We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
To save this undefined to your undefined account, please select one or more formats and confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you used this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your undefined account.
Find out more about saving content to .
To send this article to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about sending to your Kindle.
Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
The aim of this study was to evaluate neuron specific enolase (NSE) as prognostic factor for CNS disorders developed in relation to cardiac surgery.
Patients and methods
A cohort of 92 patients were divided into two groups; the experimental group consisted of patients undergoing open-heart bypass surgery (50 patients) and the control group consisting of 42 patients undergoing general surgery procedures. The blood levels of NSE were measured in both groups before and 24 h after the operation and have been related to the incidence of the postoperative brain damage as well as to the duration of the extracorporeal circulation (ECC).
Results
The analysis of our results showed that the changes of blood NSE levels, before and immediately after ECC in open-heart surgery have been related to the incidence of postoperative brain dysfunction according to a specific mathematical equation. This incidence was raised also in relation to the age of the patient and the duration of ECC. On the contrary, NSE seems to have no prognostic value in general surgery.
Conclusion
NSE can be used in cardiac surgery as a simple and reliable prognostic factor to predict postoperative brain dysfunction.