Anesthesiology
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Critically ill patients with severe inflammation often exhibit heightened sensitivity to general anesthetics; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Inflammation increases the number of γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors expressed on the surface of neurons, which supports the hypothesis that inflammation increases up-regulation of GABAA receptor activity by anesthetics, thereby enhancing the behavioral sensitivity to these drugs. ⋯ These results provide proof-of-concept evidence that inflammation increases the sensitivity of neurons to general anesthetics. This increase in anesthetic up-regulation of GABAA receptor activity in vitro correlates with enhanced sensitivity for GABAA receptor-dependent behavioral endpoints in vivo.
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Biography Historical Article
Sim and Bause Flanking Stoeckel, "Germany's Paul Wood".
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Dexmedetomidine versus Propofol Sedation Reduces Delirium after Cardiac Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Postoperative delirium (POD) is a serious complication after cardiac surgery. Use of dexmedetomidine to prevent delirium is controversial. The authors hypothesized that dexmedetomidine sedation after cardiac surgery would reduce the incidence of POD. ⋯ When compared with propofol, dexmedetomidine sedation reduced incidence, delayed onset, and shortened duration of POD in elderly patients after cardiac surgery. The absolute risk reduction for POD was 14%, with a number needed to treat of 7.1.