Annales françaises d'anesthèsie et de rèanimation
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The identification of nutritional status is one of the objectives of the anaesthesia consultation often difficult to achieve routinely. It usually requires the use of multiple indicators, which are complex for a non-nutrition specialist. ⋯ To facilitate this evaluation, we propose a stratification of nutritional risk in four grades (NG) using three types of simple and validated parameters: preoperative nutritional status (BMI, weight loss, eventually serum albumin), comorbidities and kind of surgery. This stratification can develop a tailored nutritional care for each patient.
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Pupil size reflects the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Due to technological advances, accurate and repeated pupil size measurements are possible using infrared, video-recorded pupillometers. Two pupil size reflexes are assessed: the pupillary reflex dilation during noxious stimulation, and the pupil light reflex when the pupil is exposed to the light. ⋯ This might be of particular interest in optimizing the management of opioids in anaesthetized patients and in assessing pain levels in the intensive care unit. The pupil light reflex measurement is part of the routine monitoring for severely head-injured patients. The impact of pupillometry in this condition remains to be determined.
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Although surgery of brain tumors and epilepsy are restricted to few specialized centers, anaesthesia for a patient with epilepsy is commonly encountered. Surgical treatments of epilepsy are currently soaring due to the lack of significant progress about effectiveness of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). ⋯ Practically, the risk of severe perioperative complications is low, provided that the administration of AEDs is kept as close as possible to its usual dosage, and that metabolic disturbances are prevented. The main anaesthetic drugs to avoid are alfentanil, remifentanil and sevoflurane, although their contraindication are only relative, since the clinical benefit might be clear and the doses should remain moderate.
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Infections are a major cause of death and morbidity after acute injury of the central nervous system (CNS). Acute lesions of the CNS alter immune homeostasis contributing to the development of immunosuppression (IS), and making the bed of the infection. IS results in a decreased phagocytic functions of neutrophils and macrophages as well as monocyte deactivation (decreased capacity of antigen presentation to lymphocytes). ⋯ Specialized units of care for ischemic stroke, taking into account the risk of infection related to the IS, have improved the prognosis until 18th month after the initial damage of the SNC. It is now well recognized that the improved long-term prognosis is related with the secondary prevention of recurrent ischaemia as well as aggressive management of pulmonary infections. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of IS can be considered in the near future, opening the door to immunomodulatory therapeutic trials.
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jun 2012
Review[Near infrared spectroscopy monitoring in the neurointensive care].
Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can noninvasively measure cerebral saturation in oxygen, that permits to estimate brain oxygenation and metabolism. This technique could be incorporated into a multimodal monitoring for severely brain-injured patients. This review presents the principles of NIRS, its limits, the main results from clinical studies and its perspectives. More clinical studies are needed before recommending the routine use of NIRS in the ICU.