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Biomedical subjects

J Poelaert

Publications and source records attributed to J Poelaert.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Rapidly progressive pulmonary artery hypertension and end-stage liver disease.

Pulmonary hypertension is a recognized but unusual complication of liver disease. It can complicate the perioperative course of liver transplantation. Mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension is generally well tolerated during the procedure and does not appear to contribute to mortality. Since the pulmonary vascular disease may progress rapidly, it may have advanced to the point of irreversibility at the time of surgery. So, patients with known moderate pulmonary hypertension should have pulmonary arterial catheterisation immediately prior to transplantation. If pulmonary artery hypertension has become severe, then a preoperative trial of vasodilators is warranted. If this fails, the procedure should be cancelled. We present a patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis in whom a rapidly progressive pulmonary hypertension made liver transplantation impossible.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Transoesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of ventricular function during transvenous defibrillator implantation.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative testing and defibrillation threshold determination may jeopardise patients, scheduled for implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The purpose of this study was the assessment of the influence of consecutive defibrillation attempts on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function by means of transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). METHODS: Eighteen patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias that were resistant to antiarrhythmic drugs were monitored with TEE before, during and after implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator. Left ventricular fractional area contraction as a measure of ejection fraction was assessed before and after each defibrillation attempt. Transmitral and right upper pulmonary venous flow parameters were evaluated before and after the whole implantation procedure. RESULTS: Adequate data were available in 14 patients during 4 consecutive attempts. No major alterations were observed in heart rate or fractional area contraction, measured at 30 s and 3 min after defibrillation. Overall, the ratio of early-to-late transmitral filling decreased significantly after the implantation procedure (from 0.91 +/- 0.12 to 0.82 +/- 0.14; P < 0.05). Systolic pulmonary venous flow velocity decreased from 0.49 +/- 0.11 to 0.41 +/- 0.10 m/s (P = 0.04); this decrease was observed in both groups. A significant increase of the atrial contraction wave (from 0.25 +/- 0.06 to 0.34 +/- 0.07 m/s; P < 0.03) was seen. Subdividing patients related to their precperative ejection fraction, a significant decrease of the early-to-late transmitral filling of the LV was revealed in patients with ejection fraction less than 35% (group 1). Also, a significantly lower systolic fraction of the pulmonary venous flow after ICD implantation in conjunction with a significantly longer diastolic flow time was shown in this patient group in comparison with patients with a preoperative ejection fraction of more than 35% (group 2). CONCLUSION: Defibrillation threshold testing of the ICD system changes LV inflow characteristics and impedes diastolic function of the left ventricle and may thus precipitate heart failure by this mechanism. No deleterious effects of threshold testing were observed with respect to fractional area contraction nor any deterioration of LV function was found in a clinically significant amount due to consecutive defibrillation attempts.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Low extracorporeal priming volumes for infants: a benefit?

An extracorporeal circuit consisting of an oxygenator especially designed for neonatal use and appropriately sized tubing, with an average total priming volume of 205 ml, was used on 80 infants undergoing cardiac surgery for congenital heart-disease. The priming volume and foreign surface area of the circuit were determined. The influence of low priming volumes on the use of blood products and the management of cardiopulmonary bypass was studied. No whole blood or platelets were used in this study. The mean volume of packed red blood cells used over the hospital stay was 202 +/- 67 ml. The mean volume of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) used until the second postoperative day was 62 +/- 72 ml. The mean total blood loss until the second postoperative day was 15.8 +/- 9.2 ml/kg. The priming volume of the extracorporeal circuit was 62% lower than values commonly reported in the literature. The low priming volume had a strong influence on the use of platelets and FFP and to a lesser extent on the use of packed red blood cells.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1995

A new transvenous internal cardioverter-defibrillator: implantation technique, complications, and short-term follow-up.

Twenty-four patients with ventricular fibrillation or sustained ventricular tachycardia underwent implantation of a new transvenous defibrillator. All patients had a device implanted without thoracotomy. High placement of a shock lead in the anonymous vein and inversion of the shock-wave polarity allowed avoidance of placement of subcutaneous patches. Implantation time decreased from 138 minutes for the first 12 patients to 82 minutes for the last 12 patients, with 4 and 11 subpectoral pockets, respectively. Three patients required a minor reintervention. No bleeding or infection occurred. One episode of pulmonary edema and one pulmonary embolism were seen in the postoperative course. No postoperative deaths were observed. During a mean follow-up period of 4.12 months, 58% of the 24 patients had symptomatic arrhythmic episodes, with shocks in 50% of the 24. Inappropriate shocks were delivered in three cases (atrial fibrillation and T-wave sensing). One episode was not terminated even with four internal shocks. One patient had ventricular fibrillation because of a sensing problem. By reprogramming of sensitivity, back-up pacing, and adjustment of drug therapy these arrhythmic complications could be prevented. Pectoral implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator is easy and can be performed by cardiologists experienced in pacemaker implantation. Careful postoperative observation, reprogramming after the first spontaneous event, and prehospital discharge induction of ventricular fibrillation will prevent arrhythmic complications.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Awareness during anaesthesia for implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation. Recall of defibrillation shocks.

