Adenosine-induced ventricular asystole to induce transient profound systemic hypotension in patients undergoing endovascular therapy. Dose-response characteristics

BACKGROUND: Adenosine-induced asystole has been used to induce transient systemic hypotension for various vascular procedures. Dose-response characteristics of adenosine-induced ventricular asystole have not been determined. METHODS: During endovascular embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations, the authors performed a series of adenosine test injections to establish a dose-response relation in each patient. After an interval of 3-10 min, the dose was escalated by 10-20 mg for each injection to achieve an end point of 20-30 s of stable mean arterial pressure (MAP) reduction to 25-30 mmHg. All patients received constant infusion of nitroprusside (approximately 1 microgram. kg-1. min-1) throughout the procedure. RESULTS: The authors studied four adult patients (age, 22-44 yr; two patients had two separate procedures) and one pediatric patient (age, 4 yr). Twenty-three adenosine injections resulted in measurable asystole. The adenosine dose was 0. 98 +/- 0.40 mg/kg (mean +/- SD), and the dose range was 0.24-1.76 mg/kg (6-90 mg). The duration of asystole, MAP < 30 mmHg, and MAP < 50 mmHg, were 8 +/- 3 s, 18 +/- 12 s, and 50 +/- 29 s, respectively. The minimum MAP and the MAP for the first 20 s were 16 +/- 3 mmHg and 30 +/- 9 mmHg, respectively. There was a linear relation between adenosine dose and the duration of hypotension with MAP < 30 mmHg and MAP < 50 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: In the dose range studied, a series of adenosine test injections can be used to determine optimal adenosine dose for induction of transient profound hypotension.     

Intraarterially administered verapamil as adjunct therapy for cerebral vasospasm: safety and 2-year experience

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Despite the widespread use of angioplasty, adjunct chemical therapy is often needed to treat patients with cerebral vasospasm. In this study, we examined the safety of intraarterial administration of verapamil to patients with cerebral vasospasm. We herein summarize our 2-year experience with this treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the procedure reports, anesthesia records, clinical charts, and brain images of 29 patients who received intraarterially administered verapamil in 34 procedures for the treatment of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage from July 1998 to June 2000. The average changes in mean arterial pressure and heart rate were used to measure cardiovascular side effects. The neurologic effects were assessed by angiographic findings, the results of neurologic examinations performed before and after the procedure, and findings of CT of the head. RESULTS: The average dose of verapamil per patient was 3 +/- 0 mg or 44 +/- 5 mcg/kg. The average changes in mean arterial pressure at 10 and 20 minutes were -5 +/- 1 mm Hg and -2 +/- 1 mm Hg or -3.8 +/- 1.0% and -1.7 +/- 1.1%, respectively. No significant change of heart rate was observed at 10 minutes. The patients showed no sign of increased intracranial pressure by hemodynamic parameters, neurologic examination, or CT of the head. On 10 occasions, when the effect of verapamil infusion was assessed angiographically, there was 44 +/- 9% increase of vessel diameter in the spastic segment. Neurologic improvement was noted after five of 17 procedures when verapamil was used as the sole treatment. CONCLUSION: Low dose verapamil is safe when administered intraarterially to patients with cerebral vasospasm. Beneficial effects are achieved in some patients, prompting further study of its efficacy.     

Adaptive changes of autoregulation in chronic cerebral hypotension with arteriovenous malformations: an acetazolamide-enhanced single-photon emission CT study.

PURPOSETo evaluate the relationship among feeding arterial pressure, lesion size, and perfusion in cerebral cortex adjacent to cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).METHODSEleven patients with hemispheric AVMs underwent 99mTc hexamethyl-propyleneamine oxime single-photon emission CT before and after 1 g of acetazolamide was administered intravenously. AVM volume was estimated from MR dimensions and measured according to the method described by Pasqualin. Pressure measurements were obtained in arteries feeding the cortex adjacent to AVMs. Single-photon emission CT regions of interest were defined in cortex adjacent to the AVM and compared with contralateral regions using the Mountz method to estimate a baseline and dynamic (acetazolamide-challenged) perfusion defect volume.RESULTSEight of 11 patients had baseline perfusion defects, but these defects were unrelated to feeding artery pressures (y = -.06x + 9.92, r2 = .04) or the dynamic change in defect volume after acetazolamide administration (y = .01x + .02, r2 = .002). However, there was a correlation between AVM volume and the baseline defect volume (y = .75x - 1.9, r2 = .76). Five patients had increased defect volume after acetazolamide administration; 5 patients had either no change in or improvement of perfusion. Dynamic changes in defect volume were related to feeding artery pressures.CONCLUSIONPerilesional baseline perfusion defects appear to be related to lesion size and not to local arterial pressure. Cerebrovascular reserve generally was preserved, and perfusion defects appeared to be more pronounced with lower arterial pressures in feeding vessels. Although vasodilatory testing can unmask hemodynamic failure with severe local hypotension, baseline perfusion defects near the lesion and distant perfusion changes are more likely attributable to other causes such as mass-related or neurogenic changes.     

