Results of Surgical Treatment of Infective Endocarditis Complicated with Lung Impairment

Abstract

The initial lung impairment in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) has a negative impact on the results of surgical treatment and rate of postoperative respiratory failure (RF). Mechanisms of development of RF are quite complicated, but the leading role is played by the initial septic lesion of pulmonary tissue in IE and surgical treatment with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass.
 The aim of the study was to analyze results of surgical treatment of patients with IE, operated with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass, implementing the method of intraoperative lung protection.
 Materials and methods. The basis of the study was clinical data of 663 patients with IE who were examined and treated at the SE “Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery of NAMS of Ukraine” from 01.01.2016 to 01.01.2018. Diagnosis of IE was established according to the Duke University criteria Anesthetic support was carried out in accordance with standard techniques. For intraoperative lung protection, together with perfusion of the pulmonary artery with arterial blood, the mechanical ventilation was maintained for the period of bypass circulation. For determination of pathomorphological changes of lungs in patients with IE, histological analysis of intraoperative lung biopsy was performed.
 Results. In the surgical treatment of patients with IE with the use of standard method of anesthesia support, the rate of RF in the early postoperative period was 52 (7.8%) cases. The use of the modified method of intraoperative management led to the decrease of the signs of adults respiratory distress syndrome during the postperfusion period: decrease in the edema liquid in the alveolar lumen (p = 0.027), decrease in protein precipitate in the alveolar lumen (p = 0.031), decrease in the incidence of signs of alveoli collapse (p = 0.002). The use of the lung protection method offset the negative impact of intraoperative volume of blood transfusion on the lung function after surgery and the duration of mechanical ventilation (r = 0.121, p = 0.522). The introduction of lung protective in patients with IE, operated with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass, contributed to decrease in the rate of RF in the early postoperative period from 7.9% to 2.8% of cases in the study groups.
 Conclusions. Implementation of the new protocol allowed to conduct long-term surgical interventions with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass without increasing duration of mechanical ventilation and reducing the oxygenation index in the postoperative period, and contributed to the decrease in the frequency of postoperative RF.