PURPOSE: This study was done to evaluate the mean venous velocity (MVV) response with knee and thigh length compression stockings (CS) versus intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices in immobile patients with brain injuries. METHODS: We carried out a randomized controlled study. We analyzed both legs of a randomly chosen sample of 43 patients assigned to one of 4 groups (86 legs). The patients were sequentially hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) in "S hospital" from November 2005 to December 2006. The base line and augmented venous velocity was measured at the level of the common femoral vein. We applied leg compression 42 times over 7 days (for 2 hours at a time at 2 hour intervals). RESULTS: There was a statistical difference among the 4 groups. The difference for the "IPC" group was more significant than the "CS" group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the application of IPC can be considered as an effective method to prevent deep vein thrombosis for immobile patients with brain injury.
Adult ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Brain Injuries/*physiopathology ; Female ; Femoral Vein/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stockings, Compression ; Venous Thrombosis/*prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of laparoscopic surgery position and CO(2) pneumoperitoneum on deep vein hemodynamics of lower limb.

METHODSColor Doppler ultrasound was adopted to evaluate the diameter, blood velocity and the amount of the blood flow in the lower extremity of 37 gastric cancer patients undergone laparoscopic surgery from November 2007 to August 2008 in our hospital. Three kinds of position(prostration, head-down tilt position and feet-down tilt position) before the establishment of pneumoperitoneum and three different pressure of CO(2) pneumoperitoneum( 8 mm Hg, 12 mm Hg, 16 mm Hg ) after the establishment of pneumoperitoneum were applied during laparoscopic surgery.

RESULTSCompared with the stage of prostration before the pneumoperitoneum, the femoral vein diameter decreased (P<0.05), the velocity and the amount of blood flow increased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in head-down tilt position; the femoral vein diameter increased(P<0.01), the velocity and the amount of blood flow decreased(P<0.01, P<0.05) in feet-down tilt position or the establishment of pneumoperitoneum. Furthermore, with the increase of pneumoperitoneum pressure, the femoral vein diameter increased, the velocity and the amount of blood flow decreased(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe head-down tilt position is conducive for the blood to recirculate, which will degrade the risk of deep vein thrombosis after the laparoscopy. The feet-down tilt position and CO(2) pneumoperitoneum can interfere the recirculation of blood, and increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis after the laparoscopy.

Adult ; Blood Flow Velocity ; Carbon Dioxide ; Female ; Femoral Vein ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Head-Down Tilt ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lower Extremity ; blood supply ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoperitoneum, Artificial ; Posture ; Pressure ; Stomach Neoplasms ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Ultrasonography