Co-axial Endotracheal Tube Technique for Achieving One Lung Ventilation in a Toddler With a Space Occupying Malignant Tumor of the Right Lung.

Achieving one-lung ventilation in pediatrics is often challenging. In caring for these patients, the anesthesiologist must consider the child's age and size, underlying tracheobronchial anatomy, equipment availability, urgency of procedure, and as well as the experience level of the anesthesiologist. This report describes a "tube-inside-tube" technique that was adopted for providing one-lung ventilation in a toddler. The method described here involved railroading a smaller endotracheal tube over a flexible intubation video endoscope into the left mainstem bronchus coaxially through a larger endotracheal tube placed in the trachea. The technique achieved effective left-lung ventilation and isolation of the operative right lung during surgical resection of a malignant mesenchymal tumor. On completion of the procedure, double-lung ventilation could be established through the endotracheal tube in the trachea after the retraction of the video endobronchial tube.

The Effect of Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography Probe Placement on the Endotracheal Tube Cuff Pressure in Adult Patients Undergoing On-Pump Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The study was directed toward documentation of the effect of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe insertion on the endotracheal tube cuff pressure (CP) in adult patients undergoing on-pump coronary bypass surgery. The primary objective of this study was to assess whether CP reaches supranormal pressures during the different stages of intraoperative TEE examination. The secondary objective was to observe the effect of TEE probe placement on the ventilation parameters. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: At a tertiary care cardiac center. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four cardiac surgical patients older than 18 years of age who required intraoperative TEE examination. INTERVENTIONS: TEE probe insertion. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Following the induction of general anesthesia and tracheal intubation, a TEE probe was introduced. The endotracheal tube CP was recorded at 5 time zones: Before TEE probe insertion, during the insertion of the probe, during probe manipulation, probe in the transgastric position, and during removal of the probe. A nonparametric test was used for comparing intracuff pressure between pairs of time zones. There was a statistically significant difference in CP values between the baseline and those during different time zones (chi-square test = 134.77, degrees of freedom = 4, p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in the peak pressure between different time points compared to baseline (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: TEE probe placement in patients with tracheal intubation may be associated with a significant increase in CP well above the baseline pressure. With the possibility of the mean arterial pressures during cardiopulmonary bypass being substantially lower than expected, the findings of the current study raised the concern of predisposing the tracheal mucosa to hypoperfusion, with subsequent temporary or permanent tracheal damage. Hence, at least a baseline estimation of the endotracheal tube CP at the time of tracheal intubation, with the help of a pressure gauge in the operating room, may be considered as a safe practice.

Central Venous Catheter Tip Malposition After Internal Jugular Vein Cannulation in Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of the study was to identify the incidence of catheter tip malposition as determined by postoperative radiography after central venous cannulation by right and left internal jugular venous routes in pediatric cardiac surgical patients. The secondary objective was to determine the relative risk of malposition between the 2 approaches into specific major thoracic veins other than the right superior vena cava. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: A tertiary cardiac care center. PARTICIPANTS: Pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery INTERVENTIONS: Internal jugular vein cannulation with ultrasound guidance. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgeries for cardiac anomalies with Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery scores of 1- to-6 were included in the study. After anesthetic induction, 50% of the patients were cannulated via the right internal jugular vein (RIJV group, n = 100), and the other 50% via the left internal jugular vein (LIJV group, n = 100). The position of the catheter tip was ascertained by a plain chest x-ray. The central venous catheter tip was deemed to be malpositioned if the tip was in the ipsilateral or contralateral subclavian vein or in the contralateral internal jugular vein. In the RIJV group, 4% of the patients had the central venous catheter tip in a malposition (4/100). In the LIJV group, 6 of the 100 patients had a left superior vena cava and were excluded. In the rest of the LIJV group, the central venous catheter tip was in a malposition in 22.3% of patients (21/94, relative risk: 6.90, p < 0.001). Malposition into the right subclavian vein was more frequent with the left internal jugular vein access (11/94, 11.7%) compared with the right internal jugular vein access (relative risk: 13.12, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of a malposition of a central venous catheter tip after either right or left internal jugular vein approach was ascertained. The relative risk of a malposition occurring with the left internal jugular approach was higher, and the most common site of malposition was in the right subclavian vein.

