Scientific Debate The Italian National Cardio Anaesthesia Data Base (NCDB) Dr. Marco Ranucci is Italy’s member in the Representative Council and is Directory Board Membership Secretary. The Italian colleagues have managed to create a common platform for registration of activity of cardiac anaesthesia. This is a formidable achievement. The reward will come through the possibility to compare results over time. Comparison between centres has its pitfalls. Many have that experience. Definitions, stratification and entry criteria are critical. The proper use of these data bases is vitally important for their success. As the authorities in many countries will come to demand such data in the future, it is important that the profession takes the lead. Ensuring the proper format and the adequate use of the content is possible. Marco Ranucci is presenting the first national report from Italy. It should be an inspiration for others to follow. After a three years of hard work, the Italian Anaesthesiologists have a common tool for collecting and analysing clinical data regarding cardiac procedures. The final product (NCDB) is a common data form collection that has been structured for collecting clinical data regarding the preoperative profile, the intraoperative management, and the outcome of patients undergone cardiac surgery. Every Institution entering this project (about 30) will collect its own data on a computerized system that is released by a software house and freely sent to the Institution. Every six months the Institutions will send the data to the Central Data Collection which will merge the data into a SPSS computerized system, subsequently providing a statistical analysis. Responsible for NCDB are Dr. Marco Ranucci, Milan (Northern Italy) and Prof. Bonizella Biagioli, Siena (Centre and Southern Italy). The results of the analysis are published in the website www.ncdb.it The programme has been active since June 2000 and presently more than 4,000 patients are enrolled. The results regarding the first 6 months (2,500 patients) are available in the website. Opposite to other statistic reports available on the web, the NCDB provides not only mortality and rough morbidity index, but even specific morbidity rates. On the first 2,500 patients, the following results have been published:

Table 1. Postoperative Morbidity Rate (%) Atrial Fibrillation 11.3 Low Output Syndrome 10.0 Need for IABP 2.1 Need for VAD 0.5 Perioperative Myocardial Infarction 2.8 Arrythmias 5.2 A-V block 2.1 Stroke 1.0 Neuropsychological dysfunction 1.7 Coma 0.8 Reopening 5.3 Reopening due to bleeding 4.5 Acute renal dysfunction 2.8 Pulmonary dysfunction 5.8 Tracheostomy 1.2 Gastroenteric morbidity 0.9 Mesenteric infarction 0.3 Sepsis 0.9

Table 2 - Mortality Operation Mortality rate (%) Isolated aortic procedure 1.7 Isolated CABG 2.3 Isolated mitral procedure 4.9 CABG + aortic procedure 8.4 Mitral + aortic procedure 9.8 CABG + mitral procedure 10.8

Besides these results, many other quantitative or semiquantitative data are available. The median mechanical ventilation time is 10 hours for isolated mitral procedures, 11 hours for isolated aortic procedures and isolated CABG, 14 hours for CABG + aortic procedure, 15 hours for mitral + aortic procedure and 16 hours for CABG + mitral procedure. The median ICU stay is 2 days for isolated mitral, CABG, and CABG+aortic procedure; 3 days for mitral + aortic procedure and CABG+mitral procedure. Finally, the median postoperative hospital stay is 7 days for isolated CABG, 8 days for all the other procedures except CABG + mitral procedure which accounted for 9 days. NCDB is made as a scientific tool, a common basis for undertaking retrospective and prospective studies, which is highly suitable for multicentre trials. The aim is to collect at least 10,000 patients per year.

Deadline for submitting abstracts for EACTA 2012 extended until 22nd January 2012

» Click here

18th National Congress of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Anesthesia and Intensive Care Society
12-15th April 2012
Bodrum Turkey
» Read more

EACTA NEWS LETTER
October 2011

» Click here

EACTA on Linkedin
» Click here

EACTA ICU on Facebook
» Click here

15th Annual Comprehensive Review & Update on Perioperative Echo
February 6 - 11, 2012
San Diego, CA
» Read more

17th Annual Update on Cardiopulmonary Bypass
March 11 - 16, 2012
Aspen/Snowmass Village, CO
» Read more

Thoracic Anesthesia Symposium
April 27 - 28, 2012
Boston, MA
» Read more

34th Annual Meeting & Workshops
April 28 - May 2, 2012
Boston, MA
» Read more

Cardiothoracic Symposium
Iguazu Falls, Argentina
March 19th-21st 2012
» Read more

Abstracts from EACTA 2011
Abstracts from EACTA 2011 are published online by the Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. Please go to:
» www.JCVAonline.com

2012 Combined Meeting of the 13th International Congress of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anaesthesia and the New Zealand Anaesthesia Annual Scientific Meeting, to be held 14 - 17 November 2012, Auckland, New Zealand.
» Read more

EACTA Perioperative Echocardiography DVDs now available
Buy your copy as an EACTA member for €50.
» Read more

JCVA



The Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia (JCVA) is now the official journal of the European Association of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologists (EACTA)......
» Read more

ACTA Autumn Meeting
Holywell Park
Loughborough, Leicestershire
16th - 18th November 2011
» Homepage
» Brochure