Anaesthesia
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Observational Study
The relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative delirium and pain: an observational study of a surgical cohort.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, such as cardiac and respiratory complications. It has been hypothesised that obstructive sleep apnoea also increases the risk for postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain. We conducted a retrospective, observational study investigating the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea with postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain severity. ⋯ The mean (SD) maximum pain (resting or provoked) reported for the entire cohort was 63.8 (27.9) mm on a 0-100 mm visual analogue scale. High risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was not associated with postoperative pain severity (β-coefficient 2.82; 95%CI, -2.34-7.97; p = 0.28). These findings suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea is unlikely to be a strong risk factor for postoperative delirium or acute postoperative pain severity.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of forces acting on maxillary incisors during tracheal intubation with different laryngoscopy techniques: a blinded manikin study.
Dental trauma is a common complication of tracheal intubation. As existing evidence is insufficient to validly assess the impact of different laryngoscopy techniques on the incidence of dental trauma, the force exerted onto dental structures during tracheal intubation was investigated. An intubation manikin was equipped with hidden force sensors in all maxillary incisors. ⋯ The use of the C-MAC did not have an impact on the median peak force. Although sex of anaesthetists did not affect peak force, more experienced anaesthetists generated a higher peak force than less experienced providers. We conclude that hyperangulated videolaryngoscopy was associated with a significantly decreased force exerted on maxillary incisors and might reduce the risk for dental injury in clinical settings.
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The tragic death of an anaesthetic trainee driving home after a series of night shifts prompted a national survey of fatigue in trainee anaesthetists. This indicated that fatigue was widespread, with significant impact on trainees' health and well-being. Consultants deliver an increasing proportion of patient care resulting in long periods of continuous daytime duty and overnight on-call work, so we wished to investigate their experience of out-of-hours working and the causes and impact of work-related fatigue. ⋯ Moreover, 24% (22.8-25.2%) stated that there is no departmental arrangement for covering scheduled clinical duties following a night on-call if they have been in the hospital overnight. Overall, 91% (90.3-91.7%) reported work-related fatigue with over half reporting a moderate or significantly negative impact on health, well-being and home life. We discuss potential explanations for these results and ways to mitigate the effects of fatigue among consultants.
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To date, data regarding the efficacy and safety of administering fibrinogen concentrate in cardiac surgery are limited. Studies are limited by their low sample size and large heterogeneity with regard to the patient population, by the timing of fibrinogen concentrate administration, and by the definition of transfusion trigger and target levels. Assessment of fibrinogen activity using viscoelastic point-of-care testing shortly before or after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass in patients and procedures with a high risk of bleeding appears to be a rational strategy. ⋯ Use of cryoprecipitate as an alternative to fibrinogen concentrate might be considered to increase plasma fibrinogen levels. Although conclusive evidence is lacking, fibrinogen concentrate does not seem to increase adverse outcomes (i.e., thromboembolic events). Large prospective multi-centre studies are needed to better define the optimal perioperative monitoring tool, transfusion trigger and target levels for fibrinogen replacement in cardiac surgery.