Critical care medicine
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To provide a current review of the literature regarding airway problems in pregnancy and management. ⋯ Teamwork between an anesthesiologist and an obstetrician is absolutely essential for the safety of both the mother and baby. Most of us tend to agree that airway emergencies have a way of occurring at the worst possible times. It is essential that all anesthesia care practitioners must have a preconceived and well thought-out algorithm and emergency airway equipment to deal with airway emergencies during difficult or failed intubation of a parturient.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 2005
Clinical TrialTranscutaneous PCO2 monitoring in critically ill adults: clinical evaluation of a new sensor.
In critically ill patients, arterial blood gas analysis is the gold standard for evaluating systemic oxygenation and carbon dioxide partial pressure. A new miniaturized carbon dioxide tension Pco2-Spo2 single sensor (TOSCA, Linde Medical Sensors AG, Basel, Switzerland) continuously and noninvasively (transcutaneously) monitors both Paco2 and oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (Spo2). The present study was designed to investigate the usability and the accuracy of this device in critically ill patients. ⋯ The present study suggests that Paco2 can be acceptably assessed by measuring TcPco2 using the TOSCA Pco2-Spo2 sensor.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 2005
Effect of intracranial pressure monitoring and targeted intensive care on functional outcome after severe head injury.
: Intracranial hypertension after severe head injury is associated with case fatality, but there is no sound evidence that monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) and targeted management of cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) improve outcome, despite widespread recommendation by experts in the field. The purpose was to determine the effect of ICP/CPP-targeted intensive care on functional outcome and therapy intensity levels after severe head injury. ⋯ : ICP/CPP-targeted intensive care results in prolonged mechanical ventilation and increased levels of therapy intensity, without evidence for improved outcome in patients who survive beyond 24 hrs following severe head injury.
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Critical care medicine · Oct 2005
Recombinant activated factor VII for refractory bleeding after cardiac surgery--a retrospective analysis of safety and efficacy.
Analysis of safety and efficacy of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) used as the last resort for refractory bleeding after cardiac surgery. ⋯ When used as a last resort, rFVIIa was safe but not incrementally efficacious over conventional hemostatic therapy.