Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomised controlled trial comparing the GlideScope(®) and the Macintosh laryngoscope for double-lumen endobronchial intubation.
Double-lumen endobronchial tubes are the most common method of achieving lung isolation and one-lung ventilation during thoracic anaesthesia and surgery. We compared the clinical performance of the Macintosh laryngoscope and the GlideScope(®) during endobronchial intubation with a double-lumen tube. Seventy patients with no predictors for difficult laryngoscopy were allocated randomly to the Macintosh laryngoscope or GlideScope. ⋯ On a numerical rating scale (scored from 0 to 10), the 30 anaesthetists who took part in the study rated endobronchial intubation overall as easier using the Macintosh compared with the GlideScope, 2 (1-3 [0-8]) vs 3 (2-6 [0-10]), respectively, p = 0.003. Postoperative voice changes were also less common in the Macintosh group (8 (22%) vs 17 (58%), p = 0.045). Anaesthetists found the GlideScope more difficult to use than the Macintosh laryngoscope and endobronchial intubation took longer; therefore, we cannot recommend its routine use with double-lumen tubes in patients who are predicted to have a normal airway.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomised prospective trial of intra-operative oesophageal Doppler-guided fluid administration in major gynaecological surgery.
Intra-operative oesophageal Doppler monitor-guided fluid management has been associated with improved postoperative length of hospital stay and morbidity in gastrointestinal and orthopaedic surgery. We designed a randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that this approach to intra-operative fluid management in major elective open gynaecological surgery would shorten the length of postoperative stay, defined as time to readiness for hospital discharge. Postoperative morbidity was evaluated as a secondary outcome. ⋯ There was no difference between the groups in postoperative morbidity survey scores on postoperative days 1, 3 or 5. Seven patients in the oesophageal Doppler monitor group and 11 in the control group experienced postoperative complications (p = 0.41). These findings question whether intra-operative oesophageal Doppler-guided fluid therapy is of benefit in patients undergoing open gynaecological surgery.