Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2016
Perioperative Supplemental Oxygen Does Not Worsen Long-Term Mortality of Colorectal Surgery Patients.
A follow-up analysis from a large trial of oxygen and surgical-site infections reported increased long-term mortality among patients receiving supplemental oxygen, especially those having cancer surgery. Although concerning, there is no obvious mechanism linking oxygen to long-term mortality. We thus tested the hypothesis that supplemental oxygen does not increase long-term mortality in patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Secondarily, we evaluated whether the effect of supplemental oxygen on mortality depended on cancer status. ⋯ In contrast to the only previous publication, we found that supplemental oxygen had no influence on long-term mortality in the overall surgical population or in patients having cancer surgery.
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Remifentanil is an injectable opioid that is metabolized rapidly at a constant rate by plasma esterases. This supports its use as an analgesic for short-term, but painful, procedures in a wide range of patients. The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and safety of administering remifentanil via inhalation. Our hypothesis was that inhaled remifentanil would be absorbed rapidly, pharmacologically active, rapidly cleared, and noninjurious to rodent airways and lungs. ⋯ Remifentanil delivered by inhalation is rapidly absorbed, pharmacologically active, rapidly cleared, and noninjurious to respiratory tissues in rodents.