title: Ethanol monitoring of the transurethral resection syndrome.
abstract: Ethanol monitoring is a fairly new method of assessing fluid absorption during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). By using an irrigating fluid containing a trace amount of ethanol, the absorption can be measured by expired-breath tests. We describe a TURP in which large-scale absorption of irrigating fluid occurred despite the use of a pressure-warning device set at 10 cm H2O. The surgeon decided to terminate the operation because 1.0 liters of fluid had been absorbed over 10 minutes, and another 1.0 liter was absorbed during the 10 minutes required to conclude the surgery. The high absorption rate suggests that continued resection would have promoted a severe transurethral resection syndrome. This was prevented by the indication given by the breath test, whereas the pressure-warning device failed to do so.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olsson
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D001944:Breath Tests / Q000295:instrumentation; D004868:Equipment Failure; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D005998:Glycine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000295:instrumentation; D011312:Pressure; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013577:Syndrome; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000009:adverse effects; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D005998:Glycine