British journal of anaesthesia
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Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) measures peak exertional oxygen consumption ( V˙O2peak ) and that at the anaerobic threshold ( V˙O2 at AT, i.e. the point at which anaerobic metabolism contributes substantially to overall metabolism). Lower values are associated with excess postoperative morbidity and mortality. A reduced haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) results from a reduction in total haemoglobin mass (tHb-mass) or an increase in plasma volume. Thus, tHb-mass might be a more useful measure of oxygen-carrying capacity and might correlate better with CPET-derived fitness measures in preoperative patients than does circulating [Hb]. ⋯ In contrast to [Hb], tHb-mass is an important determinant of physical fitness before major elective surgery. Further studies should determine whether low tHb-mass is predictive of poor outcome and whether targeted increases in tHb-mass might thus improve outcome.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Randomized trial of red cell washing for the prevention of transfusion-associated organ injury in cardiac surgery.
Experimental studies suggest that mechanical cell washing to remove pro-inflammatory components that accumulate in the supernatant of stored donor red blood cells (RBCs) might reduce inflammation and organ injury in transfused patients. ⋯ ISRCTN 27076315.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Patient choice compared with no choice of intrathecal morphine dose for caesarean analgesia: a randomized clinical trial.
The study aimed to determine whether a patient's choice for their intrathecal morphine (ITM) dose reflects their opioid requirements and pain after caesarean delivery and if giving women a choice of ITM dose would reduce opioid use and improve pain scores compared with women who did not have a choice. ⋯ Women who were given a choice and chose the larger ITM dose correctly anticipated a greater postoperative opioid requirement and more pain compared with women who chose the smaller dose. Simply being offered a choice did not impact opioid use or pain scores after caesarean delivery.
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The aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of volatile anaesthetic for postoperative sedation in adult cardiac surgery patients through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We retrieved randomized controlled trials from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Web of Science, clinical trials registries, conference proceedings, and reference lists of included articles. Independent reviewers extracted data, including patient characteristics, type of intraoperative anaesthesia, inhaled anaesthetic used, comparator sedation, and outcomes of interest, using pre-piloted forms. ⋯ Blinded randomized trials using intention-to-treat analysis are required. PROSPERO registry number: 2016:CRD42016033874. Available from http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016033874.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of caudal block using different volumes of local anaesthetic on optic nerve sheath diameter in children: a prospective, randomized trial.
Caudal block is commonly administered for postoperative analgesia in children. Although caudal block with 1.5 ml kg -1 local anaesthetic has been reported to reduce cerebral oxygenation in infants, the effect of caudal block on intracranial pressure (ICP) in children has not been well investigated. Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) correlates with degree of ICP. This study aimed to estimate the effects of caudal block on ICP according to volume of local anaesthetic using ultrasonographic measurement of ONSD in children. ⋯ NCT02768493.