment of neurologic injury after cardiovascular interventions., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The functional aortic annulus offers a clinical approach for the perioperative echocardiographer to classify the mechanisms of aortic regurgitation in acute type-A dissection. Comprehensive examination of the functional aortic annulus in this setting using transesophageal echocardiography can guide surgical therapy for the aortic root by considering the following important aspects: severity and mechanism of aortic regurgitation, extent of root dissection, and the pattern of coronary artery involvement. The final choice of surgical therapy also should take into account factors, such as patient presentation and surgical experience, to limit mortality and morbidity from this challenging acute aortic syndrome. This review explores these concepts in detail within the framework of the functional aortic annulus, detailed anatomic considerations, and the latest literature., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The first decade of clinical experience with transcatheter aortic valve replacement since 2002 saw the development of 2 main valve systems, namely the Edwards Sapien balloon-expandable valve series and the Medtronic self-expanding CoreValve. These 2 valve platforms now have achieved commercial approval and application worldwide in patients with severe aortic stenosis whose perioperative risk for surgical intervention is high or extreme. In the second decade of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, clinical experience and refinements in valve design have resulted in clinical drift towards lower patient risk cohorts. There are currently 2 major trials, PARTNER II and SURTAVI, that are both evaluating the role of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in intermediate-risk patient cohorts. The results from these landmark trials may usher in a new clinical paradigm for transcatheter aortic valve replacement in its second decade., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The functional aortic annulus represents a sound clinical framework for understanding the components of the aortic root complex. Recent three-dimensional imaging analysis has demonstrated that the aortic annulus frequently is elliptical rather than circular. Comprehensive three-dimensional quantification of this aortic annular geometry by transesophageal echocardiography and/or multidetector computed tomography is essential to guide precise prosthesis sizing in transcatheter aortic valve replacement to minimize paravalvular leak for optimal clinical outcome. Furthermore, three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography accurately can quantify additional parameters of the functional aortic annulus such as coronary height for complete sizing profiles for all valve types in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Although it is maturing rapidly as a clinical imaging modality, its role in transcatheter aortic valve replacement is seen best as complementary to multidetector computed tomography in a multidisciplinary heart team model., (Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to document the perioperative prevalence of anatomic variants of the interatrial septum (IAS), to classify atrial septal aneurysm based on mobility pattern, and to correlate anatomic variants of IAS with patent foramen ovale (PFO)., Design: A prospective observational study., Setting: University hospital (single institution)., Participants: Patients presenting for cardiac surgery requiring transesophageal echocardiography., Interventions: Multiplane TEE in 2 atrial views with color-flow Doppler and contrast echocardiography with a provocative respiratory maneuver., Measurements and Main Results: The cohort size was 206. PFO prevalence was 30.1%. The prevalence of IAS lipomatous hypertrophy was 43.2%, atrial septal flap (ASF) 43.2%, and atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) 28.6%. ASF and ASA were significantly ( p < 0.05) associated with PFO. Selected ASA subtypes are significantly associated with PFO ( p < 0.05)., Conclusions: IAS anatomic variants are common in adult cardiac surgical patients undergoing multiplane TEE. The presence of ASF and ASA predicts enhanced PFO detection. ASA mobility patterns significantly correlate ( p < 0.05) with the presence of PFO.

Objective: To evaluate multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for detection of patent foramen ovale (PFO) and to compare multiplane TEE with visual inspection (VI) for PFO detection., Design: A prospective observational study., Setting: University hospital (single institution)., Participants: Patients presenting for cardiac surgery requiring TEE., Interventions: Multiplane TEE including 2 atrial views with color-flow Doppler (CFD) and contrast echocardiography (CE) with a provocative respiratory maneuver (PRM) and comparison of multiplane TEE and VI with respect to PFO detection., Measurements and Main Results: The cohort size was 187. PFO prevalence was 27.3%. CFD with serial decrease of the Nyquist limit detected 51% of all PFO: 41.2% in the bicaval view alone, 27.5% in the 4-chamber view alone, and 9.8% in both views. CE detected 78.4% of all PFO: 72.5% with PRM, 45.1% with no PRM, and 27.4% with/without PRM. PFO detection by multiplane TEE and visual inspection were correlated in 41 subjects. TEE diagnosed 11 PFO (26.8% prevalence, 3 missed by VI). VI diagnosed 12 PFO (29.3% prevalence, 4 missed by TEE)., Conclusions: Multiplane TEE is a gold standard for detection of PFO. Despite advances in TEE technology, 2-dimensional imaging does not detect all PFO. To maximize PFO detection, multiple TEE modalities are required in multiple views, despite a low Nyquist limit for CFD or a PRM for CE. Even though multiplane TEE is equivalent to VI for PFO detection, the discrepancy rate may be an important consideration in the individual case.

The care of the low birthweight (LBW) infant poses a considerable challenge to the entire family, especially to the infant's mother, who is typically the primary caregiver. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the infant's medical vulnerability and the psychosocial context of caregiving on the mental health of mothers who care for these infants and the functioning of their families. Results indicate that the degree to which an infant was unresponsive and the severity of the baby's physical health problems during the first year were associated with more mental health problems for the mother. Lack of infant responsiveness was also related to less cohesion and adaptability for the family as a whole. Family cohesion, presence of a partner, emotional support, and a mother's satisfaction with her family all contributed to her better mental health. In contrast, her life stress and the family's use of internally focused coping strategies contributed to worse mental health outcomes. Findings indicate the need for nursing interventions to support the mother and family in developing effective approaches to care for their LBW infant and for one another., (Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.)

