We aimed to assess variations in the portal vein pulsatility index (PI) during mechanical ventilation following cardiac surgery. Method. After ethical approval, we conducted a prospective monocentric study at Amiens University Hospital. Patients under mechanical ventilation following cardiac surgery were enrolled. Doppler evaluation of the portal vein (PV) was performed by transthoracic echography. The maximum velocity (VMAX) and minimum velocity (VMIN) of the PV were measured in pulsed Doppler mode. The PI was calculated using the following formula (VMAX − VMIN)/(VMax). A positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) incremental trial was performed from 0 to 15 cmH₂O, with increments of 5 cmH₂O. The PI (%) was assessed at baseline and PEEP 5, 10, and 15 cmH₂O. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters were recorded. Results. In total, 144 patients were screened from February 2018 to March 2019 and 29 were enrolled. Central venous pressure significantly increased for each PEEP increment. Stroke volumes were significantly lower after PEEP incrementation, with 52 mL (50–55) at PEEP 0 cmH₂O and 30 mL (25–45) at PEEP 15 cmH₂O, (p < 0.0001). The PI significantly increased with PEEP incrementation, from 9% (5–15) at PEEP 0 cmH₂O to 15% (5–22) at PEEP 5 cmH₂O, 34% (23–44) at PEEP 10 cmH₂O, and 45% (25–49) at PEEP 15 cmH₂O (p < 0.001). Conclusion. In the present study, PI appears to be a dynamic marker of the interaction between mechanical ventilation and right heart pressure after cardiac surgery. The PI could be a useful noninvasive tool to monitor venous congestion associated with mechanical ventilation.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to create a predictive score for yeast isolation in patients with complicated non-postoperative intra-abdominal infections (CNPIAI) and to evaluate the impact of yeast isolation on outcome.Methods: All patients with a CNPIAI undergoing emergency surgery over a three-year period were included in the retrospective cohort (RC, n = 290). Patients with a yeast-positive peritoneal fluid culture (YP) were compared with patients with a yeast-negative culture (YN). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with yeast isolation and a predictive score was built. The score’s performance was then established in the prospective cohort (PC, n = 152) over an 18-month period. Outcome of the whole cohort was evaluated and independent risks factors of mortality searched.Results: In the RC, 39 patients (13.4%) were YP. Four factors were independently associated with the YP group: length of stay before surgery ≥48 h (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 3.1 (1.4 to 6.9),P = 0.004, 1 point), per-operative cardiovascular failure (2.4 (1.1 to 5.8),P = 0.04, 1 point), generalized peritonitis (6.8 (2.7 to 16.7),P<0.001, 2 points) and upper gastrointestinal tract perforation (2.5 (1.2 to 5.6),P = 0.02, 1 point). In the PC, the area under the curve (95%CI) of the predictive score’s receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.79 (0.72 to 0.86). For predicting an intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC), a score ≥3 had a sensitivity of 0.60, a specificity of 0.84, a positive predictive value of 0.49 and a negative predictive value of 0.89. Furthermore, yeast isolation was associated with worse outcome and independently associated with mortality in the whole cohort (OR = 2.15; 95%CI (1.03 to 4.46),P = 0.04).Conclusions: The new predictive score can be used to rule out intra-abdominal candidiasis and thus avoid the initiation of antifungal treatment. It is suited to less severe infections than previously published scores. IAC is associated independently with an increased mortality in this population.

Background: Cardiac surgery can lead to dysregulation with a proinflammatory state, resulting in adverse outcomes. Hemadsorption using the AN-69 membrane (Oxiris membrane, Baxter, USA) has the properties to chelate inflammatory cytokines. The authors hypothesized that in patients at high risk of inflammation, the use of the Oxiris membrane could decrease inflammation, preserve endothelial function, and improve postoperative outcomes. Methods: The authors conducted a randomized single-center study at Amiens University Hospital (Amiens, France). The study population consisted of adult patients admitted for scheduled cardiac surgery with an expected cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time greater than 90 min. The patients were allocated to either the standard group or the Oxiris group. The intervention consisted of using the Oxiris membrane on a Prismaflex device (Baxter, USA) at a blood flow rate of 450 ml/min during CPB. The primary outcome was the assessment of microcirculation on day 1 after surgery by measuring sublingual microcirculation using the microvascular flow index. Microvascular flow index reflects the microcirculation flow type and is graded from 0 to 3 as follows: 0, no flow; 1, intermittent flow; 2, sluggish flow; 3, continuous flow. The secondary outcome was a composite adverse outcome within 30 days after surgery. Cytokines and endothelial biomarkers were measured in all patients at different time points. An intention-to-treat analysis was performed. Results: From October 2019 to November 2022, the study included 70 patients. Two patients were excluded from the Oxiris group: one patient did not undergo surgery, and one procedure was performed under deep hypothermia. The microvascular flow index did not differ between groups on day 1 from baseline: difference (95% CI) Oxiris minus standard at –0.17 (–0.44 to 0.10); P = 0.2. The occurrence of a composite adverse outcome did not significantly differ between groups (14 [42%] for the Oxiris group vs. 12 [35%] for the standard group; P = 0.7). The overall variation in cytokines and angiopoietins did not significantly differ between groups. Conclusions: In patients scheduled for a cardiac surgery with prolonged CPB, the authors could not demonstrate the benefit on microcirculation and major cardiovascular events.

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a widely used procedure to treat coronary artery disease, performed either alone or in conjunction with other cardiac procedures. Perioperative myocardial infarction (pMI) remains a major complication after on-pump CABG and negatively influences survival. Its reported incidence varies with the applied definition, and little is known about its prognostic effect in combined surgeries. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of pMI on 5-year survival after isolated or combined on-pump CABG. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed adult patients undergoing urgent or elective CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass at Amiens University Hospital between 2013 and 2017. Diagnosis of pMI followed the Fourth Universal Definition of myocardial infarction. The primary outcome was all-cause death within 5 years. Logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed, and inverse probability weighting based on propensity scores was used to minimize confounding. Results: Out of 712 patients, 112 (16%) experienced pMI. Five-year mortality was 32% in the pMI subgroup compared with 11% in those without pMI (p < 0.001). Before adjustment, pMI was associated with higher long-term mortality (HR = 2.62, 95%CI [1.73–4.00], p < 0.001). This effect persisted after weighting (HR = 2.43, 95% CI [1.56–3.78], p = 0.041). A landmark analysis excluding the first 30 postoperative days showed no significant link with later mortality (HR = 1.13, 95%CI [0.54–2.34], p = 0.74). Independent predictors of pMI included active smoking (OR = 2.24, 95% CI [1.36–3.69], p = 0.001) and prolonged bypass duration (>180 min) (OR = 2.57, 95% CI [1.19–5.34], p = 0.015). Conclusions: When defined by the Fourth Universal Definition, pMI was independently related to increased 5-year mortality following CABG, explained mainly by deaths occurring early after surgery.