Hemodynamic monitoring by double-indicator dilution technique in patients after orthotopic heart transplantation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: A transpulmonary thermal-dye dilution (TDD) technique using cold indocyanine green dye was utilized to monitor cardiac index (CI) and preload in patients after heart transplantation. Preload, determined by intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI) and global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), was compared to central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) and was correlated with stroke volume index (SVI). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Cardiac surgery ICU at a university hospital. PATIENTS: Forty patients (34 men, 6 women) with a mean (+/- SD) age of 54.4+/-8.5 years after orthotopic heart transplantation. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: CI and preload measurements were performed with TDD and pulmonary artery catheters in the ICU at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. The femoral artery CI was compared with the pulmonary artery CI. Changes in the ITBVI, GEDVI, CVP, and PAOP were correlated with changes in the SVI. No difference was found between the femoral and pulmonary arterial CIs (r = 0.98 [bias, 0.35 L/min/m(2)]; p<0.01). There was no statistically significant correlation between changes in the SVI and changes in CVP (r = -0.23,) and PAOP (r = -0.06). However, the ITBVI (r = 0.65; p<0.01) and the GEDVI (r = 0.73; p<0.01) were significantly correlated to changes in the SVI. Changes in the same direction occurred between the SVI and the GEDVI as well as between the SVI and the ITBVI in 76.3% and 71.9% of patients, respectively, while CVP and PAOP also changed in the same direction as SVI in only 35.1% and 36.9% of patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: ITBVI and GEDVI are more reliable preload parameters than CVP and PAOP. Even in denervated hearts, ITBVI and GEDVI show significant correlations with SVI. The transpulmonary indicator dilution technique is promising and should be investigated further.

Central venous pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and intrathoracic blood volumes as preload indicators in cardiac surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring of cardiac preload is mainly performed by measurement of central venous and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in combination with assessment of cardiac output, applying the pulmonary arterial thermal dilution technique. However, the filling pressures are negatively influenced by mechanical ventilation and the pulmonary artery catheter is criticized because of its inherent risks. Measurement of right atria, right ventricular, global end diastolic and intrathoracic blood volume index by arterial thermal dye dilution utilizing the COLD-system may represent an alternative. METHODS: In 30 CABG patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course the mentioned parameters were measured 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h postoperatively to prove their qualification as preload indicators: As patients received no inotropic support, changes of cardiac index and stroke volume index must correlate to changes of presumably preload indicating parameters. RESULTS: When arterial and pulmonary arterial thermal dilution were compared, no differences were found; the correlation coefficient being 0.96, the bias 0.16 l/min per m2 (2.4%) and coefficients of variation did not exceed 7%. Changes of central venous pressure, capillary wedge pressure, right atrial end diastolic volume index and right ventricular end diastolic volume index did not correlate at all to changes of cardiac and stroke volume index (coefficients ranged from -0.01 to 0.28). In contrast, intrathoracic and global end diastolic blood volume indices with coefficients from 0.76 to 0.87, did show a good correlation to cardiac and stroke volume index. CONCLUSION: Central venous pressure, capillary wedge pressure, right atrial and right ventricular end diastolic volumes are no suitable preload parameters in cardiac surgery intensive care, compared to intrathoracic and global end diastolic blood volumes. The latter show a higher clinical value and can be obtained by less invasive methods, as no pulmonary artery catheter is required.

Reproducibility of double indicator dilution measurements of intrathoracic blood volume compartments, extravascular lung water, and liver function.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Arterial thermal dye dilution (TDDart) with the COLD system (Munich, Germany) allows measurement of cardiac index (CI), partial blood volumes, lung water, and liver function. The aim of the study was to determine agreement of TDDart measurements with pulmonary artery thermal dilution measurements (TDpa) and to assess the reproducibility of TDDart parameters. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: ICU of a university hospital department of cardiac surgery. PATIENTS: Thirty consecutive patients after coronary artery bypass grafting. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Triplicate measurements of TDDart parameters were performed 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively and coefficients of variation (CVs) were computed. At the 3-h point, additional fivefold TDDart measurements were done and compared with TDpa measurements. The coefficient of correlation for CI from TDDart vs TDpa was 0.96 (p<0.001), and the mean difference was 0.16 L/min/m2 (2.4%). The CVs of the TDDart and TDpa CI measurement were 7.2% and 5.9%; the CVs of other TDDart parameters were 4.6% (cardiac function index), 8.3% (global end-diastolic volume), 7.0% (intrathoracic blood volume), 7.6% (total blood volume), 7.4% (right ventricular end-diastolic volume), 7.4% (right heart end-diastolic volume), 11.3% (left heart end-diastolic volume [LHEDV]), 12.0% (right to left heart volume proportion [R/LHV]), 8.8% (pulmonary blood volume), 10.8% (extravascular lung water), 16.4% (plasma disappearance rate of dye), and 19.8% (dye clearance). The CV did not depend on Glasgow coma scale or on body temperature. CONCLUSION: The CVs of LHEDV and R/LHV are influenced by asynchronous TDDart and TDpa variation. The CVs of plasma disappearance and dye clearance are increased as the half-life of the dye is longer than the measurement sequence. All other parameters derived from TDDart and TDpa show a clinically sufficient reproducibility.