Anesthesia and analgesia
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Dead space is the portion of a tidal volume that does not participate in gas exchange because it does not get in contact with blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries. It is commonly calculated using volumetric capnography, the plot of expired carbon dioxide (CO(2)) versus tidal volume, which is an easy bedside assessment of the inefficiency of a particular ventilatory setting. ⋯ Therefore, the results obtained by Bohr's and Enghoff's formulas have different physiological meanings and clinicians must be conscious of such differences when interpreting patient data. In this article, we describe the rationale of dead space measurements by volumetric capnography and discuss its main clinical implications and the misconceptions surrounding it.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2012
Editorial CommentWhen indecision is a decision and inaction is an action.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2012
Review Meta AnalysisDexamethasone for the prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting associated with neuraxial morphine administration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
We performed a systematic review to assess the efficacy of dexamethasone in reducing postoperative nausea, vomiting (PONV), pruritus, and enhancing postoperative analgesia in patients receiving neuraxial anesthesia with neuraxial morphine. ⋯ Dexamethasone is an effective antiemetic for patients receiving neuraxial morphine for cesarean delivery and abdominal hysterectomy. In addition, the doses used for antiemetic prophylaxis enhanced postoperative analgesia compared with placebo. However, dexamethasone was not effective for the prophylaxis against neuraxial morphine-induced pruritus.