title: Remote preconditioning and cardiac surgery: regrouping after Remote Ischemic Preconditioning for Heart Surgery (RIPHeart) and Effect of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (ERICCA).
abstract: Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) is an attractive cardioprotective strategy. Although results from animal studies and phase II study on humans are convincing, it cannot have a role in clinical practice until benefits in clinical outcomes are proven in phase III study. Two phase III studies were recently published [Remote Ischemic Preconditioning for Heart Surgery (RIPHeart) and Effect of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (ERICCA)] and this article discusses their design, results and implications.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Surgery, University Hospital Waterford, Waterford, Ireland ; 2 Department of Surgery, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Cherry X
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Surgery, University Hospital Waterford, Waterford, Ireland ; 2 Department of Surgery, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Donagh A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Surgery, University Hospital Waterford, Waterford, Ireland ; 2 Department of Surgery, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland.
authors.forename: Stewart R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Walsh
keywords: Remote preconditioning; cardiac surgery; cardioprotection