On-Table Verification of Aortopulmonary Shunt Patency Through Ipsilateral Pulmonary Venous Blood Flow Assessment by Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is a well-established modality for the evaluation of the adequacy of the surgical repair of complex congenital heart lesions. This case report highlights the important role played by real-time transesophageal echocardiography during the evaluation of the patency of a left modified Blalock-Taussig shunt in a child with pulmonary atresia, nonconfluent pulmonary arteries, and borderline hemodynamic/ventilator parameters. Changes observed in the pulmonary venous blood flow pattern provided reassurance to the surgical team about the patency of the shunt and thereby avoided its reconstruction.

Ultrasound-Guided Out-of-Plane Versus In-Plane Radial Artery Cannulation in Adult Cardiac Surgical Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to compare the rate of first-pass radial arterial cannulation using out-of-plane ultrasound guidance with in-plane imaging. The secondary endpoints were a comparison of the number of times the cannula was redirected, the number of attempts, the number of skin punctures, the incidence of hematoma, the time to completion of the cannulation procedure, and the number of failed attempts between the 2 ultrasound imaging techniques. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized, observational study. SETTING: A tertiary cardiac care center. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Radial artery cannulation with ultrasound guidance. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Eighty-four adult patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to the out-of-plane ultrasound group (group I, n = 42) or the in-plane ultrasound group (group II, n = 42) for left radial artery cannulation. A linear ultrasound probe was used to identify the radial artery. In each approach, the number of times first-pass success was achieved, the number of times the cannula was redirected, the number of skin punctures, the incidence of hematomas, and the number of failed attempts were recorded. The first-pass success rate was greater in the in-plane ultrasound group and was statistically significant (p = 0.007). In the out-of-plane ultrasound group, a larger number of patients needed redirection of the cannula (p = 0.002). The number of patients in whom the skin needed to be punctured more than once was greater in the out-of-plane ultrasound group compared with the in-plane ultrasound group (p = 0.002). The incidence of hematoma formation and time to completion of the technique were similar in both groups (p = 0.241 and p = 0.792, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In-plane ultrasound guidance appeared to be superior for achieving a higher first-pass success rate more often with minimal redirections and skin punctures compared with out-of-plane ultrasound guidance.

The Optimal Length of Insertion for Central Venous Catheters Via the Right Internal Jugular Vein in Pediatric Cardiac Surgical Patients.

OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to identify the best among 4 techniques that could predict the length of central venous catheter insertion through the right internal jugular vein, which, in turn, would ensure the ideal placement of the catheter tip in pediatric cardiac surgical patients. The techniques evaluated were those based on operator experience, topography/landmark methods, and one that relied on a patient's height-related formula. Based on the outcome of the study, the possibility of arriving at a formula was investigated that would predict with reasonable certainty the ideal length of catheter to be inserted for the correct catheter placement through the right internal jugular vein in pediatric cardiac surgical patients belonging to the authors' geographic area. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiac center. PARTICIPANTS: Children younger than 5 years of age undergoing cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Right internal jugular vein cannulation by the Seldinger technique method. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 120 children aged younger than 5 years undergoing cardiac surgery were included in the study. The participants were randomized to 4 groups: group 1 (n = 30), the length of the central venous catheter was determined empirically by the operator based on clinical experience; group 2 (n = 30), the depth of insertion of the catheter was determined by the distance from the site of skin puncture to the second intercostal space; group 3 (n = 30), the depth of insertion of the catheter was determined by the distance from the skin puncture site to the third intercostal space; and group 4 (n = 30), the length of catheter was determined by a height-based formula that was followed routinely at the authors' institution. Central venous catheterization through the right internal jugular vein was performed according to out-of-plane ultrasound guidance in all patients. The ideal catheter tip location was assumed to be at the level of the carina or within 1.5 cm proximal to it. The number of patients who had ideal catheter tip placement were recorded from postoperative chest radiograph in all groups. Any relationship between acceptable catheter tip and demographic data (mean ranks of age, height, weight, and body surface area) of the patients were studied. RESULTS: The central vein catheter tip was at the level of the carina or within 1.5 cm in more patients in group 2 (39%, p = 0.02) compared with the other groups. This was followed by group 4 (40%), group 3 (30%), and group 1 (23%). There was a statistically significant difference in the mean distance between catheter tip and carina, with group 2 patients having the tip closest to the carina (p = 0.03). There was a significant correlation between acceptable catheter tip positioning and a patient's height (p = 0.04). A new formula was developed based on this correlation. CONCLUSIONS: A landmark-based topographic method in which the length of insertion of the catheter was determined by the distance from the skin puncture site to the second intercostal space for achieving correct placement of the catheter tip was found to be more reliable compared with other techniques. Height-based formula has the disadvantage of being affected by the skin puncture site. Assuming that a skin puncture at the midpoint between the right mastoid process and clavicular insertion of sternocleidomastoid muscle insertion is ensured, a new formula based on height has been proposed.

Authentication of Radial Versus Femoral Arterial Pressure Waveform-Derived Cardiac Output With Transesophageal Echocardiography-Derived Cardiac Output Measurements in Patients Undergoing On-Pump Coronary Bypass Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to ascertain if arterial waveform-derived cardiac output measurements from radial and femoral cannulation sites were reliable as compared with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-derived cardiac output (CO) values, and which of the CO measurements derived from radial and the femoral arterial pressure waveforms closely tracked simultaneously measured TEE-derived CO values. This study also aimed to ascertain if cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) would impact the accuracy of arterial pressure-derived CO values from either of the 2 sites. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiac center. PARTICIPANTS: Cardiac surgical patients undergoing on-pump primary coronary artery bypass surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Waveform-derived CO monitoring through radial and femoral artery cannulation using a FloTrac/Vigileo system. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Twenty-seven consecutive cardiac surgical patients undergoing on-pump primary coronary artery bypass surgery were included in the study. Cardiac output was measured sequentially by the arterial pressure waveform analysis method from radial and femoral arterial sites and compared with simultaneously measured TEE-derived CO. Cardiac output data were obtained in triplicate at 6 predefined time intervals: before and after sternotomy, 5, 15, and 30 minutes after separation from CPB and prior to shifting the patient out of the operating room. The overall bias of the study was 0.11 and 0.27, the percentage error was 19.31 and 18.45, respectively, for radial and femoral arterial waveform-derived CO values as compared with TEE-derived CO measurements. The overall precision as compared with the TEE-derived CO values was 16.94 and 15.95 for the radial and femoral cannulation sites, respectively. The bias calculated by the Bland-Altman method suggested that CO measurements from the radial arterial site were in closer agreement with TEE-derived CO values at all time periods, and the relation was not affected by CPB. However, percentage error and precision calculations showed that CO values derived from the femoral arterial waveform were in closer agreement, albeit marginally, with the TEE values at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: Both the radial and femoral arterial pressure waveform-derived CO measurements were comparable with the TEE measurements during the various stages of the cardiac surgery. Although the femoral cannulation site provided marginally better correlation with the reference TEE-derived CO values based on the precision and percentage error analysis; this may not be significant clinically and either of the arterial cannulation sites can be used reliably for CO measurements in clinical practice. Cardiopulmonary bypass had no impact on the radial and femoral artery pressure waveform-derived CO measurements.

Ultrasound Guided Out-of-Plane Versus In-Plane Transpectoral Left Axillary Vein Cannulation.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to compare the frequency of first-attempt successful axillary vein cannulation by the Seldinger technique using out-of-plane ultrasound guidance versus in-plane imaging. Between the two ultrasound imaging planes, this study also compared the number of attempts that were necessary for the cannulation of the left axillary vein along with the number of needle redirections that had to be done for final cannulation of the vein. Incidence of complications and the number of times the procedure was abandoned also were compared between the two imaging planes. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, interventional study. SETTING: Tertiary care cardiac center. PARTICIPANTS: Cardiac surgical patients. INTERVENTIONS: Left axillary vein cannulation under ultrasound guidance by Seldinger technique. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The left axillary vein was accessed under ultrasound guidance in 86 consecutive adult cardiac surgical patients. They were randomized to out-of-plane (Group I, n = 43) and in-plane (Group II, n = 43) groups. In group I, the number of first-attempt cannulations was very high (p < 0.01). The number of attempts to access the vein was significantly lower in this group (p < 0.05). The duration for completion of the procedure was also less in group I with out-of-plane ultrasound guidance (p < 0.01). The number of needle redirections and the incidence of complications (arterial puncture, pneumothorax hematoma formation) were similar between the groups. There was no difference in the number of times the procedure was abandoned between the two groups. With an assumption that the first 10 patients in each group would suffice for overcoming the learning curve, the above aspects were analyzed further in each group. The first-attempt cannulation success continued to be significantly higher in the out-of-plane group. CONCLUSIONS: Out-of-plane ultrasound imaging during axillary vein cannulation increased the chance of first-attempt successful cannulation. Axillary vein cannulation under out-of-plane ultrasound imaging also appeared to be quicker and was preferable in terms of the fewer number of attempts that were necessary for a successful vein cannulation.