Anesthesiology
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Review
Aerosolized antibiotics for ventilator-associated pneumonia: lessons from experimental studies.
The aim of this review is to perform a critical analysis of experimental studies on aerosolized antibiotics and draw lessons for clinical use in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Ultrasonic or vibrating plate nebulizers should be preferred to jet nebulizers. During the nebulization period, specific ventilator settings aimed at decreasing flow turbulence should be used, and discoordination with the ventilator should be avoided. ⋯ If these conditions are strictly respected, then high lung tissue deposition associated with rapid and efficient bacterial killing can be expected. For aerosolized aminoglycosides and cephalosporins, a decrease in systemic exposure leading to reduced toxicity is not proven by experimental studies. Aerosolized colistin, however, does not easily cross the alveolar-capillary membrane even in the presence of severe lung infection, and high doses can be delivered by nebulization without significant systemic exposure.
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Xenon has been proven to be neuroprotective in experimental brain injury. The authors hypothesized that xenon would improve outcome from focal cerebral ischemia with a delayed treatment onset and prolonged recovery interval. ⋯ Xenon improved focal ischemic outcome at 7, but not 28 days postischemia. Xenon combined with subtherapeutic hypothermia produced sustained recovery benefit. Xenon improved intracerebral hemorrhage outcome. Xenon may have potential for clinical stroke therapy under carefully defined conditions.
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An increasing number of elderly patients are treated for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Given that elderly age is associated with both poor outcome and an increased risk of hydrocephalus, we sought to investigate the interaction between age and hydrocephalus in outcome prediction. ⋯ In this observational study, elderly age and admission hydrocephalus predicted poor outcome, but elderly age without hydrocephalus did not. An external validation, however, will be needed to generalize this finding.
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Colistin often remains the only active agent against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens. The aim of the study was to assess efficacy of nebulized colistin for treating ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. ⋯ Nebulization of high-dose colistin was effective to treat VAP caused by multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii. Its therapeutic effect was noninferior to intravenous β-lactams associated with aminoglycosides or quinolones for treating VAP caused by susceptible P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii.
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The use of β-blockers during the perioperative period remains controversial. Although some studies have demonstrated their protective effects regarding postoperative cardiac complications, others have demonstrated increased mortality when β-blockers were introduced before surgery. ⋯ Perioperative β-blocker therapy was associated with an overall reduction in postoperative cardiac events. In the vast majority of patients with low perioperative bleeding, the global effect of β-blockers was protective; in contrast, patients given β-blockers who experienced severe bleeding had higher mortality and an increased frequency of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome.