Left ventricular performance assessed by echocardiographic automated border detection and arterial pressure

Effect of tidal volume, sampling duration, and cardiac contractility on pulse pressure and stroke volume variation during positive-pressure ventilation

INTRODUCTION

Both pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation during intermittent positive-pressure ventilation predict preload responsiveness. However, because ventilatory and cardiac frequencies are not the same, increasing the number of breaths sampled may increase calculated pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation because larger (max) and smaller (min) pulse pressure and stroke volume may occur. Tidal volume and contractility may also alter pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation. We hypothesized that the magnitude of pulse pressure variation would increase with sampling duration, and that both tidal volume and contractility would independently alter pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation.

METHODS

In seven pentobarbital-anesthetized intact dogs arterial and left ventricular pressure (Millar) and left ventricular volume (Leycom) were measured over 8 intermittent positive-pressure ventilation breaths at tidal volume of 5, 10, 15, and 20 mL/kg (f = 20/min, 40% inspiratory time) under baseline, esmolol (2 mg/min), dobutamine infusions (5 microg/kg/min) and following volume loading (500 mL NaCl). Stroke volume variation was calculated using pulse contour method (PiCCO, Pulsion Medical Systems, Munich, Germany) averaged over 12 secs. Pulse pressure variation was calculated as 100 x (PPmax - PPmin)/PPmean and calculated over 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 breaths.

RESULTS

Pulse pressure variation increased progressively with increasing sampling duration up to but not exceeding five breaths. The effect on sampling duration was increased by greater tidal volume. Esmolol infusion decreased both pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation as compared with baseline (p < 0.05) at all tidal volume levels. However, dobutamine did not alter either pulse pressure variation or stroke volume variation.

CONCLUSION

Sampling duration, tidal volume, and beta-adrenergic blockade differentially alters pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation during intermittent positive-pressure ventilation. Thus, separate validation is required to define threshold pulse pressure variation and stroke volume variation values used to drive resuscitation algorithms.

Prediction of fluid responsiveness using respiratory variations in left ventricular stroke area by transoesophageal echocardiographic automated border detection in mechanically ventilated patients

Background

Left ventricular stroke area by transoesophageal echocardiographic automated border detection has been shown to be strongly correlated to left ventricular stroke volume. Respiratory variations in left ventricular stroke volume or its surrogates are good predictors of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients. We hypothesised that respiratory variations in left ventricular stroke area (ΔSA) can predict fluid responsiveness.

Methods

Eighteen mechanically ventilated patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were studied immediately after induction of anaesthesia. Stroke area was measured on a beat-to-beat basis using transoesophageal echocardiographic automated border detection. Haemodynamic and echocardiographic data were measured at baseline and after volume expansion induced by a passive leg raising manoeuvre. Responders to passive leg raising manoeuvre were defined as patients presenting a more than 15% increase in cardiac output.

Results

Cardiac output increased significantly in response to volume expansion induced by passive leg raising (from 2.16 ± 0.79 litres per minute to 2.78 ± 1.08 litres per minute; p < 0.01). ΔSA decreased significantly in response to volume expansion (from 17% ± 7% to 8% ± 6%; p < 0.01). ΔSA was higher in responders than in non-responders (20% ± 5% versus 10% ± 5%; p < 0.01). A cutoff ΔSA value of 16% allowed fluid responsiveness prediction with a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 83%. ΔSA at baseline was related to the percentage increase in cardiac output in response to volume expansion (r = 0.53, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

ΔSA by transoesophageal echocardiographic automated border detection is sensitive to changes in preload, can predict fluid responsiveness, and can quantify the effects of volume expansion on cardiac output. It has potential clinical applications.

Clinical review: Positive end-expiratory pressure and cardiac output

In patients with acute lung injury, high levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may be necessary to maintain or restore oxygenation, despite the fact that 'aggressive' mechanical ventilation can markedly affect cardiac function in a complex and often unpredictable fashion. As heart rate usually does not change with PEEP, the entire fall in cardiac output is a consequence of a reduction in left ventricular stroke volume (SV). PEEP-induced changes in cardiac output are analyzed, therefore, in terms of changes in SV and its determinants (preload, afterload, contractility and ventricular compliance). Mechanical ventilation with PEEP, like any other active or passive ventilatory maneuver, primarily affects cardiac function by changing lung volume and intrathoracic pressure. In order to describe the direct cardiocirculatory consequences of respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation and PEEP, this review will focus on the effects of changes in lung volume, factors controlling venous return, the diastolic interactions between the ventricles and the effects of intrathoracic pressure on cardiac function, specifically left ventricular function. Finally, the hemodynamic consequences of PEEP in patients with heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute respiratory distress syndrome are discussed.

Validation of a mouse conductance system to determine LV volume: comparison to echocardiography and crystals

The application of left ventricular pressure-volume analysis to transgenic mice to characterize the cardiac phenotype has been problematic due to the small size of the mouse heart and the rapid heartbeat. Conductance technology has been miniaturized for the mouse and can solve this problem. However, there has been no validation of this technique. Accordingly, we performed echocardiography followed by simultaneous ultrasonic crystals, flow probe, and conductance studies in 18 CD-1 mice. Raw conductance volumes were corrected for an inhomogenous electrical field (alpha) and parallel conductance (G(pi)) yielding a stroke volume of 14.1 +/- 3.7 microliter/beat, end-diastolic volume of 20.8 +/- 6.5 microliter, and end-systolic volume of 9.0 +/- 5.8 microliter. The mean conductance volumes were no different from those derived by flow probe and echocardiography but did differ from ultrasonic crystals. G(pi) was determined to be 14.9 +/- 8.7 microliter. However, hypertonic saline altered dimension and pressure in the mouse left ventricle. Although G(pi) can be determined by the hypertonic saline method, saline altered hemodynamics, questioning its validity in the mouse. Although mean measures of absolute volume may be similar among different techniques, individual values did not correlate.