Publicaties
Polyurethane cuffed endotracheal tubes to prevent early postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven Universiteit Gent
OBJECTIVE: Patients receiving mechanical ventilation through an endotracheal tube are at increased risk for pneumonia. Because microaspiration of contaminated supraglottic secretions past the endotracheal tube cuff is considered to be central in the pathogenesis of ventilator-associated and postoperative pneumonia, better sealing of the upper trachea by the endotracheal tube cuff could possibly reduce this risk. We therefore postulated that ...
Hallucinations after Cardiac Surgery Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Background and Objective: Hallucinations after cardiac surgery can be a burden, but their prevalence and phenomenology have not been studied well. Risk factors for postoperative hallucinations, as well as their relation to delirium are unclear. We aimed to study the prevalence and phenomenology of hallucinations after cardiac surgery, and to study the association between hallucinations and delirium in this population. Materials and Methods: ...
Case-control study on the interplay between immunoparalysis and delirium after cardiac surgery Vrije Universiteit Brussel
BACKGROUND: Delirium occurs frequently following cardiothoracic surgery, and infectious disease is an important risk factor for delirium. Surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass induce suppression of the immune response known as immunoparalysis. We aimed to investigate whether delirious patients had more pronounced immunoparalysis following cardiothoracic surgery than patients without delirium, to explain this delirium-infection association.
...Position paper concerning the competence, performance and environment required for the practice of ablation in children and in congenital heart disease Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The population of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is continuously increasing, and a significant proportion of these patients will experience arrhythmias because of the underlying congenital heart defect itself or as a consequence of interventional or surgical treatment. Arrhythmias are a leading cause of mortality, morbidity and impaired quality of life in adults with CHD. Arrhythmias may also occur in children with or without ...
Alpha-2-adrenergic receptor agonists for the prevention of delirium and cognitive decline after open heart surgery (ALPHA2PREVENT) Vrije Universiteit Brussel
INTRODUCTION: Postoperative delirium is common in older cardiac surgery patients and associated with negative short-term and long-term outcomes. The alpha-2-adrenergic receptor agonist dexmedetomidine shows promise as prophylaxis and treatment for delirium in intensive care units (ICU) and postoperative settings. Clonidine has similar pharmacological properties and can be administered both parenterally and orally. We aim to study whether ...
Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries Vrije Universiteit Brussel KU Leuven
As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care.
Methods
We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death ...
Position paper concerning the competence, performance and environment required in the practice of complex ablation procedures Vrije Universiteit Brussel
The introduction of catheter ablation techniques has vastly improved the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. However, as complex ablations are technically demanding and can cause various complications, they require a high level of expertise to maximize success rates and minimize complication rates. As French recommendations regarding the required technical competence and equipment are not yet available, this position paper has been compiled by ...