Perioperative Risk Assessment of Patients Using the MyRISK Digital Score Completed Before the Preanesthetic Consultation: Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential of digital health solutions to adapt the organization of care in a crisis context. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to describe the relationship between the MyRISK score, derived from self-reported data collected by a chatbot before the preanesthetic consultation, and the occurrence of postoperative complications. METHODS: This was a single-center prospective observational study that included 401 patients. The 16 items composing the MyRISK score were selected using the Delphi method. An algorithm was used to stratify patients with low (green), intermediate (orange), and high (red) risk. The primary end point concerned postoperative complications occurring in the first 6 months after surgery (composite criterion), collected by telephone and by consulting the electronic medical database. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the explanatory variables associated with the complications. A machine learning model was trained to predict the MyRISK score using a larger data set of 1823 patients classified as green or red to reclassify individuals classified as orange as either modified green or modified red. User satisfaction and usability were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 389 patients analyzed for the primary end point, 16 (4.1%) experienced a postoperative complication. A red score was independently associated with postoperative complications (odds ratio 5.9, 95% CI 1.5-22.3; P=.009). A modified red score was strongly correlated with postoperative complications (odds ratio 21.8, 95% CI 2.8-171.5; P=.003) and predicted postoperative complications with high sensitivity (94%) and high negative predictive value (99%) but with low specificity (49%) and very low positive predictive value (7%; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve=0.71). Patient satisfaction numeric rating scale and system usability scale median scores were 8.0 (IQR 7.0-9.0) out of 10 and 90.0 (IQR 82.5-95.0) out of 100, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The MyRISK digital perioperative risk score established before the preanesthetic consultation was independently associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications. Its negative predictive strength was increased using a machine learning model to reclassify patients identified as being at intermediate risk. This reliable numerical categorization could be used to objectively refer patients with low risk to teleconsultation.

Is there a benefit for anesthesiologists of adding difficult airway scenarios for learning fiberoptic intubation skills using virtual reality training? A randomized controlled study.

Fiberoptic intubation for a difficult airway requires significant experience. Traditionally only normal airways were available for high fidelity bronchoscopy simulators. It is not clear if training on difficult airways offers an advantage over training on normal airways. This study investigates the added value of difficult airway scenarios during virtual reality fiberoptic intubation training. A prospective multicentric randomized study was conducted 2019 to 2020, among 86 inexperienced anesthesia residents, fellows and staff. Two groups were compared: Group N (control, n = 43) first trained on a normal airway and Group D (n = 43) first trained on a normal, followed by three difficult airways. All were then tested by comparing their ORSIM® scores on 5 scenarios (1 normal and 4 difficult airways). The final evaluation ORSIM® score for the normal airway testing scenario was significantly higher for group N than group D: median score 76% (IQR 56.5-90) versus 58% (IQR 51.5-69, p = 0.0039), but there was no difference in ORSIM® scores for the difficult intubation testing scenarios. A single exposure to each of 3 different difficult airway scenarios did not lead to better fiberoptic intubation skills on previously unseen difficult airways, when compared to multiple exposures to a normal airway scenario. This finding may be due to the learning curve of approximately 5-10 exposures to a specific airway scenario required to reach proficiency.

Does prior exposure to clinical critical events influence stress reactions to simulation session in nursing students: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Simulation is a pedagogical method known to be a generator of stress, that could be influenced by previous stressful experiences. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of previous experience with a clinical critical event on the stress experienced by nursing students during simulation session of critical events, and on the stress experienced during clinical critical events subsequent to the training. DESIGN: Observational case-control study. SETTINGS: Four critical event scenarios were created using full-scale simulation. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and fifteen undergraduate nursing students of semester four. The control group (n = 112) consisted of learners who had not previously experienced a critical event. The prior exposure group (n = 103) consisted of learners who had experienced a critical event prior to the course. METHODS: Stress levels were assessed using the self-report stress numerical rating scale-11. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the level of stress between the prior exposure group and the control group before, during or expected after the simulation session. A significant decrease in stress was observed in both groups from before the course to during the session (p < 0.05) and expected after the session (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the expected post-session stress level and the stress levels reported four months after the training (p = 0.966). At four months, there was no significant difference in stress levels between the groups (p = 0.212). CONCLUSIONS: The prior experience of a clinical critical event before a simulation course did not influence their reported stress level during the simulation session. Conversely, simulation-based training of critical situations appears to reduce the level of self-assessed stress during critical events in clinical practice after the training.

