Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2010
Case ReportsTongue swelling complicating management of a ventilated patient with acute respiratory distress syndrome secondary to novel influenza A (H1N1).
The recently emerged novel influenza A H1N1 virus continues to spread globally. The use of oseltamivir for treatment and prophylaxis of infection is recommended and its use has climbed steeply although there is little data available on its benefit in critically unwell patients with H1N1 influenza. A rare side-effect of oseltamivir treatment reported in post-marketing surveillance is tongue and lip swelling/angioedema. This case report describes the management of a critically ill ventilated patient with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome who developed clinically significant tongue and lip swelling during treatment with oseltamivir.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2010
Case ReportsCerebral flow pattern monitoring by transcranial Doppler during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
We describe the transcranial Doppler pattern during a period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a patient undergoing a transcatheter off-pump aortic valve implantation. Transcranial Doppler of the middle cerebral artery flow was measured as a part of a separate ongoing study. The patient developed a cardiac arrest during deployment of the valve prosthesis. ⋯ After increasing the depth of external cardiac massage, the cerebral flow pattern improved to produce sufficient diastolic flow. The transcranial Doppler provided additional information during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which was helpful in clinical management. The use of transcranial Doppler may be helpful for other cardiac procedures where cerebral malperfusion may occur.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2010
A retrospective observational study examining the admission arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide gradient in intubated major trauma patients.
Major trauma patients who are intubated and ventilated are exposed to the potential risk of iatrogenic hypercapnic and hypocapnic physiological stress. In the pre-hospital setting, end-tidal capnography is used as a practical means of estimating arterial carbon dioxide concentrations and to guide the adequacy of ventilation. In our study, potentially deleterious hypercapnia (mean 47 mmHg, range 26 to 83 mmHg) due to hypoventilation was demonstrated in 49% of 100 intubated major trauma patients arriving at a major Australian trauma centre. ⋯ However in this study, scene and arrival patient hypoxia was more predictive of hypoventilation and an increased arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide gradient than physiological markers of shock. Greater vigilance for hypercapnia in intubated trauma patients is required. Additionally, a larger study may confirm that lower end-tidal carbon dioxide levels could be safely targeted in the pre-hospital and emergency department ventilation strategies of the subgroup of major trauma patients with scene hypoxia.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2010
Patients' understanding of technical terms used during the pre-anaesthetic consultation.
Communication between patients and anaesthetists is being recognised as an increasingly important aspect of clinical care. Patients need to understand the nature and consequences of any proposed procedure prior to giving informed consent. In this regard, anaesthetists have a responsibility to provide adequate information about anaesthesia and related procedures in a form that patients are likely to understand. ⋯ We have identified many technical terms that may not be understood by patients presenting for anaesthesia care. An awareness of commonly misunderstood words may facilitate better transfer of information during pre-anaesthesia consultations. Our study findings should remind doctors that patients frequently fail to understand or take in what we tell them.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2010
ReviewNew insulin analogues and perioperative care of patients with type 1 diabetes.
While insulin remains the mainstay of managing type 1 diabetes, much has changed over the last 15 years. These changes should help in managing patients with type 1 diabetes during the perioperative period. More flexible insulin therapy has three components: (1) basal, (2) prandial and (3) corrective. ⋯ We suggest that for many procedures, patients' usual regimens can be maintained in the perioperative period, providing less disruption and, possibly, greater safety. Both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia reflect poor management: we suggest a target glucose range of 5 to 10 mmol/l. The importance of frequently measuring blood glucose and appropriate responses cannot be overemphasised.