Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Changes in Blood Pressure and Cardiac Output during Cesarean Delivery: The Effects of Oxytocin and Carbetocin Compared with Placebo.
Little is known about maternal hemodynamics after Cesarean delivery. Uterine contractions may increase cardiac output. Oxytocin is the first-line treatment for uterine atony, although the effects of the long-acting oxytocin analogue carbetocin are comparable with that of oxytocin. The authors analyzed the effects of i.v. oxytocin 5 U, carbetocin 100 µg, and placebo on hemodynamics, uterine tone, adverse events, and blood loss after Cesarean delivery. ⋯ The hemodynamic side effects of oxytocin 5 U and carbetocin 100 µg were comparable. The lack of an increase in stroke volume in the placebo group challenges the theory that uterine contraction causes autotransfusion of uterine blood, leading to an increase in preload.
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The allocation of intensive care unit (ICU) beds for postoperative patients is a challenging daily task that could be assisted by the real-time detection of ICU needs. The goal of this study was to develop and validate an intraoperative predictive model for unplanned postoperative ICU use. ⋯ The authors have developed and internally validated an intraoperative predictive model for unplanned postoperative ICU use. Incorporation of this model into a real-time data sniffer may improve the process of allocating ICU beds for postoperative patients.
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Growing evidence indicates that perioperative factors, including choice of anesthetic, affect cancer recurrence after surgery although little is known about the effect of anesthetics on cancer cells themselves. Certain anesthetics are known to affect hypoxia cell signaling mechanisms in healthy cells by up-regulating hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). HIFs are also heavily implicated in tumorigenesis and high levels correlate with poor prognosis. ⋯ These results provide evidence that a frequently used anesthetic can exert a protumorigenic effect on a human cancer cell line. This may represent an important contributory factor to high recurrence rates observed after surgery.
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Intraoperative hypotension may contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) and myocardial injury, but what blood pressures are unsafe is unclear. The authors evaluated the association between the intraoperative mean arterial pressure (MAP) and the risk of AKI and myocardial injury. ⋯ Even short durations of an intraoperative MAP less than 55 mmHg are associated with AKI and myocardial injury. Randomized trials are required to determine whether outcomes improve with interventions that maintain an intraoperative MAP of at least 55 mmHg.
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Parturients with intracranial lesions are often assumed to have increased intracranial pressure, even in the absence of clinical and radiographic signs. The risk of herniation after an inadvertent dural puncture is frequently cited as a contraindication to neuraxial anesthesia. This article reviews the relevant literature on the use of neuraxial anesthesia in parturients with known intracranial pathology, and proposes a framework and recommendations for assessing risk of neurologic deterioration, with epidural analgesia or anesthesia, or planned or inadvertent dural puncture. The authors illustrate these concepts with numerous case examples and provide guidance for the practicing anesthesiologist in determining the safety of neuraxial anesthesia.