Implantable cardioverter defibrillator implantation is performed under general anaesthesia. This report describes awareness or recall in two of 33 patients scheduled for implantation. After induction, anaesthesia was maintained using continuous infusions of propofol and atracurium and intermittent boluses of alfentanil. Propofol was given in the same arm as the implantation side. In these two patients propofol flowed out of the bleeding central venous access. To minimise the possibility of awareness, we advise that continuous infusions should be administered intravenously on the contralateral side to the implantation and that neuromuscular blocking agent be given by intermittent bolus injections.

Anesthesia, General↗
PubMed1993

Experience of cardioverter-defibrillators inserted without thoracotomy: evaluation of transvenously inserted intracardiac leads alone or with a subcutaneous axillary patch.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of a purely transvenous cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) system with that of a system with a supplementary subcutaneous patch. To evaluate clinical follow up of these lead arrangements that do not require thoracotomy. DESIGN: A simplified defibrillation protocol to test two different lead arrangements during implantation, with routine clinical follow up after implantation. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre for treatment of arrhythmia. PATIENTS: 22 consecutive patients selected for implantation of an ICD because of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular fibrillation or sustained ventricular tachycardia) of whom 20 entered the test protocol. INTERVENTION: Implantation of an ICD with transvenously inserted intracardiac leads and a subcutaneous patch and assessment of effective defibrillation followed by testing of the purely transvenous approach. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Reproducible conversion of ventricular fibrillation to sinus rhythm at a certain energy level, providing a safety margin of at least 10 J for both lead arrangements. Confirmation of efficacy during clinical follow up (mean 6 months). RESULTS: A transvenous lead system combined with a subcutaneous axillary patch was implanted in 20/22 patients and it provided adequate and acceptable energy levels. In 10/20 tested patients a purely transvenous lead configuration provided an acceptable safety margin as well. Nine patients had clinical recurrences: all these arrhythmias were successfully converted. CONCLUSION: A transvenous lead system was sufficient in 50% of the patients at the time of implantation. Data on long-term clinical follow up of this arrangement are not available. The approach without thoracotomy with a subcutaneous patch is feasible and effective in most patients selected for ICD treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Influence of chest physiotherapy on arterial oxygen saturation.

Two groups of ventilated patients were compared for chest physical therapy on an ICU: respiratory insufficient patients on one side and a control population on the other were submitted either to percussion or vibration therapy, and to postural drainage. Our data show a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation after CPT and after 2h monitoring; the lateral position results in a better SaO2 in the pneumonia group while SaO2 tend to decrease in the control population. However, no significant therapeutic influence of vibration nor percussion was found. Our data suggest CPT does not result in a short term respiratory benefit. Further investigations with prolonged sessions of postural drainage are required.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Clinical evaluation of pulse oximetry monitors on critically ill patients.

Four pulse oximeters and two pulse oximeter-capnographs were evaluated on accuracy of measuring oxygen saturation and heartrate for the former and oxygen saturation, heartrate, respiratory rate and capnography for the latter. In the first part of the study four pulse oximeters (Criticare Systems Model 501 +, Ohmeda Biox 3700 Pulse Oximeter, Nellcor Model N 100 and Datex Satlite) were simultaneously studied on 10 ventilated ICU patients. Fifty simultaneous measurements were done for heartrate and oxygen saturation and compared to arterial saturations and ECG heartrates. Mean differences from pulse oximeter values versus control arterial and ECG values were within two percent for the four instruments. In the second part two oxicaps (Ohmeda 4700 and Nellcor N 1000) were evaluated with the same control parameters. Thirty measurements on 3 patients were done. As in the first part of the study all results were accurate within two percent of control values. From those data we can conclude that all examined monitors were fairly accurate compared to simultaneous arterial blood gas analysis and ECG monitoring. The oxicap monitors have the advantage of giving continuous information on two very important parameters of patient monitoring: CO2 and saturation.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The use of combined high-frequency jet ventilation and intermittent positive pressure ventilation in bilateral bronchopleural fistulae.

Dissatisfaction with the results of conventional respiratory support has led to the use of high-frequency jet ventilation in desperate clinical situations with severe acute respiratory failure. We report a case of a 77 year old man with bilateral bronchopleural fistulae, who was ventilated with a combination of intermittent positive pressure ventilation and high-frequency jet ventilation. The hemodynamic and respiratory advances of this combination are discussed in an overview of the literature.

Aged↗