Sensitive markers of kidney dysfunction increased in our elderly patients indicating moderate alterations in kidney integrity during cardiac surgery. The two volume replacement regimens did not differ with regard to kidney integrity in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

No abstract

Pretreatment of patients aged >80 yrs undergoing cardiac surgery with pentoxifylline attenuated deterioration of endothelial, renal, and liver function as seen in an untreated control group. Splanchnic perfusion also appears to be improved in the pentoxifylline-treated group. Whether pretreatment with pentoxifylline will improve outcome in this patient population remains to be elucidated.

Elderly cardiac surgery patients already showed moderately altered coagulation prior to surgery. Thus elderly patients may be at risk of developing postoperative alterations in hemostasis on the ICU. The exact reasons for the impaired coagulation in the elderly remains to be determined.

. Prophylactic use of enoximone in cardiac surgery patients aged over 80 years resulted in less post-bypass inflammation and improvement in markers of organ function than in the placebo group. The exact mechanisms by which enoximone exerts its beneficial effects in these patients remains to be elucidated.