Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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The prevalence of persistent post-sternotomy pain (PPSP) varies largely and has been mainly studied using questionnaires. We decided to perform a systematic qualitative and quantitative sensory examination study on a power-calculated sample of patients who had undergone sternotomy for cardiac surgery. Pain was diagnosed as PPSP if the patient complained of sternal pain that had developed after surgery together with corresponding sensory disturbances. ⋯ PPSP is a clinical diagnosis easily achieved using simple diagnostic tools and a medical history. Severity and extent of sensory abnormalities were found to be greater in the PPSP group.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2016
CommentUsability of dexmedetomidine for deep sedation in infants and small children with respiratory morbidities.
Children with respiratory morbidities are at increased risk of developing adverse respiratory events while undergoing deep sedation. Dexmedetomidine possesses sedative properties with minimal respiratory depression. This report aimed to determine the usability of dexmedetomidine in children with significant respiratory morbidities who require deep sedation. ⋯ These data demonstrate that dexmedetomidine deep sedation was well-tolerated in children with significant respiratory morbidities. Moreover, children younger than 1 year of age were administered lower dexmedetomidine dose than children older than 1 year of age for the same sedation level.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2016
CommentDexamethasone as adjuvant for femoral nerve block following knee arthroplasty: a randomized, controlled study.
We examined the effect of the addition of dexamethasone to bupivacaine for femoral nerve blocks on the block duration and the quality of post-operative analgesia following total knee replacement surgery. ⋯ The addition of dexamethasone to bupivacaine for femoral nerve block prolonged the duration of analgesia, improved early post-operative pain following total knee arthroplasty.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2016
CommentEstimated economic impact of pre-filled ephedrine syringes in the operating room.
Syringes of ephedrine are usually prepared ahead of time in order to reduce the time to injection. Commercial pre-filled syringes of ephedrine have been introduced to minimize the amount of waste. Our primary objective was to determine the economic impact of commercial syringes. We hypothesized that costs could be reduced compared to standard syringes. ⋯ Based on our findings, pre-filled ephedrine commercial syringes do not appear to reduce costs.