Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2015
ReviewOptimal technique for deep breathing exercises after cardiac surgery.
Cardiac surgery patients often develop a restrictive pulmonary impairment and gas exchange abnormalities in the early postoperative period. Chest physiotherapy is routinely prescribed in order to reduce or prevent these complications. Besides early mobilization, positioning and shoulder girdle exercises, various breathing exercises have been implemented as a major component of postoperative care. ⋯ Arbitrary instructions are given, and recommendations on performance and duration vary between hospitals. Deep breathing exercises are a major part of this therapy, but scientific evidence for the efficacy has been lacking until recently, and there is a lack of trials describing how postoperative breathing exercises actually should be performed. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief overview of postoperative breathing exercises for patients undergoing cardiac surgery via sternotomy, and to discuss and suggest an optimal technique for the performance of deep breathing exercises.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2015
Molecular weight and molar substitution are more important in HES-induced renal impairment than concentration after hemorrhagic and septic shock.
Clinical studies have raised concerns about the safety of 6% hydroxyethylstarch (HES) 130/0.42, but the pathomechanisms of this renal impairment remain unknown. To evaluate the effects of different HES concentrations, molar substitutions and molecular weights in HES-induced renal impairment, we used a porcine two-hit model that combined haemorrhagic and septic shock. ⋯ In this porcine two-hit shock model, treatment with 0.9% NaCl, HES 130/0.42 or HES 200/0.5 led to a similar maintenance of haemodynamic values. Despite this similar maintenance of the haemodynamic values, volume replacement with 6% and 10% HES 200/0.5 led to an accumulation of HES, higher colloid osmotic pressure and significantly reduced renal function after haemorrhagic and septic shock. These facts support the presumption that not the concentration but the degree of substitution and the molecular weight play a decisive role in HES-induced renal impairment.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2015
Ondansetron attenuates the decrease in blood pressure due to spinal anaesthesia in the elderly - a double blind, placebo-controlled study.
Ondansetron was effectively used to prevent spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in the general population and women anesthetised for cesarean section. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that blocking type 3 serotonin receptors with intravenous ondansetron administration reduces hypotension and bradycardia induced by spinal anesthesia in elderly patients. ⋯ Administration of intravenous ondansetron prior to spinal anesthesia in geriatric patients attenuates the drop in the diastolic and mean arterial pressure without substantially affecting the systolic blood pressure.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2015
Deaths with acute cerebral lesions in ICU: Does the number of potential organ donors depend on predictable factors ?
As the potentiality of deceased organ donation mostly depends on the number of brain deaths (BDs), the aim of this study is to quantify rates and probabilities of BD declaration in Italy. ⋯ Predictable factors associated with BD declaration can be identified in ACLD management. Positive factors leading to the identification of potential organ donors, i.e., the capacity of declaring BD in all the patients fulfilling BD criteria irrespective of age and etiology, could be captured in the best performing regions and reproduced throughout the Country. The implementation of simple indicators based on prospective ACLD monitoring, i.e. the declared BDs to ACLDs in ICU ratio, may be helpful in achieving efficiency targets and reliable comparisons of outcomes in the identification of BD potential organ donors.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jun 2015
Prone position affects stroke volume variation performance in predicting fluid responsiveness in neurosurgical patients.
Stroke volume variation (SVV) during mechanical ventilation predicts preload responsiveness. We hypothesized that the prone position would alter the performance of this dynamic indicator. ⋯ In ventilated patients with low tidal volume, a prone position may have a direct effect on the heart that alters the performance of SVV in predicting fluid responsiveness. External factor such as prone position renders difficult the interpretation of SVV as a dynamic indicator of cardiac preload.