The Year in Cardiothoracic Critical Care: Highlighted Publications From 2023

Area of Science:

• Cardiothoracic Critical Care Anesthesiology
• Transplantation Medicine
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• The year 2023 brought significant publications impacting critical care anesthesiology.
• A curated selection of these articles is reviewed to highlight practice-changing research.
• These advancements span multiple subspecialties within critical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize pivotal research from 2023 relevant to cardiothoracic critical care anesthesiology.
• To identify studies that may modify current clinical practices.
• To provide an overview of key findings and their implications.

Main Methods:

• Review of selected high-impact publications from 2023.
• Focus on studies addressing organ donation, transplantation, mechanical support, resuscitation, and glycemic control.
• Synthesis of findings to illustrate current trends and future research directions.

Main Results:

• Organ donation after circulatory death was shown to be non-inferior in relevant studies.
• The immune response to blood administration in lung transplantation recipients was investigated.
• Evidence suggests antiplatelet therapy may not be necessary for Heartmate 3 patients.
• Outcomes following extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were analyzed.
• Research contradicted the necessity of tight glycemic control in the intensive care unit.

Conclusions:

• The highlighted 2023 publications offer critical updates for cardiothoracic critical care anesthesiology.
• Key areas include organ donation, transplantation immunology, mechanical circulatory support, advanced resuscitation, and metabolic management.
• Further research is anticipated in these domains in 2024 and beyond.