title: Obtaining reliable plasma sodium and glucose determinations from pulmonary artery catheters.
abstract: In critically ill patients, blood specimens are frequently withdrawn from intravascular catheters without consideration of possible infusate contamination, of test accuracy, or of undue blood loss. The reliability of sodium (Na+) and glucose determinations withdrawn from the venous infusion port of a pulmonary artery catheter was studied in 30 patients after cardiac surgery. Catheter patency was maintained by a saline and heparin infusate. Venipuncture samples for Na+ and glucose served as controls. A sample containing the dwell volume of the catheter and the stopcock (1 ml) was withdrawn and discarded, followed by fifteen 1 ml samples being taken for analysis. It was concluded that Na+ values are stable after discard of the catheter dwell volume and an additional milliliter of blood. Minimal clinical differences were found in the glucose values after discard of the catheter dwell volume and two additional milliliters of blood.
authors.affiliation: Central Hospital, Seattle, WA 98112.
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: LeClair
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Underhill
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Ashwood
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Detter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006493:Heparin; D012964:Sodium