IMPLICATIONS: This prospective, observational trial suggests that patients who undergo complete coronary revascularization without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump) have similar incidences of postoperative creatinine increases when compared with patients undergoing traditional coronary artery bypass surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.
IMPLICATIONS: Our study found that transesophageal echocardiography provided reliable visualization of left ventricular segmental wall motion during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery in most patients--a prerequisite for echocardiographic monitoring for ischemia. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether such monitoring improves patient outcome.
IMPLICATIONS: Hemodilution (hemoglobin, 6 g/dL) increased cerebral infarct volume and worsened outcome after focal cerebral ischemia during cardiopulmonary bypass in rats; this suggests that excessive hemodilution may increase the risk of cardiac surgery-related stroke.
IMPLICATIONS: In a study of 49 volunteers, an ultrasound probe held in the manner of a syringe and needle demonstrated that the optimal head rotation to maximize internal jugular vein cannulation and minimize carotid artery puncture was 30{degrees} from midline for obese patients and as much as 60{degrees} for non-obese patients.
IMPLICATIONS: Our data provide evidence that ultrafiltration is an effective method for extracorporeal elimination of high therapeutic levels of tirofiban. These results are of particular interest for the management of patients with impaired renal function or a high risk of developing perioperative renal failure who undergo cardiac surgery with the administration of tirofiban in the perioperative period.
IMPLICATIONS: Protein kinase C activation is part of the mechanism by which isoflurane improves functional and metabolic recovery after ischemia in isolated rat hearts.
IMPLICATIONS: This prospective, randomized, controlled study analyzing the treatment for atelectasis after cardiac surgery showed that noninvasive pressure support ventilation was superior to continuous positive airway pressure for improving atelectasis based on radiological score but did not confer any additional benefit, thus raising the question of its clinical usefulness.
IMPLICATIONS: Compared with an untreated control group, the prophylactic use of an IV combination of the ß-adrenergic blocker, esmolol, and the phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, enoximone, in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass resulted in beneficial effects on postbypass hemodynamic status, splanchnic perfusion, organ function, as well as inflammatory response and endothelial integrity.
IMPLICATIONS: The embolic phenomenon to the heart and lungs occurs in all patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty at the time of tourniquet release. This study investigates possible mechanisms that allow most patients to tolerate such insults to their lungs without clinical complications.
IMPLICATIONS: Although older studies cannot correlate with outcome, this study is the first comparison of the values of three indirect markers of gut ischemia--portal venous lactate concentration, intramucosal intestinal pH, and gradient between regional and arterial PCO2--as predictors of organ failure after surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysm.
IMPLICATIONS: Anesthesiologists and other perioperative physicians need to be aware of the prevalence of venous thromboembolism in patients with a history of recent long-haul air travel.
IMPLICATIONS: Both peripheral and central venous pressures reflect changes in venous tone during resection of a pheochromocytoma.
IMPLICATIONS: In this randomized, controlled trial, we found that peripherally inserted central catheters safely and effectively reduce needle punctures and improve patient satisfaction. The technique is cost-effective if anesthesiologists insert the catheters during surgical preparation time.
IMPLICATIONS: The use of a remifentanil infusion and delayed tracheal intubation decrease intraoperative glucose concentrations during arterial stimulation and hepatic venous sampling for localization of focal hyperinsulinism lesions in children.
IMPLICATIONS: Cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 is preserved above 30 mm Hg ETCO2 in children during propofol anesthesia but lost below 30 mm Hg. Reducing ETCO2 values to less than 30 mm Hg in children receiving propofol anesthesia may not result in any further reduction in cerebral blood flow velocity.
IMPLICATIONS: Radiofrequency energy absorbed during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is added to metabolic energy and must be balanced by appropriate heat loss to maintain normothermia. Although hypothermia is more likely during anesthesia for MRI, this report of hyperthermia stresses the importance of temperature monitoring, particularly for long scans with high-energy sequences.
IMPLICATIONS: Nasal trauma and bleeding may be reduced during nasotracheal intubation by using a rapid, inexpensive technique that avoids potentially problematic topical medications.
IMPLICATIONS: Electro-acupoint stimulation or ondansetron is more effective than placebo for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting but electro-acupoint stimulation is more effective in controlling nausea. Stimulation at P6 has analgesic effects.
