Elevated pulmonary dead space and coagulation abnormalities suggest lung microvascular thrombosis in patients undergoing cardiac surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation has been shown to trigger microvascular thrombosis. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery sustain significant inflammatory insults to the lungs and in addition are routinely given anti-fibrinolytic agents to promote thrombosis. In view of these risk factors we investigated if evidence of pulmonary microvascular thrombosis occurs following cardiac surgery and, if so, whether a pre-operative heparin infusion may limit this. DESIGN: Double-blind randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Tertiary university affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomised to receive a pre-operative heparin infusion or pl..