Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2014
Expected and experienced pain during epidural catheter insertion.
Insertion of an epidural catheter for pain relief is frequently used in anaesthetic practice. Little is known regarding patients' expected vs. experienced pain and discomfort due to the epidural block procedure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expected and experienced pain, respectively, associated with the epidural procedure in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. ⋯ Patients expect significantly more pain than they experience from receiving an epidural block.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2014
Case ReportsA prehospital use of ITClamp for haemostatic control and fixation of a chest tube.
We here present three cases in which a new device, the ITClamp Hemorrhage Control System (Innovative Trauma Care, Inc., Edmonton, Canada), was used for bleeding control and for securing a chest tube.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2014
Case ReportsPost-operative hyponatraemic encephalopathy: a successful outcome despite hypoxia.
Hyponatraemia is the most common electrolyte disorder encountered in clinical practice. Symptomatic hyponatraemia reflects brain damage because of cerebral swelling. Some coexisting factors such as extreme ages, hypoxia and female sex are associated with poor prognosis. ⋯ Serum sodium level was 108 mmol/l. She also presented hypoxia, considered an aggravating factor, which was probably caused by the combination of benzodiazepine intake and cerebral oedema. However, fast raise of serum sodium level was achieved by immediate treatment with hypertonic saline, and she was discharged home without any sequelae.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Feb 2014
Endogenous amylin and glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations are not associated with gastric emptying in critical illness.
In health, the hormones amylin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) slow gastric emptying (GE) and modulate glycaemia. The aims of this study were to determine amylin and GLP-1 concentrations in the critically ill and their relationship with GE, glucose absorption and glycaemia. ⋯ In the critically ill, fasting GLP-1, but not amylin, concentrations are elevated and associated with feed intolerance. Neither amylin nor GLP-1 appears to substantially influence the rate of GE.