International anesthesiology clinics
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Int Anesthesiol Clin · Jan 1996
ReviewMethods for monitoring hemostasis during and following cardiac surgery.
The challenges in cardiac surgical hemostasis continue to plague the clinician. Rapid analysis and interpretation of coagulation tests are crucial in identifying coagulopathies that include both hemorrhagic and thrombophilic conditions. ⋯ The coagulation tests that provide the most useful information include both end-point determinants and kinetic tests of clot formation. Future evaluation of the efficacy of coagulation tests in meeting these challenges will move beyond quantification of changes within various intermediates of hemostasis and rest with the correlation of these measured values with specific, outcome-directed indicators for optimizing patient care.
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A number of anesthetic agents have significant cerebroprotective potential and alter ischemic tolerance in vivo, at least within specific experimental conditions such as focal or incomplete, global cerebral ischemia. As compared to the unanesthetized state, each of these agents has some influence on CBF and metabolism, and many have significant effects on vascular responses to dilator stimuli. Relevant studies that provide clues to the mechanisms of anesthetic action in brain injury have been reviewed, and it is likely that these mechanisms are multifactorial and may overlap from one class of agents to another. Lastly, there is a clear need for further studies that specifically evaluate the neuroprotective mechanism of each agent, determine the effect on outcomes when the anesthetic is administered only as a posttreatment at clinically relevant concentrations, and compare anesthetics with the unanesthetized state when possible.
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Central temperature is usually tightly regulated in human beings. Anesthesia alters the normal thermoregulatory controls of the body. Intraoperatively, mild degrees of hypothermia may provide some cerebral protection. ⋯ Appropriate measures such as warning the operating room and using forced air blankets can prevent both intraoperative hypothermia and postoperative shivering. The use of temperature measurement is not limited to the operative and immediate recovery periods. Anesthesiologists practicing in intensive care units and in pain clinics use temperature monitoring as a diagnostic tool in a variety of situations.
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Int Anesthesiol Clin · Jan 1996
ReviewHypothermia-associated protection from ischemic brain injury: implications for patient management.
There is a large amount of experimental evidence that mild hypothermia in laboratory animals will protect the brain from ischemic injury. Conversely, mild hyperthermia will exacerbate injury. Supporting data in humans are limited. ⋯ Second, better methods are needed to monitor brain temperature during periods of risk for ischemic injury. And third, management techniques should be identified that will use brain-to-core temperature gradients to the patient's advantage, thus producing optimal alterations in brain temperature while minimally affecting systemic temperature and physiology. Before these goals can be accomplished, more research is needed, both in laboratory animals and in humans.
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We hope to have inspired an interest in approaching the pain management issues in this challenging group of patients. Despite significant progress in understanding the pathophysiology of pain, the development of therapeutic options, and the publication and dissemination of guidelines, this progress does not seem to have been adopted into clinical practice. Bonica has stated "for many years I have studied the reasons for inadequate management of postoperative pain, and they remain the same.... ⋯ The importance of understanding the specific benefits available and matching these characteristics to the particular patient is emphasized. Evaluation of outcomes, including morbidity and patient satisfaction, will determine if effective and rational provision of analgesia may indeed be safer than withholding analgesia. However, it is clear that re-evaluation and refinement of conventional therapy is necessary.