Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effect of high-flow vs. low-flow nasal plus mouthguard oxygen therapy on hypoxaemia during sedation: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.
Whether high-flow vs. low-flow nasal oxygen reduces hypoxaemia for sedation during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is currently unknown. In this multicentre trial, 132 patients ASA physical status 3 or higher, BMI > 30 kg.m-2 or with known or suspected obstructive sleep apnoea were randomly allocated to high-flow nasal oxygen up to 60 l.min-1 at 100% FI O2 or low-flow nasal oxygen at 4 l.min-1. The low-flow nasal oxygen group also received oxygen at 4 l.min-1 through an oxygenating mouthguard, totalling 8 l.min-1. ⋯ Between the groups, there were no significant differences in frequency of hypoxaemic episodes; lowest Sp O2 ; peak transcutaneous carbon dioxide; hypercarbia (transcutaneous carbon dioxide > 2.66 kPa from baseline); requirement of chin lift/jaw thrust; nasopharyngeal airway insertion; bag-mask ventilation; or tracheal intubation. Following adjustment for duration of the procedure, the primary outcome remained non-significant. In high-risk patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, oxygen therapy with high-flow nasal oxygen did not reduce the rate of hypoxaemia, hypercarbia or the need for airway interventions, compared with combined oral and nasal low-flow oxygen.
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Globally, approximately 70 million people sustain traumatic brain injury each year and this can have significant physical, psychosocial and economic consequences for patients, their families and society. The aim of this review is to provide clinicians with a summary of recent studies of direct relevance to the management of traumatic brain injury in order to promote best clinical practice. The use of tranexamic acid in the management of traumatic brain injury has been the focus of several studies, with one large randomised controlled trial suggesting a reduction in all-cause mortality within 24 h of injury. ⋯ Early tracheostomy (< 7 days from injury) for patients with traumatic brain injury is associated with a reduction in the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia and duration of mechanical ventilation, critical care and hospital stay. Further research is needed in order to determine the optimal package of care and interventions. There is a need for research studies to focus on patient-centred outcome measures such as long-term neurological recovery and quality of life.
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The decision-to-delivery interval is a widely used term at non-elective caesarean section. While the definition may appear self-evident, there is no universally agreed consensus about when this period begins and ends. ⋯ We propose that the decision-to-delivery interval should be defined as follows: the interval between the time at which the senior obstetrician makes the decision that a caesarean section is required and the time at which the fetus (or first fetus in the case of multiples) is delivered. The decision time should ideally be recorded contemporaneously in the medical notes or partogram.
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Status epilepticus causes prolonged or repetitive seizures that, if left untreated, can lead to neuronal injury, severe disability, coma and death in paediatric and adult populations. While convulsive status epilepticus can be diagnosed using clinical features alone, non-convulsive status epilepticus requires confirmation by electroencephalogram. Early seizure control remains key in preventing the complications of status epilepticus. ⋯ Seizure monitoring with electroencephalogram is often needed when patients do not return to baseline or during anaesthetic wean; however, it is resource-intensive, costly, only available in highly specialised centres and has not been shown to improve functional outcomes. Thus, the treatment goals and aggressiveness of therapy remain under debate, especially for non-convulsive status epilepticus, where prolonged therapeutic coma can lead to severe complications. This review presents an evidence-based, clinically-oriented and comprehensive review of status epilepticus and its definitions, aetiologies, treatments, outcomes and prognosis at different stages of the patient's journey.
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Traumatic brain injury is the alteration in brain function due to an external force. It is common and affects millions of people worldwide annually. The World Health Organization estimates that 90% of global deaths caused by injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries, with traumatic brain injury contributing up to half of these trauma-related deaths. ⋯ While sedatives have the potential to improve outcomes, they can be challenging to administer and have potentially dangerous complications. Sedation in low-resource settings should aim to be effective, safe, affordable and feasible. In this paper, we summarise the indications for sedation in traumatic brain injury, the choice of sedative drugs and the pragmatic management and monitoring of sedated traumatic brain injury patients in low-resource settings.