Improving Provision of Preanesthetic Information Through Use of the Digital Conversational Agent "MyAnesth": Prospective Observational Trial.

BACKGROUND: Due to time limitations, the preanesthetic consultation (PAC) is not the best time for patients to integrate information specific to their perioperative care pathway. OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital companion on patients' knowledge of anesthesia and their satisfaction after real-life implementation. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, monocentric, comparative study using a before-and-after design. In phase 1, a 9-item self-reported anesthesia knowledge test (Delphi method) was administered to patients before and after their PAC (control group: PAC group). In phase 2, the study was repeated immediately after the implementation of a digital conversational agent, MyAnesth (@+PAC group). Patients' satisfaction and their representations for anesthesia were also assessed using a Likert scale and the Abric method of hierarchized evocation. RESULTS: A total of 600 tests were distributed; 205 patients and 98 patients were included in the PAC group and @+PAC group, respectively. Demographic characteristics and mean scores on the 9-point preinformation test (PAC group: 4.2 points, 95% CI 3.9-4.4; @+PAC: 4.3 points, 95% CI 4-4.7; P=.37) were similar in the two groups. The mean score after receiving information was better in the @+PAC group than in the PAC group (6.1 points, 95% CI 5.8-6.4 points versus 5.2 points, 95% CI 5.0-5.4 points, respectively; P<.001), with an added value of 0.7 points (95% CI 0.3-1.1; P<.001). Among the respondents in the @+PAC group, 82% found the information to be clear and appropriate, and 74% found it easily accessible. Before receiving information, the central core of patients' representations for anesthesia was focused on the fear of being put to sleep and thereafter on caregiver skills and comfort. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of our digital conversational agent in addition to the PAC improved patients' knowledge about their perioperative care pathway. This innovative audiovisual support seemed clear, adapted, easily accessible, and reassuring. Future studies should focus on adapting both the content and delivery of a digital conversational agent for the PAC in order to maximize its benefit to patients.

Perineural dexamethasone attenuates liposomal bupivacaine-induced delayed neural inflammation in mice in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel®) is a sustained-release formulation of bupivacaine for use in surgical infiltration anaesthesia. We analysed the histological nerve toxicity and clinical effectiveness of perineural Exparel® alone or with added dexamethasone in a mouse model. METHODS: We assigned 98 mice receiving a perineural sciatic nerve injection into seven groups: sham (n=14, perineural saline), B (n=14, perineural bupivacaine), BDIP (n=14, perineural bupivacaine + intraperitoneal dexamethasone), BDPN (n=14, perineural bupivacaine + perineural dexamethasone), E (n=14, perineural Exparel®), EDIP (n=14, perineural Exparel® + intraperitoneal dexamethasone), and EDPN (n=14, perineural Exparel® + perineural dexamethasone). The duration of thermoalgesic and motor block was evaluated in 49 mice (seven mice randomly selected by group) every 30 min until recovery. Mice were killed for sciatic nerve histological assessment at 14 or 28 days. RESULTS: The median duration of motor block was 90, 120, 120, 120, 180, and 180 min and the duration of thermoalgesic block was 240, 300, 360, 360, 360, and 420 min for groups B, BDIP, BDPN, E, EDIP, and EDPN, respectively. The B group mice showed mild neural inflammation at 14 days and the E group mice showed mild neural inflammation at 28 days. Addition (intraperitoneal or perineural) of dexamethasone reduced neural inflammation induced by bupivacaine, whereas only perineural dexamethasone reduced neural inflammation induced by Exparel®. CONCLUSIONS: Perineural or systemic dexamethasone had a protective effect against the neural inflammation induced by bupivacaine, and perineural dexamethasone attenuated delayed inflammation induced by perineural Exparel®.

Control of Spinal Anesthesia-Induced Hypotension in Adults.

Spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension (SAIH) occurs frequently, particularly in the elderly and in patients undergoing caesarean section. SAIH is caused by arterial and venous vasodilatation resulting from the sympathetic block along with a paradoxical activation of cardioinhibitory receptors. Bradycardia after spinal anesthesia (SA) must always be treated as a warning sign of an important hemodynamic compromise. Fluid preloading (before initiation of the SA) with colloids such as hydroxyethyl starch (HES) effectively reduces the incidence and severity of arterial hypotension, whereas crystalloid preloading is not indicated. Co-loading with crystalloid or colloid is as equally effective to HES preloading, provided that the speed of administration is adequate (ie, bolus over 5 to 10 minutes). Ephedrine has traditionally been considered the vasoconstrictor of choice, especially for use during SAIH associated with bradycardia. Phenylephrine, a α1 adrenergic receptor agonist, is increasingly used to treat SAIH and its prophylactic administration (ie, immediately after intrathecal injection of local anesthetics) has been shown to decrease the incidence of arterial hypotension. The role of norepinephrine as a possible alternative to phenylephrine seems promising. Other drugs, such as serotonin receptor antagonists (ondansetron), have been shown to limit the blood pressure drop after SA by inhibiting the Bezold-Jarisch reflex (BJR), but further studies are needed before their widespread use can be recommended.

Effect of fluid challenge on renal resistive index after major orthopaedic surgery: A prospective observational study using Doppler ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: A postoperative renal resistive index (RRI)>0.70 has the best threshold to early predict acute kidney injury (AKI). The response of RRI to a postoperative fluid challenge (FC) is unknown. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of a FC on RRI in suspected hypovolaemia patients after orthopaedic surgery. DESIGN: In this single-centre observational study, we prospectively screened 156 patients in the recovery room after having undergone a hip or knee replacement. INTERVENTIONS: Forty-six patients with a RRI>0.70 and requiring FC were included. RRI and cardiac output (CO) were measured before and immediately after a fluid challenge with 500mL of isotonic saline. A decrease in RRI>5% was considered significant (renal responders). RESULTS: Overall, FC resulted in a consistent decrease in RRI (from 0.74 [0.72-0.79] to 0.70 [0.68-0.73], P<0.01). Thirty-four patients (74%) showed a significant decrease in their RRI (from 0.74 [0.73-0.79] to 0.69 [0.67-0.72], P<0.05, versus non-responders: from 0.73 [0.72-0.75] to 0.72 [0.71-0.79], P=NS). CO increased equally among renal responders and non-responders (P=0.56). No correlation was found between changes in RRI and CO (r2=0.04; P=0.064). AKI was more common in renal non-responders (7/12) than in responders (3/34, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: After major orthopaedic surgery, a FC can decrease RRI in suspected hypovolaemia patients at risk of postoperative AKI, but the changes are not correlated to changes in CO. Decreases in RRI were associated with better renal outcome.

Concepts for the Simulation Community: Development of the International Simulation Data Registry.

STATEMENT: The past several decades have seen tremendous growth in our understanding of best practices in simulation-based healthcare education. At present, however, there is limited infrastructure available to assist programs in translation of these best practices into more standardized educational approaches, higher quality of care, and ultimately improved outcomes. In 2014, the International Simulation Data Registry (ISDR) was launched to address this important issue. The existence of such a registry has important implications not just for educational practice but also for research. The ISDR currently archives data related to pulseless arrest, malignant hyperthermia, and difficult airway simulations. Case metrics are designed to mirror the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines Registry, allowing for direct comparisons with clinical scenarios. This article describes the rationale for the ISDR, and outlines its development. Current data are presented to highlight the educational and research value of this approach. Projected future developments are also discussed.

Training in intraoperative handover and display of a checklist improve communication during transfer of care: An interventional cohort study of anaesthesia residents and nurse anaesthetists.

BACKGROUND: Handovers during anaesthesia are common, and failures in communication may lead to morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: We hypothesised that intraoperative handover training and display of a checklist would improve communication during anaesthesia care transition in the operating room. DESIGN: Interventional cohort study. SETTING: Single-centre tertiary care university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 204 random observations of handovers between anaesthesia providers (residents and nurse anaesthetists) over a 6-month period in 2016. INTERVENTION: Two geographically different hospital sites were studied simultaneously (same observations, but no training/checklist at the control site): first a 2-week 'baseline' observation period; then handover training and display of checklists in each operating room (at the intervention site only) followed by an 'immediate' second and finally a third (3 months later) observation period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 22-item checklist was created by a modified DELPHI method and a checklist score calculated for each handover by adding the individual scores for each item as follows: -1, if error in communicating item; 0, unreported item; 0.5, if partly communicated item; 1, if correctly communicated item. RESULTS: Before training and display of the checklist, the scores in the interventional and the control groups were similar. There was no improvement in the control group's scores over the three observation periods. In the interventional group, the mean (95% confidence interval) score increased by 43% [baseline 7.6 (6.7 to 8.4) n = 42; 'immediate' 10.9 (9.4 to 12.4) n = 27, P < 0.001]. This improvement persisted at 3 months without an increase in the mean duration of handovers. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative handover training and display of a checklist in the operating room improved the checklist score for intraoperative transfer of care in anaesthesia.

Regional Anesthesia With Noninvasive Ventilation for Shoulder Surgery in a Patient With Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Case Report.

Interscalene block (ISB) impairs ipsilateral lung function and generally is not used for patients with respiratory insufficiency. We present a 49-year-old man with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease scheduled for shoulder surgery. He was given a regional technique with an ISB (short-acting local anesthetic to minimize duration of diaphragmatic dysfunction) and suprascapular and axillary nerves blocks (long-acting local anesthetic). He was supported with noninvasive ventilation during the time of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis as documented by serial ultrasound examination. A discussion about ISB and its alternatives (general anesthesia versus brachial plexus block versus selective peripheral nerve blocks) always should occur for patients at risk for pulmonary complications.

Prophylactic phenylephrine infusion for the prevention of hypotension after spinal anesthesia in the elderly: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Hypotension frequently occurs during spinal anesthesia (SA), especially in the elderly. Phenylephrine is effective to prevent SA-induced hypotension during cesarean delivery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic infusion of phenylephrine after SA for orthopedic surgery in the elderly. DESIGN: This prospective, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study included 54 patients older than 60 years undergoing elective lower limb surgery under SA (injection of 10 mg of isobaric bupivacaine with 5 µg of sufentanyl). INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to group P (100-µg/mL solution of phenylephrine solution at 1 mL/min after placement of SA) or the control group C (0.9% isotonic sodium chloride solution). The flow of the infusion was stopped if the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was higher than the baseline MAP and maintained or restarted at 1 mL/min if MAP was equal to or lower than the baseline MAP. Heart rate and MAP were collected throughout the case. MEASUREMENTS: Hypotension was defined by a 20% decrease and hypertension as a 20% increase from baseline MAP. Bradycardia was defined as a heart rate lower than 50 beats per minute. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were randomized to group P and 26 patients to group C. MAP was higher in group P than in group C (92 ± 2 vs 82 ± 2 mm Hg, mean ± SD, P< .001). The number of hypotensive episodes per patient was higher in group C compared with group P (9 [0-39] vs 1 [0-10], median [extremes], P< .01), but the number of hypotensive patients was similar between groups (19 [73%] vs 20 [71%], P= 1). The time to onset of the first hypotension was shorter in group C (3 [1-13] vs 15 [1-95] minutes, P= .004). The proportion of patients without hypotension (cumulative survival) was better in group P (P= .04). The number of hypertensive episodes per patient and the number of bradycardic episodes per patient were similar between groups (P= not significant). CONCLUSION: Prophylactic phenylephrine infusion is an effective method of reducing SA-induced hypotension in the elderly. Compared with a control group, it delays the time to onset of hypotension and decreases the number of hypotensive episodes per patient. More data are needed to evaluate clinical outcomes of such a strategy.

Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia - Revised Edition 2016.

OVERVIEW: The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2016 (the guidelines) were prepared by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS), which reserves the right to determine their publication and distribution. Because the guidelines are subject to revision, updated versions are published annually. The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2016 supersedes all previously published versions of this document. Although the CAS encourages Canadian anesthesiologists to adhere to its practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care, the society cannot guarantee any specific patient outcome. Each anesthesiologist should exercise his or her own professional judgement in determining the proper course of action for any patient's circumstances. The CAS assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or omission arising from the use of any information contained in its Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia.