IMPLICATIONS: Premixing of 20 mg of lidocaine (2 mL of lidocaine 1%) to 200 mg of standard propofol containing long-chain triglycerides (LCT) causes less pain on injection than propofol containing both medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) and LCT and thus increases patient comfort.
IMPLICATIONS: Even in the presence of train-of-four responses, the clinician should be aware that reversal may be inadequate.
IMPLICATIONS: The adaptation of drug dosages in obese patients is a matter of concern. We investigated the onset time and duration of action of rocuronium, a neuromuscular blocking drug, in morbidly obese patients. For clinical proposes, in the morbidly obese, rocuronium should be dosed on the basis of ideal body weight rather than real body weight.
IMPLICATIONS: We investigated the effects of cisatracurium, one of the stereoisomers of atracurium, on morbidly obese patients, prompted by the conflicting evidence reported for atracurium. We concluded that the duration of action of cisatracurium is prolonged when dosed according to real body weight in morbidly obese patients.
IMPLICATIONS: We have demonstrated that propofol depressed epileptiform activity in rat hippocampal slices. Adenosine neuromodulation through the A1 receptor may contribute to the anticonvulsant action of propofol.
IMPLICATIONS: For patients whose lungs are mechanically ventilated, propofol or midazolam may be used to produce sedation. At a light level of sedation, propofol may be preferable to midazolam because of its weaker inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal transit. With an increasing depth of sedation, such an advantage may be reduced.
IMPLICATIONS: The effects of positive pressure ventilation in combination with inhaled isoflurane or total IV anesthesia on physiologic deadspace volume (VDphys) were investigated in a crossover study. Inhaled isoflurane resulted in a significantly larger increase in VDphys and an associated decrease in arterial oxygenation. This result may be important in patients with preexisting severe ventilation/perfusion abnormalities and impaired gas exchange.
IMPLICATIONS: This prospective, randomized trial demonstrates that large-dose intrathecal sufentanil (150 {micro}g) as part of combined general and regional anesthesia prevents activation of the hormonal stress response during major abdominal surgery and improves postoperative analgesia in comparison with IV balanced anesthesia.
IMPLICATIONS: Sevoflurane inhibited P-selectin expression of platelets in platelet rich plasma and whole blood, and reduced platelet-leukocyte conjugate formation ex vivo via flow cytometry analysis, which suggests modulation of platelet activation and platelet-leukocyte interaction.
IMPLICATIONS: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol activated human platelets in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. The two known cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) were both detected on the cell membrane of human platelets.
IMPLICATIONS: The potential for a drug interaction between propofol and epidurally administered lidocaine was tested. Propofol does not alter the metabolism of lidocaine in a clinical setting compared with sevoflurane. This finding implies that propofol can be used safely for general anesthesia combined with continuous epidural anesthesia with lidocaine.
IMPLICATIONS: Mice deficient in the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor GluR{epsilon}1 subunit showed reduced sensitivity to the anesthetic/hypnotic actions of ketamine. Sensitivity to pentobarbital, which, unlike ketamine, does not interact with NMDA receptors at clinically relevant concentrations, was also reduced. Our results illustrate the difficulties with interpreting altered anesthetic sensitivity in knockout animal models.
IMPLICATIONS: At a hypnotic level associated with surgical sevoflurane anesthesia, the data in this study suggest that Bispectral Index (BIS) better displays drug-related alterations in the level of hypnosis than auditory evoked potentials index (AAI) or hemodynamic variables and that there is no difference between BIS and AAI in the response time to a noxious stimulus.
IMPLICATIONS: This study shows that the A-line autoregressive index, a tool for monitoring depth of anesthesia, can be influenced by acupressure. Ten minutes of acupressure on the Extra 1 point but not on a control point significantly reduced stress levels in unsedated adult volunteers.
IMPLICATIONS: This study investigated whether body inclination can improve the increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) caused by prone positioning in healthy awake volunteers. We conclude that the increase in IOP caused by prone positioning is ameliorated by the reverse Trendelenburg position and aggravated by the Trendelenburg position.
IMPLICATIONS: A model-based system that uses anesthesia machine settings to predict and display future end-tidal (ET) sevoflurane concentrations was tested. Anesthesiologists made step changes in ET sevoflurane 1.5-2.3 times faster when using the system. This display may simplify the administration of volatile anesthesia, especially at low gas flows.
IMPLICATIONS: A patient died of pulmonary barotrauma after oxygen extension tubing was mistakenly connected to her tracheal tube during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We call for worldwide equipment standards to prevent future occurrences and describe examples of connectors that would prevent such misconnections.
IMPLICATIONS: Bradykinin antagonists reduce pain behaviors and inflammation in animal models of persistent nociception. We studied the effects of bradykinin antagonists in a rat model of postoperative pain.
IMPLICATIONS: A double-blind study was performed to assess postoperative pain and analgesic requirements after abdominal hysterectomy. Postoperative intraperitoneal local anesthetic infusions (levobupivacaine 12.5 mg/h) had a significant opioid-sparing effect compared with placebo and had a less frequent incidence of postoperative nausea during 4-24 h.
IMPLICATIONS: Analgesic opioid tolerance may limit the efficacy of opioids, such as morphine, and has underlying mechanisms that are also important in the development of neuropathic pain. This study supports previous evidence that gabapentin prevents opioid tolerance and more specifically indicates that intrathecal gabapentin prevents the development of spinal opioid tolerance.
IMPLICATIONS: Open faculty positions in United States training programs have remained fairly constant at 8% to 10% from 2000 to 2003. Institutional support for training departments has more than doubled since 2000, reaching approximately $85,000/faculty in 2003.
IMPLICATIONS: Remifentanil bolus in severe head trauma patients in the intensive care unit induces an increase in intracranial pressure related to a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure, suggesting the preservation of autoregulation. Only large doses of this opioid requiring hemodynamic support can block coughing induced by an endotracheal suction.
IMPLICATIONS: Bleeding complications during extracorporeal detoxification procedures can be reduced if regional citrate anticoagulation is used instead of heparin. Citrate anticoagulation can induce important changes in the secretion of parathyroid hormone.
IMPLICATIONS: Epoprostenol infusion can cause a rapid, severe interstitial pneumonia (IP), even soon after the induction of therapy. Clinicians should keep this syndrome in mind, especially when treating a severe case of IP.
IMPLICATIONS: To determine optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) after severe head injury, we pharmacologically manipulated CPP between 51 and 108 mm Hg. We found that the brain was within autoregulation limits when intracranial pressure was normal, whereas it was operating at the lower threshold of autoregulation when intracranial hypertension was present.
IMPLICATIONS: We describe a puerperal patient with persistent postural headache after accidental lumbar puncture in which magnetic resonance imaging showed subdural hygromas. The condition was successfully treated with an epidural patch using dextran 40.
IMPLICATIONS: Femoral nerve block produces a more intense analgesic effect than IV administration of fentanyl when given to facilitate the sitting position for spinal anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery for femoral shaft fractures.
IMPLICATIONS: Both dual- and triple-injection infraclavicular coracoid block had better efficacy than a single-injection technique in providing anesthesia of the upper limb. Triple injection was not better than dual injection; therefore, the authors recommend dual-injection coracoid block.
IMPLICATIONS: Small doses of intrathecal clonidine (<=150 {micro}g) coadministered to isobaric bupivacaine provide dose-dependent and clinically significant prolongation of spinal anesthesia and pain relief while preserving hemodynamic stability and causing no sedation. In contrast to other approaches to prolong spinal anesthesia (combined spinal-epidural technique) or to relieve postoperative pain (intrathecal opioids), intrathecal clonidine <=150 {micro}g does not cause an additional technical challenge or unpredictable pharmacological risk.
IMPLICATIONS: The use of allogeneic blood in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery was modeled statistically. A prediction rule was created from this model. It estimates a given patient's risk of transfusion during total joint arthroplasty and can be used to target transfusion risk reduction measures more effectively.
IMPLICATIONS: The results of this prospective observational study suggest that preoperative (and postoperative) plasma concentrations of stable nitric oxide products (but not S-100ß) are associated with early postoperative cognitive dysfunction. The former represents a potential biochemical predictor of postoperative cognitive dysfunction.
IMPLICATIONS: We studied the effect of laryngotracheal spraying with lidocaine before intubation on the incidence of coughing on emergence from general anesthesia in cases <2 h duration and found its use to be associated with a significantly decreased incidence of coughing on emergence.
IMPLICATIONS: We describe the management of an emergent surgical patient with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and nasopharyngeal bleeding requiring platelets and recombinant activated factor VII infusions. These patients may need postoperative intensive care.
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