Urology
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Comparative Study
Absorption of irrigating fluid during transurethral prostatic resection as measured by ethanol, radioisotopes, and regular-interval monitoring.
Ethanol monitoring is a novel noninvasive method for immediate detection of absorption of irrigating fluid during transurethral prostatic resection. Its accuracy was evaluated during thirteen resections using 5% mannitol +2% ethanol as the irrigating fluid. The ethanol concentration in the expired breath correlated strongly with the degree of absorption of intravascular irrigating fluid as determined by a radioisotope technique, and fluid volume measurements, and with the changes in the serum sodium concentration. Extravascular absorption of the irrigating fluid resulted in prolonged elevation of the ethanol concentration and gave smaller changes in the serum sodium concentration.
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Of 472 patients at four different hospitals electively undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), 192 received Sorbitur as an irrigating fluid with 2% ethanol (w/v) as a marker. Using a breath analyzer (Alcol-meter), the amount of ethanol in expired air was measured regularly during the operation to detect the absorption of irrigating fluid. The ethanol concentration in expired air was plotted against time. ⋯ Ethanol-marked irrigating fluid is a simple, safe, noninvasive, rapid, and cheap method of detecting absorption of irrigating fluid thus increasing patient safety during TURP. This method indicates absorption before clinical signs and symptoms of the TUR syndrome occur. It also provides an easy method for estimating the frequency of absorption of irrigating fluid routinely in clinical work.