British journal of anaesthesia
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Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is traditionally associated with outpatient imaging studies. More recently, patients afflicted with vascular pathologies are increasingly undergoing endovascular treatments that require the use of iodinated contrast media (CM) agents, thus placing them as risk of developing CIN. ⋯ Measures including the use of peri-procedural hydration, N-acetylcysteine, statins, remote ischaemic preconditioning, renal vasodilators and renal replacement therapy and the use of alternatives to iodinated contrast agents are discussed. It should be noted that most of the available data regarding CIN are from non-surgical patients.
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Endovascular repair has evolved to become a viable mainstream treatment for aortic pathology in both acute and elective settings. As technology advanced, traditional anatomical barriers were progressively tackled using new devices and novel procedures, and there are now multiple options available to the vascular surgeon. In the abdominal aorta, advances in endovascular aneurysm repair have been in the treatment of hostile aortic necks using new sealing concepts and ancillary procedures, and in branch preservation using fenestrations and snorkels. ⋯ Particular challenges to the anaesthetist include blood pressure control and the prevention of stroke and paraplegia. Current focus in the thoracic aorta is in treating aortic arch pathology and in optimal management of acute and chronic dissections. This review describes the latest trends in the endovascular treatment of aortic diseases and examines the current evidence for different modalities of management.
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Inability to identify the cricothyroid membrane by inspection and palpation contributes substantially to the high failure rate of cricothyrotomy. This narrative review summarizes the current evidence for application of airway ultrasonography for identification of the cricothyroid membrane compared with the clinical techniques. ⋯ Based on the literature, we recommend identifying the cricothyroid membrane before induction of anaesthesia in all patients. Although inspection and palpation may suffice in most patients, the remaining patients will need ultrasonographic identification; a service that we should aim at making available in all locations where anaesthesia is undertaken and where patients with difficult airways could be encountered.
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Myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury is the leading cause of death in patients with cardiovascular disease. Interventions such as ischaemic pre and postconditioning protect against myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury. ⋯ There are a number of reasons for this such as dose response, the intensity of the ischaemic stimulus applied, the duration of ischaemia and lost or diminished cardioprotection in common co-morbidities such as diabetes and senescence. This review focuses on current knowledge regarding myocardial ischaemia reperfusion injury and cardioprotective interventions both in experimental animal studies and in clinical trials.