Articles: postoperative.
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To review left ventricular assist device physiology, initial postoperative management, common complications, trouble shooting and management of hypotension, and other common ICU problems. ⋯ Intensivists are increasingly likely to encounter patients requiring mechanical circulatory support with left ventricular assist devices at various points in the trajectory of their disease, from the immediate postimplant period to subsequent admissions for complications, and at end of life. A basic understanding of left ventricular assist device physiology is essential to the safe and effective care of these patients.
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National reports recommended that peri-operative care should be improved for elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery. Postoperative mortality and morbidity rates remain high, and indicate that emergency ruptured aneurysm repair, laparotomy and hip fracture fixation are high-risk procedures undertaken on elderly patients with limited physiological reserve. National audits have reported variations in care quality, data that are increasingly being used to drive quality improvement through professional guidance. Given that the number of elderly patients presenting for emergency surgery is likely to rise as the population ages, this review summarises the evidence on which such guidance is based, and provides information about how anaesthetists might participate in audit and research aimed at improving local and national outcomes for these most vulnerable of patients.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparison between continuous thoracic epidural and paravertebral blocks for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing thoracotomy: Systematic review.
Thoracotomy is a procedure associated with postoperative severe pain. Epidural block (EB) is considered the gold standard for its control. Paravertebral block (PVB) is an option for the management of postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate by meta-analyses the effectiveness of continuous thoracic epidural and paravertebral blocks for pain management after thoracotomy and the incidence of adverse effects. ⋯ There were no statistically significant differences in pain relief after thoracotomy between EB and PVB. PVB showed a lower incidence of side effects with reduced frequency of urinary retention and hypotension.
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Front Public Health · Jan 2013
ReviewThe utility of intravenous acetaminophen in the perioperative period.
Intravenous acetaminophen (IVA) has rapid and effective analgesic properties. Recent studies have shown several benefits of using IVA perioperatively. However, due to its relatively high cost and limited clinical data concerning its efficacy compared with other agents, physicians are hesitant to use IVA in the perioperative period. This brief review examines the utility of this medication in the perioperative period and highlights future areas of clinical and epidemiological research regarding its use.
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Good pain control after surgery is important to prevent negative outcomes such as tachycardia, hypertension, myocardial ischemia, decrease in alveolar ventilation, and poor wound healing. Exacerbations of acute pain can lead to neural sensitization and release of mediators both peripherally and centrally. ⋯ The new pharmacological products to treat postoperative pain include extended-release epidural morphine and analgesic adjuvants such as capsaicin, ketamine, gabapentin, pregabalin dexmetomidine, and tapentadol. Newer postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in modes such as intranasal, regional, transdermal, and pulmonary presents another interesting avenue of development.