M. Rautanen et al., EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTAL FAT-EMBOLISM ON CENTRAL HEMODYNAMICS AND OXYGENATION IN PIGS, European surgical research, 28(3), 1996, pp. 227-234
Nine anesthetized and mechanically ventilated test pigs were intracava
lly infused with a 10% allogeneic bone marrows suspension at a dose of
100 mg/kg over 5 min; 9 control pigs received saline. The cardiac ind
ex decreased slightly in the fat embolism animals. Left ventricular st
roke work remained unchanged in both groups, whereas right ventricular
stroke work rose in the fat embolism animals. Mean arterial pressure
remained stationary in the test group but rose in the controls. Pulmon
ary capillary wedge pressure and central venous pressure rose slightly
in the test group. After infusion of the bone marrow suspension, mean
pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary
shunt and alveoloarterial oxygen tension difference increased immedia
tely and remained elevated throughout the study period. Simultaneously
arterial and mixed venous oxygen tension and hemoglobin oxygen satura
tion decreased. Arterial carbon dioxide tension and hematocrit remaine
d stationary, The fat embolism animals developed gradual fever. In con
clusion, increased mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascula
r resistance, pulmonary shunt and alveoloarterial oxygen tension diffe
rence proved to be useful early indicators of experimental fat embolis
m.