Infusion System Architecture Impacts the Ability of Intensive Care Nurses to Maintain Hemodynamic Stability in a Living Swine Simulator.

BACKGROUND: The authors have previously shown that drug infusion systems with large common volumes exhibit long delays in reaching steady-state drug delivery and pharmacodynamic effects compared with smaller common-volume systems. The authors hypothesized that such delays can impede the pharmacologic restoration of hemodynamic stability. METHODS: The authors created a living swine simulator of hemodynamic instability in which occlusion balloons in the aorta and inferior vena cava (IVC) were used to manipulate blood pressure. Experienced intensive care unit nurses blinded to the use of small or large common-volume infusion systems were instructed to maintain mean arterial blood pressure between 70 and 90 mmHg using only sodium nitroprusside and norepinephrine infusions. Four conditions (IVC or aortic occlusions and small or large common volume) were tested 12 times in eight animals. RESULTS: After aortic occlusion, the time to restore mean arterial pressure to range (t1: 2.4 ± 1.4 vs. 5.0 ± 2.3 min, P = 0.003, average ± SD), time-out-of-range (tOR: 6.2 ± 3.5 vs. 9.5 ± 3.4 min, P = 0.028), and area-out-of-range (pressure-time integral: 84 ± 47 vs. 170 ± 100 mmHg · min, P = 0.018) were all lower with smaller common volumes. After IVC occlusion, t1 (3.7 ± 2.2 vs. 7.1 ± 2.6 min, P = 0.002), tOR (6.3 ± 3.5 vs. 11 ± 3.0 min, P = 0.007), and area-out-of-range (110 ± 93 vs. 270 ± 140 mmHg · min, P = 0.003) were all lower with smaller common volumes. Common-volume size did not impact the total amount infused of either drug. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses did not respond as effectively to hemodynamic instability when drugs flowed through large common-volume infusion systems. These findings suggest that drug infusion system common volume may have clinical impact, should be minimized to the greatest extent possible, and warrants clinical investigations.

Devastating intracardiac and aortic thrombosis: a case report of apparent catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome during liver transplantation.

Fewer than 80 cases of intracardiac thrombosis and intraoperative pulmonary thromboembolism during liver transplantation have been described. We present a patient who suffered an intraoperative fulminant intracardiac and aortic thrombosis and posthumously was found to have had high anticardiolipin immunoglobulin M concentration and markers of hyperfibrinolysis in preoperatively collected plasma. Hemostatic therapy in the presence of circulating antiphospholipid antibodies and the pathogenesis of a catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome are discussed.

Unexpected persistent left superior vena cava and absent right superior vena cava in situs solitus patient.

We, herein, report a patient with persistent left superior vena cava with enlarged coronary sinus and absent right superior vena cava. This anomaly, diagnosed intraoperatively during the third open-heart surgery in the course of transesophageal echocardiography examination, was not mentioned during the patient's previous two cardiac operations. Challenges in intraoperative management and implications for subsequent treatments are discussed.

Comparative analysis of the Bonanno catheter and tube thorocostomy in effective aspiration of pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: In our earlier report, we suggested the Bonanno catheter (a 14-gauge suprapubic catheter) as a less traumatic but equally effective alternative for drainage of a variety of fluid collections, including pleural effusion. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the Bonanno catheter compared with closed-tube thoracostomy in draining pleural effusion in 38 patients following routine cardiac surgery between 2003 and 2004. Twenty patients were managed using the Bonanno catheter and 18 were treated with standard tube thoracostomy. Data were collected retrospectively and statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software. P < .05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 20 (53%) male and 18 (47%) female patients with a mean age of 63.5 years (range, 31-83 years). Significant differences were observed with regards to the amount of lignocaine administered locally, intra-procedure pain score, post-procedure pain score after 15 minutes, and amount of analgesia used on a regular basis (P < .05 in each case). Statistically, significant differences were also noted during 2 to 3 weeks follow-up between the 2 groups with regards to pain score. In the the tube thoracostomy group, 22.2% developed infection of the procedure site, requiring antibiotic treatment, whereas no infection was reported in the Bonanno group (P < .001). CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence that smallbore drains such as the Bonanno catheter are safe and better tolerated than standard chest drains. This is consistent with the British Thoracic Society guidelines that strongly recommend small-bore drains for the drainage of pleural effusions as they are more comfortable than larger-bore tubes.