Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialS+ -ketamine for control of perioperative pain and prevention of post thoracotomy pain syndrome: a randomized, double-blind study.
Post-thoracotomy pain syndrome (PTPS) often complicates the long term outcome of patients; its appearance has been related to perioperative acute pain. The main goal of this study was to evaluate a possible role of S(+)-ketamine in the prevention of PTPS up to 6 months and secondarily its efficacy in the control of perioperative pain when added to thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and adjuvants. ⋯ S(+)-ketamine had no effects in respect to placebo in the prevention of PTPS at 3 and 6 months but had a significant role in maintaining a NRS≤3 in the early postoperative period. A tight control of perioperative pain seems to be associated with a low incidence of moderate and severe PTPS.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialPositive end-expiratory pressure following coronary artery bypass grafting.
Cardiac surgery-related pulmonary complications include alterations in lung mechanics and anomalies in gas exchange. Higher levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) have been suggested to benefit cardiac surgical patients. We compared respiratory compliance, arterial oxygenation and time till tracheal extubation in 2 cohorts of patients weaned from mechanical ventilation with different levels of PEEP after elective and uncomplicated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We hypothesized that higher PEEP levels improve pulmonary compliance and gas exchange in the first hours of weaning from mechanical ventilation, but not to shorten time till tracheal extubation. ⋯ Use of higher PEEP levels after elective uncomplicated CABG improves pulmonary compliance and oxygenation but seems to be associated with a delay in tracheal extubation.
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Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used in patients with acute respiratory failure, but few data exist regarding current sedation practices during NIV. Mask intolerance or claustrophobia, and delirium and agitation, may lead to NIV failure, requiring endotracheal intubation. Judicious use of sedation during NIV could be one of the valuable options for some of these patients at risk of intubation. ⋯ Pilot studies suggest that continuous infusion of a single sedative agent may decrease patient discomfort, with no significant effects on respiratory drive, respiratory pattern, or hemodynamics. In addition, gas exchange improved under NIV with sedation. While the current limited data available suggests that sedation during NIV is safe and feasible, more widespread application should await the results of randomized clinical trials.