Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
Ulinastatin Protects Cognition in Cardiac Surgical Patients
By Hu Y, Zhou Y, Ju H and 3 others.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in patients undergoing cardiac valve surgery and the potential protective effects of ulinastatin on POCD.
Methods
This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial. A total of 300 patients undergoing cardiac valve surgery were enrolled across the 3 hospitals and randomized to the control or ulinastatin treatment groups. The patients' cognition was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). POCD was defined as a lower cognitive score after surgery than the baseline score. Serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.