Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists
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Acta Anaesthesiol Taiwan · Dec 2011
ReviewHemodynamic monitoring and outcome-a physiological appraisal.
Hemodynamic monitoring provides us with refined details about the cardiovascular system. In spite of increased availability of the monitoring process and monitoring equipment, hemodynamic monitoring has not significantly improved survival outcome. Care providers should be cognizant of the role of the cardiovascular system and its importance in oxygen delivery to the cells in order to sustain life. ⋯ Different hemodynamic monitors serve in this role to a different extent; some provide very little information on this. The cardiovascular system is only one of the many systems that need to function optimally for survival; others of equal importance include the integrity of the airway, the breathing process, the adequacy of hemoglobin level, and the health of the tissue bed, especially in the brain and the heart. Advances in hemodynamic monitoring with focus on oxygen delivery at the cellular level may ultimately provide the edge to effective monitoring that can impact outcome.
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Increasing evidence indicates that inhalational anesthetics may cause or increase the risk of developing postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), especially in the elderly population. POCD may exist as a transient or long-term complication of surgery and anesthesia and is associated with reduced quality of life. ⋯ Other factors such as neuroinflammation and pro-inflammatory cytokines may also play a role. This paper reviews the role of inhalational anesthetics in the etiology and underlying mechanisms that result in POCD.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Taiwan · Dec 2011
Review Case ReportsIncidence of cardiac arrest increases with the indiscriminate use of dexmedetomidine: a case series and review of published case reports.
Dexmedetomidine has predictable, complex, and negative cardiovascular effects that lead to additional adverse effects such as bradycardia and hypotension in up to 42% of patients and might cause profound left ventricular dysfunction and refractory shock. Usually, these temporary effects can be successfully counteracted with atropine, ephedrine, and volume supplementation. ⋯ Here, we report the clinical characteristics of six patients who were scheduled for various neurosurgical procedures within a period of three months and suffered from cardiac arrest following dexmedetomidine administration. We urge clinicians to take caution against the negative effects of dexmedetomidine, especially when it is used in patients older than 50 years with underlying cardiac disease and in combination with cardiodepressant drugs.