Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2010
Insulin differentially influences brain glucose and lactate in traumatic brain injured patients.
Hypo- and hyperglycemia must be avoided to prevent additional brain damage following traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the optimal blood glucose range requiring insulin remains unknown. Cerebral microdialysis is helpful in unmasking signs of metabolic impairment, thereby identifying deleterious blood glucose levels. ⋯ Insulin exerts differential effects that depend strongly on the underlying arterial blood glucose concentrations. To avoid energetic impairment, insulin should not be administered at arterial blood glucose levels <5 mM. However, at arterial blood glucose levels >7-8 mM, insulin administration appears to be encouraged to increase extracellular glucose concentrations and decrease energetic impairment reflected by reduced interstitial brain lactate and decreased lactate-to-glucose ratios. Nevertheless, frequent analysis is required to minimize the risk of inducing impaired brain metabolism.
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The administration of oxytocin at high doses during cesarean section may cause severe cardiovascular complications. However, a dosage as low as 1 IU has been proven to suffice. Bolus administration is not superior to infusion and causes more severe side effects. The purpose of this survey was therefore to determine dosages and routes of administration of oxytocin during cesarean section in Germany. ⋯ Most of the responding departments give oxytocin as a bolus at a relatively low dose. However, despite the potentially fatal side effects, one out of eight departments administers 10 IU or more as a bolus.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2010
The Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anesthesiology: a way forward with the European Board and the European Society of Anesthesiology.
Anesthesiology, which includes anaesthesia, perioperative care, intensive care medicine, emergency medicine and pain therapy, is acknowledged as the leading medical specialty in addressing issues of patient safety, but there is still a long way to go. Several factors pose hazards in Anesthesiology, like increasingly older and sicker patients, more complex surgical interventions, more pressure on throughput, as well as new drugs and devices. To better design educational and research strategies to improve patient safety, the European Board of Anesthesiology (EBA) and the European Society of Anesthesiology (ESA) have produced a blueprint for patient safety in Anesthesiology. ⋯ It was signed by several Presidents of National Anesthesiology Societies as well as other stakeholders. The Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anesthesiology represents a shared European view of what is necessary to improve patient safety, recommending practical steps that all anesthesiologists can include in their own clinical practice. The Italian Society of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Reanimation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) is looking forward to continuing work on "patient safety" issues in Europe, and to cooperating with the ESA in the best interest of European patients.