Perfusion
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The aim of this prospective, animal study was to compare brain tissue oxygen tension (PbtO(2)) with cerebral near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and mixed venous oxygen saturation (SVO(2)) during venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA ECMO) in a porcine model. This was accomplished using twelve immature piglets with surgically implanted catheters placed in the superficial cerebral cortex to measure brain PbtO(2) and microdialysis metabolites. The NIRS sensor was placed overlying the forehead to measure cerebral regional saturation index (rSO(2)i) while SVO(2) was measured directly from the ECMO circuit. ⋯ Upon further analysis, these animals had significantly lower blood pressure (p=0.001), lower serum pH (p=0.01), and higher serum lactate (p=0.02). Additionally, in this subgroup, rSO(2)i correlated better with PbtO(2) (R(2)=0.76). These findings suggest that, in our ECMO model, rSO(2)i and SVO( 2) correlate reasonably well with each other, but not necessarily with brain PbtO(2) and that NIRS-derived rSO(2)i may more accurately reflect cerebral tissue hypoxia in sicker animals.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of epidural anesthesia on intrathoracic blood volume and extravascular lung water during on-pump cardiac surgery.
The most important side effect of epidural anesthesia is hypotension with functional hypovolemia. Aggressive infusion therapy can reduce the hypotension effect. However, in conjunction with cardiopulmonary bypass, it can increase acute lung injury. We hypothesized that epidural anesthesia, by reducing cardiac sympathetic tonus, with subsequent better pulmonary flow, does not increase lung interstitial fluids. ⋯ Epidural anesthesia / analgesia does not increase interstitial lung fluids by increasing intrathoracic blood volume or the amount of infusion fluids in patients undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. There is, also, a decreased duration of mechanical lung ventilation.
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Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a cardiopulmonary supportive therapy. In this study, we reviewed our experience with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support and tried to identify measurable values which might predict in-hospital mortality. ⋯ Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a justifiable alternative treatment for postoperative refractory cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction which could rescue more than sixty percent of otherwise fatal patients. Patients with pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation lactate levels above 12.6 mmol/L are at higher risks for in-hospital death. Evidence-based therapy for this group of high risk patients is needed.
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In open heart surgery in neonates and small children, the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit surface and the priming volume are relatively large in relation to patient size and blood volume. Therefore, the use of allogeneic blood is inevitable to maintain the optimal hematocrit level during bypass. ⋯ Use of the commercially available minimized elements and an adjusted set-up of the system allowed us to reduce usage of allogeneic blood in the prime and during the bypass. However, other supplemental measures are needed to obtain asanguineous cardiopulmonary bypass for neonatal and infant patients.