Utility of Epinephrine Levels in Determining Adrenal Vein Cannulation During Adrenal Venous Sampling for Primary Aldosteronism

ObjectiveIn patients with primary aldosteronism, adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is performed to determine the presence of unilateral or bilateral adrenal disease. During AVS, verification of catheter positioning within the left adrenal vein (AV) and the right AV by comparison of AV and inferior vena cava (IVC) cortisol levels can be variable. The objective of this study was to determine the utility of AV epinephrine levels in assessing successful AV cannulation.MethodsThis was a single institution, retrospective review of patients who underwent AVS with cosyntropin stimulation for primary aldosteronism between 2009 and 2018. Successful cannulation of the AV was defined by an AV/IVC cortisol ratio selectivity index (SI) ≥3:1. Epinephrine thresholds to predict catheter placement in the AV were determined using logistic regression. The calculated epinephrine thresholds were compared with previously published thresholds.ResultsAVS was performed on 101 consecutive patients and, based on the SI, successful cannulation of the left AV and right AV occurred in 98 (97%) and 91(90%) patients, respectively. The calculated optimal epinephrine threshold to predict AV cannulation was 364 pg/mL (sensitivity, 92.1%; specificity, 94.6%) and the calculated optimal AV/IVC epinephrine ratio threshold was 27.4, (sensitivity, 92.1%; specificity, 91.3%). Among the 14 patients with failed AV cannulation, 3 patients would have been considered to have successful AVS using AV epinephrine levels >364 pg/mL and AV/IVC epinephrine ratio >27.4 thresholds.ConclusionObtaining 2 right AV samples routinely as well as AV and IVC epinephrine levels during AVS could prevent unnecessary repeat AVS in patients with failed AV cannulation based on cortisol-based SI <3:1.     

急性低氧时狗左、右心室“力效应”的比较观察

在麻醉开胸狗上,于急性逐步加重低氧条件下,同步记录左、右心室压、压力变化率(dp/dt)等指标,观察左、右心室“力效应”动态变化过程。结果表明,急性低氧时,肺动脉升压效应与低氧程度呈正相关;左、右心室“力效应”并非同步。当左室“力效应”由增强转为减弱时,右室仍处于“力效应”增强过程,而且左室(-dp/dt_max)的减小先于(dp/dt_max)。严重低氧一旦使右室出现“力效应”减弱时,则标志着心泵功能崩溃。这些结果提示左室泵丧失代偿并非继发于肺动脉高压导致的右室负荷过重;心室舒张期力学的改变在心泵对急性低氧的反应上甚为重要,可用左心室进行性的“力效应”减弱作为判断心泵对急性低氧不能耐受的一项指标。