Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
ReviewManagement of the difficult and failed airway in obstetric anesthesia.
Difficulty with airway management in obstetric patients occurs infrequently and failure to secure an airway is rare. A failed airway may result in severe physical and emotional morbidity and possibly death to the mother and baby. Additionally, the family, along with the medical and nursing staff, may face emotional and financial trauma. ⋯ Finally, the need for specific equipment in the obstetric difficult and failed airway is discussed. Worldwide maternal mortality reflects the health of a nation. However, one could also claim that, particularly in Western countries, maternal mortality may reflect the health of the specialty of anesthesia.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyInfluence of low-molecular-weight hydroxyethyl starch on microvascular permeability in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: comparison with crystalloid.
Adequate volume therapy is essential for stable hemodynamics and sufficient urinary output perioperatively. Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) has been reported to attenuate the microvascular hyperpermeability which occasionally occurs in surgical patients. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of low-molecular-weight HES on the urinary microalbumin/creatinine ratio (MACR), a marker of microvascular permeability, in surgical patients. ⋯ Although low-molecular-weight HES does not improve microvascular hyperpermeability, the expansion of the intravascular volume by HES results in higher urinary output in the postoperative period than that seen with crystalloid solution. The lower concentration of sICAM-1 after surgery may be due to hemodilution.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Medication errors in anesthesia: an 8-year retrospective analysis at an urban university hospital.
The Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists (JSA) has investigated critical events in several fields of anesthesiology. However, the types, frequency, and characteristics of medication errors related to anesthesia have not been investigated. By analyzing incident reports retrospectively, we investigated medication errors that occurred during anesthetic practice over the past 8 years at our institution. ⋯ We found that overdose, substitution, and omission were the main causes of anesthesia-related medication errors in our department.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe comparative effects of sevoflurane versus isoflurane on cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity in patients with previous stroke.
The use of volatile anesthetics is reportedly related to altered cerebrovascular carbon dioxide (CO2) reactivity. We examined the comparative effects of sevoflurane versus isoflurane on cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity in patients with previous stroke. ⋯ Our findings suggest that, in patients with previous stroke, cerebrovascular CO2 reactivity under sevoflurane anesthesia was lower than that under isoflurane anesthesia.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialAdding intrathecal morphine to unilateral spinal anesthesia results in better pain relief following knee arthroscopy.
Intrathecal morphine is administered to provide profound and prolonged analgesia, and to treat acute postoperative pain. We compared the effectiveness of hyperbaric bupivacaine alone and in combination with morphine for unilateral spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy. ⋯ We conclude that unilateral spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine plus 0.16 mg morphine is preferable to hyperbaric bupivacaine alone with respect to analgesic requirement, duration of analgesia, and VAS values.