Anaesthesia and intensive care
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Nov 2015
Case ReportsAnaphylaxis following intravenous paracetamol: the problem is the solution.
Paracetamol is a ubiquitous analgesic and antipyretic that is widely administered, including by anaesthetists. Immediate hypersensitivity reactions to intravenous paracetamol are particularly rare. ⋯ The allergological investigations are described, during which it became evident that both patients were allergic to an excipient (mannitol) present in the formulation and that neither was allergic to the principal agent (paracetamol). The importance of referral and investigation of perioperative drug reactions is underscored by these two cases.
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Nov 2015
Overcoming barriers to the mobilisation of patients in an intensive care unit.
We conducted a quality improvement project aimed at increasing the frequency of mobilisation in our ICU. We designed a four-part quality improvement project comprising: an audit documenting the baseline frequency of mobilisation; a staff survey evaluating perceptions of the barriers to mobilisation; identification of barriers that were amenable to change and implementation of strategies to address these; and a follow-up audit to determine their effectiveness. The setting was a tertiary care, urban, public hospital ICU in South Australia. ⋯ Multivariable analyses showed that three out of four mobility outcomes did not significantly change between the baseline and follow-up audits, with a significant difference in favour of the baseline audit found for the fourth mobility outcome (maximum level of mobility). We concluded that implementing relatively simple measures to improve staff education, interdisciplinary communication and leadership regarding early progressive mobilisation was ineffective at improving mobility outcomes for patients in a large tertiary-level Australian ICU. Other strategies, such as changing sedation practices and/or increasing staffing, may be required to improve mobility outcomes of these patients.
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Nov 2015
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleRod Westhorpe-covering a historical moment.