Please see Bibliography of References for a list of abstracts, manuscripts and posters.
Skampas N, Basios N, Kritikos K, Angelopoulos E, Porizai M, Gerovasili V, Renieris P, Charitos C, Nanas S. Crit Care. 2006;10(Supp 1):S133. Abstract P321.
Introduction: Peripheral microcirculation is affected by extracorporeal circulation, hypothermia and anesthesia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The alterations of peripheral microcirculation and their relation to the hemodynamic status in these patients have not yet been studied.
Objective: To compare microcirculation parameters with the postoperative hemodynamic status of these patients.
Methods: We studied seven postoperative cardiac patients (five males/two females, 69 ± 6 years) during the immediate postoperative period. All were receiving inotropic agents (11 norepinephrine, 15 dobutamine, three adrenaline, four levosimendan). We used Swan–Ganz catheterization to assess the cardiac index and mixed venous blood oxygen saturation (SvO2) values. We used the InSpectra near-infrared spectrometer (NIRS) to monitor the thenar muscle tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and the total hemoglobin index (THI) (which reflects the sum of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin) at baseline.
Results: The hemodynamic parameters of our patients were: MAP 79 ± 10 mmHg, CVP 8 ± 4 cmH2O, PCWP 11 ± 2 mmHg, MPAP 27 ± 7 mmHg, CI 2.6 ± 0.7 l/min/m2, SVR 1243 ± 318 dyne × s/cm5, PVR 309 ± 139 dyne × s/cm5, HR 93 ± 7 bpm, DO2 706 ± 209 l/min. Laboratory values were: Hb 10.4 ± 1.5 g/dl, lactate 2.4 ± 1.2 mg/dl. We found a significant correlation between StO2 at baseline and the cardiac index (r = 0.85, P < 0.001) and between the THI at baseline and the cardiac index (r = 0.88, P < 0.001). The StO2 at baseline also significantly correlated with SvO2 (r = 0.94, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Non-invasively acquired tissue oxygen saturation values correlate with hemodynamic indices. This suggests that non-invasive monitoring of the microcirculation might be used for the management of postoperative cardiac patients. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.