Right heart function and prediction of respiratory morbidity in patients undergoing pneumonectomy with moderately severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction.

Detailed hemodynamic monitoring was performed in 20 patients undergoing pneumonectomy with moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Flow-directed pulmonary artery catheters capable of determining thermal dilution right ventricular ejection fraction and other indexes of right ventricular performance were placed in each patient. The mean actual and percent values for forced expiratory volume in 1 second in this group were 1.

The utility of a double-lumen tube for one-lung ventilation in a variety of noncardiac thoracic surgical procedures.

To determine the utility of one-lung ventilation (OLV) in a variety of noncardiac thoracic surgical procedures, 200 patients were studied to document the ease of double-lumen tube (DLT) placement, associated complications, intraoperative respiratory changes, and methods for managing hypoxic events. Most tubes could be placed, repositioned when necessary, and secured within 12 minutes. By defining tube position with fiberoptic bronchoscopy, auscultatory assessment of placement was found to be incorrect in 38.

Simultaneous dopamine and sodium nitroprusside therapy following open heart surgery.

Twenty post-open heart surgery patients with low output syndrome were given dopamine, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) alone and in combination. Dopamine alone (3--4 mcg/Kg/min) caused an increase of cardiac output (CO) from 3.2 to 4.