Surgery on the central blood pump, the heart, is performed either to prevent homeostatic compromise (ie, coronary artery disease potentially causing myocardial infarction and heart failure) or to treat actual homeostatic imbalance (ie, valvular disease causing heart failure). The cardiovascular homeostatic state is what we generally define as hemodynamics. The heart must deliver adequate oxygen and nutrients to all organs at appropriate pressures to allow optimal organ function. We monitor hemodynamic variables to assess the adequacy of a given cardiac repair and to detect any organ dysfunction that may independently coexist or be intimately related with the cardiac disease or its surgical repair. Hemodynamic monitoring initially relied on vital signs and periodic physical examination. The current monitoring capabilities have field expanded to include systemic and pulmonary arterial pressures, central venous pressures, cardiac output, systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance, and systemic and mixed venous oxygen saturation. These variables reflect a synthesis of global cardiac function and the peripheral or pulmonary vascular state. Arterial blood gas analysis further assesses the adequacy of overall oxygen delivery, carbon dioxide removal and acid-base balance. Echocardiography allows a qualitative and quantitative description of both global and regional cardiac function to better define the cardiac components of any hemodynamic state., (Copyright 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company)

Objective: The results of neurophysiologic monitoring using somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and electroencephalography (EEG) were analyzed to determine if retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) supported central nervous system electrical function during surgery that required temporary interruption of antegrade cerebral perfusion (IACP)., Design: A prospective, observational study., Setting: A university hospital., Participants: Fifteen adult patients who underwent aortic reconstruction using RCP and three patients who underwent thoracic aortic operations using hypothermic circulatory arrest without RCP., Interventions: SSEPs and EEG were monitored continuously throughout the operation. Regression analysis was performed to determine the factors that affected the rate of decrease in SSEP amplitudes during IACP and the time required for SSEP and EEG activity to recover after antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) was restored., Measurements and Main Results: The amplitude of SSEPs that were elicited decreased over time after IACP. The mean +/- standard deviation (SD) time required for the brachial plexus (Erb's point), cervicomedullary junction (N13), and brainstem (N18) SSEPs to decrease to 0.5 of their original amplitude after IACP were 30 +/- 2, 19 +/- 2, and 16 +/- 2 minutes, respectively. The rate of decrease in the N18 SSEP amplitude after IACP correlated positively to the fraction of no-flow time (p = 0.01)., Conclusion: RCP attenuated the rate of decay in SSEP amplitudes during IACP. This suggested that RCP had a measurable physiologic effect on central nervous system function and may increase the time that ACP can be safely interrupted.

Objective: To determine the effects of intra-aortic counterpulsation (IABP) on cerebral blood flow velocity., Design: Prospective self-controlled study., Setting: University hospital surgical intensive care unit., Participants: Nineteen cardiac surgical patients requiring perioperative IABP assistance., Interventions: Simultaneous recording of transcranial Doppler middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity and arterial pressure in response to changes in the magnitude of augmentation and trigger ratio., Measurements and Main Results: Instantaneous cerebral blood flow velocities correlated with arterial pressures during IABP (r = 0.650) at different magnitudes of augmentation and trigger ratios. The increase in arterial pressure during balloon inflation was associated with an increase in cerebral blood flow velocity, and the decrease in arterial pressure in response to balloon deflation was associated with a decrease in cerebral blood flow velocity that was dependent on the magnitude of augmentation. Different magnitudes of augmentation or trigger ratios had no effect on peak systolic cerebral blood flow velocity, mean cerebral blood flow velocity, mean arterial pressure, or the mean velocity-to-pressure ratio. Instantaneous cerebral blood flow velocity to arterial pressure ratios were lowest in response to balloon deflation at the time of pre-ejection., Conclusions: IABP modified the phasic profile of cerebral blood flow to reflect the arterial pressure waveform without affecting mean cerebral blood flow velocity. Peak systolic cerebral blood flow velocity was maintained in augmented beats despite the decreased systolic arterial pressure associated with afterload reduction. The acute decrease in cerebral blood flow velocity at pre-ejection was balanced by increased cerebral blood flow velocity during balloon inflation in diastole.

The goal of this study was to examine the degree of personality adjustment and perceived social support of parents who care for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Data were collected with the California Q-Set (a personality measure) and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire. Personality adjustment of the parents was found to be significantly less than optimal, with a high degree of anxiety, minimal ego resilience, and use of defensive coping processes. Siblings of the child with the disorder and mothers of the parents were those most frequently identified as providing support to the caregiver, although friends, special education teachers, and daycare staff were the individuals whose support was most significantly related to greater amounts of perceived affection and affirmation, tangible aid, and concrete caregiving assistance. In fact, the more the caregivers depended upon their families for support, the less well adjusted were the caregivers on the personality measure. The implications of the findings for caregivers and their families are discussed.