Cardiovascular effects of low-dose spinal anaesthesia as a function of age: An observational study using echocardiography.

BACKGROUND: Spinal anaesthesia (SA) is a widely used technique of regional anaesthesia but hypotension is an adverse effect commonly observed, especially in elderly patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the cardiovascular effects induced by a single injection of a low-dose SA during elective surgery by using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and to compare these effects in patients older and younger than 70 years of age. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Single centre university hospital. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Forty-six patients scheduled for surgery under SA were included in the study (25 patients<70 years and 21 patients ≥ 70 years). INTERVENTION(S): A cardiologist, blinded to all clinical parameters, interpreted the TTE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Two TTEs were performed for each patient: one at baseline before and the second 20 minutes after the placement of the SA. RESULTS: Sixty-six percent of patients became hypotensive in the ≥ 70 years group whereas no episode of hypotension occurred in the<70 years group (P<0.0001). At baseline (i.e. prior to SA), when compared to younger patients, elderly patients had both a lower E/A ratio (0.8 [0.5-2.1] vs. 1.4 [0.7-1.6], P=0.001) as well as a lower LVEF (50.4% [37.7-72.3] vs. 60.9% [44.8-69.8], P<0.0001). SA in the elderly induced a larger decrease in the cardiac index (CI) (-0.5 L·min(-1)·m(-2) [-0.8 to -0.3] vs. -0.2 L·min(-1)·m(-2) [-0.8-0.1], P<0.0001), LV stroke volume (-8mL [-13-4] vs. -2mL [-14 to -1], P<0.0001) and systemic vascular resistances (SVR) (-2.2 WU [-6.7-0.3] vs. -0.8 WU [-2.3-0.1], P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Hypotension is more frequent among elderly patients, even after low-dose SA. Known age-related changes in cardiovascular performance, such as impaired myocardial relaxation and decreased systolic function could be responsible for the decrease in cardiac output (CO) and SVR seen in these patients.

Simulation as a new tool to establish benchmark outcome measures in obstetrics.

BACKGROUND: There are not enough clinical data from rare critical events to calculate statistics to decide if the management of actual events might be below what could reasonably be expected (i.e. was an outlier). OBJECTIVES: In this project we used simulation to describe the distribution of management times as an approach to decide if the management of a simulated obstetrical crisis scenario could be considered an outlier. DESIGN: Twelve obstetrical teams managed 4 scenarios that were previously developed. Relevant outcome variables were defined by expert consensus. The distribution of the response times from the teams who performed the respective intervention was graphically displayed and median and quartiles calculated using rank order statistics. RESULTS: Only 7 of the 12 teams performed chest compressions during the arrest following the 'cannot intubate/cannot ventilate' scenario. All other outcome measures were performed by at least 11 of the 12 teams. Calculation of medians and quartiles with 95% CI was possible for all outcomes. Confidence intervals, given the small sample size, were large. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the use of simulation to calculate quantiles for management times of critical event. This approach could assist in deciding if a given performance could be considered normal and also point to aspects of care that seem to pose particular challenges as evidenced by a large number of teams not performing the expected maneuver. However sufficiently large sample sizes (i.e. from a national data base) will be required to calculate acceptable confidence intervals and to establish actual tolerance limits.

Guidelines to the practice of anesthesia--revised edition 2015.

OVERVIEW: The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2015 (the guidelines) were prepared by the Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society (CAS), which reserves the right to determine their publication and distribution. Because the guidelines are subject to revision, updated versions are published annually. The Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia Revised Edition 2015 supersedes all previously published versions of this document. Although the CAS encourages Canadian anesthesiologists to adhere to its practice guidelines to ensure high-quality patient care, the society cannot guarantee any specific patient outcome. Each anesthesiologist should exercise his or her own professional judgement in determining the proper course of action for any patient's circumstances. The CAS assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or omission arising from the use of any information contained in its Guidelines to the Practice of Anesthesia.

Using a situational awareness global assessment technique for interprofessional obstetrical team training with high fidelity simulation.

