Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisA systematic literature review on first aid provided by laypeople to trauma victims.
Death from trauma is a significant and international problem. Outcome for patients suffering out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is significantly improved by early cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The usefulness of first aid given by laypeople in trauma is less well established. ⋯ Due to great heterogeneity in the studies, firm conclusions can not be drawn. However, the results show a potential mortality reduction if first aid is administered to trauma victims. Further research is necessary to establish this.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2012
Review Meta AnalysisThe role of dexamethasone in the treatment of bacterial meningitis - a systematic review.
Corticosteroids are used as an adjunct to antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial meningitis in an attempt to attenuate the intrathecal inflammatory response and thereby reduce mortality and morbidity. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a review of clinical studies of corticosteroids in the treatment of bacterial meningitis. ⋯ Taken together, dexamethasone treatment may be associated with a lower mortality in adults and fewer neurological and auditory sequelae in adults and children from high-income countries, in particular in adults suffering from pneumococcal meningitis. In contrast, studies conducted in developing countries have yielded less favourable results.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialThe perioperative combination of methadone and ketamine reduces post-operative opioid usage compared with methadone alone.
A synergy between ketamine and methadone (ME) to produce antinociception has been demonstrated in experimental neuropathy. We wanted to compare post-operative opioid requirements in patients undergoing multilevel lumbar arthrodesis after the administration combined ME-ketamine (MK) or ME alone. ⋯ Perioperative ketamine-ME combination significantly decreased opioid consumption by PCA.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialA smaller endotracheal tube combined with intravenous lidocaine decreases post-operative sore throat - a randomized controlled trial.
Post-operative sore throat (POST) has increasingly been a common clinical complication particularly in thyroid surgery. We conducted a trial to evaluate the effect of non-pharmacological [smaller-sized endotracheal tube (ETT)] combined with pharmacological intervention [lidocaine intravenous (i.v.)] on POST in women undergoing thyroid surgery. ⋯ Use of smaller-sized ETT combined with i.v. lidocaine decreases the incidence and severity of POST in women undergoing thyroid surgery.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2012
Viscoelastic and aggregometric point-of-care testing in patients with septic shock - cross-links between inflammation and haemostasis.
In the pathogenesis of sepsis, inflammation-induced changes in coagulation play a pivotal role. ⋯ Viscoelastic and aggregometric point-of-care testing was shown to be potentially useful for bedside diagnosis of sepsis. Moreover, viscoelastic and aggregometric point-of-care testing was able to determine the phase of septic coagulopathy (hypercoagulability vs. hypocoagulability) and therefore identified patients at high risk for overt disseminated intravascular coagulation.