Ugeskrift for laeger
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Ventilator-treated children often require sedation in order to facilitate the ventilation. Sedatives alone or in combination with analgesics are commonly used for this purpose. In some cases, however, the addition of a neuromuscular blocking agent (NMB) may be necessary. ⋯ The most commonly employed sedatives, opioids and NMB's are discussed. The authors stress that whichever drug is used, it should be administered to the children guided by its effects rather than by a rigid scheme. In that respect monitoring of the treatment is important.
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Dec 1996
Case Reports[Scalds in children caused by water from toppled electrical kettles. Mechanisms, costs and preventive measures].
Since 1988 a new type of burns in children has been recorded at the Burns Centre at Hvidovre Hospital in Copenhagen, being scalds caused by water from toppled electrical kettles (el-kettles). The children with el-kettle scalds were younger and their injuries more severe than those of children whose scalds had other causes. During the six year period 1988 to 1993, a total of 29 children (0-3 years) have been admitted with scalds caused by el-kettles, 15 children alone in 1993. ⋯ From 1993 preventive measures were taken to reduce the number of this type of scalds. Since the number of households with el-kettles in Denmark is on the increase, an increasing number of toddlers with severe scalds could be anticipated. However, a fall in the number of children admitted was registered in 1994 (four children) and 1995 (six children).
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Ugeskrift for laeger · Dec 1996
[Rational transfusion therapy. A study of transfusion practice and possibilities of optimization in elective coronary bypass surgery].
The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of intervention on physicians' transfusion behavior in elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We analyzed transfusion data on 176 patients who underwent primary elective CABG during two periods, either before (phase one, n = 102) or after (phase two, n = 74) intervention. ⋯ Indications for transfusion documented in the medical record increased from 19% in phase one to 63% in phase two. It is concluded that intervention on physicians' transfusion behavior can improve the transfusion therapy in patients who undergo elective CABG.
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Thirty-eight multi-traumatized patients admitted to the Emergency Room at the county hospital in Vejle underwent computerized tomography (CT) after a standard protocol in the initial evaluation. Eighteen patients were intubated during CT. Eighteen patients had positive findings in more than one of the regions of the body. ⋯ We find that CT with a standardized procedure supplements the clinical evaluation with important information about potentially life-threatening conditions some of which may be clinically unexpected. Prior to CT the patient must be stabilized in the Emergency Room. After that CT is a simple modality, which furthermore is fast and safe to perform.