The Safety and Hemodynamic Effects of Pneumatic Sleeves in Patients with Severe Left Ventricular Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: Pneumatic sleeves (PS) are often used during laparoscopic surgery and for prevention of deep vein thrombosis in patients who cannot receive anticoagulation treatment. There is very little information on the hemodynamic changes induced by PS and their effect on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in patients with severely reduced left ventricular ejection function (LVEF). OBJECTIVES: To determine the safety and hemodynamic changes induced by PS and their effects on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). METHODS: This study comprised 14 patients classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) II-III with severely reduced LVEF (< 40%). We activated the PS using two inflation pressures (50 or 80 mmHg, 7 patients in each group) at two cycles per minute for one hour. We measured echocardiography, hemodynamic parameters, and BNP levels in each patient prior to, during, and after the PS operation. RESULTS: The baseline LVEF did not change throughout the activation of PS (31 ± 10% vs. 33 ± 9%, P = 0.673). Following PS activation there was no significant difference in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, the pulse measurements, or central venous pressure. BNP levels did not change after PS activation (P = 0.074). CONCLUSIONS: The use of PS, with either low or high inflation pressures, is safe and has no detrimental effects on hemodynamic parameters or BNP levels in patients with severely reduced LVEF following clinical stabilization and optimal medical therapy.

Purple urine bag syndrome: a rare and interesting phenomenon.

Discoloration of urine is not uncommonly encountered in clinical practice and may indicate a significant pathology. However, the majority of instances are benign and occur as the result of trauma to the urological system during procedures or ingestions of substances such as medication or food. Purple discoloration of a urinary catheter bag is rare and can be alarming to both patients and healthcare workers. This phenomenon is known as the purple urine bag syndrome. It is associated with urinary tract infections occurring in catheterized patients, generally elderly females with significant comorbidities and constipation. The urine is usually alkaline. Gram-negative bacteria that produce sulfatase and phosphatase are involved in the formation of pigment, indirubin and indigo. Tryptophan metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis. We present two cases of this rare and interesting phenomenon and discuss the underlying pathogenesis.