Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2016
The optimal time between clinical brain death diagnosis and confirmation using CT angiography : a retrospective study.
In several countries, a computed tomography angiography (CTA) is used to confirm brain death (BD). A six‑hour interval is recommended between clinical diagnosis and CTA acquisition despite the lack of strong evidence to support this interval. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal timing for CTA in the confirmation of BD. ⋯ A 12‑hour interval might be appropriate in order to limit the risk of inconclusive CTAs.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2016
Targeting blood products transfusion in trauma: what is the role of thromboelastography?
Viscoelastic hemostatic assays (VHAs), mainly thromboelastography (TEG) and the rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), provide global information on clot formation and dissolution at patient bedside, allowing fast identification of coagulation disorders. In trauma patients, VHAs are able to predict massive transfusion and mortality. ⋯ These goal-directed, individualized treatment algorithms seem to reduce blood product transfusion without deleterious effects on patient outcome. Nevertheless, a clear outcome benefit of using VHAs remains to be demonstrated in trauma patients.