Most cardiac surgery procedures are performed through a median sternotomy, an approach pioneered by Milton in 1897. Although fairly uncommon, infective complications for this type of incision remain a difficult challenge for cardiac surgeons. Definition Sternal wound complications have been…
Introduction and History Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is one of the most important biomedical inventions in the history of health care, rivaling the development of roentgenography and hemodialysis in its clinical impact. The scope of its application is far reaching. Its…
The brain is the effector organ for all behavior, innate and learned. It is the monarch of blood flow and will shut down all other vascular systems to preserve its own supply. Conversely, dysfunction in other organs can adversely affect…
In contrast to set-piece wars of the past, modern warfare is characterized by a “nonlinear” battlefield with intermittent engagements of an elusive enemy. Soldiers wear advanced protective gear including helmets, ballistic eyewear, ceramic torso plates, and Kevlar neck, arm, and…
This chapter will familiarize providers with the expected management of patients following adult cardiac surgery using a systematic approach. The common and important side effects or complications of cardiac surgery are described, and their managements are reviewed. The provided references…
Anesthesia was successfully demonstrated for the first time in 1846. Prior to that time, it was deemed impossible to perform major surgical procedures because of the associated pain and discomfort. Anesthesia has been one the greatest catalysts in the evolution…
Heart failure has become an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and in other industrialized nations. Despite improvement in heart failure treatment, its prevalence continues to rise, in large part as a result of the…
Acute Coronary Syndrome Definition Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) refers to a constellation of clinical symptoms (usually including some type of chest discomfort) that is compatible with acute myocardial ischemia. Patients with suspected ACS may eventually prove to have a diagnosis…
Interventional cardiology is a subspecialty of medicine that treats a variety of cardiovascular disorders using catheter-based therapeutics. Despite its humble beginnings in 1977, interventional cardiology now includes an array of procedures and techniques for the treatment of ischemic, valvular, and…
Echocardiography has broad utility in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. Echocardiography allows for real-time, precise anatomic definition and physiologic interrogation of cardiac and vascular structures at relatively low cost with minimal patient risk and discomfort. Common clinical applications…