title: Carboxyhaemoglobin formation and ECG changes during hysteroscopic surgery, transurethral prostatectomy and tonsillectomy using bipolar diathermy.
abstract: Diathermy is known to produce a mixture of waste products including carbon monoxide. During transcervical hysteroscopic surgery, carbon monoxide might enter the circulation leading to the formation of carboxyhaemoglobin. In 20 patients scheduled for transcervical hysteroscopic resection of myoma or endometrium, carboxyhaemoglobin was measured before and at the end of the surgical procedure, and compared with levels measured in 20 patients during transurethral prostatectomy, and in 20 patients during tonsillectomy. Haemodynamic data, including ST-segment changes, were recorded. Levels of carboxyhaemoglobin increased significantly during hysteroscopic surgery from median (IQR [range]) 1.0% (0.7-1.4 [0.5-4.9])% to 3.5% (2.0-6.1 [1.3-10.3]%, p < 0.001), compared with levels during prostatectomy or tonsillectomy. Significant ST-segment changes were observed in 50% of the patients during hysteroscopic surgery. Significant correlations were observed between the increase in carboxyhaemoglobin and the maximum ST-segment change (ρ = -0.707, p < 0.01), between the increase in carboxyhaemoglobin and intravasation (ρ = 0.625; p < 0.01), and between intravasation and the maximum ST-segment change (ρ = -0.761; p < 0.01). The increased carboxyhaemoglobin levels during hysteroscopic surgery appear to be related to the amount of intravasation and this could potentially be a contributing factor to the observed ST-segment changes.
authors.affiliation: Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Overdijk
authors.forename: P J M
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: van Kesteren
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Haan
authors.forename: N C J
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Schellekens
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Dijksman
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hovius
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bakkum
authors.forename: B M P
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rademaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003972:Diathermy / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015907:Hysteroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods*; D020728:Transurethral Resection of Prostate / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin