British journal of anaesthesia
-
Case Reports
Venous air embolism: ultrasonographic diagnosis and treatment with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
A man with neuromuscular respiratory failure requiring intubation and ventilation suffered a venous air embolism during inadvertent administration of 5 ml of air. Ultrasound (US) imaging confirmed an air embolus in the left subclavian vein, which was only partially treated by US-guided aspiration. ⋯ Venous air embolism is under-recognised, and can cause siginificant neurological morbidity and death if untreated. When available, urgent hyperbaric oxygen therapy appears to be an effective approach.
-
Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is widely used to monitor regional cerebral tissue oxygenation (rScO2). We compared rScO2 values during cardiac surgery in patients with or without new cerebral ischaemic lesions on diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). We hypothesised patients with new cerebral lesions would have impaired tissue oxygenation reflected in their rScO2 values. ⋯ NCT 02185885.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of intravenous S-ketamine on the MAC of sevoflurane: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial.
Ketamine is routinely used in operating theatres, emergency departments, ICUs, and even outpatient units. Despite the widespread use of ketamine, only basic aspects of its interactions with inhalation anaesthetic agents are known, and formal testing of interactions in humans is lacking. The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of inhalation anaesthetics is used to guide the depth of anaesthesia, and several drugs are known to influence the MAC. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intravenous application of ketamine influences the MAC of sevoflurane in humans. ⋯ EudraCT ref. no. 2012-001908-38.