Surgery
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The deep inferior epigastric artery and vein may be satisfactorily utilized for chronic hemodialysis in patients who have no extremity vessels available.
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There was no correlation of blood volume measurements with central venous pressure (CVP) or hematocrit determinations and only minimal suggestive trends with wedge pressure in a large series of postoperative patients; the lack of correlations emphasize the unreliability of venous pressure and hematocrit determinations to predict blood volume alterations. To evaluate the physiological problems, to define optimal therapeutic goals, and to measure therapeutic effectiveness of volume loading with an oncotically active agent, we measured the hemodynamic and oxygen transport responses to 500 ml. of 5 percent albumin given over 1 hour in 22 patients with CVP greater than 15 cm. H2O. ⋯ In Group 2 there were slight increases in mean flow, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, and mean transit time and slightly decreased pulmonary vascular resistance; there was appreciable improvement in left ventricular function without significant deterioration of right ventricular function. The high initial central venous pressure is not a reliable index of either hypervolemia or cardiac failure in critically ill patients. It is concluded that a trial of volume loading with an oncotically active agent with frequent auscultation of the chest and careful observation of the CVP trends will give the maximum diagnostic as well as therapeutic information.
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The effects of acute normovolemic hemodilution on lung water, blood volume, hemodynamics, and oxygen transport were studied. The subjects were six patients undergoing major operations, with prebleeding and hemodilution under fluoroxene and nitrous oxide anesthesia. The menatocrit was reduced form 43 to 25 percent in one step, with simultaneous infusion of Plamanate and lactated Ringer's solution. ⋯ Systemic oxygen transport (CO times arterial O2 content) increased despite the marked fall in oxygen-carrying capacity, and the arteriovenous O2 content difference decreased. Lung water the aveolararterial (A-a) oxygen differences were reduced. The procedure was well tolerated by this group of selected patients and homologous blood utilization was reduced.
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Acid-base studies were carried out on 76 consecutive burn patients admitted within 36 hours of injury. Admission blood pH and base excess (BE) values all decreased in a linear relationship to the extent of the burn. Blood Pco-2 changes were unrelated to the extent of the burn. ⋯ Base requirements for the first two 24 hour periods after burn were linearly proportional to the extent of burn. Base requirements for these two periods were determined and were expressed as: (1) base needed the first 24 hours (milliequivalents per kilogram) equals percent of body surface burned/8; and (2) base needed the second 24 hours (milliequivalents per kilogram) equals base needed the first 24 hours/4. These formulas were found to work satisfactorily in a prospectively treated series of patients.