Estimation of brachial artery volume flow by duplex ultrasound imaging predicts dialysis access maturation.

OBJECTIVE: This study validated duplex ultrasound measurement of brachial artery volume flow (VF) as predictor of dialysis access flow maturation and successful hemodialysis. METHODS: Duplex ultrasound was used to image upper extremity dialysis access anatomy and estimate access VF within 1 to 2 weeks of the procedure. Correlation of brachial artery VF with dialysis access conduit VF was performed using a standardized duplex testing protocol in 75 patients. The hemodynamic data were used to develop brachial artery flow velocity criteria (peak systolic velocity and end-diastolic velocity) predictive of three VF categories: low (<600 mL/min), acceptable (600-800 mL/min), or high (>800 mL/min). Brachial artery VF was then measured in 148 patients after a primary (n = 86) or revised (n = 62) upper extremity dialysis access procedure, and the VF category correlated with access maturation or need for revision before hemodialysis usage. Access maturation was conferred when brachial artery VF was >600 mL/min and conduit imaging indicated successful cannulation based on anatomic criteria of conduit diameter >5 mm and skin depth <6 mm. RESULTS: Measurements of VF from the brachial artery and access conduit demonstrated a high degree of correlation (R(2) = 0.805) for autogenous vein (n = 45; R(2) = 0.87) and bridge graft (n = 30; R(2) = 0.78) dialysis accesses. Access VF of >800 mL/min was predicted when the brachial artery lumen diameter was >4.5 mm, peak systolic velocity was >150 cm/s, and the diastolic-to-systolic velocity ratio was >0.4. Brachial artery velocity spectra indicating VF <800 mL/min was associated (P < .0001) with failure of access maturation. Revision was required in 15 of 21 (71%) accesses with a VF of <600 mL/min, 4 of 40 accesses (10%) with aVF of 600 to 800 mL/min, and 2 of 87 accesses (2.3%) with an initial VF of >800 mL/min. Duplex testing to estimate brachial artery VF and assess the conduit for ease of cannulation can be performed in 5 minutes during the initial postoperative vascular clinic evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Estimation of brachial artery VF using the duplex ultrasound, termed the "Fast, 5-min Dialysis Duplex Scan," facilitates patient evaluation after new or revised upper extremity dialysis access procedures. Brachial artery VF correlates with access VF measurements and has the advantage of being easier to perform and applicable for forearm and also arm dialysis access. When brachial artery velocity spectra criteria confirm a VF >800 mL/min, flow maturation and successful hemodialysis are predicted if anatomic criteria for conduit cannulation are also present.

Interpretation of arterial duplex testing of lower-extremity arteries and interventions.

Arterial duplex testing is used to evaluate patients with lower-limb arterial occlusive or aneurysmal disease to provide clinicians with detailed information on location, extent, and severity of disease. It is possible to detect disease from the visceral aorta to the tibial arteries. Duplex testing is interpreted in conjunction with limb-pressure measurements to accurately categorize arterial hemodynamics and functional impairment. Understanding the features of duplex-acquired velocity spectra recordings is fundamental to accurate diagnostic testing, including the characteristic spectral features of "normal" versus "abnormal" lower-limb arterial flow, hemodynamic changes associated with stenosis or occlusion, and the status of distal limb or foot perfusion. Scanning can provide an arterial map of occlusive or aneurysm lesions analogous to an angiogram. Testing is accurate before and after intervention for the detection of stenosis; a common failure mode after bypass grafting or peripheral angioplasty. The detection of high-grade stenosis in an arterial repair allows for pre-emptive treatment before thrombosis occurs and improves long-term patency.

Antibiotic therapy of aortic graft infection: treatment and prevention recommendations.

Surgical site infection (SSI) after aortic intervention, an uncommon but serious vascular condition, requires patient-specific antibiotic therapy. Effective treatment and prevention requires the vascular surgeon to be cognizant of changing SSI microbiology, advances in antibiotic delivery, and patient characteristics. The majority of aortic graft infections are caused by Gram-positive bacteria, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus now the prevalent pathogen. Nasal carriage of methicillin-sensitive or methicillin-resistant S aureus strains, diabetes mellitus, recent hospitalization, a failed arterial reconstruction, and the presence of a groin incision are important SSI risk factors. Overall, the aortic SSI rate is higher than predicted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance risk category system; ranging from 5% after open or endovascular aortic interventions to as high as 10% to 15% after aortofemoral bypass or uni-aortoiliac grafting with femorofemoral bypass. Perioperative measures to reduce S aureus nares and skin colonization, administration of antibiotic prophylaxis, meticulous wound closure/care, and therapy directed to optimize patient host defense regulation mechanisms (eg, temperature, oxygenation, blood sugar) can minimize SSI occurrence. Antibiotic therapy for aortic graft infection should utilize bactericidal drugs that penetrate bacteria biofilms and can be delivered to the surgical site both parenterally and locally in the form of antibiotic-impregnated beads or prosthetic grafts.