Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2004
ReviewKetamine as adjuvant analgesic to opioids: a quantitative and qualitative systematic review.
Animal studies on ketamine and opioid tolerance have shown promising results. Clinical trials have been contradictory. We performed a systematic review of randomized, double-blind clinical trials of ketamine added to opioid analgesia. ⋯ Five of 8 trials with epidural ketamine showed beneficial effects. Adverse effects were not increased with small dose ketamine. We conclude that small dose ketamine is a safe and useful adjuvant to standard practice opioid-analgesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2004
ReviewKetamine as adjuvant analgesic to opioids: a quantitative and qualitative systematic review.
Animal studies on ketamine and opioid tolerance have shown promising results. Clinical trials have been contradictory. We performed a systematic review of randomized, double-blind clinical trials of ketamine added to opioid analgesia. ⋯ Five of 8 trials with epidural ketamine showed beneficial effects. Adverse effects were not increased with small dose ketamine. We conclude that small dose ketamine is a safe and useful adjuvant to standard practice opioid-analgesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Aug 2004
ReviewEvidence-based management of critically ill patients: analysis and implementation.
A number of important clinical trials focusing on critically ill patients have been completed in the last few years. These trials have been among the first critical care clinical trials to demonstrate mortality reduction in the critically ill. As in any adaptation of evidence-based medicine, it is essential to closely examine the trials and to determine whether the demonstrated benefits can be translated to the individual patient. ⋯ Some of the interventions, such as small tidal volume mechanical ventilation in patients with acute lung injury or the administration of low-dose corticosteroids for patients with septic shock, are cost-effective and relatively simple to implement. Others, such as use of activated protein C in patients with severe sepsis or "tight" glycemic control in patients with hyperglycemia, require either significant pharmaceutical expenditure or, possibly, additional health care personnel. Nevertheless, the trials discussed represent significant advances in the field of critical care medicine and should at least be considered for implementation in all intensive care units.