Viktor A Reva1, Andrey V Perevedentcev2, Alexander A Pochtarnik3, Murat T Khupov2, Angelina A Kalinina2, Igor M Samokhvalov3, Mansoor A Khan4. 1. Department of War Surgery, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6 Lebedeva Street, Saint-Petersburg 194044, Russian Federation. Electronic address: vreva@mail.ru. 2. Russian National Service of Sanitary Aviation, 56 Pilotov Street, Saint-Petersburg 196210, Russian Federation. 3. Department of War Surgery, Kirov Military Medical Academy, 6 Lebedeva Street, Saint-Petersburg 194044, Russian Federation. 4. Digestive Diseases Department, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals, Barry Building, Eastern Rd, Brighton BN2 5BE, United Kingdom.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of en-route resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) on board of a helicopter. METHODS: Six sedated male sheep (weighing 42-54 kg) underwent a controlled hemorrhage until the systolic blood pressure (BP) dropped to <90 mmHg, and were placed into a low capacity Eurocopter AS-350 (France). During the 30-minutes normal flight, every animal underwent blind (left side) and ultrasound-guided (US) (right side) vascular access (VA) to the femoral artery followed by REBOA: the first catheter (Rescue balloon, Japan) - into Zone I, the second one (MIT, Russia) - Zone III. In case of blind VA failure, an alternate US-puncture was attempted. Six experienced flight anesthetists were enrolled into the study. Vascular access and REBOA catheter placement (confirmed by X-Ray later) success rate and timing were recorded. RESULTS: Among six blind punctures one was successful, 2/6 - were into the vein, 3/6 - completely failed and switched to US-punctures (making total number of US-punctures nine). Eight out of nine US-punctures were successful. However, correct wire insertion and sheath placement was performed in 1/6 animal in the 'blind' group and only in 6/9 animals in the 'US' group. It took a median of 65 seconds (range 5-260) for US-puncture and a median of 4 minutes to get the sheath in. Among the 9 VAs, there were 2 REBOA failures (1 ruptured balloon [MIT] and 1 mistaken vena cava placement primarily recognized by a sudden drop of BP and later confirmed by X-Ray). Five out of seven balloons were placed in a desired intra-aortic position: 4/5 in Zone I and 1/2 - in Zone III. A median time for a successful REBOA procedure was 5.0 (range 2.5-10.0) minutes (1 min after sheath placement). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential feasibility of the en-route REBOA which can be performed within 5 minutes. Ultrasound-guidance is critically important to achieve en-route VA.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of en-route resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) on board of a helicopter. METHODS: Six sedated male sheep (weighing 42-54 kg) underwent a controlled hemorrhage until the systolic blood pressure (BP) dropped to <90 mmHg, and were placed into a low capacity Eurocopter AS-350 (France). During the 30-minutes normal flight, every animal underwent blind (left side) and ultrasound-guided (US) (right side) vascular access (VA) to the femoral artery followed by REBOA: the first catheter (Rescue balloon, Japan) - into Zone I, the second one (MIT, Russia) - Zone III. In case of blind VA failure, an alternate US-puncture was attempted. Six experienced flight anesthetists were enrolled into the study. Vascular access and REBOA catheter placement (confirmed by X-Ray later) success rate and timing were recorded. RESULTS: Among six blind punctures one was successful, 2/6 - were into the vein, 3/6 - completely failed and switched to US-punctures (making total number of US-punctures nine). Eight out of nine US-punctures were successful. However, correct wire insertion and sheath placement was performed in 1/6 animal in the 'blind' group and only in 6/9 animals in the 'US' group. It took a median of 65 seconds (range 5-260) for US-puncture and a median of 4 minutes to get the sheath in. Among the 9 VAs, there were 2 REBOA failures (1 ruptured balloon [MIT] and 1 mistaken vena cava placement primarily recognized by a sudden drop of BP and later confirmed by X-Ray). Five out of seven balloons were placed in a desired intra-aortic position: 4/5 in Zone I and 1/2 - in Zone III. A median time for a successful REBOA procedure was 5.0 (range 2.5-10.0) minutes (1 min after sheath placement). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the potential feasibility of the en-route REBOA which can be performed within 5 minutes. Ultrasound-guidance is critically important to achieve en-route VA.