BMC anesthesiology
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Disorientation is an early indicator of developing postoperative delirium (POD), which is associated with increased mortality and cognitive decline. The well-established "Confusion-Assessment-Method-for-Intensive-Care-Unit" (CAM-ICU) for diagnosing POD in intubated patients cannot make use of the feature 'disorientation', as this requires verbal communication. Other tools such as the 4AT test for disorientation but are not established in ICU settings. We therefore combined test-variables of the CAM-ICU (level of consciousness, fluctuating mental status and inattention) with verbal testing for disorientation to develop and enhance diagnostic accuracy of the "Confusion Assessment Method for Intermediate Care Unit" (CAM-IMC). In the present study we describe the development and the evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of the CAM-IMC. ⋯ The CAM-IMC demonstrates excellent test performance for diagnosing POD in non-intubated patients by combining features of the CAM-ICU with 'disorientation'. Given an aging community with an increasing delirium risk, the CAM-IMC provides a highly structured assessment tool for POD. It enables early and accurate detection of delirium, which is critical for timely intervention and improved patient outcomes. The CAM-IMC appears to be a useful tool to be implemented in units for not-intubated patients and seems to be the perfect match where the CAM-ICU is already in use for monitoring POD.
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Postoperative sore throat is a frequent and distressing complication caused by airway instrumentation during general anesthesia. The discomfort can lead to immediate distress, delayed recovery and reduce patient satisfaction. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of preoperative ketamine gargle on the occurrence of postoperative sore throat among adult patients who underwent surgery under general anesthesia with endotracheal tube. ⋯ Preoperative ketamine gargle before induction of general anesthesia is effective to reduce the occurrence of postoperative sore throat in adult patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia with an endotracheal tube. Further studies with large sample size, better study quality and optimal reporting could be conducted to determine the long-term efficacy and safety of ketamine gargle in different surgical populations.
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Endotracheal intubation can be difficult or even fail under certain patient and anaesthesiologist conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic a country-wide lockdown policy was enforced in Thailand which stipulated that anaesthesiologists wear personal protective equipment, powered air purifying respirator, or goggles and surgical/N95 mask during the intubation procedure. Thus, an anaesthesiologist's vision is restricted and grip on the equipment less sure. Under these conditions, the incidence of difficult intubation was expected to increase. ⋯ The decreased incidence of difficult intubation during the lockdown period was contrary to expectation but might be related to the deployment solely of anaesthesiologists and more experienced anaesthetic staff using videolaryngoscopes during lockdown following the recommendation for intubation during respiratory disease pandemics.
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Prior meta-analyses have established the potential of intravenous ketamine in safeguarding against neurocognitive impairment, but the efficacy of intravenous esketamine for the prevention of perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND) remains uncertain. The primary aim of this meta-analysis was to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of esketamine on PND in adult surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia. ⋯ The use of intravenous esketamine as an adjuvant in general anesthesia may represent a potentially beneficial strategy for reducing susceptibility to PND, with potential benefits for preventing POD and POCD. Furthermore, it can decrease intraoperative opioid consumption and alleviate postoperative pain intensity without increasing the incidence of PONV.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison of vasopressors for management of hypotension in high-risk caesarean section under neuraxial anesthesia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Vasopressors are effective in managing perioperative hypotension in high-risk parturients undergoing Caesarean section (CS). Nevertheless, the optimal vasopressor for addressing hypotension induced by neuraxial anesthesia remains a subject of investigation. ⋯ Our findings suggest the potential advantages of phenylephrine for reducing hypotensive episodes in high-risk parturients undergoing CS. Noradrenalin may emerge as an alternative, particularly for women at high risk of caesarean delivery.