title: Correlation of carotid artery stump pressure with a palpable carotid artery pulse.
abstract: The carotid artery stump pressure has been used as a criterion for selective placement of a shunt during carotid endarterectomy. The purpose of our study was to correlate the carotid stump pressure with the presence or absence of a palpable pulse in the carotid stump. One hundred twenty-two consecutive patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy under general anesthesia were checked for a palpable pulse in the internal carotid stump with subsequent measurements of the stump pressure. Of these patients, 88 had a palpable pulse and a pressure greater than or equal to 44 mmHg. The remaining 34 had a absent pulse and a stump pressure of 40 mmHg or less. Shunts were not used in those patients with a palpable pulse and no history of previous stroke or contralateral carotid occlusion. There were no serious neurological complications. We conclude that the presence of a palpable pulse in the carotid stump is a sufficient criterion for performing carotid endarterectomy without a shunt in those patients with no previous history of stroke or contralateral carotid occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Pauls
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010173:Palpation; D011674:Pulse