title: Low values of left ventricular ejection time in the post-anhepatic phase may be associated with occurrence of primary graft dysfunction after orthotopic liver transplantation: results of a single-centre case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous investigations on risk factors for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) surgery have not analyzed hemodynamic aberrations in great detail. Moreover, the usefulness of esophageal Doppler monitoring has not been extensively studied in this clinical setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the occurrence of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) may be anticipated by hemodynamic indexes measured by esophageal Doppler (ED) monitoring system as well as by pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) in patients undergoing OLT.
  
  
  METHODS
  38 OLT recipients were studied. Patients with acute liver failure or having non treated esophageal varices and those transplanted with marginal donors were excluded from the study. The haemodynamic data - measured by ED monitoring system (HemosonicTM 100, Arrow, OK, USA) and PAC - collected at the following 3 time points were considered for statistical analysis: 30 minutes after the induction of anesthesia but before skin incision, T0; 20 minutes after liver dissection, T1; at the beginning of biliary reconstruction, T2. On the basis of early outcome (72 hours after OLT), patients were distinguished into two groups: those with PGD (grade III-IV of Toronto classification) and those without PGD (grade I-II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  LVETc (left ventricular ejection time) values, registered at the beginning of biliary reconstruction (T2), were lower in patients with PGD compared to those without PGD (p < 0.000), while there were no differences in hemodynamic parameters derived from PAC between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since LVETc is related to preload, the results of this study would suggest that normovolemia could be the end point of a fluid replacement strategy in OLT setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, A. Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Perilli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aceto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Modesti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciocchetti
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Magalini
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Avolio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sollazzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055031:Primary Graft Dysfunction / Q000209:etiology*; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left