Surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Colloid or crystalloid in the resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock: a controlled clinical trial.
The object of this article is to assess the value of human serum albumin (HSA) in the initial resuscitation of hypotensive trauma victims. Thirty-six patients (mean age = 30 years) in shock from trauma who underwent laparotomies were randomly assigned to either Ringer's lactate solution (RL) resuscitation or 4% HSA in RL resuscitation. Both groups received approximately 8L of test fluid and 6U of washed red cells. ⋯ Two patients in each group required mechanical ventilation for longer than 24 hours. No differences were noted in a battery of pulmonary function tests performed daily for 5 days. These results demonstrate that HSA is not essential in this clinical setting for safe and effective resuscitation.
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Surgery on the upper abdomen is associated with marked postoperative pulmonary dysfunction that results largely from restriction of lung expansion secondary to incisional pain. This study, utilizing three groups of patients (a control group, a sham group, and a group receiving transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation [TENS] for pain control), was designed to determine whether this modality is effective in alleviating postoperative pain. Spirometry, arterial blood gases, clinical as well as radiologic evidence of postoperative pulmonary complications, and the frequency of analgesic requests were determined. ⋯ There were a total of six postoperative pulmonary complications, all occurring in the groups not receiving TENS. Postoperative arterial Po2, vital capacity, and functional residual capacity were least depressed in the TENS group. The data suggest that TENS minimizes the tendency toward postoperative alteration in respiratory mechanics and decreases the incidence of pulmonary complications by alleviating incisional pain.