Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2007
ReviewReducing thrombotic complications in the perioperative setting: an update on heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.
Heparins are widely used in the perioperative setting. Immune heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious, antibody-mediated complication of heparin therapy that occurs in approximately 0.5%-5% of patients treated with heparin for at least 5 days. An extremely prothrombotic disorder, HIT confers significant risks of thrombosis and devastating consequences on affected patients: approximately 38%-76% develop thrombosis, approximately 10% with thrombosis require limb amputation, and approximately 20%-30% die within a month. ⋯ Subsequent laboratory test results may help with the decision to continue with nonheparin therapy or switch back to heparin. Heparin avoidance in patients with current or previous HIT is feasible in most clinical situations, except perhaps in cardiovascular surgery. If the surgery cannot be delayed until HIT antibodies have disappeared, intraoperative alternative anticoagulation is recommended.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialGastric emptying of water in obese pregnant women at term.
Healthy nonpregnant and pregnant patients may ingest clear liquids until 2 h before induction of anesthesia without adversely affecting gastric volume. In this study, we compared gastric emptying in obese, term, nonlaboring pregnant women (prepregnancy body mass index >35 kg/m2) after the ingestion of 50 and 300 mL of water. ⋯ Gastric emptying in obese, nonlaboring term pregnant women is not delayed after ingestion of 300 mL compared with 50 mL of water. Gastric antral volume after ingestion of 300 mL of water is similar to the baseline fasting level at 60 min.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialObturator versus femoral nerve block for analgesia after total knee arthroplasty.
Both femoral and obturator nerve blocks have been suggested to be useful in relieving pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We sought to compare their efficacy. ⋯ Femoral nerve blocks rarely block the obturator nerve. Single-injection femoral nerve block improved multimodal analgesia after spinal anesthesia for TKA, but this effect did not persist beyond the day of surgery. Obturator nerve block alone was of no benefit.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2007
ReviewPathophysiology of peripheral neuropathic pain: immune cells and molecules.
Damage to the peripheral nervous system often leads to chronic neuropathic pain characterized by spontaneous pain and an exaggerated response to painful and/or innocuous stimuli. This pain condition is extremely debilitating and usually difficult to treat. Although inflammatory and neuropathic pain syndromes are often considered distinct entities, emerging evidence belies this strict dichotomy. ⋯ In addition, these cells release numerous compounds that contribute to pain. Recent evidence suggests that immune cells play a role in neuropathic pain in the periphery. In this review we identify the different immune cell types that contribute to neuropathic pain in the periphery and release factors that are crucial in this particular condition.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2007
Clinical TrialEpidural blood patch therapy for chronic whiplash-associated disorder.
Despite the absence of objective neurological deficits, patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) complain of symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and nausea. These symptoms are also often experienced by patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. It was recently reported that radioisotope (RI) cisternography is useful in the diagnosis of intracranial hypotension due to CSF leak. We investigated the relation between chronic WAD and CSF leak by RI cisternography and evaluated whether epidural blood patch (EBP) administration is effective in the treatment of chronic WAD. ⋯ We conclude that CSF leak should be considered in some cases of chronic WAD and that EBP is an effective therapy for chronic WAD.