British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Patients with end-stage renal disease admitted to the intensive care unit: systematic review.
The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide, with a growing demand on healthcare services. A systematic review of the literature was performed to determine the requirement for intensive care unit (ICU) services, reasons for admission, predictors of mortality, and short- and long-term outcomes of ESRD patients admitted to ICU. Sixteen studies were identified, comprising 6591 ICU admissions. ⋯ Although the mortality rate remains high shortly after hospital discharge, the duration of increased mortality risk is unclear. Patients with ESRD frequently benefit from ICU admission, despite chronic co-morbidity. Further studies are required to modify and validate existing illness severity scores for ESRD patients admitted to the ICU, and to establish the duration of increased mortality risk after discharge from ICU.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomized comparison of closed-loop feedback computer-controlled with manual-controlled infusion of phenylephrine for maintaining arterial pressure during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery.
Closed-loop feedback computer-controlled infusion has not been described for administering phenylephrine to maintain arterial pressure (AP) during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery. We aimed to compare AP control using this automated system with a previously described manual infusion system. ⋯ Within the constraints of the studied algorithms, closed-loop feedback computer-controlled phenylephrine infusion provided better AP control with fewer interventions required compared with manual-controlled infusion.
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Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a potentially fatal pharmacogenetic disorder in which intracellular calcium homeostasis in the skeletal muscle of susceptible individuals is disrupted upon exposure to halogenated anaesthetics. While MH is linked to the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) on chromosome 19 and the α1S subunit of the voltage-dependent L-type calcium channel (CACNA1S) on chromosome 1, mutations have been found in only 50-70% of patients, and subsequently, there is a need for a more powerful screening tool. ⋯ In this study, we successfully demonstrate the use of genomic DNA capture and next-generation sequencing for identification of putative mutations causing MH. We also suggest that whole exome sequencing may be necessary to identify MH causing mutations in patients where no mutations in RYR1 and CACNA1S have been identified thus far.