Anaesthesia, critical care & pain medicine
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Observational StudyUsefulness of the Airtraq DL™ videolaryngoscope for placing a double-lumen tube.
Endotracheal insertion of a double-lumen tube (DLT) may be difficult because of its size and shape. The Airtraq™ is a new videolaryngoscope that allows supraglottis exposure without needing to align the oro-pharyngo-laryngeal axis. A specific model (Airtraq DL™), with a large diameter, has been specifically designed to insert a DLT. We have tested the efficiency of this device on the quality of supraglottis exposure and the endotracheal position of the DLT. ⋯ The use of the Airtraq DL™ improves exposure of the supraglottis during insertion of a DLT. However, previous removal of the stylet could increase the risk of incorrectly positioning the tube.
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Decompression surgery for severe traumatic brain injury (TBI): A long-term, single-centre experience.
Despite well-conducted medical treatment, refractory intracranial hypertension occurs in 10-15% of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Surgical decompression procedures, such as hemicraniectomy, are mainly considered as a rescue therapy. However, the long-term neurological outcomes of these patients remain controversial. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term evolution of patients requiring surgical decompression surgery in our ICU over the last 7 years. ⋯ In this small retrospective study, we found that decompression surgery performed for traumatic refractory raised ICP concerned only 2% of our traumatic brain injury patients. According to long-term evaluation, decompression surgery is associated with unfavourable outcomes and disabilities. However, the functional recovery and quality of life in survivors seems equivalent to a matched population. These results require confirmation via larger studies.
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Anaesth Crit Care Pain Med · Apr 2015
Letter Case ReportsNeostigmine induced anaphylaxis in the wake of surgery.