British journal of anaesthesia
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Multicenter Study
Synergistic effects of sepsis and prematurity on neonatal postoperative mortality.
Compared with term neonates, preterm babies are more likely to die from sepsis. However, the combined effects of sepsis and prematurity on neonatal postoperative mortality are largely unknown. Our objective was to quantify the proportion of neonatal postoperative mortality that is attributable to the synergistic effects of preoperative sepsis and prematurity. ⋯ Not applicable.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of vasodilatory properties between desflurane and sevoflurane using perfusion index: a randomised controlled trial.
The perfusion index (PI), calculated from the photoplethysmographic waveform, reflects peripheral vasomotor tone. As such, the PI serves as a surrogate for quantitative measures of drug-induced vasoconstriction or vasodilation. This study aimed to compare the effect on the PI of desflurane and sevoflurane at equi-anaesthetic concentrations in patients undergoing single-agent inhalation anaesthesia, where equi-anaesthetic dose was based on the known minimum alveolar concentration of these agents. ⋯ NCT03570164.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Management practices for postdural puncture headache in obstetrics: a prospective, international, cohort study.
Accidental dural puncture is an uncommon complication of epidural analgesia and can cause postdural puncture headache (PDPH). We aimed to describe management practices and outcomes after PDPH treated by epidural blood patch (EBP) or no EBP. ⋯ Management practices vary between countries, but EBP was more often used in patients with greater initial headache intensity. EBP reduced headache intensity quickly, but about 20% of patients needed a second EBP. After 7 days, most patients had no or mild headache. Backache, headache, and analgesic use were more common at 3 months in patients receiving an EBP.
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Penicillin allergy is associated with a range of poor health outcomes. Allergy testing can be made simpler by using a direct drug provocation test in patients at low risk of genuine allergy. This approach could allow population-level 'de-labelling'. We sought to determine the incidence and nature of penicillin allergy labels in UK surgical patients and define patient and anaesthetist attitudes towards penicillin allergy testing. ⋯ At least 27% of patients with a penicillin allergy label may be suitable for a direct drug provocation test. Anaesthetists demonstrated potentially unsafe prescribing in patients with penicillin allergy labels. More than half of anaesthetists lack confidence in the results of a direct drug provocation tests undertaken by a specialist. Our findings highlight significant barriers to the effective implementation of widespread de-labelling in surgical patients.
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Immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions are an increasing public health issue and a frequent cause of life-threatening anaphylaxis. Conventional confirmatory testing include skin tests and, for a few drugs, quantification of drug-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. However, none of these tests are absolutely predictive for the clinical outcome, and can yield false-negative and false-positive results. We performed a proof-of-concept study to assess whether a mast cell activation test could improve diagnosis of IgE-mediated chlorhexidine hypersensitivity, a common cause of perioperative anaphylaxis. ⋯ Our study suggests that the mast cell activation test can be used to diagnose IgE/FcεRI-dependent immediate drug hypersensitivity reactions. It also shows potential to assess the clinical relevance of drug-specific IgE antibodies in their ability to elicit mast cell degranulation, and therefore discriminate between allergy and sensitisation. Extended studies are required to verify whether this technique can be used in other causes of perioperative anaphylaxis.