Vena Caval Infusions J

623 Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.33.386.623 on 1 December 1957. Downloaded from VENA CAVAL INFUSIONS J. K. Ross, M.B., B.S., F.R.C.S. Department of Surgical Studies, The Middlesex Hospital, London. W. I General Principles can have no fluids or other nourishment by mouth Intravenous fluid administration direct into the for long periods of time. venae cavae is a useful refinement of more orthodox Vena caval infusions enable strong dextrose methods involving the use of peripheral veins and solutions to be given, if necessary at a very slow is now a well-tried procedure which has been rate, and thus represent a valuable, if not the only, shown to be both safe and reliable. method for giving hypertonic dextrose in the The underlying principle on which the success treatment of anuria. of the technique depends is that of instant dilution A further application for this technique is found of the infused fluid as it enters the vena cava. This in those patients whose superficial veins have been ensures minimal intimal reaction at the site of used up by previous infusions. delivery of the fluid and enables solutions of high concentration to be given which, if delivered into Technique a peripheral vein, would cause a brisk chemical All vena caval infusions should be set up in the Protected by copyright. inflammatory response and rapid thrombosis of operating theatre, using full aseptic technique. the vein. Local anaesthesia is used unless it is decided to This same underlying principle, as might be start the infusion immediately before or after expected, facilitates prolonged administration of operation, when it can conveniently be done under standard strength solutions and, in fact, vena caval general anaesthesia. infusions can be maintained for long periods with The first step is to prepare the polythene cannula, no ill effects, a fact appreciated equally by the which is sterilized by boiling. All coils should be patient and the house surgeon, who are both removed from the tubing by stretching it while it spared the consequences of repeated thrombosis is still warm. The tubing used is 2.5-mm. in of recipient superficial veins. diameter and of I.5-mm. bore, and this is con- Using this technique, the patient's activity is nected to a standard infusion apparatus by a scarcely restricted and, beyond the supervision pentothal mixer, which fits the tubing exactly, needed for any intravenous infusion, it in no way giving a watertight and airtight junction. The end increases the nursing problems and often makes of the tubing to be introduced into the vein is cut http://pmj.bmj.com/ them easier. transversely and its edges rounded by rubbing it It is possible, using suitable veins of entry, to rapidly to and fro on one of the sterile towels. introduce a polythene cannula into the superior or inferior vena cava. In our experience the superior Superior Vena Caval Infusion is preferable to the inferior vena caval route, as the The vein of entry used in this instance is the incidence of complications in the former is basilic, the cephalic vein being less satisfactory appreciably less. owing to the angle at which it joins the axillary vein. The basilic vein is exposed before it pierces on September 26, 2021 by guest. Indications the deep fascia by a short transverse skin incision Vena caval infusions are of great value under I-' to 2 in. above and anterior to the medial epi- any circumstances when intravenous fluids must condyle of the humerus, and proof of its identity is be given for a long time and may be used with afforded by the medial cutaneous nerve of the advantage in complicated cases requiring intensive forearm, which is nearly always found closely or prolonged preparation for operation, possibly related to the vein and which must be dissected blood transfusion, and intravenous fluids after free. operation. In this context vena caval infusions Having exposed the vein, the length of tubing to have been found useful in the accurate replacement be inserted may be estimated by measuring the of sustained fluid and electrolyte loss and in the distance from the incision to the mid point of the management of patients who, for varied reasons, clavicle and from there to the angle of Louis; the 624 POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL December I957 Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.33.386.623 on 1 December 1957. Downloaded from f:f:EI. C:; ;DD .: Protected by copyright. http://pmj.bmj.com/ .. FIG. i.-The photograph shows the pentothal mixer and its junction above with the on September 26, 2021 by guest. infusion tubing and below with the polythene cannula. The cross marks the tip of the medial epicondyle of the humerus. The black silk marker on the polythene just below the incision indicates that the full estimated length of tubing has been introduced. length of tubing used is usually between I4 in. and entered it may be possible to see a variation in drip i6 in. (36.5 to 41.5 cm.). Having decided the rate with the phases of respiration, indicating that length of tubing to be used, it is marked off at the the tip of the cannula is in a major vessel subject appropriate point. The vein is then ligated distally, to changes in intrathoracic pressure. It may, how- incised and the cannula inserted with the infusion ever, prove impossible to introduce the last few running slowly. inches of polythene, although this difficulty can Once the full length of polythene has been sometimes be overcome by more fully abducting December I957 ROSS: Vena Caval Infusions 62,5 Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.33.386.623 on 1 December 1957. Downloaded from the arm and slightly flexing the shoulder. If there treatment of over 50 patients under our care, of is a persistent hold-up,, which when met always which careful records have been kept in 36. stops the drip, it has been found quite satisfactory In 27 cases the polythene cannula was inserted to insert the tubing as far as possible compatible into the superior vena cava and in nine the inferior with efficient running of the infusion and leave it vena cava was used. there, as the fluids are still being introduced into a In all instances when such an infusion has been major'vessel and the principle of instant dilution used a careful watch has been kept for any signs still applies. of inflammatory reaction along the course of the When the tubing is in position it is fixed by vein carrying the polythene tubing and also for tying a ligature round both vein and cannula, the any signs of swelling of the limb. If any such signs skin edges are approximated on either side of the were found, the tubing was immediately with- tubing and any extra polythene and the pentothal drawn. In three of the nine cases in which the mixer are fixed to the fore or upper arm by inferior vena cava was used there was clinical adhesive plaster (Fig. i). evidence of femoral vein thrombosis, indicated by It should be mentioned that on two occasions swelling of the leg, after the infusions had been there has been clear evidence that the polythene running for four, six and eight and a half days tubing has turned upwards, entering the internal respectively. There were no serious consequences jugular vein instead of the superior vena cava. In and the swelling rapidly subsided oua each occasion neither instance were there any resultant ill effects, following the withdrawal of the tubing. As a but if this state of affairs is recognized the tubing result of the relatively high incidence of complica- should be'withdrawn. tions met with in this small number of inferior vena caval infusions, the route was abandoned in favour Inferior Vena Caval Infusion of the superior vena caval method and this accounts The technique for this route is identical, the for the much larger number of the latter type in vein of entry used in this instance being the the series as a whole. long Protected by copyright. saphenous, which is exposed a short distance below Of the 27 patients receiving superior vena caval the sapheno-femoral junction. infusions, swelling of the arm developed in three; in two of these the Swelling was transitory, sub- Addition of Heparin to the Fluids siding rapidly after stopping the infusions which As an added safeguard in the prevention of had run for four and 12 days respectively. The thrombosis at the site of delivery of the fluids into third case had more definite evidence of axillary the venae cavae, it is wise to add heparin to the vein thrombosis after eight days, but again there fluids in a dosage of one unit per milliletre (i.e. were no serious sequelae and there was no residual 500 units of heparin to each standard half-litre oedema of the arm. bottle). The heparin in this dosage has a purely Vena caval infusions have been maintained for local anticoagulant effect around the tip of the from four to 22 days, the average length of time cannula; this appears true regardless of the being eight days, and 40 or 50 1. of fluid have been volume of fluid given. given on several occasions without difficulty, the average volume given in the series being 26.5 1. http://pmj.bmj.com/ Fluids Used Illustrative Case History All fluids in common use for intravenous therapy can be Mrs. M.W., aged 32. Presenting with recurrent given by the vena caval route.

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