No abstract

Induction of hypothermia by means of cold-fluid infusion combined with ice-water cooling blankets is safe, efficacious, and quick. Because the speed of cooling is important to increase its protective effects, we recommend that cold-fluid infusion be used in all patients treated with induced hypothermia. This should be combined with another method to safely and accurately maintain hypothermia once target temperatures have been reached.

Provided that fluid overloading is prevented, the type of fluid used for volume loading does not affect pulmonary permeability and oedema, in patients with acute lung injury after cardiac or major vascular surgery, except for HES that may ameliorate increased permeability. During fluid loading, changes in LIS (and respiratory compliance) do not represent changes in pulmonary permeability or oedema.

No abstract

To evaluate the 3.02 software version of the FloTrac/Vigileo™ system for estimation of cardiac output by uncalibrated arterial pressure waveform analysis, in septic shock. Nineteen consecutive patients in septic shock were studied. FloTrac/Vigileo™ measurements (COfv) were compared with pulmonary artery catheter thermodilution-derived cardiac output (COtd). The mean cardiac output was 7.7 L min(-1) and measurements correlated at r = 0.53 (P < 0.001, n = 314). In Bland-Altman plot for repeated measurements, the bias was 1.7 L min(-1) and 95 % limits of agreement (LA) were -3.0 to 6.5 L min(-1), with a %error of 53 %. The bias of COfv inversely related to systemic vascular resistance (SVR) (r = -0.54, P < 0.001). Above a SVR of 700 dyn s cm(-5) (n = 74), bias was 0.3 L min(-1) and 95 % LA were -1.6 to 2.2 L min(-1) (%error 32 %). Changes between consecutive measurements (n = 295) correlated at 0.67 (P < 0.001), with a bias of 0.1 % (95 % limits of agreement -17.5 to 17.0 %). All changes >10 % in both COtd and COfv (n = 46) were in the same direction. Eighty-five percent of the measurements were within the 30°-330° of the polar axis. COfv with the latest software still underestimates COtd at low SVR in septic shock. The tracking capacities of the 3.02 software are moderate-good when clinically relevant changes are considered.