Continuous time estimation as a behavioural index of human cerebral ischaemia during temporary occlusion of the internal carotid artery.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether a continuous time estimation task during test occlusions of either internal carotid artery would increase the ability to detect the earliest signs of cerebral ischaemia in the anterior circulation. METHODS--Four patients were involved in real time measurement of their timing accuracy before, during, and after each test occlusion. While under each test condition, patients were instructed to press a mouse button connected to a computer and then to press it again no sooner than 10 seconds from the previous response but no longer than 13 seconds later. While being given automated feedback on accuracy, patients were instructed to continually press the mouse on the target schedule to maximise correct responses until told to stop. RESULTS--The data showed deterioration of timing accuracy during carotid occlusion (P < 0.05), which always preceded the onset of physical signs and correlated in one patient with the presence of reduced regional cerebral blood flow. CONCLUSION--Decline of sustained attention under conditions of test balloon occlusion of either internal carotid artery was an indicator of failure to maintain adequate cerebral blood flow to sustain normal neurological function. The demonstration of the behavioural effects of early cerebral ischaemia shows the feasibility of an experimental model for the study of human brain function, and may now make it possible to quantify more precisely the time course of acute ischaemic events.     

Reducing cerebral blood flow increases the duration of electroencephalographic silence by intracarotid thiopental

The effects of IV anesthetics are enhanced by increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) because of a greater delivery of drugs to the brain. In contrast, mathematical simulations suggest that a decrease in CBF, by increasing regional drug uptake and decreasing drug washout, enhances the efficacy of intraarterial drugs. We hypothesized that administrating intracarotid anesthetics during cerebral hypoperfusion will significantly prolong the duration of electroencephalographic (EEG) silence. We tested our hypothesis on New Zealand White rabbits. In the first group of 7 animals, we observed that decreasing CBF by approximately 70% attenuated, but did not abolish, EEG activity. Subsequently, 9 animals received 3 intracarotid injections of 3 mg of thiopental (thiopental-1, thiopental + hypoperfusion, and thiopental-2). The first and third injections were made under physiological conditions. The second drug injection was made during cerebral hypoperfusion. Compared with injection of thiopental-1 and -2, thiopental + hypoperfusion resulted in a profound increase in EEG silence (from 45 +/- 5 and 67 +/- 27 s, to 206 +/- 46 s, respectively, n = 9, P < 0.0001). The EEG recovery profile was similar during all three thiopental challenges. The study suggests that modulation of CBF is an important tool for enhancing intraarterial drug delivery to the brain.     

Aggregate analysis of the literature for unruptured intracranial aneurysm treatment

BACKGROUND: Publication bias and/or true heterogeneity can skew aggregate impressions from scientific literature. To better determine aggregate measures for unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) treatment, we analyzed adverse outcome rates of surgical clipping and endovascular coil embolization. METHODS: Two independent reviewers searched MEDLINE for studies publishing adverse outcome rates for endovascular coiling and surgical clipping between January 1990 and July 2003. Studies were classified as single-center, multicenter, or community-based. We defined adverse outcome rates as combined all-cause early or in-hospital morbidity and mortality. We determined cumulative adverse outcome rates by plotting precision measure (sample size) against trial-specific effect (adverse outcome rate). FINDINGS: We included 4 endovascular coiling multicenter/community-based studies (1019 patients) and 13 single-center studies (810 patients) and 5 surgical clipping multicenter/community-based studies (10,541 patients) and 23 single-center studies (1759 patients). Cumulative adverse outcome rates for endovascular coiling and surgical clipping were 8.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.6%-10.1%) and 17.8% (95% CI 17.2%-18.6%). INTERPRETATION: Scattergram distribution illustrated the magnitude of bias in current literature reporting UIAs. Major parts of the literature may have underestimated surgical clipping morbidity and mortality, which can be attributed to bias from smaller retrospective studies. Neuroradiologic coiling studies were less likely to include factors contributing to inaccurate adverse outcome rates.     

Endovascular Mechanical Thrombectomy of an Occluded Superior Division Branch of the Left MCA for Acute Cardioembolic Stroke

Cardiac embolism accounts for a large proportion of ischemic stroke. Revascularization using systemic or intra-arterial thrombolysis is associated with increasing risks of cerebral hemorrhage as time passes from stroke onset. We report successful mechanical thrombectomy from a distal branch of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using a novel technique. A 72-year old man suffered an acute ischemic stroke from an echocardiographically proven ventricular thrombus due to a recent myocardial infarction. Intra-arterial administration of 4 mg rt-PA initiated at 5.7 hours post-ictus failed to recanalize an occluded superior division branch of the left MCA. At 6 hours, symptomatic embolic occlusion persisted. Mechanical extraction of the clot using an Attracter-18 device (Target Therapeutics, Freemont, CA) resulted in immediate recanalization of the MCA branch. Attracter-18 for acute occlusion of MCA branches may be considered in selected patients who fail conventional thrombolysis or are nearing closure of the therapeutic window for use of thrombolytic agents.     

Mixed form, diffusely scattered calcifications in breast cancer with apocrine features

Diffusely scattered calcifications visible with mammography are almost always benign. Certain patterns, however, should arouse concern. For example, extensive comedocarcinoma is associated with large areas of mammographically visible calcium deposition. The authors identified 10 women in whom calcifications were visible throughout large volumes of breast tissue at mammography. The calcifications did not resemble those typical of extensive comedocarcinoma, yet they were associated with extensive breast cancer. Their mammographic pattern was characterized by a strikingly wild, chaotic appearance with profuse deposition of calcium. As in many cancers, the particles were heterogeneous, but unlike in most carcinomas, many deposits had a typically benign morphology. Histologic examination showed that even these typically benign calcifications were associated with malignant cells. The authors believe that the apocrine features displayed by many of the cancer cells in these 10 patients may explain the unusual profusion of calcium deposits.     

A patient with massive oral-facial venous malformation

While malformations of the upper airway are rare, they present challenging management problems and have a potentially devastating impact during anesthesia. This case report describes the management of a patient with a massive supraglottic venous malformation as he underwent transvenous embolization.