Anesthesiology
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Postoperative pulmonary complications are associated with increased morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality after major surgery. Intraoperative lung-protective mechanical ventilation has the potential to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. This review discusses the relevant literature on definition and methods to predict the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complication, the pathophysiology of ventilator-induced lung injury with emphasis on the noninjured lung, and protective ventilation strategies, including the respective roles of tidal volumes, positive end-expiratory pressure, and recruitment maneuvers. The authors propose an algorithm for protective intraoperative mechanical ventilation based on evidence from recent randomized controlled trials.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A Randomized Crossover Study Comparing a Novel Needle Guidance Technology for Simulated Internal Jugular Vein Cannulation.
Despite ultrasound guidance for central line placement, complications persist, as exact needle location is often difficult to confirm with standard two-dimension ultrasound. A novel real-time needle guidance technology has recently become available (eZono, Germany) that tracks the needle during insertion. This randomized, blinded, crossover study examined whether this needle guidance technology improved cannulation of a simulated internal jugular (IJ) vein in an ultrasound phantom. ⋯ This real-time needle guidance technology (eZono) shows significant improvement in needle accuracy and cannulation time during simulated IJ vein puncture.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ability of the Nociception Level, a Multiparameter Composite of Autonomic Signals, to Detect Noxious Stimuli during Propofol-Remifentanil Anesthesia.
A novel multidimensional index of nociception, the nociception level (NoL) index, derived from the nonlinear composite of heart rate (HR), HR variability, amplitude of the photoplethysmogram, skin conductance, fluctuations in skin conductance, and their time derivatives, was used to assess nociception during anesthesia. ⋯ The NoL is a reliable measure of moderate and intense noxious stimulation and outperforms HR and MAP in differentiating noxious from nonnoxious stimuli. In contrast to HR and MAP, the NoL was not affected by hemodynamic effects of remifentanil.
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Clinical Trial Observational Study
Xenon Does Not Increase Heart Rate-corrected Cardiac QT Interval in Volunteers and in Patients Free of Cardiovascular Disease.
Impaired cardiac repolarization, indicated by prolonged QT interval, may cause critical ventricular arrhythmias. Many anesthetics increase the QT interval by blockade of rapidly acting potassium rectifier channels. Although xenon does not affect these channels in isolated cardiomyocytes, the authors hypothesized that xenon increases the QT interval by direct and/or indirect sympathomimetic effects. Thus, the authors tested the hypothesis that xenon alters the heart rate-corrected cardiac QT (QTc) interval in anesthetic concentrations. ⋯ Xenon monoanesthesia in healthy volunteers and xenon/remifentanil anesthesia in patients without clinically relevant cardiovascular disease do not increase QTc interval.