title: Technical aspects of intravascular pressure monitoring during donor care.
abstract: Many biological signals must be measured and interpreted accurately to titrate therapy properly during donor care. Although the technological aspects of intravascular pressure monitoring are usually delegated to bedside nursing colleagues, organ procurement coordinators should be familiar with those devices and methods. The equipment, supplies, and procedures used for arterial and central venous pressure monitoring are reviewed. Transducer leveling and zeroing plus maintenance of the hydraulic tubing system between the transducer and bedside monitor are especially important. These variables may greatly influence the accuracy of the displayed pressures and, therefore, must be considered during donor assessment as treatment is considered.
authors.affiliation: Vivian L Smith Institute for Neurologic Research, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA. david.j.powner@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Powner
authors.forename: Ambili M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: John
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D002138:Calibration; D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D004869:Equipment Safety; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000379:methods*; D008283:Maintenance; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*; D014160:Transducers, Pressure