Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2008
ReviewThe howling cortex: seizures and general anesthetic drugs.
The true incidence of seizures caused by general anesthetic drugs is unknown. Abnormal movements are common during induction of anesthesia, but they may not be indicative of true seizures. Conversely, epileptiform electrocortical activity is commonly induced by enflurane, etomidate, sevoflurane and, to a lesser extent, propofol, but it rarely progresses to generalized tonic-clonic seizures. ⋯ This has been postulated to occur 1) at the network level by increasing the propensity for reverberation (e.g., by prolongation of the "inhibitory lag"), or 2) via different effects on subpopulations of interneurons ("inhibiting-the-inhibitors") or 3) at the synaptic level by changing the chloride reversal potential ("excitatory GABA"). On the basis of applied neuropharmacology, prevention of anesthetic-drug related seizures would include 1) avoiding sevoflurane and etomidate, 2) considering prophylaxis with adjunctive benzodiazepines (alpha-subunit GABA(A) agonists), or drugs that impair calcium entry into neurons, and 3) using electroencephalogram monitoring to detect early signs of cortical instability and epileptiform activity. Seizures may falsely elevate electroencephalogram indices of depth of anesthesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2008
Teaching lifesaving procedures: the impact of model fidelity on acquisition and transfer of cricothyrotomy skills to performance on cadavers.
A decline in emergency surgical airway procedures in recent years has resulted in a decreased exposure to cricothyrotomy. Consequently, residents have very little experience or confidence in performing this intervention. In this study, we compared cricothyrotomy skills acquired on a simple inexpensive model to those learned on a high fidelity simulator using valid evaluation instruments and testing on cadavers. ⋯ Our study shows that a simple inexpensive model achieved the same effect on objectively rated skill acquisition as did an expensive simulator. The skills acquired on both models transferred effectively to cadavers. Training for this life-saving skill does not need to be limited by simulator accessibility or cost.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialTranexamic acid and aprotinin in primary cardiac operations: an analysis of 220 cardiac surgical patients treated with tranexamic acid or aprotinin.
Antifibrinolytics are widely used in cardiac surgery to reduce bleeding. Allogeneic blood transfusion, even in primary cardiac operations with low blood loss, is still high. In the present study we evaluated the impact of tranexamic acid compared to aprotinin on the transfusion incidence in cardiac surgical patients with low risk of bleeding. ⋯ Considering the rate of transfusion of red blood cells, tranexamic acid was slightly inferior in patients undergoing CABG, but there was no difference in patients receiving AVR. Tranexamic acid seems to be less effective in operations with increased bleeding such as CABG. Clinical benefit depends on specific patient and institution characteristics (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00396760).
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialA prospective, randomized comparison of cobra perilaryngeal airway and laryngeal mask airway unique in pediatric patients.
The Cobra Perilaryngeal Airway (PLA) provides better sealing pressure than the Laryngeal Mask Airway Unique (LMAU) during positive-pressure ventilation in adults. We compared the performance of the CobraPLA and LMAU in infants and children. ⋯ The CobraPLA airway performed as well as the LMAU during anesthesia in pediatric patients for a large range of outcomes and was superior for some.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2008
ReviewA systemic review of obstructive sleep apnea and its implications for anesthesiologists.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is present in a significant proportion of the population, but the majority of patients remain undiagnosed. It is crucial that anesthesiologists and surgeons recognize the increased perioperative risks associated with undiagnosed OSA. We present a systematic review of the literature on the perioperative management of surgical patients with OSA. ⋯ This review suggests ways to screen for OSA in the preoperative setting and proposes perioperative management strategies. The ultimate goal is to reduce the perioperative risk of OSA patients but, to realize that goal, research will be needed to determine whether screening for OSA and/or adapting specific perioperative management approaches translates into a lessening of adverse events in surgical patients with undiagnosed OSA.