Point-of-Care Bedside Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is Safe in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Patients With Swan Ganz Catheters: A Phantom Experiment and Single Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: More than 1.2 million pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) are used in cardiac patients per annum within the United States. However, it is contraindicated in traditional 1.5 and 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. We aimed to test preclinical and clinical safety of using this imaging modality given the potential utility of needing it in the clinical setting. METHODS: We conducted two phantom experiments to ensure that the electromagnetic field power deposition associated with bare and jacketed PACs was safe and within the acceptable limit established by the Food and Drug Administration. The primary end points were the safety and feasibility of performing Point-of-Care (POC) MRI without imaging-related adverse events. We performed a preclinical computational electromagnetic simulation and evaluated these findings in nine patients with PACs on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. RESULTS: The phantom experiments showed that the baseline point specific absorption rate through the head averaged 0.4 W/kg. In both the bare and jacketed catheters, the highest net specific absorption rates were at the neck entry point and tip but were negligible and unlikely to cause any heat-related tissue or catheter damage. In nine patients (median age 66, interquartile range 42-72 y) with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation due to cardiogenic shock and PACs placed for close hemodynamic monitoring, POC MRI was safe and feasible with good diagnostic imaging quality. CONCLUSIONS: Adult ECMO patients with PACs can safely undergo point-of-care low-field (64 mT) brain MRI within a reasonable timeframe in an intensive care unit setting to assess for acute brain injury that might otherwise be missed with conventional head computed tomography.

Atrapamiento de catéter de Swan-Ganz durante cirugía valvular mitral: a propósito de un caso / Swan-Ganz Catheter Entrapment during mitral valve surgery: a case report

El catéter de Swan-Ganz es un dispositivo ampliamente utilizado para la monitorización del paciente crítico, así como durante lasintervenciones de cirugía cardiovascular. Sin embargo, su implantación y uso no están exentos del desarrollo de complicaciones.Presentamos un caso de atrapamiento del catéter con la sutura de cierre de la atriotomía izquierda durante una intervención de sustitución valvular mitral. (AU)

The Swan-Ganz catheter is a widely used device for monitoring critical patients, as well as during cardiovascular surgery. However,its implantation and use are not exempt from the development of complications. We present a case of catheter entrapment with theclosing suture of the left atriotomy during a mitral valve replacement procedure. (AU)

Cephalad misplacement of a pulmonary artery catheter in a patient with a preexisting Hickman catheter.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary artery catheter insertion is a routine practice in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, pulmonary artery catheter insertion is associated with numerous complications that can be devastating to the patient. Incorrect placement is an overlooked complication with few case reports to date. CASE PRESENTATION: An 18-year-old male patient underwent elective mitral valve replacement due to severe mitral valve regurgitation. The patient had a history of synovial sarcoma, and Hickman catheter had been inserted in the right internal jugular vein for systemic chemotherapy. We made multiple attempts to position the pulmonary artery catheter in the correct position but failed. A chest radiography revealed that the pulmonary artery catheter was bent and pointed in the cephalad direction. Removal of the pulmonary artery catheter was successful, and the patient was discharged 10 days after the surgery without complications. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent misplacement of the PAC, clinicians should be aware of multiple risk factors in difficult PAC placement, and be prepared to utilize adjunctive methods, such as TEE and fluoroscopy.

Perforación de la pared del ventrículo izquierdo por catéter de arteria pulmonar Swan-Ganz. A propósito de un caso / Perforation of the left ventricle wall due to the insertion of a pulmonary artery catheter. A case report

A pesar de la extendida y frecuente utilización del catéter de arteria pulmonar en nuestro medio para el manejo hemodinámico en pacientes críticos y particularmente en pacientes tras cirugía cardiaca, en la actualidad siguen planteándose dudas sobre la necesidad de su uso. Es preciso valorar el riesgo/beneficio de su colocación y tener en cuenta sus posibles complicaciones, que aun siendo poco frecuentes, pueden llegar a ser potencialmente graves. En este artículo exponemos una complicación muy poco frecuente ocurrida en nuestro centro sobre el uso del catéter de arteria pulmonar de la que no teníamos constancia hasta ahora. Se trata de una perforación del tabique interventricular y de la pared libre del ventrículo izquierdo debido a una acodadura firme del catéter de arteria pulmonar, que no fue sospechada ni diagnosticada salvo por la visión directa del corazón, tras la esternotomía, durante la cirugía cardiaca. La mejora de la seguridad del paciente implica reflexionar sobre el valor de los eventos adversos, de manera que al aumentar la conciencia de la situación y del mecanismo por el que se producen, pueda reducirse la probabilidad de repetición

