Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2016
Biography Historical ArticleImages of Australians and Anaesthesia from World War 1.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2016
Biography Historical ArticleThe etymology and use of the word 'anaesthesia' Oliver Wendell Holmes' letter to W. T. G. Morton.
Two published versions of a letter in which Oliver Wendell Holmes, MD, recommended the name anaesthesia were identified from publications supportive of the claims of W. T. G. ⋯ Holmes' letter to Morton was probably lost when a substantial part of a collection of Morton's papers was damaged during storage. There are no reported copies of Holmes's letter. The currently available information does not provide any assistance in determining the correct form of Holmes's letter.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2016
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction-an independent risk factor for weaning failure from mechanical ventilation.
The objective of this study was to investigate the contribution of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction to weaning failure, along with the levels of the currently used cardiac biomarkers. Forty-two mechanically ventilated patients, who fulfilled criteria for weaning from mechanical ventilation (MV), underwent a two-hour spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed before the start of the SBT. ⋯ BNP levels on MV were lower in patients who successfully weaned compared to those who did not (361±523 ng/l versus 643±382 ng/l respectively, P=0.008). The presence of diastolic dysfunction was independently associated with weaning failure (odds ratio [OR] 11.23, confidence interval [CI] 1.16-109.1, P=0.037) followed by respiratory frequency/tidal volume (OR 1.05, CI 1.00-1.10, P=0.048). Therefore, assessment of LV diastolic function before the start of weaning could be useful to identify patients at risk of weaning failure.