• Jon-Émile S Kenny, Andrew M Eibl, Matthew Parrotta, Bradley F Long, and Joseph K Eibl.
• Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON P3E 2H2, Canada.
• Mil Med. 2021 Jan 25; 186 (Suppl 1): 751-756.

IntroductionEarly hemorrhage is often missed by traditional vital signs because of physiological reserve, especially in the young and healthy. We have developed a novel, wearable, wireless Doppler ultrasound patch that tracks real-time blood velocity in the common carotid artery.Materials And MethodsWe studied eight healthy volunteers who decreased their cardiac output using a standardized Valsalva maneuver. In all eight, we simultaneously monitored the velocity time integral (VTI) of the common carotid artery (using the ultrasound patch) as well as the descending aorta (using a traditional pulsed wave duplex imaging system); the descending aortic VTI was used as a surrogate for left ventricular stroke volume (SV). Additionally, in a subset of four, we simultaneously measured SV using a noninvasive pulse contour analysis device.ResultsFrom baseline to peak effect of Valsalva, there was a statistically significant fall in descending aortic and common carotid VTI of 37% (P = 0.0005) and 23% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Both values returned to baseline on recovery. Additionally, a novel index from the carotid ultrasound patch (i.e., the heart rate divided by the carotid artery VTI) detected a 10% fall in aortic VTI with high sensitivity and specificity (100% and 100%, respectively); this novel index also accurately detected a 10% decrease in SV as measured by the noninvasive SV monitor. The mean arterial pressure, measured by the noninvasive pulse contour device, did not correctly detect the fall in SV.ConclusionIn summary, a novel index from a wireless Doppler ultrasound patch may be more sensitive and specific for detecting decreased cardiac output than standard vital signs in healthy volunteers.© The Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021.

9 keywords...

hide…