Despite the widespread and frequent use in our setting of pulmonary artery catheters for haemodynamic management in critically ill patients, particularly after heart surgery, some experts continue to question the need for these devices. Clinicians need to weigh up the risks and benefits of pulmonary artery catheters placement and bear in mind the potential complications which, though rare, can be potentially fatal. We present a pulmonary artery catheters-related complication not hitherto described in the literature, involving perforation of the interventricular septum and left ventricular free wall caused by a kink in the pulmonary artery catheters that was not suspected, and only diagnosed by direct vision of the heart after pericardial opening. In the interest of patient safety, we must consider the impact of adverse events; improving our situational awareness and our understanding of the mechanisms behind such events can help reduce the likelihood of repetitions in the future

Hemoptisis masiva como complicación de cateterismo derecho con catéter de Swan-Ganz / Massive hemoptisis as complication of cathetering right with Swan-Ganz catheter

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Perforation of the left ventricle wall due to the insertion of a pulmonary artery catheter. A case report. / Perforación de la pared del ventrículo izquierdo por catéter de arteria pulmonar Swan-Ganz. A propósito de un caso.

Despite the widespread and frequent use in our setting of pulmonary artery catheters for haemodynamic management in critically ill patients, particularly after heart surgery, some experts continue to question the need for these devices. Clinicians need to weigh up the risks and benefits of pulmonary artery catheters placement and bear in mind the potential complications which, though rare, can be potentially fatal. We present a pulmonary artery catheters-related complication not hitherto described in the literature, involving perforation of the interventricular septum and left ventricular free wall caused by a kink in the pulmonary artery catheters that was not suspected, and only diagnosed by direct vision of the heart after pericardial opening. In the interest of patient safety, we must consider the impact of adverse events; improving our situational awareness and our understanding of the mechanisms behind such events can help reduce the likelihood of repetitions in the future.

Impact of CardioMEMS device placement on lifestyle modifications: a "pseudo-placebo" effect beyond the expected?

Introduction Congestive heart failure is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in the United States and places a significant economic burden on the health care system. The CHAMPION trial showed significant reductions in heart failure hospitalizations and length of stay as well as improvements in quality of life among patients who underwent implantation of the CardioMEMS device (CardioMEMS Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA). While the benefits of the device have been well demonstrated, we explored the "pseudo-placebo" effect of device placement on patients' lifestyle modifications. Methods Thirty patients with the CardioMEMS device were contacted for a follow-up survey that included questions about lifestyle modifications, symptomatic and dietary improvement, increased physical activity, and changes in their cardiac medication regimen. Results Dyspnea improved in 57% of patients, 70% of patients improved their diet, and 43% increased their physical activity. Only 7% of patients found it difficult to transmit the data. Discussion The CHAMPION trial showed numerous benefits for patients who underwent CardioMEMS device placement. In our study, we found that device placement also resulted in a "pseudo-placebo" effect with most patients making positive lifestyle modifications.

Consequences of an early catheter-based intervention on pulmonary artery growth and right ventricular myocardial function in a pig model of pulmonary artery stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the consequences of an early catheter-based intervention on pulmonary artery (PA) growth and right ventricular (RV) myocardial function in an animal model of branch PA stenosis. BACKGROUND: Acute results and safety profiles of deliberate stent fracture within the pulmonary vasculature have been demonstrated. The long-term impact of early stent intervention and deliberate stent fracture on PA growth and myocardial function is not understood. METHODS: Implantation of small diameter stents was performed in a pig model of left PA stenosis at 6 weeks (10 kg) followed by dilations at 10 (35 kg) and 18 weeks (65 kg) with intent to fracture and implant large diameter stents. Hemodynamics, RV contractility, and 2D/3D angiography were performed with each intervention. The heart and pulmonary vasculature were histologically assessed. RESULTS: Stent fracture occurred in 9/12 and implantation of large diameter stents was successful in 10/12 animals with no PA aneurysms or dissections. The final stented PA segment and distal left PA branch origins equaled the corresponding PA diameters of sham controls. Growth of left PA immediately beyond the stent was limited and there was diffuse fibro-intimal proliferation within the distal left and right PA. RV contractility was diminished in the intervention group and the response to dobutamine occurred uniquely via increases in heart rate. CONCLUSIONS: Early stent intervention in this surgically created PA stenosis model was associated with improved growth of the distal PA vasculature but additional investigation of PA vessel physiology and impact on the developing heart are needed.

