Browsing by Author "Urzua, J"

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    An expert system for monitor alarm integration
    (1999) Oberli, C; Urzua, J; Saez, C; Guarini, M; Cipriano, A; Garayar, B; Lema, G; Canessa, R; Sacco, C; Irarrazaval, M
    Objective. Intensive care and operating room monitors generate data that are not fully utilized. False alarms are so frequent that attending personnel tends to disconnect them. We developed an expert system that could select and validate alarms by integration of seven vital signs monitored on-line from cardiac surgical patients. Methods. The system uses fuzzy logic and is able to work under incomplete or noisy information conditions. Patient status is inferred every 2 seconds from the analysis and integration of the variables and a uni ed alarm message is displayed on the screen. The proposed structure was implemented on a personal computer for simultaneous automatic surveillance of up to 9 patients. The system was compared with standard monitors (Space-Labs (TM) PC2), using their default alarm settings. Twenty patients undergoing cardiac surgery were studied, while we ran our system and the standard monitor simultaneously. The number of alarms triggered by each system and their accuracy and relevance were compared. Two expert observers (one physician, one engineer) ascertained each alarm reported by each system as true or false. Results. Seventy-five percent of the alarms reported by the standard monitors were false, while less than 1% of those reported by the expert system were false. Sensitivity of the standard monitors was 79% and sensitivity of the expert system was 92%. Positive predictive value was 31% for the standard monitors and 97% for the expert system. Conclusions. Integration of information from several sources improved the reliability of alarms and markedly decreased the frequency of false alarms. Fuzzy logic may become a powerful tool for integration of physiological data.
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    Arterial pressure-flow relationship in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass
    (WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 1997) Urzua, J; Meneses, G; Fajardo, C; Lema, G; Canessa, R; Sacco, CM; Medel, J; Vergara, ME; Irarrazaval, M; Moran, S
    We determined the arterial pressure-flow relationship experimentally by means of step changes of blood flow in 30 adult patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Anesthesia technique was uniform. CPB was nonpulsatile; hypothermia to 25-28 degrees C, and hemodilution to 18%-25% hematocrit were used. During stable bypass, mean arterial pressure was recorded first with blood flow 2.2 L.min(-1).min(-2). Flow was then increased to 2.9 L.min(-1).m(-2) for 10 s and reverted to baseline for 1 min. Then it was decreased to 1.45 L.min(-1).m(-2) for 10 s, and reverted to baseline for 1 min. Subsequently, it was decreased to 0.73 L.min(-1).m(-2) for 10 s and then reverted to baseline. line. Similar sets of measurements were repeated after 0.25 mg of phenylephrine and once the patient was rewarmed. The pressure-flow function was individually determined by regression, and the critical pressure estimated by extrapolation to zero flow. All patients had zero-flow critical pressure during hypothermia, with a mean value of 21.8 +/- 6.4 mm Hg (range 8.8-38.9). It increased after 0.25 mg phenylephrine to 25.4 +/- 7.2 mm Hg (range 12.2-43.9, P < 0.001). During normothermia, critical pressure was 21.2 +/- 5 mm Hg (range 13.4-30.9), not significantly different from hypothermia. During hypothermia, the slope of the pressure-flow function (i.e., resistance) was 14.9 +/- 3.5 mm Hg.L-1.min(-1).m(-2) (range 7.6-22.1). It increased significantly (P < 0.001) after phenylephrine, to 19.7 +/- 6.2 mm Hg.L-1.min(-1).m(-2) (range 11.4-40.5), and returned to 15.4 +/- 3.4 mm Hg.L-1.min(-1).m(-2) (range 10.1-24.2) during normothermic bypass. Systemic vascular resistance appeared to vary reciprocally with blood flow, although this finding may represent a mathematical artifact, which can be avoided by using zero-flow critical pressure in the vascular resistance equation.
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    Comparison of isoflurane, halothane and fentanyl in patients with decreased ejection fraction undergoing coronary surgery
    (AUSTRALIAN SOC ANAESTHETISTS, 1996) Urzua, J; Serra, M; Lema, G; Canessa, R; Gonzalez, R; Meneses, G; Irarrazaval, M; Moran, S
    The aim of the study was to compare three anaesthetic agents in patients with ejection fraction below 0.40 subjected to coronary revascularization surgery. Twenty-five elective coronary surgical patients with ejection fraction below 0.40 were prospectively studied. Premedication was pethidine 1 mg/kg and induction was fentanyl 0.03 mg/kg and pancuronium 0.1 mg/kg. The patients were randomized to one of three maintenance techniques (fentanyl, isoflurane or halothane).
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    Estimation of cardiac function from computer analysis of the arterial pressure waveform
    (IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC, 1998) Guarini, M; Urzua, J; Cipriano, A; Gonzalez, W
    This paper presents a method for estimating parameters of a cardiovascular model, including the left-ventricular function, using the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) and the least minimum square (LMS) algorithms. In a first stage, a radial arterial-pressure waveform with corresponding cardiac output are used to automatically seek the set of parameters of the diastolic model. Computer simulation of the model using these parameters generate a pressure waveform and a cardiac output very close to those used for the estimation. In a second stage, the estimated arterial load parameters are used to select the best left-ventricular model function, from four different possibilities, and to estimate its optimum parameter values. The method has been tested numerically and applied to real cases, using data obtained from cardiovascular patients. It has also been subjected to preliminary validation using data obtained from laboratory dogs, in which cardiovascular function was artificially altered.
