Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Oct 2016
Bacterial and viral contamination of breathing circuits after extended use - an aspect of patient safety?
In the past, anaesthetic breathing circuits were identified as a source of pathogen transmission. It is still debated, whether breathing circuits combined with breathing system filters can be safely used for more than 1 day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the transmission risk of bacteria and also viruses via breathing circuits after extended use. ⋯ Endoluminal contamination of breathing circuits with bacteria did not increase after extended use. No viruses were detected in the breathing circuits using filters. Based on our results, the extended use of ABC without exceptions appears safe, if a high level of anaesthesia workplace cleaning is secured.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Oct 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialLateral femoral cutaneous nerve block after total hip arthroplasty: a randomised trial.
Peripheral regional nerve blocks are commonly used for pain management after lower extremity surgery, but motor blockade can be a significant concern. The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) is a purely sensory nerve from the lumbar plexus. We hypothesised that an LFCN block would reduce movement-related pain after total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with moderate-to-severe pain. ⋯ LFCN block reduced movement-related pain in patients with moderate-to-severe pain after THA. The substantial non-responder rate limits recommendations of this block as part of a standard analgesic treatment regimen.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Oct 2016
Severe vitamin D deficiency is common in critically ill patients at a high northern latitude.
Critically ill patients at southern latitudes have been shown to have low vitamin D levels that were associated with prolonged hospital stay. To our knowledge no studies have been conducted on vitamin D status amongst critically ill patients at high northern latitudes. Despite the Icelandic population traditionally taking vitamin D supplements, we hypothesized that the majority of critically ill patients in Reykjavik, Iceland have low vitamin D levels. ⋯ Vitamin D deficiency is very common in critically ill patients at high northern latitudes and patients with severely deficient vitamin D levels had trend towards longer intensive care unit stay. Furthermore, 43% of the patients had vitamin D levels under 25 nmol/l that is associated with osteomalacia. It appears that a single vitamin D measurement gives a reasonable clue about the vitamin D status in critically ill patients.