Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 1998
Estimation of the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure from transesophageal pulsed Doppler echocardiography of pulmonary venous flow: influence of the respiratory cycle during mechanical ventilation.
Pulsed Doppler measurement of pulmonary venous flow (PVF) in the left superior pulmonary vein has been suggested as a noninvasive method to evaluate pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP). In previous studies, PVF was measured at end-expiration, and it is unknown to what extent PVF is affected by the respiratory cycle. It is hypothesized that phasic variations of PVF during mechanical ventilation may be used to estimate PCWP. ⋯ It has been documented that PVF velocity is influenced by the respiratory cycle during mechanical ventilation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and the magnitude of this variation is influenced by PCWP. However, it is not actually possible to predict PCWP accurately using these findings. Further studies are needed in which preload is varied acutely to confirm the usefulness of the results.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 1998
Comparative StudyGoal-directed transesophageal echocardiography performed by intensivists to assess left ventricular function: comparison with pulmonary artery catheterization.
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a valuable procedure for assessing left ventricular (LV) function, but it has not been widely applied in critical care because of the limited number of intensivists who are trained in echocardiography. This prospective study was designed to evaluate the feasibility of training intensivists to perform a goal-directed, limited-scope TEE to assess LV function in critically ill patients using a pediatric monoplane TEE probe. A secondary goal was to compare the usefulness of the TEE data with that of data obtained by a simultaneous pulmonary artery catheter (PAC). ⋯ Training intensivists in limited-scope, goal-directed TEE, using a pediatric monoplane probe to evaluate LV function, can be done rapidly and safely, and yield data pertinent to management of critically ill patients even in the early stages of skill acquisition.