The solubility of acetylene in blood: 1. Determination of acetylene dissolved in blood or other liquids

Exercise Stroke Volume in Adult Cystic Fibrosis: A Comparison of Acetylene Pulmonary Uptake and Oxygen Pulse

Cardiac hemodynamic assessment during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is proposed to play an important role in the clinical evaluation of individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Cardiac catheterization is not practical for routine clinical CPET. Use of oxygen pulse (O₂pulse) as a noninvasive estimate of stroke volume (SV) has not been validated in CF. This study tested the hypothesis that peak exercise O₂pulse is a valid estimate of SV in CF. Measurements of SV via the acetylene rebreathe technique were acquired at baseline and peak exercise in 17 mild-to-moderate severity adult CF and 25 age-matched healthy adults. We calculated O2pulse=V.O2HR. Baseline relationships between SV and O₂pulse were significant in CF (r = .80) and controls (r = .40), persisting to peak exercise in CF (r = .63) and controls (r = .73). The standard error of estimate for O₂pulse-predicted SV with respect to measured SV was similar at baseline (14.1 vs 20.1 mL) and peak exercise (18.2 vs 13.9 mL) for CF and controls, respectively. These data suggest that peak exercise O₂pulse is a valid estimate of SV in CF. The ability to noninvasively estimate SV via O₂pulse during routine clinical CPET can be used to improve test interpretation and advance our understanding of the impact cardiac dysfunction has on exercise intolerance in CF.

Nitrogenous subcutaneous emphysema caused by spray application of fibrin glue during retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery

We report a case of a patient treated by retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy who developed nitrogenous subcutaneous emphysema (SCE) as a complication. The use of a nitrogen gas-pressured fibrin tissue adhesive applied as a spray caused excessively increased pressure in the closed retroperitoneal space and resulted in widespread SCE with protracted clinical course. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of nitrogenous SCE associated with pneumoperitoneum. The clinical significance of nitrogenous SCE is emphasized, and the risks associated with the use of fibrin glue as a spray during laparoscopic surgery are discussed.