RESUMO
Objective To provide epidemiological data as a reference for the coming research and clinical practice by analyzing the problem based critical care ultrasound (CCUS) examination database in Department of Critical Care Medicine,West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Methods A retrospective study of the database was performed. The clinical problems prompting the CCUS examination were classified, the ultrasonnic findings representing the pathophysiological changes were collected and gathered into categories, and the pathophysiological etiology for each classification of clinical problems was stated after referring to the clinical information. Results In the 135 cases with a mean age of (51±18) years, 386 times of problems based examinations were performed (2.85 times per patient). The problems prompting the examinations were acute circulatory dysfunction (271 times, 70.2%), acute respiratory dysfunction (34 times, 8.8%), acute circulatory dysfunction combined with acute respiratory dysfunction (76 times, 19.7%), and suspected diaphragm disorder and others (5 times, 1.2%). In the 347 times of examination for acute circulatory dysfunction, the pathophysiological changes discovered by the CCUS examination included hypovolemia (55 times, 15.9%), hypervolemia (85 times, 24.5%), decreased systemic vascular resistance index (22 times, 6.3%), and increased right ventricular (RV) afterload (15 times, 4.3%). In the 246 times of examination for cardiac dysfunction, the underlying etiology detected included left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (31 times, 12.6%), LV diastolic dysfunction (108 times, 43.9%), LV systolic dysfunction associated with diastolic dysfunction (49 times, 19.9%), RV dysfunction (23 times, 9.4%), and whole heart failure (35 times, 14.2%). Acute respiratory disorders was identified 110 times in total, which consisted of lung consolidation (40 times, 36.4%), diffuse ultrasonic interstitial syndrome (DIS; 27 times, 24.5%), consolidation associated with DIS (18 times, 16.4%), focal interstitial syndrome (17 times, 14.6%), and others (9 times, 8.2%). Causes of deterioration of the cases were cardiogenic pulmonary edema, diastolic dysfunction, RV failure, acute valve insult or chronic valve insufficiency and so on. Conclusions The main problems prompting the CCUS examinations are acute circulatory dysfunction and acute respiratory dysfunction. CCUS examination can provide physicians with valuable information on the full picture of the pathophysiology characteristics of hemodynamics and lung pathology to help diagnose the causes of the deterioration and guide clinical treatment.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Ascites is a dreadful complication of liver cirrhosis associated with short survival. Large volume paracentesis (LVP) is used to treat tense or refractory ascites. Paracentesis induced circulatory dysfunction (PICD) develops if no plasma expanders are given with ominous complications. To study the effect of ascites flow rate on PICD development. METHODS: Sixty patients with cirrhosis and tense ascites underwent LVP of 8 L were randomized into 3 equal groups of different flow rate extraction; group I (80 mL/minute), group II (180 mL/minute) and group III (270 mL/minute). Plasma renin activity (PRA) was measured baseline and on day six. PICD was defined as increase in PRA >50% of the pretreatment value. RESULTS: In group I through 3; the mean age was (52.5±9.4 vs. 56.4±8.5 vs. 55.8±7.1 years; P>0.05), mean arterial pressure (81.4±5.6 vs. 81.5±7 vs. 79.5±7.2 mmHg; P>0.05), MELD (17.6±4.1 vs. 15.8±4.1 vs. 14.7±4.5). Baseline PRA was comparable (1,366.0±1244.9 vs. 1,151.3±1,444.8 vs. 951.9±1,088 pg/mL; P>0.05). There was no statistically significant (P>0.05) flow mediated changes (Delta) of creatinine (0.23±0.27 vs. 0.38±0.33 vs. 0.26±0.18 mg/dL), MELD (1.25±5.72 vs. 1.70±2.18 vs. 1.45±2.21) or PRA (450.93±614.10 vs. 394.61±954.64 vs. 629.51±1,116.46 pg/mL). PICD was detected in a similar frequency in the three groups (P>0.05). On univariate logistic analysis only female sex was a fairly significant PICD predictor (Wald 3.85, odds ratio 3.14; P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ascites flow rate does not correlate with PICD development.