In patients undergoing coronary artery surgery, preoperative aspirin reduces perioperative MI, but at a cost of increased bleeding, blood transfusion, and surgical re-exploration.

No abstract

Primary graft dysfunction occurs in up to 25% of patients after lung transplantation. Contributing factors include ventilator-induced lung injury, cardiopulmonary bypass, ischaemia-reperfusion injury and excessive fluid administration. We evaluated the feasibility, safety and efficacy of an open-lung protective ventilation strategy aimed at reducing ventilator-induced lung injury. We enrolled adult patients scheduled to undergo bilateral sequential lung transplantation, and randomly assigned them to either a control group (volume-controlled ventilation with 5 cmH O, positive end-expiratory pressure, low tidal volumes (two-lung ventilation 6 ml.kg , one-lung ventilation 4 ml.kg )) or an alveolar recruitment group (regular step-wise positive end-expiratory pressure-based alveolar recruitment manoeuvres, pressure-controlled ventilation set at 16 cmH O with 10 cmH O positive end-expiratory pressure). Ventilation strategies were commenced from reperfusion of the first lung allograft and continued for the duration of surgery. Regular PaO /F O ratios were calculated and venous blood samples collected for inflammatory marker evaluation during the procedure and for the first 24 h of intensive care stay. The primary end-point was the PaO /F O ratio at 24 h after first lung reperfusion. Thirty adult patients were studied. The primary outcome was not different between groups (mean (SD) PaO /F O ratio control group 340 (111) vs. alveolar recruitment group 404 (153); adjusted p = 0.26). Patients in the control group had poorer mean (SD) PaO /F O ratios at the end of the surgical procedure and a longer median (IQR [range]) time to tracheal extubation compared with the alveolar recruitment group (308 (144) vs. 402 (154) (p = 0.03) and 18 (10-27 [5-468]) h vs. 15 (11-36 [5-115]) h (p = 0.01), respectively). An open-lung protective ventilation strategy during surgery for lung transplantation is feasible, safe and achieves favourable ventilation parameters.

No abstract

SSI are a universal economic burden and increase individual patient morbidity and mortality. While antibiotic prophylaxis is the primary preventative intervention, these agents are not themselves benign and may be less effective in the context of emerging antibiotic resistant organisms. Exploration of novel therapies as an adjunct to antimicrobials is warranted. Plasmin and the plasminogen activating system has a complex role in immune function. The immunothrombotic role of plasmin is densely interwoven with the coagulation system and has a multitude of effects on the immune system constituents, which may not always be beneficial. Tranexamic acid is an antifibrinolytic agent which inhibits the conversion of plasminogen to plasmin. Clinical trials have demonstrated a reduction in surgical site infection in TXA exposed patients, however the mechanism and magnitude of this benefit is incompletely understood. This effect may be through the reduction of local wound haematoma, decreased allogenic blood transfusion or a direct immunomodulatory effect. Large scale randomised clinical trial are currently being undertaken to better explain this association. Importantly, TXA is a safe and widely available pharmacological agent which may have a role in the reduction of SSI.