Anesthesia and analgesia
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Loss of information occurs frequently during handover and affects the continuity of care. Improving handovers is therefore a key patient safety goal. After surgery, the patient is transferred to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and handover to the nurse includes both handover of monitoring equipment (connecting electrocardiogram, calibrating arterial lines, infusion pumps, etc.) and patient/procedure-specific information. Multitasking is likely to increase the risk of information loss during handover. It is unknown to what extent the transfer of equipment and information occurs simultaneously or sequentially in daily practice. ⋯ In most videotaped handovers from OR to the PACU, there was simultaneous transfer of equipment and information. Although most health care providers are unaware of it, this form of multitasking during patient handover in the PACU is common. Future studies should evaluate whether this multitasking also leads to loss of critical patient information and reduced patient safety.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2012
A method for ultrasonographic visualization and injection of the superior laryngeal nerve: volunteer study and cadaver simulation.
Superior laryngeal nerve block is a valuable technique for provision of upper airway anesthesia. In bilateral scans of 20 volunteers, we developed a technique for ultrasonographic visualization of the superior laryngeal nerve and key anatomical structures using a hockey stick-shaped 8 to 15 MHz transducer (HST15 to 8/20 linear probe, Ultrasonix, Richmond, BC, Canada). ⋯ Ultrasound-guided in-plane advancement of a needle toward the superior laryngeal nerve and injection of 1 mL of green dye was achieved in all 4 attempts and confirmed by a postprocedural dissection performed by an anatomist. We conclude that ultrasound-guided superior laryngeal nerve block in humans may be feasible.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2012
Comparative StudyDifferent roles of peripheral mitogen-activated protein kinases in carrageenan-induced arthritic pain and arthritis in rats.
Accumulating evidence suggests that extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) might be involved in hypersensitivity of various pain models. However, there is a lack of direct evidence for actual involvement of peripheral ERK, p38, and JNK in induction and maintenance of arthritic pain and the development of arthritis. ⋯ These results suggest that ERK, p38, and JNK signaling pathways at the peripheral level may play different roles in arthritic pain and arthritis of the knee joint.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2012
Ginkgo biloba extract attenuates hyperalgesia in a rat model of vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common, dose-limiting side effect of cancer chemotherapeutic drugs. Hyperalgesia is a common component of neuropathic pain. Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is an oriental herbal medicine that has various pharmacological actions. In this study, we evaluated the effects of oral GBE on hyperalgesia in a rat model of vincristine-induced neuropathy. ⋯ This study demonstrates that oral administration of GBE is associated with a dose-dependent antihyperalgesic effect on mechanical and cold stimuli in a rat model of vincristine-induced neuropathy.