European journal of anaesthesiology
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Peripheral neuropathy may affect nerve conduction in patients with diabetes mellitus. ⋯ The electrical stimulation threshold for a motor response of the sciatic nerve is increased by a factor of 7.2 in patients with diabetic foot gangrene, which might hamper nerve identification.
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The scope of this review is to provide a pathophysiological summary of perioperative right ventricular function and failure. In recent decades, the importance of right ventricular function in the perioperative period has been established. However, much of our current knowledge on the management of this clinical entity is based on extrapolation of results from left ventricular research, although biventricular physiology is known to be markedly different in many aspects. ⋯ After underlining the importance of this topic, we review basic right ventricular anatomy and physiology, with an emphasis on the role of ventricular interaction. Next, potential causes of perioperative right ventricular failure are discussed. The emphasis of this review is on the perioperative anaesthetic considerations, ranging from preoperative assessment through intraoperative monitoring to specific contemporary therapeutic options of perioperative right ventricular failure.