Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2011
Multicenter StudyPatient satisfaction with care in the intensive care unit: can we rely on proxies?
To investigate whether next of kin can be addressed as proxy to assess patients' satisfaction with care in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ If the patient is unable to rate his satisfaction with care in the ICU, next of kin may be taken as an appropriate surrogate.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2011
A new non-radiological method to assess potential lung recruitability: a pilot study in ALI patients.
Potentially recruitable lung has been assessed previously in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) by computed tomography. A large variability in lung recruitability was observed between patients. In this study, we assess whether a new non-radiological bedside technique could determine potentially recruitable lung volume (PRLV) in ALI patients. ⋯ Using non-invasive radiation-free bedside methods, it may be possible to measure PRLV in ALI/ARDS patients. It is possible that this technique could be used to determine the need for recruitment manoeuvres and to select PEEP level on the basis of lung recruitability.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2011
Comparative StudyEvaluation of the Pentax-AWS(®) and the Macintosh laryngoscope in difficult intubation: a manikin study.
The Pentax-AWS (AWS(®)), a new video laryngoscope, has been shown to be useful in cases of difficult intubation. We hypothesized that the AWS(®) would be more useful in the settings of a narrow upper airway than the Macintosh laryngoscope. We compared each device in simulated scenarios of representative difficulty of tracheal intubation using a manikin. The primary endpoint was the rate of successful intubation. ⋯ The AWS(®) has an advantage over the Macintosh laryngoscope in simulated tongue edema and tongue edema with pharyngeal obstruction. Further studies in a clinical setting are necessary to confirm these findings.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2011
Effects of cricoid pressure and remifentanil on the esophageal sphincters using high-resolution solid-state manometry.
Cricoid pressure has been shown to decrease the pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), increasing the risk of aspiration. Whether this reaction is due to pain associated with the application of cricoid pressure has not been studied. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of cricoid pressure with those of peripheral pain on pressures in the LES, and to study whether remifentanil influences these effects. Data from the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) are also described. ⋯ Remifentanil as well as cricoid pressure per se induced decreases in LES pressure. However, cricoid pressure-induced changes of the barrier pressure were not significant whether induced with or without an infusion of remifentanil.