Colloid Oncotic Pressure, Monitoring its Effects in Cardiac Surgery

Hemodilution is a common perioperative practice. The deleterious effects of excessive hemodilution and subsequent edema formation have been well documented by numerous authors. Colloid oncotic pressure (COP) is a reliable clinical indicator of hemodilution in cardiac surgery. The intent of this study is to determine if a correlation exists between COP and various patient outcome variables. It would also be helpful to know if there is a particular COP value to avoid preventing or limiting patient morbidity. Blood samples from 61 adult patients (mean age = 70 years old) undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery were collected for COP calculation and comparison. Sample collection was performed before heparinization, during cardiopulmonary bypass, at the conclusion of cardiopulmonary bypass, and in the intensive care unit. The resultant values obtained were used to generate a calculated COP. The lowest sustained COP was then compared with various patient outcome variables such as fluid balance, post-operative weight gain, post-operative blood loss, extubation time, length of stay, and blood products administered. A statistically significant difference (p < .05) was found between the COP and each of the monitored continuous variables. The data also suggest that maintaining a patient’s COP at or above 15 mmHg could be desirable. Frequent monitoring of a patient’s COP can provide a potential benefit to clinical decision making.