Revista española de anestesiología y reanimación
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Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim · Aug 2004
Comparative Study Clinical Trial[Intraoperative measurement of cardiac output by transesophageal echocardiography of transmitral flow].
Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is used to study cardiac structure and function. Cardiac output is measured by calculating the velocity with which a volume of blood travels a predetermined area. Output can be assessed at the mitral valve by parallel alignment of the Doppler transducer to measure flow velocity. ⋯ Intraoperative measurement of cardiac output by transesophageal Doppler echocardiography at the mitral valve is easy and correlates highly with the clinical method of thermodilution used at present. Use of the technique will widen the spectrum of information provided by echocardiography, which is a safe, minimally invasive technique.
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Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim · Aug 2004
Case Reports[Four patients with mucormycosis in a postoperative recovery unit].
Mucormycosis, a rare opportunistic infection caused by fungi belonging to the Mucorales order, is a potentially fatal disease. We describe 4 patients with mucormycosis. ⋯ Of the 2 remaining patients, only the one with milder disease responded to treatment. The prognosis for this opportunistic infection, whose low incidence has increased in postoperative intensive care units, is very poor if early treatment is not given.
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Rocuronium has been said to have an initially rapid onset of action followed by a slower final approach to maximum effect, the supporting data showing only that time to 75% of blockade is more rapid. Expressions of velocity are derived from basic measures such as length and time. The aim of our study was to confirm the onset characteristics of rocuronium by using appropriate expressions of velocity. ⋯ Using appropriate expressions and calculations, we can unequivocally conclude that rocuronium has a biphasic onset that is initially rapid and then slower. The rate of action is nearly 6 times faster at the beginning.