Abstract
We have studied the frequency spectrum of embolic heart sounds as detected by precordial Doppler ultrasound after injecting air 0.01-0.1 ml into the external jugular vein of anaesthetized dogs (n = 7). At volumes of 0.05 ml and greater, there was a significant increase in both the maximum frequency of the spectrum and the power of those high frequency components to greater than control values. Both changes correlated significantly with the volume of air injected (P < 0.05). Withrepeated injections of air at 5-min intervals, there was a small increase in the high frequency components in the control signal between injections (P <0.05). We conclude that such spectral changes could be used to quantify the volume of air in transit through the heart, and to reflect the short-term history of venous air embolism. (Br. J. Anaesth. 1993; 71: 689-695)
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 689-695 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | British Journal of Anaesthesia |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 11 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Embolism venous air
- Monitoring: precordial Doppler ultrasound