Evidence suggests that breakdowns in communication and a lack of situation awareness contribute to poor performance of medical teams. In this pilot study, three interprofessional obstetrical teams determined the feasibility of using the situation awareness global assessment technique (SAGAT) during simulated critical event management of three obstetrical scenarios. After each scenario, teams were asked to complete questionnaires assessing their opinion of how their performance was affected by the introduction of questions during a SAGAT stop. Fifteen obstetrical professionals took part in the study and completed the three scenarios in teams consisting of five members. At nine questions per stop, more participants agreed or strongly agreed that there were too many questions per stop (57.1%) than when we asked six questions per stop (13%) and three questions per stop (0%). A number of interprofessional differences in response to this interprofessional experience were noted. A team SAGAT score was determined by calculating the proportion of correct responses for each individual. Higher scores were associated with better adherence to outcome times, although not statistically significant. A robust study design building on our pilot data is needed to probe the differing interprofessional perceptions of SAGAT and the potential association between its scores and clinical outcome times.

Assessment of brain midline shift using sonography in neurosurgical ICU patients.

INTRODUCTION: Brain midline shift (MLS) is a life-threatening condition that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to validate bedside assessment of MLS with Transcranial Sonography (TCS) in neurosurgical ICU patients by comparing it to CT. METHODS: In this prospective single centre study, patients who underwent a head CT were included and a concomitant TCS performed. TCS MLS was determined by measuring the difference between the distance from skull to the third ventricle on both sides, using a 2 to 4 MHz probe through the temporal window. CT MLS was measured as the difference between the ideal midline and the septum pellucidum. A significant MLS was defined on head CT as > 0.5 cm. RESULTS: A total of 52 neurosurgical ICU patients were included. The MLS (mean ± SD) was 0.32 ± 0.36 cm using TCS and 0.47 ± 0.67 cm using CT. The Pearson's correlation coefficient (r(2)) between TCS and CT scan was 0.65 (P < 0.001). The bias was 0.09 cm and the limits of agreements were 1.10 and -0.92 cm. The area under the ROC curve for detecting a significant MLS with TCS was 0.86 (95% CI = 0.74 to 0.94), and, using 0.35 cm as a cut-off, the sensitivity was 84.2%, the specificity 84.8% and the positive likelihood ratio was 5.56. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that TCS could detect MLS with reasonable accuracy in neurosurgical ICU patients and that it could serve as a bedside tool to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment for patients with a significant intracranial mass effect.

Predicting preload responsiveness using simultaneous recordings of inferior and superior vena cavae diameters.

INTRODUCTION: Echocardiographic indices based on respiratory variations of superior and inferior vena cavae diameters (ΔSVC and ΔIVC, respectively) have been proposed as predictors of fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated patients, but they have never been compared simultaneously in the same patient sample. The aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of these echocardiographic indices when concomitantly recorded in mechanically ventilated septic patients. METHODS: Septic shock patients requiring hemodynamic monitoring were prospectively enrolled over a 1-year period in a mixed medical surgical ICU of a university teaching hospital (Toulouse, France). All patients were mechanically ventilated. Predictive indices were obtained by transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography and were calculated as follows: (Dmax - Dmin)/Dmax for ΔSVC and (Dmax - Dmin)/Dmin for ΔIVC, where Dmax and Dmin are the maximal and minimal diameters of SVC and IVC. Measurements were performed at baseline and after a 7-ml/kg volume expansion using a plasma expander. Patients were separated into responders (increase in cardiac index ≥15%) and nonresponders (increase in cardiac index <15%). RESULTS: Among 44 included patients, 26 (59%) patients were responders (R). ΔSVC was significantly more accurate than ΔIVC in predicting fluid responsiveness. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for ΔSVC and ΔIVC regarding assessment of fluid responsiveness were significantly different (0.74 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.59 to 0.88) and 0.43 (95% CI: 0.25 to 0.61), respectively (P = 0.012)). No significant correlation between ΔSVC and ΔIVC was found (r = 0.005, P = 0.98). The best threshold values for discriminating R from NR was 29% for ΔSVC, with 54% sensitivity and 89% specificity, and 21% for ΔIVC, with 38% sensitivity and 61% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: ΔSVC was better than ΔIVC in predicting fluid responsiveness in our cohort. It is worth noting that the sensitivity and specificity values of ΔSVC and ΔIVC for predicting fluid responsiveness were lower than those reported in the literature, highlighting the limits of using these indices in a heterogeneous sample of medical and surgical septic patients.