British journal of anaesthesia
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We aimed to identify any association between day and time of admission to critical care and acute hospital outcome. ⋯ The day of week and time of admission have no influence on patient mortality for unplanned admissions to adult general critical care units within the UK. Ways to improve critical care and hospital systems to minimize delays in admission and potentially improve outcomes need to be ascertained in future research.
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Functional imaging by thoracic electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive approach to continuously assess central stroke volume variation (SVV) for guiding fluid therapy. The early available data were from healthy lungs without injury-related changes in thoracic impedance as a potentially influencing factor. The aim of this study was to evaluate SVV measured by EIT (SVVEIT) against SVV from pulse contour analysis (SVVPC) in an experimental animal model of acute lung injury at different lung volumes. ⋯ EIT provides automated calculation of a dynamic preload index of fluid responsiveness (SVVEIT) that is non-invasively derived from a central haemodynamic signal. However, alterations in thoracic impedance induced by lung injury influence this method.
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Service models for gastrointestinal endoscopy sedation must be safe, as endoscopy is the most common procedure performed under sedation in many countries. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to determine the patient risk profile, and incidence of and risk factors for significant unplanned events, in adult patients presenting for gastrointestinal endoscopy in a group of university-affiliated hospitals where most sedation is managed by anaesthetists. ⋯ Patients presenting for gastrointestinal endoscopy at a group of public university-affiliated hospitals where most sedation is managed by anaesthetists, had a high risk profile and a substantial incidence of significant unplanned intraoperative events and 30-day mortality.
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Observational Study
Intensive care utilization and outcomes after high-risk surgery in Scotland: a population-based cohort study.
The optimal perioperative use of intensive care unit (ICU) resources is not yet defined. We sought to determine the effect of ICU admission on perioperative (30 day) and long-term mortality. ⋯ Indirect ICU admission was associated with increased mortality and increased requirement for organ support.