F1000Research
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There are few predictors of difficult mask ventilation and a simple, objective, predictive system to identify patients at risk of difficult mask ventilation does not currently exist. We present a retrospective - subgroup analysis aimed at identifying predictive factors for difficult mask ventilation (DMV) in patients undergoing pre-operative airway assessment before elective surgery at a major teaching hospital. ⋯ The results of this study confirm that in a real world clinical setting, the incidence of DMV is not negligible and suggest the use of a simple bedside predictive score to improve the accuracy of DMV prediction, thereby improving patient safety. Further prospective studies to validate this score would be useful.
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Background Difficult Mask Ventilation (DMV), is a situation in which it is impossible for an unassisted anesthesiologist to maintain oxygen saturation >90% using 100% oxygen and positive pressure ventilation to prevent or reverse signs of inadequate ventilation during mask ventilation. The incidence varies from 0.08 - 15%. Patient-related anatomical features are by far the most significant cause. We analyzed data from an obese surgical population (BMI> 30 kg/m (2)) to identify specific risk and predictive factors for DMV. Methods Five hundred and fifty seven obese patients were identified from a database of 1399 cases associated with preoperative airway examinations where mask ventilation was attempted. ⋯ Conclusion According to the current investigation, the three predictive factors are strongly associated with DMV in obese patients. Each independent risk factor alone provides a good screening for DMV and two factors substantially improve specificity. Based on our analysis, we speculate that the absence of at least 2 of the factors we identified might have a significant negative predictive value and can reasonably exclude DMV, with a negative likelihood ratio 0.81.
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We describe the insertion of the double lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) using a non-channeled standard blade of the King Vision (TM) videolaryngoscope for one lung ventilation (OLV) in a morbidly obese patient with a predicted difficult airway, severe restrictive pulmonary function, asthma, and hypertension. The patient was scheduled for a video-assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy. The stylet of the DLT was bent to fit the natural curve of the #3 non-channeled blade of the King Vision (™) videolaryngoscope. We conclude that the use of King Vision (™) videolaryngoscope could offer an effective method of DLT placement for OLV.
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Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common complex disorder, with new treatment options emerging each year. Social media is being increasingly used to investigate opinions about drugs, diseases and procedures. In this descriptive exploratory study, we sought to investigate opinions about currently available MS treatments. ⋯ Many tweets about MS treatments have a non-neutral sentiment. The analysis of social media appears to be a potential avenue for exploring patient opinion about MS treatments.
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The use of testosterone supplementation therapy (TST) is increasing primarily in men with symptomatic hypogonadism. While TST has been shown to have numerous benefits, as its use increases, the role on cardiovascular health must be explored. ⋯ The exact mechanism by which TST may contribute to cardiovascular risk has not been elucidated. Numerous mechanisms have been proposed which include testosterone's effect on thromboxane A2 receptors, vascular adhesion molecule 1 receptors, erythropoiesis, and obstructive sleep apnea, all of which can ultimately lead to atherogenesis and increased cardiovascular risk.