Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2006
ReviewMonitoring consciousness in the pediatric patient: not just a small adult.
Intraoperative awareness, defined as postoperative memory for intraoperative events, is believed to occur about 0.2% of the time in a general adult surgical population. A recent large-scale prospective study from a single institution revealed a strikingly high incidence (0.8%) of intraoperative awareness in children aged 5-12 years although the sequelae of awareness during surgery in children were reported to be relatively minor. ⋯ To date, however, no monitor has been shown to be effective in detecting intraoperative awareness during surgery in pediatric patients. Further research is required to clarify the rates of intraoperative awareness in the pediatric population as well as the need for monitoring this event during the clinical practice of pediatric anesthesiology.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2006
ReviewUse of cerebral monitoring during anaesthesia: effect on recovery profile.
This review article examines the effect of cerebral monitoring using an EEG-based device [i.e. bispectral index (BIS), patient state analyzer (PSA), auditory evoked potential (AEP), cerebral state index (CSI), or entropy] on titration of anaesthetic, analgesic and cardiovascular drugs during surgery. In addition, articles discussing the effects of these cerebral monitoring devices on recovery profiles following general anaesthesia, postoperative side effects, and anaesthetic costs are reviewed.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2005
ReviewStrategies and algorithms for management of the difficult airway.
Management of the difficult airway is the most important patient safety issue in the practice of anaesthesia. Many national societies have developed algorithms and guidelines for management of the difficult airway. The key issues of this chapter are definition of terms, the advantages and disadvantages of the use of guidelines, and a comparison of different algorithms and guidelines for management of the most important clinical airway scenarios. Although there is no strong evidence of benefit for any specific strategy or algorithm for management of the difficult airway, there is strong agreement that a pre-planned strategy may lead to improved outcome.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2005
ReviewEvaluation of the airway and preparation for difficulty.
Preoperative airway evaluation is essential to consider which is the best method of maintaining and protecting the airway during surgery and whether problems with airway management are likely. In general surgical patients, the prevalence of difficult intubation is low and tests have poor predictive power. ⋯ The absence of reliable prediction in general surgical patients means that airway strategy holds the key to successful management. Where there are obvious abnormalities in the history, examination or imaging the preoperative evaluation will allow choice of the most appropriate airway strategy which may include preparation of the patient, assembling of alternative airway equipment, advice and help from a more senior or skilled anaesthetist or aid from a surgical colleague or assistant.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2005
ReviewSafety culture and crisis resource management in airway management: general principles to enhance patient safety in critical airway situations.
Airway management is a cornerstone of patient safety in anaesthesiology and in emergency and critical care medicine. Deficiencies in airway management could have catastrophic results for the patient. In anaesthesia patients, in particular, a high level of safety should be expected. ⋯ Concepts of the high reliability organizations (HROs) are now ready to be adapted to medicine and offer promising improvements in health care. This paper applies some of the HRO principles to airway management and illustrates how to transform more general strategies to practical application in the clinical world. This includes the use of key elements of crisis resource management (CRM) and the development of a checklist for safety in airway management.