Acute Massive Pulmonary Thromboembolism Treated by Selective Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective catheter-directed thrombolysis (SCDT) in treating acute massive pulmonary thromboembolism (AMPTE). METHODS: Twenty-six AMPTE patients were enrolled between March 2010 and March 2013. A Uni*Fuse infusion system was inserted into the main pulmonary artery thrombus. The thrombolytic regimen included an intraoperative bolus injection of 250,000 IU urokinase, followed by continuous thrombolytic infusion of 5,000 IU/kg per (every) 24 hr urokinase for 72 hr postoperatively. Clinical symptoms, shock index (SI), systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), peripheral arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), and Miller index (MI) were assessed before and after treatment. RESULTS: The patients included 16 men and 10 women (49.9 ± 18.8 years old; time to onset of 50.2 ± 28.5 hr). After thrombolysis, dyspnea and cough were relieved to varying degrees; chest pain, hemoptysis, and syncope disappeared. Importantly, a clinical success rate of 100% was achieved. All objective indices were improved: SI decreased from 1.74 ± 0.38 before operation to 0.71 ± 0.09 postoperatively (P = 0.00); PaO2 increased from 52.78 ± 6.92 mm Hg to 85.98 ± 5.91 mm Hg (P = 0.00); sPAP was reduced from 65.19 ± 8.22 mm Hg to 34.42 ± 4.05 mm Hg (P = 0.00); MI dropped from 0.69 ± 0.09 to 0.33 ± 0.06 (P = 0.00). Mean total urokinase amounts were 1,298,000 IU for each patient. Postoperative complications included 2 cases of puncture-site hematoma (cured by pressure bandage) and 1 case of gastrointestinal hemorrhage (healed by conservative treatment without blood transfusion). CONCLUSIONS: SCDT may be considered a safe and efficacious treatment for AMPTE.

Utilizing transesophageal echocardiography for placement of pulmonary artery catheters.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary artery catheters (PACs) have routinely been positioned by wedging into the pulmonary artery before pulling back 1-2 centimeters or advancing the PAC several centimeters after achieving a pulmonary artery waveform. A rare, major complication is pulmonary artery rupture. This study presents transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for PAC placement by leaving the catheter tip at the one o'clock position, upper window short-axis view of the ascending aorta at the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery (TEE distance). DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Large urban academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: 30 males and 30 females undergoing cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTION: TEE was utilized to obtain an upper esophageal short-axis view of the aorta with long-axis view of the main and right pulmonary arteries. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The distance between TEE position and wedge position was recorded along with patients' gender, height, and weight. A correlation was found between TEE and wedge distances (P < .0001). There were significant gender differences in TEE distance, with a mean of 43.6 cm in females and 46.5 cm in males (P = .0004). The mean wedge distance was 47.5 cm in females and 51.9 cm in males (P < .0001). The differences between distances of wedge and TEE positions (5.39 cm, males; 3.93 cm, females) were also significant (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: By securing the PAC at the one o'clock TEE position, physicians are assured of a safety margin of several centimeters. This direct visualization method for PAC placement may decrease the risk for accidental wedging intraoperatively.

