Journal of clinical monitoring and computing
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J Clin Monit Comput · Feb 2015
Observational StudyThe use of a clinical database in an anesthesia unit: focus on its limits.
Anesthesia information management system (AIMS) can be used a part of quality assurance program to improve patient care, however erroneous or missing data entries may lead to misinterpretation. This study assesses the accuracy of information extracted for six consecutive years from a database linked to an automatic anesthesia record-keeping system. An observational study was conducted on a database linked AIMS system. ⋯ However exhaustivity/completeness of some other variable, such as nausea and vomiting started as low as 50% to reach 20% at 2008. After cross analysing pain and post-operative nausea and vomiting scores with related medication consumption, (morphine and ondansetron) we conclude that missing data was due to omission of a zero score rather than human error. The follow-up of quality assurance program may use data from AIMS provided that missing or erroneous values be mentioned and their impact on calculations accurately analysed.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Feb 2015
Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring during spine surgery with total intravenous anesthesia or balanced anesthesia with 3 % desflurane.
Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and opioids is frequently utilized for spinal surgery when somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) and transcranial motor evoked potentials (tcMEPs) are monitored. Many anesthesiologists would prefer to utilize low dose halogenated anesthetics (e.g. 1/2 MAC). We examined our recent experience using 3% desflurane or TIVA during spine surgery to determine the impact on propofol usage and on the evoked potential responses. ⋯ The data from these cases indicates that 1/2 MAC (3%) desflurane can be used in conjunction with SSEP and tcMEP monitoring for some adult patients undergoing spine surgery. Further studies are needed to confirm the relative benefits versus negative effects of the use of desflurane and other halogenated agents for anesthesia during procedures on neurophysiological monitoring involving tcMEPs. Further studies are also needed to characterize which patients may or may not be candidates for supplementation such as those with neural dysfunction or who are opioid tolerant from chronic use.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Feb 2015
Detection of endobronchial intubation by monitoring the CO2 level above the endotracheal cuff.
Early detection of accidental endobronchial intubation (EBI) is still an unsolved problem in anesthesia and critical care daily practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of monitoring above cuff CO2 to detect EBI (the working hypothesis was that the origin of CO2 is from the unventilated, but still perfused, lung). Six goats were intubated under general anesthesia and the ETT positioning was verified by a flexible bronchoscope. ⋯ Withdrawal of the ETT and repositioning of its distal tip in mid-trachea caused the disappearance of CO2 above the cuff in a maximum of 3 min, confirming the absence of air leak and the correct positioning of the ETT. Our results suggest that measurement of the above-the-cuff CO2 level could offer a reliable, on-line solution for early identification of accidental EBI. Further studies are planned to validate the efficacy of the method in a clinical setup.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Feb 2015
Thoracic impedance measures tissue characteristics in the vicinity of the electrodes, not intervening lung water: implications for heart failure monitoring.
The rationale for intrathoracic impedance (Z) detection of worsening heart failure (HF) presupposes that changes in Z reflect changes in pulmonary congestion, but is confounded by poor specificity in clinical trials. We therefore tested the hypothesis that Z is primarily affected by tissue/water content in proximity to electrodes rather than by lung water distribution between electrodes through the use of a new computational model for deriving the near-field impedance contributions from the various electrodes. Six sheep were implanted with a left atrial pressure (LAP) monitor and a cardiac resynchronization therapy device which measured Z from six vectors comprising of five electrodes. ⋯ In contrast, during the simulated formation of device-pocket edema (induced by fluid injection) the near-field impedance of the subcutaneous electrode had an instantaneous response, while the intra-cardiac electrodes had a minimal inconsistent response. This study suggests that the primary contribution to the vector based Z is from the tissue/water in proximity to the individual electrodes. This novel finding may help explain the limited utility of Z for detecting worsening HF.
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J Clin Monit Comput · Feb 2015
Augmentation of motor evoked potentials using multi-train transcranial electrical stimulation in intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring during spinal surgery.
Transcranial motor evoked potentials (TcMEPs) are widely used to monitor motor function during spinal surgery. Improvements in transcranial stimulation techniques and general anesthesia have made it possible to record reliable and reproducible potentials. However, TcMEPs are much smaller in amplitude compared with compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) evoked by maximal peripheral nerve stimulation. ⋯ No adverse events (e.g., seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, scalp burns, accidental injury resulting from patient movement) were observed in any patients. Although several facilitative techniques using central or peripheral stimuli, preceding transcranial electrical stimulation, have been recently employed to augment TcMEPs during surgery, responses are still much smaller than CMAPs. Changing from conventional st-TES to mt-TES has potential to greatly enhance TcMEP responses.