Table 1.
Patients' characteristics and haemodynamic findings obtained by right heart catheterisation at the time of TEE study
| Protocol A (n = 56) | Protocol B (n = 32) | |
| Age (years) | 66 ± 12 | 57 ± 15a |
| Men (n) | 36 (64) | 23 (72) |
| SAPS II | 47 ± 12 | 41 ± 12a |
| Reason for admission (n): | ||
| Medical condition | 37 (66) | 26 (81) |
| Non scheduled surgery | 19 (34) | 6 (19) |
| Vasopressor or inotropic support (n) | 47 (84) | 16 (50)a |
| Blood pressure (mmHg): | ||
| Systolic | 116 ± 25 | 133 ± 22a |
| Diastolic | 61 ± 16 | 72 ± 15a |
| Mean | 79 ± 17 | 94 ± 15a |
| Heart rate (bpm) | 105 ± 19 | 98 ± 22 |
| RAP (mmHg) | 11 ± 6 | 10 ± 4 |
| PAP (mmHg): | ||
| Systolic | 35 ± 13 | 43 ± 10a |
| Diastolic | 21 ± 6 | 22 ± 5 |
| Mean | 27 ± 8 | 30 ± 7a |
| PAOP (mmHg) | 12 ± 5 | 14 ± 6 |
| Cardiac index (L/min/m2) | 3.0 ± 1.0 | 3.2 ± 1.4 |
| PVR (dynes·s·cm-5) | 424 ± 190 | 466 ± 201 |
| SVR (dynes·s·cm-5) | 1 948 ± 824 | 2 402 ± 1087 |
| VT (mL/kg) | 8 ± 2 | 8 ± 2 |
| PEEP (cm H2O) | 9 ± 4 | 10 ± 3 |
ap < 0.05. Numbers between brackets are percentages. Abbreviations: PAP, pulmonary artery pressure; PAOP, pulmonary artery occlusion pressure; PVR, pulmonary vascular resistance; RAP, right atrial pressure; SAPS: simplified acute physiologic score; SVR, systemic vascular resistance; TEE, transoesophageal echocardiography.