Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2012
ReviewAnesthetic management in patients undergoing hyperthermic chemotherapy.
Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has become an important therapeutic option for selected patients with peritoneal surface malignancies. This aggressive multimodality treatment is complex, not only regarding surgical technique, but also regarding anesthesia. The present review represents our experience in anesthetic care. ⋯ Anesthetic management importantly contributes to the containment of the perioperative complications of HIPEC. An appreciation of the technical aspects and physiologic disruptions associated with intra-abdominal HIPEC is critical to ensure effective anesthetic management. Although data on this specialized surgical procedure are scarce, some referral centers have accumulated extensive experience. This article reviews the current knowledge about the anesthesiological and intensive care management of patients undergoing HIPEC. It pinpoints strategies for perioperative monitoring as well as illustrates alterations in hemodynamic, hematopoetic, and fluid hemostasis.
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Anesthesiologists may face problematic situations when patients are close to death, in which clinical problems, decision-making processes, and ethical issues are often interconnected and dependent on each of them. The aim of this review is to assess the recent literature regarding the anesthesiological role for advanced cancer patients. ⋯ Anesthesiologists should be competent in all aspects of terminal care, including the practical and ethical aspects of withdrawing different modalities of life-sustaining treatment and the use of sedatives, analgesics, and nonpharmacologic approaches to easing the suffering of the dying process. More research is needed to provide models which should be spread in the scientific community to afford this difficult task.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2012
ReviewEpidural analgesia and maternal fever: a clinical and research update.
Maternal fever following epidural analgesia complicates up to one-third of nulliparous labors. Although generally benign, maternal fever is associated with both excess healthcare costs and an increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes; therefore, this topic is of interest to anesthesiologists, obstetricians and pediatricians alike. The purpose of this review is to examine the latest research on the topic of epidural-related maternal fever, with special focus on the clinical relevance of new information. ⋯ Significant research advances were made in the last 18 months around the topic of epidural-related fever, but major gaps in knowledge persist especially with understanding the precise mechanism. The most pressing area of research is the development of well tolerated and effective prophylactic interventions to prevent maternal and fetal exposure to hyperthermia and inflammation.