Swiss medical weekly
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Swiss medical weekly · Apr 2007
Acute pain in adults admitted to the emergency room: development and implementation of abbreviated guidelines.
Although acute pain is frequently reported by patients admitted to the emergency room, it is often insufficiently evaluated by physicians and is thus undertreated. With the aim of improving the care of adult patients with acute pain, we developed and implemented abbreviated clinical practice guidelines (CG) for the staff of nurses and physicians in our hospital's emergency room. ⋯ Based on published guidelines, an abbreviated clinical algorithm (AA) was developed and its simple format permitted a widespread implementation. In contrast to international guidelines, our algorithm favours giving nursing staff responsibility for decision making aspects of pain assessment and treatment in emergency room patients.
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Swiss medical weekly · Apr 2007
Clinical TrialIntravenous ketamine therapy in a patient with a treatment-resistant major depression.
Recently, reports from North America have indicated that the intravenous infusion of ketamine hydrochloride (an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist) results in a sudden and robust improvement of depression symptoms. ⋯ Ketamine not only seems to have strong antidepressant effects but also to act very swiftly. These actions were unaffected by an alcohol or benzodiazpine dependence.
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Swiss medical weekly · Apr 2007
ReviewFast tracking in liver transplantation. Immediate postoperative tracheal extubation: feasibility and clinical impact.
Increased survival rates after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients with end-stage liver disease have become possible due to an advanced understanding of the pathophysiology of liver disease, the establishment of multiorgan procurement and preservation techniques, and the development of safer and more potent immunosuppressive drugs. In addition, standardisation of surgical techniques and advances in anaesthetic management have contributed significantly to this development. The up-to-date concept of improving patient outcome following OLT includes a fast track approach in selected patient populations, which may shorten ICU and/or hospital stay and reduce costs. ⋯ The incidence of reintubation is not increased hereafter when compared to patients extubated later. However, special attention should be focused on liver transplant recipients in poor clinical condition at the time of OLT, undergoing complicated surgery, or receiving liver grafts with severe preservation injury. These patients might not be eligible for fast tracking protocols and may be at increased risk of prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation.