Bedside assessment of intravascular volume status in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery

Management of intravascular volume is crucial in patients after cardiopulmonary bypass as myocardial dysfunction is common. The purpose of this study was to validate a novel bedside technique for real-time assessment of intravascular volumes.

Eleven patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were studied. In addition to standard monitors, a fiberoptic thermistor catheter was placed in the descending aorta and central venous injections of 10 ml ice-cold indocyanine green dye were performed. Total blood volume was measured by a standard in vitro technique. Circulating and central blood volume were calculated by using cardiac output, mean transit times, and a newly developed recursive convolution algorithm that models recirculation. Measurements were performed after induction of anesthesia and at 1, 6, and 24 h after surgery.

A two-compartment model of the circulation was required for adequate fit of the data. We found a significant correlation between total and circulating blood volumes (r = 0.87). One hour after surgery, central blood volume was decreased by 10% (P < 0.05). At 6 and 24 h after surgery, circulating blood volumes were significantly increased by 29% and 20%, respectively (P < 0.01), although central blood volume was similar to control values. Before surgery stroke volume index correlated with circulating blood volume (r = 0.87) but not with pulmonary capillary wedge and central venous pressures.

This study shows that bedside determinations of intravascular blood volumes are feasible and that these measurements are more indicative of intravascular volume status than are either pulmonary capillary wedge or central venous pressures in the post-cardiopulmonary bypass period. Our data also demonstrate that despite a normal central blood volume both circulating and total blood volume are significantly increased in the immediate post-cardiopulmonary bypass period.