Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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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.
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Feb 1998
Vectorcardiographic changes as predictors of cardiac complications during major vascular surgery.
To elucidate the relation of changes in computerized vectorcardiographic trend parameters indicating perioperative myocardial ischemia with perioperative cardiac complications. ⋯ Vectorcardiographic signs of myocardial ischemia were significantly increased intraoperatively, but most pronounced postoperatively in the patients subsequently suffering cardiac events. The changes could be related to the individual cardiac morbidity with acceptable precision. Thus, continuous vectorcardiographic monitoring may be beneficial for patients at risk of developing perioperative ischemia.