Evaluation of ventricular–vascular coupling with critical care metrics: An in silico approach

Abstract

Abstract Mean arterial pressure and cardiac output provide insufficient guidance for the management of intraoperative hypotension (IOH). In silico models offer additional insights into acute changes in hemodynamic parameters that may be encountered during IOH. A computational model (CM) generated parameters quantifying ventricular–vascular coupling, and pressure–volume construct across levels of aortic compliance (CA). We studied how a loss from normal‐to‐stiff CA impacts critical care metrics of hemodynamics during vascular occlusion. Pulse pressure (PP), end‐systolic pressure (Pes), arterial compliance (Art‐ca), arterial elastance (Art‐ea), and dynamic arterial elastance (Eadyn), along mechanical efficiency (ME) were measured at five levels of CA. A loss in CA impacted all variables. During steady‐state conditions, PP, Pes, and stroke work increased significantly as CA decreased. Art‐ca decreased and Art‐ea increased similarly; Eadyn increased and ME decreased. During a decrease in preload across all CA levels, arterial dynamics measures remained linear. The CM demonstrated that a loss in CA impacts measures of arterial dynamics during steady‐state and transient conditions and the model demonstrates that critical care metrics are sensitive to changes in CA. While Art‐ca and Art‐ea were sensitive to changes in preload, Eadyn did not change.

Keywords

• aortic compliance
• cardiac output
• computational model
• Eadyn
• mechanical efficiency
• pulse pressure