Noninvasive continuous beat-to-beat radial artery pressure via TL-200 applanation tonometry.

The Tensys TL-200(®) noninvasive beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) monitor displays continuous radial artery waveform as well as systolic, mean and diastolic BP from a pressure sensor directly over the radial artery at the wrist. It locates the site of maximal radial pulse signal, determines mean BP from maximal pulse waveform amplitude at optimal artery compression and then derives systolic and diastolic BP. We performed a cross-sectional study of TL-200 BP comparisons with contralateral invasive radial artery (A-Line) BP values in 19 subjects during an average 2.5 h of general anesthesia for a wide range of surgical procedures. Two hundred and fifty random sample pairs/patient resulted in 4,747 systolic, mean and diastolic BP pairs for analysis. A-Line BP ranged from 29 mm Hg diastolic to 211 mm Hg systolic, and heart rate varied between 38 and 210 beats/min. Bland-Altman analysis showed an average 2.3 mm Hg TL-200 versus A-Line systolic BP bias and limits of agreement (1.96 SD) were ± 15.3 mm Hg. Mean BP showed a 2.3 mm Hg TL-200 bias and ± 11.7 mm Hg limits of agreement, while diastolic BP showed a 1.7 mm Hg bias and ± 12.3 mm Hg limits of agreement. Coefficients of determination for TL-200 and A-Line BP regression were r² = 0.86 for systolic, r² = 0.86 for mean, and r² = 80 for diastolic BP, respectively, with no apparent change in correlation at low or high BP. Bland-Altman analysis suggested satisfactory agreement between TL-200 noninvasive beat-to-beat BP and invasive A-Line BP. Paired TL-200/A-Line BP comparisons showed a high coefficient of determination.

Accuracy of a novel approach to measuring arterial thermodilution cardiac output during intra-aortic counterpulsation.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the agreement between a novel approach of arterial and the pulmonary artery bolus thermodilution for measuring cardiac output in critically ill patients during aortic counterpulsation. METHODS: Eighteen male patients aged 37-80 years, undergoing preoperative insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and elective coronary artery bypass grafting. A thin 1.3FG thermistor was introduced through the pressure lumen to the tip of an 8FG IABP catheter, and the pump rate was set at 1:1. After arrival in the intensive care unit cardiac output (CO) was measured under haemodynamic steady-state conditions hourly for 8-11 h, and arterial bolus thermodilution (BCO(iabp)) and pulmonary artery bolus thermodilution (BCO(pulm)) were determined after the patients' admission to the intensive care unit. RESULTS: A total of 198 data pairs were obtained: 177 with aortic counterpulsation and 21 without. During aortic counterpulsation, median CO was 6.8 l/min for BCO(iabp) and 6.1 l/min for BCO(pulm), without aortic counterpulsation; corresponding values were 7.1 l/min for BCO(iabp) and 6.5 l/min for BCO(pulm) with aortic counterpulsation. Mean bias was +0.77 l/min, limits of agreement ( +/- 2 SD) were -1.27/+2.81 l/min, and mean error (2 SD/[(BCO(iabp )+ BCO(pulm))/2] was 31.4%. Without aortic counterpulsation, corresponding values were +0.43 l/min, -1.03/+1.87 l/min, and 22.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between BCO(iabp) and BCO(pulm) was satisfactory for CO values between 2.0 and 10 l/min only without aortic counterpulsation. BCO(iabp) CO measurements during aortic counterpulsation after coronary artery bypass grafting cannot be recommended at the present time.

Platelet activation markers in patients with heart assist device.

Clinical use of heart assist devices is often associated with thromboembolic complications. We hypothesized that platelets may be activated in patients receiving assist devices and examined expression of the platelet activation markers CD62, CD63, and thrombospondin using flow cytometry in eight patients with Novacor left ventricular assist system (LVAS) or Berlin Heart. Patients with end-stage heart failure had elevated expression of platelet activation markers before insertion of the assist device. While CD62 (P < 0.05) and thrombospondin expression (n.s.) decreased by the 14th postoperative day, the CD63 expression remained elevated (n.s.). A good correlation was found between CD62 and thrombospondin expression (r = 0.72). Bleeding time ex vivo indicated platelet dysfunction during the first 4 weeks after implantation. No relation between expression of platelet activation markers and bleeding time ex vivo were found. In conclusion, expression of the platelet activation markers CD62, CD63, and thrombospondin is increased in patients with end-stage heart failure before device placement and shows prolonged elevation during the assist period. Future studies in larger patient populations are necessary to identify new and specific markers of platelet activation in this clinical setting.

Comparison of pulmonary arterial thermodilution and arterial pulse contour analysis: evaluation of a new algorithm.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare cardiac index (CI) measurement by arterial pulse contour analysis using two different algorithms (CI(PC), CI(PCnew)) with pulmonary arterial thermodilution values (CI(PA)) so as to evaluate the difference between the conventional algorithm, CI(PC), and a new algorithm, CI(PCnew), that accounts for patients' individual aortic compliance. DESIGN: Prospective, clinical study. SETTING: Intensive care unit of a university hospital. PATIENTS: 20 ASA physical status II and III patients following elective cardiac surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: 360 parallel triplicate determinations of CI (CI(PA), CI(PC), CI(PCnew)) were performed within a 90-minute period during the immediate postoperative period. Prior to the start of the study period, CI(PC) as well as CI(PCnew) were calibrated by triplicate femoral arterial thermodilution measurements. Regression analysis of CI(PA) and CI(PC), as well as CI(PA) and CI(PCnew), revealed r = 0.89, p < 0.001, and r = 0.93, p < 0.001, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis was used for determining the accuracy and precision of CI(PC) and CI(PCnew) compared with CI(PA). The mean differences (m) and standard deviation (SD) between CI(PA) and CI(PC,) as well as CI(PA) and CI(PCnew), resulted in m = -0.312 L/min/m(2), SD = 0.456 L/min/m(2), and m = - 0.140 L/min/m(2), SD = 0.328 L/min/m(2), respectively. CONCLUSION: Arterial pulse contour analysis measurement of CI using either algorithm correlates well with CI values derived by pulmonary arterial thermodilution. However, the algorithm introduced in this study proved to be a more accurate predictor of values as derived by pulmonary artery catheter.

Stroke volume variations for assessment of cardiac responsiveness to volume loading in mechanically ventilated patients after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that measuring stroke volume variation (SVV) during mechanical ventilation by continuous arterial pulse contour analysis allows the accurate prediction and monitoring of changes in cardiac index (CI) in response to volume administration. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study in an university hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty mechanically ventilated patients following cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Volume loading with oxypolygelatin (3.5%) 20 ml x body mass index over 10 min. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: SVV, central venous pressure (CVP), pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP), left ventricular end-diastolic area index (LVEDAI) by transesophageal echocardiography, intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI) by transpulmonary thermodilution and CI were determined immediately before and after volume loading. SVV decreased, while CI, CVP, PAOP, ITBVI, and LVEDAI increased significantly. Percentage changes in CI were significantly correlated to percentage changes in SVV (r(2)=-0.59, p<0.001), ITBVI (r(2)=0.79, p<0.001), and PAOP (r(2)=0.33, p<0.05) and to baseline values of SVV (r(2)=0.55, p<0.05) and LVEDAI (r(2)=-0.68, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SVV may help to determine the preload condition of ventilated patients following cardiac surgery and to predict and continuously monitor effects of volume administered as part of their hemodynamic management.