Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Dec 1992
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPostoperative pain control by transdermal fentanyl. Preliminary comparison of two dosages to a fixed-interval i.m. morphine regimen.
The efficacy of postoperative pain control with two doses of transdermal fentanyl were compared to a fixed-interval intramuscular (i.m.) morphine regimen in 21 patients undergoing orthopedic surgical procedures. The two transdermal fentanyl patches with delivery rates of 70-80 micrograms/hr and 90-100 micrograms/hr, groups one and two, respectively, were compared to an i.m. morphine regimen of 150 micrograms/kg every 6h, group three. Transdermal patches were applied one hour prior to surgery and removed after 24h. ⋯ This is the first study in which transdermal fentanyl was compared to a fixed-interval i.m. morphine protocol without supplementation with other narcotics. The results show that fentanyl by a transdermal route can provide analgesia comparable to i.m. morphine. No clinically important adverse side effects were found in any of the study groups.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Dec 1992
Comparative Study[National survey on the action taken at the intensive care units to control hospital infections].
In 1990, a survey of recommended infection control practices in ICUs was carried out in 11 European countries. At the European level, 1005 ICUs returned the questionnaire (response rate = 61.2%), while in Italy only 129 ICUs out of 289 answered (response rate = 45%). The survey showed that the diffusion of recommended infection control practices in Italian ICUs was similar to other European countries, even if infection control resources at the hospital level were scarce: a hospital infection control program was launched ad necessary resources were available in only 14% of the responding Italian ICUs.
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The Authors present a case of a young man who drowned in sea water after the shock caused by a lightening that fell close to him as the swam. The Authors discuss and analyze the effects of the two events (drowning and lightening) which developed similar cerebral injuries but with a different origin.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Dec 1992
Multicenter Study[Multicenter study on the treatment and outcome of patients admitted to intensive care units in Italy. Presentation of the research project and the study protocol. GiViTI (Gruppo Italiano per la Valutazione degli interventi in Terapia Intensiva)].
Although Intensive Care Units (ICU) are present in most of the Italian Hospitals for acute patients, the heterogeneity of the patients case-mix and the large variation in structural, organizational and staffing arrangements have limited the feasibility and precision of evaluation studies aimed at assessing the quality of health care delivered and its impact on patients outcomes. To our knowledge there has been no nationwide study aimed at assessing the quality and effectiveness of the delivered care in samples of ICUs and patients that are representative of the source populations. ⋯ The idea of a large collaborative group acting in the field of Intensive Care stands in line with several quality, effectiveness and resource utilization studies that are ongoing in other European countries and is also the result of a series of smaller-scale experiences carried out by other Italian groups eventually emboied in the GiViTI project. In the framework of the ongoing long term, multisite, and multidisciplinary project, the present study calls for the recruitment of all consecutive patients seen at the participant centers during a two months period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Minerva anestesiologica · Dec 1992
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial[Fentanyl prevents the pain at the site of propofol injection].
The effect of fentanyl, administered immediately before propofol, when pain is experienced at the site of propofol injection was studied in 28 children undergoing elective surgery. The intravenous administration of fentanyl (2 micrograms/kg) significantly reduced such pain compared with a control group receiving saline. The results suggest that the administration of fentanyl may be a valid procedure in relieving pain on injection of propofol.