Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2010
Case ReportsThe Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome: a case report.
The HGPS (Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome) is a rare genetic disorder with an incidence of 1 per 8 million live births. Originally described in 1886, less than 100 cases have been reported. ⋯ The diagnosis is usually made by age 2, the mean survival age is 13.4 years and the most common cause of death is myocardial infarction. Recent genetic advances have identified the cause as a defect in the LMNA gene of chromosome 1.
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Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) occurs after lower joint arthroplasty with an incidence between 0% and 75%. This vast range reflects the differences in diagnosis and management of POUR. At present, clinical practice includes either preoperative insertion of an indwelling catheter to be removed after 24-48 postoperative hours or postoperative intermittent in-and-out catheterization performed either at scheduled times (every 6-8 hours) or as necessary. ⋯ The purpose of the present article is to review the published data on the effects of analgesia techniques on the development of POUR after hip and knee arthroplasty. General and regional anesthesia are implicated in the etiology of POUR; however, type and duration do not correlate with its incidence. Of the different postoperative analgesic techniques currently used, continuous peripheral nerve block has the least impact on POUR.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2010
Open intensive care units: a regional survey about the beliefs and attitudes of healthcare professionals.
We aimed at assessing the opinion and degree of acceptance of physicians and nurses in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) toward an open ICU as our regional ethical committee has advised that ICU visitation policies be reformed using such a new approach. ⋯ This study points out that, in our region, physicians are more liberal and able than nurses to "customize" their wards to the specific psychosocial and emotional needs of patients and visitors.
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Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) account for a substantial portion of the risks related to surgery and anesthesia and are a source of postoperative morbidity, mortality and longer hospital stays. The current basis for our understanding of the nature of PPC is weak; only a small number of high-quality studies are available, a uniform definition has not emerged, and studies have focused on specific patients and kinds of surgeries. ⋯ Age, general co-morbidity, pre-existing respiratory and cardiac diseases, the use of general anesthesia and the overall surgical insult. are the most significant factors associated with complications. Election of anesthetic technique, postoperative analgesia and physical therapy seem to be the preventive measures that are best supported by evidence.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2010
The pharmacodynamic effects of rocuronium during general anesthesia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether the neuromuscular response to rocuronium is affected by the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. ⋯ The present study has proven that the rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block was not affected in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus during isoflurane based general anesthesia.