Bilateral branch pulmonary artery valve implantation in repaired tetralogy of fallot.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter, bilateral branch pulmonary artery (PA) valve implantation is a novel treatment for patients with severe pulmonary insufficiency and oversized right ventricle (RV) outflow tract. There is scarce data on efficacy and safety of this approach. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 8 patients with repaired tetralogy of fallot (TOF) who underwent bilateral branch PA valve implantation. Demographics, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and axial imaging data were reviewed. Variables were compared by a paired sample t-test. RESULTS: All patients were adult sized (weight 43-99 kg) with oversized RV outflow tract not suitable for conventional transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation. Staged bare metal PA stenting followed by valve implantation (interval 3-5 months) was technically successful in 7 patients with one stent embolization. In another patient, proximal stent migration prevented placement of bilateral pulmonary valve stents. There were a total of 14 valved branch PA stents placed (Melody valve n = 9, Sapien XT n = 2, Sapien 3 n = 3). In the 7 patients undergoing successful branch pulmonary valve placement, at median follow up of 10 months (range 3 months to 6 years), 13 (93%) valves had none/trivial insufficiency on echocardiography. Prevalve and postvalve implantation cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in five patients showed significant reduction of indexed RV end-diastolic volume (152 ± 27 to 105 ± 15 mL/m2 , P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter, bilateral branch PA valve implantation was technically feasible with satisfactory efficacy and safety in patients with repaired TOF, severe pulmonary insufficiency, and oversized RV outflow tracts. Elimination of pulmonary insufficiency with this method resulted in reduced RV end-diastolic volume. This approach can be offered as an alternative to surgery, particularly in patients considered high risk for standard surgical placement and who are not candidates for the newer self-expanding valve prosthesis for placement in RV outflow tracts larger than 30 mm diameter.

Cross-comparisons of trending accuracies of continuous cardiac-output measurements: pulse contour analysis, bioreactance, and pulmonary-artery catheter.

We compared the similarity of cardiac-output (CO) estimates between available bolus thermodilution pulmonary-artery catheters (PAC), arterial pulse-contour analysis (LiDCOplus™, FloTrac™ and PiCCOplus™), and bioreactance (NICOM™). Repetitive simultaneous estimates of CO obtained from the above devices were compared in 21 cardiac-surgery patients during the first 2 h post-surgery. Mean and absolute values for CO across the devices were compared by ANOVA, Bland-Altman, Pearson moment, and linear-regression analyses. Twenty-one simultaneous CO measurements were made before and after therapeutic interventions. Mean PAC CO (5.7 ± 1.5 L min) was similar to LiDCO™, FloTrac™, PiCCO™, and NICOM™ CO (6.0 ± 1.9, 5.9 ± 1.0, 5.7 ± 1.8, 5.3 ± 1.0 L min, respectively). Mean CO bias between each paired method was -0.10 (PAC-LiDCO), 0.18 (PAC-PiCCO), -0.40 (PAC-FloTrac), -0.71 (PAC-NICOM), 0.28 (LiDCO-PiCCO), 0.39 (LiDCO-FloTrac), -0.97 (NICOM-LiDCO), 0.61 (PiCCO-FloTrac), -1.0 (NICOM-FloTrac), -0.73 (NICOM-PiCCO) L/min, with limits of agreement (1.96 SD, ±95% CI) of ± 2.01, ±2.35, ±2.27, ±2.70, ±1.97, ±2.17, ±3.51, ±2.87, ±2.40, and ± 3.14 L min, respectively, and the percentage error for each of the paired devices was 35, 41, 40, 47, 33, 36, 59, 50, 42, and 55%, respectively. From Pearson moment analysis, dynamic changes in CO, estimated by each device, showed good cross-correlations. Although all devices studied recorded similar mean CO values, which dynamically changed in similar directions, they have markedly different bias and precision values relative to each other. Thus, results from prior studies that have used one device to estimate CO cannot be used to validate others devices.

Catheter-Based Embolectomy for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Devices, Technical Considerations, Risks, and Benefits.

A significant number of patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism have contraindications to thrombolytic therapy. Catheter-based therapy may be helpful and consists of a multitude of catheters and techniques, some old and some new. Although there are few data supporting the use of any of these techniques, there has been a recent rise in interest and use of catheter-based pulmonary embolectomy. This text describes the contemporary devices used in pulmonary embolism treatment, discusses their challenges, and proposes some future directions.

Catheter-Directed Therapy for Acute Submassive Pulmonary Embolism: Summary of Current Evidence and Protocols.

Treatment of acute submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) with thrombolytic therapy remains an area of controversy. For patients who fail or who have contraindications to systemic thrombolysis, catheter-directed therapy (CDT) may be offered depending on the patient's condition and the available institutional resources to perform CDT. Although various CDT techniques and protocols exist, the most studied method is low-dose catheter-directed thrombolytic infusion without mechanical thrombectomy. This article reviews current protocols and data on the use of CDT for acute submassive pulmonary embolism.