Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialIntravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate and postoperative analgesia in total knee arthroplasty.
The effectiveness of combining magnesium (Mg) administration with both general and spinal anesthesia to reduce postoperative pain and analgesic consumption is still debated. We evaluated the effects of an intravenous (IV) infusion of Mg sulphate on analgesic consumption and postoperative pain score after total knee arthroplasty performed under spinal anesthesia. ⋯ IV perioperative administration of Mg did not influence postoperative pain control and analgesic consumption after total knee arthroplasty. More studies should be performed with different intra and postoperative pain protocols to enhance the potential anti-nociceptive effect of Mg.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2015
Review Meta AnalysisCerebral vasospasm after traumatic brain injury: an update.
Post-traumatic vasospasm (PTV) remains a poorly understood entity. Using a systematic review approach, we examined the incidence, mechanisms, risk factors, impact on outcome and potential therapies of PTV. ⋯ Mechanical stretching, inflammation, calcium dysregulation, endotelin, contractile proteins, products of cerebral metabolism and cortical spreading depolarization have been involved in PTV pathophysiology. PTV occurs in up to 30-40% of the patients after severe traumatic brain injury. Usually, PTV starts within the first 3 days following head trauma and may last 5 to 10 days. Young age, low Glasgow Coma Score at admission and subarachnoid hemorrhage have been identified as risk factors of PTV. Suspected on transcranial Doppler, PTV diagnosis is best confirmed by angiography, CT angiography or MR angiography, and perfusion and ischaemic consequences by perfusion CT or MRI. Early PTV is associated with poor outcome. No PTV prevention strategy has proved efficient up to now. Regarding PTV treatment, only nimodipine and intra-arterial papaverine have been studied up to now. Treatment with milrinone has been described in a few cases reports and may represent a new therapeutic option.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2015
Comparative Study Clinical TrialNavigator® and SmartPilot® View are helpful in guiding anesthesia and reducing anesthetic drug dosing.
The recently introduced Navigator® (GE Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland) and SmartPilot® View (Dräger Medical, Lübeck, Germany) show the concentrations and predicted effects of combined anesthetic drugs, and should facilitate more precisely their titration. Our aim was to evaluate if Navigator® or SmartPilot® View guided anesthesia was associated with a good quality of analgesia, depth of hypnosis and may reduce anesthetic requirements. ⋯ Navigator® and SmartPilot® View may be of clinical use in monitoring adequacy of anesthesia. Both displays can optimize the administration and monitoring of anesthetic drugs during general anesthesia and may reduce the consumption of volatile anesthetic agents.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2015
Preventing against hospital malnutrition: a survey on nutritional policies in an italian university hospital.
A proper strategy for fighting hospital malnutrition should include nutritional screening of all hospitalized patients, adequate utilization of the Hospital facilities - such as Clinical Nutrition Services or Nutrition Teams - and an adequate algorithm for the adoption of proper nutrition support (oral, enteral or parenteral) with proper timing. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the current policies of different non-intensive wards of our institution (a 1100 beds University Hospital) in terms of prevention of hospital malnutrition. ⋯ Our survey confirmed that in large hospitals the main barriers to the fight against hospital malnutrition are the lack of knowledge and/or commitment by nurses and physicians as well as the lack of well-defined hospital policies on early nutritional screening, surveillance of nutritional status and indication to nutrition support.