[Hemodynamic monitoring in microneurosurgical excision by sub- and retro-sinus approach in seated position in acoustic neurinoma]. / Surveillance hémodynamique au cours de l'exérèse micro-neurochirurgicale par voie sous- et rétrosinusienne en position assise du neurinome de l'acoustique.

Haemodynamic data (thermodilution Swan-Ganz catheter and radial artery cannula) were collected in 17 patients (52.4 +/- 8 yr) during retrosigmoid approach for removal of an acoustic tumour in the seated position. Measurements were made before stimulation of posterior fossa structures (period 1) and during tumour dissection along the brain stem (period 2). Significant increases in systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures, in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, in cardiac index and in stroke index were observed during period 2, whereas heart rate, right atrial pressure and systemic vascular resistances were unaffected. The greater the size of the tumour and the difficulties in dissection, the greater were these intraoperative haemodynamic changes. In addition, the pulmonary arterial blood temperature and the noradrenaline plasma concentrations (double isotope enzymatic assay) increased significantly during period 2. In conclusion, the prolonged microsurgical technique of acoustic tumour dissection through the retrosigmoid approach may modify left ventricular loading conditions and may lead to pulmonary oedema, even if intravascular volume expansion was minimal and ventricular function was near normal.

[Deep hypotension induced by sodium nitroprusside in neurosurgery. I.--Systemic hemodynamic effects (author's transl)]. / Hypotension contrôlée profonde au nitroprussiate de sodium en neurochirurgie. I. Effets hémodynamiques généraux.

The systemic hemodynamic effects of deep hypotension (MAP: 38 +/- 6 mm Hg) induced by sodium nitroprusside (S.N.) were studied in 20 patients who underwent surgery for cerebral aneurysm. The hemodynamic measurements were performed four times.: (1) during the preoperative period, (2) during stable anesthesia just before hypotension, (3) during stable hypotension, (4) 20 minutes after stopping nitroprusside. All patients were mechanically ventilated with a constant tidal volume and rate. Parameters for acid-base balance and Pa O2 were also recorded. Nitroprusside produces arterial and venous dilatation which results in a decrease of afterload and preload. The mean dosage of S. N. was 18 mcg/kg/mn. Systemic vascular resistances decreased by 62 p. cent. Mean arterial pressure decreased by 53 p. cent; it reached 40 mm Hg. Fall in preload resulted in a decrease in pulmonary wedge pressure by 28 p. cent. This fall in preload produced a decrease in stroke index according to Frank-Starling's mechanisms. However tachycardia allowed a rise in cardiac index by 20 p. cent. Increase of pulmonary wedge pressure at 8-10 mm Hg by blood volume expansion maintains stroke index at control level. Under these conditions the elevation of cardiac index is due to tachycardia. Cardiac rhythm disorders (wandering pace-maker, nodal rhythm) are observed in 5 patients after having stopped nitroprusside.

[Prolonged neuromuscular blockade during a D. penicillamine-induced myasthenia (author's transl)]. / Curarisation prolongée au cours d'un syndrome myasthénique induit par la D. pénicillamine.

The authors report a D. Penicillamine-induced myasthenia gravis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. The disorder was revealed by a postoperative respiratory depression which could be attributed to the aggravation of the neuromuscular blockade by the muscle relaxants. D. Penicillamine-induced myasthenia gravis is now well known. The onset of such an accident after anaesthesia of patient treated with D. Penicillamine is a potential risk. Management of these patients in anaesthesia must be similar to the management of patients with classic myasthenia gravis.

[Deep hypotension induced by sodium nitroprusside in neurosurgery. II.--Cerebral hemodynamic effects and metabolic rate of oxygen (author's transl)]. / Hypotension contrôlée profonde au nitroprussiate de sodium en neurochirurgie. II. Effets hémodynamiques cérébraux et consommation d'oxygène.

The cerebral hemodynamic effects of sodium nitroprusside (S. N.) have been the object of animal studies mainly. During the only human study performed, the drop in mean arterial pressure (MAP) is limited to 67 mm Hg. The study of the evolution of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cases of more severe hypotension (MAP less than 45 mm Hg) seems of some interest. The study was composed of the measurement of the CBF using Xenon 133 and the calculation of cerebral vascular resistances (CVR) as well as cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2). Eleven patients with an average age of 37 years underwent surgery for cerebral aneurism 10 to 15 days after the inaugural hemorrhagic accident, under narconeuroleptanalgesia and stable ventilatory conditions. They are divided into 2 groups: Group I, 9 patients with normal levels of consciousness; Group II, 2 patients either agitated or obnubilated. The study is composed of 3 successive measures: (1) (T0) during stable anesthesia just prior to hypotension; (2) (T1) after 5 minutes of hypotension (MAP = 40 +/- 7 MM Hg); (3) (T2) 20 minutes after having stopped S. N. infusion. For the 9 patients in Group I, CBF remains unchanged at T1, the CVR decreases (p less than 0.001) and CMRO2 decreases (p less than 0.05). At T2 all of these parameters return to T0 values. The postoperative clinical evolution is favorable and uncomplicated. For the 2 patients in Group II the CBF, initially higher, falls from 20 to 30 p. cent at T1 with a drastic reduction in CMRO2. Despite the improvement of these parameters at T2, a prolonged postoperative coma is observed. This study suggests that CBF and CMRO2 are important parameters to monitor during controlled severe hypotension. Decrease in MAP must be less than 50 p. cent of control value and time-limited.

Cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen consumption during nitroprusside-induced hypotension to less than 50 mmHg.

The authors determined the effect of profound induced hypotension (i.e., mean arterial blood pressure less than 50 mmHg) during craniotomy for cerebral aneurysm on cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen before, during, and after (20 min and 40 min after) the hypotensive period. The study was performed on nine adults (mean age, 29.2 yr) who were awake and conscious without peripheral neurologic deficits at the time of surgery. The study was conducted with the dura open with the use of a radial artery cannula, a 7-Fr thermodilution flow-directed pulmonary artery catheter, and an internal jugular vein catheter. The 133xenon intraarterial injection technique was used to determine regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the nonoperated hemisphere. rCBF remained unchanged (from 22.8 +/- 4.1 ml.100 g-1.min-1 to 23.8 +/- 4.6 ml.100 g-1.min-1) during the hypotensive period (MAP from 87.8 +/- 10.4 mmHg to 40.0 +/- 4.4 mmHg; P less than 0.001) despite an increase in cardiac index since cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebrovascular resistance decreased to a similar degree. No gross cerebral metabolic disturbances were observed. A period of decreased cerebrovascular resistance and increased rCBF followed induced hypotension. rCBF increased from 23.8 +/- 4.6 ml.100 g-1.min-1 to 30.0 +/- 5.8 ml.100 g-1.min-1 (P less than 0.001) 20 min after sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was stopped without rebound hypertension. These modifications disappeared 20 min later. Reduction of mean arterial blood pressure to 40 mmHg by SNP was apparently safe for the brain, although the possibility of low perfused regions and local brain and cerebrospinal fluid lactoacidosis, particularly in the retracted hemisphere, cannot be excluded.