Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2009
Case ReportsAwake tracheal intubation using the Airtraq laryngoscope: a case series.
The Airtraq laryngoscope (AL) is a new single use indirect laryngoscope designed to facilitate tracheal intubation in anaesthetised patients either with normal or difficult airway anatomy. It is designed to provide a view of the glottis without alignment of the oral, pharyngeal and tracheal axes. ⋯ An awake intubation under sedation and topical airway anaesthesia was chosen. We consider that the AL can be used effectively to accomplish an awake intubation in patients with a suspected or known difficult airway and may be a useful alternative where other methods for awake intubation have failed or are not available.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2009
Outcome, timing and adverse events in therapeutic hypothermia after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) after cardiac arrest protects from neurological sequels and death and is recommended in guidelines. The Hypothermia Registry was founded to the monitor outcome, performance and complications of TH. ⋯ Half of the patients survived, with >90% having a good neurological function at long-term follow-up. Factors related to the timing of TH had no apparent association to outcome. The incidence of adverse events was acceptable but the risk of bleeding was increased if angiography/PCI was performed.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2009
Prospective evaluation of the time to peak effect of propofol to target the effect site in children.
The plasma-effect site equilibration rate constant (k(e0)) of propofol has been determined in children with the use of the time to maximum effect (t(peak)), however, it has not been validated. The objective was to measure the t(peak;) of propofol with two depths of anesthesia monitors in children and to evaluate these measurements with a target-controlled infusion (TCI) system. ⋯ The small delay between the evolution of Ce of propofol and the observed effect suggests that this can be a useful model to target the effect site in children.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2009
Performance of the Airtraq laryngoscope after failed conventional tracheal intubation: a case series.
The Airtraq, a new disposable indirect laryngoscope, was evaluated in patients with difficult intubation. ⋯ In patients with difficult airway, following failed conventional orotracheal intubation, Airtraq allows securing the airway in 80% of cases mainly by improving glottis view. However, the Airtraq does not guarantee successful intubation in all instances, especially in case of laryngeal and/or pharyngeal obstruction.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2009
Case ReportsUltrasound-guided technique allowed early detection of intravascular injection during an infraclavicular brachial plexus block.
The reported incidence of complications after peripheral nerve blocks is generally low and varies from 0% to 5%. The injuries related to brachial plexus block are perhaps more commonly reported, than after peripheral blocks of the lower extremity nerves. Recent reports suggest that expert ultrasound guidance may reduce but not completely eliminate complications as intraneural or intravascular injection. We report a case of accidental intravascular injection of local anesthetic during infraclavicular brachial plexus block, in spite of the use of ultrasound guidance technique, and negative aspiration for blood.