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    Estimation of ventricular volume and elastance from the arterial pressure waveform
    (1998) Urzua, J; Salinas, C; Cipriano, A; Guarini, M; Lema, G; Canessa, R
    We propose that it is possible to estimate cardiovascular parameters from the arterial pressure waveform, including ventricular maximal elastance and end-diastolic volume, if cardiac output is also known. We tested this hypothesis by means of a parameter estimation algorithm applied to simulated arterial pressure signals. The program first estimated three coefficients representing products of passive parameters from the diastolic part of the simulated arterial pressure waveform. Second, it estimated three parameter products pertaining to the ventricular function from the systolic part of the waveform. Third, mean blood flow was entered, enabling the program to compute individual parameters. This program was tested on 200 computer-generated arterial pressure signals, obtained by simulating the model with random but bounded parameters. Correlation between estimated parameters with those actually used in the simulations was excellent. Even though the value of this computer simulation is limited to the simplified model used and requires experimental validation, it demonstrates that the technique is theoretically feasible.
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    Hemodilution does not alter the aortic-to-femoral arterial pressure difference in dogs
    (1999) Urzua, J; Nunez, G; Lema, G; Canessa, R; Sacco, C
    Introduction. Distal arterial pressure normally differs from aortic pressure. This difference is modified by changes of vascular resistance. Hemodilution, due to decreased viscosity, decreases vascular resistance. Therefore, the difference between aortic and distal arterial pressures could be altered as well. We investigated whether acute hemodilution affected this difference in dogs. Methods. Eleven mongrel dogs weighing 16.6 +/- 4.4 kg were anesthetized with pentobarbital and sufentanyl and mechanically ventilated. Arterial presssure was recorded using Millar catheter-tipped pressure transducers in the proximal aorta and in the distal femoral artery. An electromagnetic flowmeter probe was placed around the aorta. Effective downstream pressure was estimated by extrapolation of exponential arterial pressure decay during 3-second occlusion of the proximal aorta. Hemodilution was effected by removal of 30 ml/kg of blood and replacement with 60 ml/kg of warmed saline. In addition, the effects of 1 mu g/kg phenylephrine and 4 mu g/kg of sodium nitroprusside were measured before and after hemodilution. Results. Hemodilution decreased hematocrit from 39 +/- 11.2% to 25.6 +/- 4.95%. Systolic and mean pressures were unchanged but aortic diastolic pressure decreased significantly, from 86 +/- 17 to 79 +/- 15 mmHg (p < 0.005). Peak systolic pressure was 13.5 +/- 7.2 mmHg higher in the femoral artery than in the aorta before, and 16 +/- 8.7 mmHg after, hemodilution (p > 0.05). Nitroprusside decreased the femoral to aortic peak systolic pressure difference from 14.3 +/- 6.3 to 7.7 +/- 15.3 mmHg, p = 0.05 before hemodilution and from 14.3 +/- 8.8 to 2.5 +/- 11 mmHg, p < 0.005 afterwards. Hemodilution significantly decreased the effective downstream pressure, from 44 +/- 9 to 36 +/- 6.8 mmHg in the aorta (p < 0.05), and from 51 +/- 2 to 37 +/- 3.1 mmHg in the distal femoral artery (p < 0.05). Conclusion.Acute hemodilution did not alter the aortic-to-distal arterial pressure difference in dogs.
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    Renal preservation in the perioperative period
    (LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 1999) Urzua, J; Lema, G; Canessa, R; Sacco, CM
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    Renal protection in patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass with preoperative abnormal renal function
    (LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS, 1998) Lema, G; Urzua, J; Jalil, R; Canessa, R; Moran, S; Sacco, C; Medel, J; Irarrazaval, M; Zalaquett, R; Fajardo, C; Meneses, G
    We prospectively studied the effects of renal protection intervention in 17 patients with preoperative abnormal renal function (plasma creatinine >1.5 mg/dL) scheduled for elective coronary surgery. Patients were randomized to either dopamine 2.0 ,mu g.kg(-1).min(-1) (Group 1, n = 10) or perfusion pressure >70 mm Hg during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) (Group 2, n = 7). Glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow were measured with inulin and I-125-hippuran clearances before the induction of anesthesia, after sternotomy and before CFB, during hypo-and normothermic CPB, after sternal closure, and 1 h postoperatively. Plasma and urine electrolytes were measured, and free water, osmolar, and creatinine clearances, as well as fractional excretion of sodium and potassium, were calculated ed before and after surgery. Significant differences between groups were found before CPB for glomerular filtration rate (higher in Group 1), urine output (2.0 vs 0.29 mL/min in Group 1 versus Group 2), urinary creatinine (66 vs 175 mg/dL), urinary osmolarity (370 vs 627 mOsm/L), osmolar clearance (2.1 vs 0.7 mL/min), and urinary potassium (33 vs 71 mEq/L). There were no differences between groups during hypo-and normothermic CPB. After CPB, the only difference was a slightly higher urinary creatinine in Group 2. Renal plasma flow was lower than normal in all patients before the induction of anesthesia. A nonsignificant trend toward increased flow was seen during hypothermic CPB. Filtration fraction was high before CPB, which suggests efferent arteriolar vasoconstriction, descending toward normal during and after CPB. The same pattern of changes was present in both groups. In conclusion, there were no clinically relevant differences between the two treatment modalities during and after CPB. However, significant differences were observed before CPB, when dopamine seemed to partially revert renal vasoconstriction. Implications: Two protective interventions were compared in patients undergoing heart surgery to prevent deterioration of renal function; these were dopamine infusion throughout the operation and phenylephrine infusion during cardiopulmonary bypass. We found clinically relevant differences only during surgery before cardiopulmonary bypass.