Hemodynamic Changes in the Carotid Artery after Infusion of Normal Saline Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Purpose: To study the effect of the infusion of normal saline on hemodynamic changes in healthy volunteers using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. Methods: Eight healthy subjects participated and 16 carotid arteries were used for the CFD analysis. A one-liter intravenous infusion of normal saline was applied to the participants to observe the hemodynamic variations. Blood viscosity was measured before and after the injection of normal saline to apply the blood properties on the CFD modeling. Blood viscosity, shear rate, and wall shear stress were visually and quantitatively shown for the comparison between before and after the infusion of normal saline. Statistical analyses were performed to confirm the difference between the before and after groups. Results: After the infusion of normal saline, decreased blood viscosity was observed in the whole carotid artery. At the internal carotid artery, the recirculation zone with low intensity was found after the injection of normal saline. Increased shear rate and reduced wall shear stress was observed at the carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery. The hemodynamic differences between before and after groups were statistically significant. Conclusions: The infusion of normal saline affected not only the overall changes of blood flow in the carotid artery but also the decrease of blood viscosity.