Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 2004
Comparative StudyEarly experience with magnesium administration in Irukandji syndrome.
The administration of magnesium sulphate is a proposed novel therapy for Irukandji syndrome'. In this non-randomized, unblinded case series, data from ten patients who received magnesium salts are reviewed. Magnesium sulphate boluses of 10 to 20 mmol, in the six patients for which there was adequate data, reduced pain scores immediately after administration from 8.7+/-1.5 to 2.8+/-2.8 (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, P=0.03). ⋯ Magnesium requirements in individual patients varied markedly. Pain on injection occurred in four patients, three of whom had received peripherally administered magnesium chloride, and one patient reported transient ptosis after administration of magnesium sulphate 166 mmol over 18 hours in the setting of severe Irukandji syndrome. Magnesium sulphate administration appears to attenuate pain and hypertension in Irukandji syndrome and warrants further evaluation in this setting.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 2004
Comparative StudyNasopharyngeal oxygen in adult intensive care--lower flows and increased comfort.
Nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy, the delivery of supplementary oxygen into the nasopharynx via a fine catheter placed through the nose, is a simple technique used in postoperative anaesthetic care units and paediatric intensive care, but never described in the setting of adult intensive care. In a prospective crossover design, we compared nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy with semi-rigid plastic mask (Hudson Mask) in 50 unintubated adult patients receiving supplemental oxygen. We measured oxygen flow rate to achieve cutaneous saturations 93 to 96%, and patient comfort by visual analogue score. Nasopharyngeal oxygen therapy consumed significantly less oxygen than mask administration (3.0+/-0.9 vs 6.7+/-2.1 l/min, P<0.001) and was associated with significantly higher comfort than the mask (7.5+/-1.6 cm vs 5.2+/-1.8, P<0.001).
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 2004
Comparative StudyNight-shift discharge from intensive care unit increases the mortality-risk of ICU survivors.
Intensive Care (ICU) survivors discharged from ICU to the general ward at night have a higher mortality. We sought to clarify which factors, including night-shift discharge, influence outcome following ICU discharge in a metropolitan hospital, using a cohort study of critically-ill patients between 1/1/1999-30/4/2003. Patients were excluded from analysis if they (a) died in ICU, (b) were transferred to another hospital, (c) had an ICU length of stay <8 hours, or (d) age <16 years. Logistic regression was used to derive a predictive model based on the following variables: patient demographics, severity of illness following ICU admission (APACHE II mortality-risk, p(m)), final diagnosis, discharge timing including premature or delayed (>4 hours) ICU discharge, and "limitation of medical treatment" orders. The outcome measures were patient status at hospital discharge and ICU readmission rate. Of the 1870 ICU survivors, 92 (4.9%) died after discharge from ICU. Patients discharged to the ward during the night-shift (2200-0730 hours) had a higher APACHE II score and crude mortality. The difference in APACHE II p(m) did not reach statistical significance. No significant calendar or seasonal pattern was identified. Logistic regression identified night-shift discharge (RR=1.7; 95% CI 1.03-2.9; P=0.03), limited medical treatment order (RR=5.1; 95% CI 2.2-12) and admission APACHE II p(m) (RR=3.3; 95% CI 1.3-7.6) as independent predictors of patient outcome following ICU transfer to the ward. ⋯ At the time of ICU discharge to the ward three factors are predictive of hospital outcome: timing of ICU discharge, limited medical treatment orders and initial illness severity.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 2004
Case ReportsRate-dependent left bundle branch block during anaesthesia.
Rate-dependent left bundle branch block during general anaesthesia is rare. Its occurrence makes electrocardiographic diagnosis of acute myocardial ischaemia or infarction difficult. ⋯ We present a case of rate-dependent left bundle branch block in a patient with no previous history of ischaemic heart disease. Carotid sinus massage resulted in a decrease in heart rate and reversion to normal sinus rhythm.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Oct 2004
Comparative StudyAn audit of the Single Use Portex Laryngeal Mask.
We performed an audit of the insertion of the Single Use Portex Laryngeal Mask in 400 patients. Insertion was successful at first attempt in 335 out of 400 patients (83.8%). ⋯ After the completion of the audit, 22 out of 29 anaesthetists (75.9%), who had inserted > or = 5 Portex laryngeal masks, considered it inferior to the standard LMA. It would appear to us that the Portex laryngeal mask might need some design modifications to be a real alternative to the standard LMA.