Anesthesiology
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Biography Historical Article
Ferdinand Hasbrouck's Nitrous Oxide Caper-Which One?
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Observational Study
Effect of Inhalational Anesthetics and Positive-pressure Ventilation on Ultrasound Assessment of the Great Vessels: A Prospective Study at a Children's Hospital.
Bedside ultrasound has emerged as a rapid, noninvasive tool for assessment and monitoring of fluid status in children. The inferior vena cava (IVC) varies in size with changes in blood volume and intrathoracic pressure, but the magnitude of change to the IVC with inhalational anesthetic and positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) is unknown. ⋯ Addition of inhalational anesthetic affects IVC/Ao but not IVC-RV, and significant changes in IVC/Ao and IVC-RV occur with initiation of PPV in healthy children. Clinicians should be aware of these expected vascular changes when managing patients. Establishing these IVC parameters will enable future studies to better evaluate these measurements as tools for diagnosing hypovolemia or predicting fluid responsiveness.