Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Epidural Steroid Injections, Conservative Treatment, or Combination Treatment for Cervical Radicular Pain: A Multicenter, Randomized, Comparative-effectiveness Study.
Cervical radicular pain is a major cause of disability. No studies have been published comparing different types of nonsurgical therapy. ⋯ For the primary outcome measure, no significant differences were found between treatments, although combination therapy provided better improvement than stand-alone treatment on some measures. Whereas these results suggest an interdisciplinary approach to neck pain may improve outcomes, confirmatory studies are needed.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Effects of dexamethasone on cognitive decline after cardiac surgery: a randomized clinical trial.
Cardiac surgery can be complicated by postoperative cognitive decline (POCD), which is characterized by impaired memory function and intellectual ability. The systemic inflammatory response that is induced by major surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass may play an important role in the etiology of POCD. Prophylactic corticosteroids to attenuate the inflammatory response may therefore reduce the risk of POCD. The authors investigated the effect of intraoperative high-dose dexamethasone on the incidence of POCD at 1 month and 12 months after cardiac surgery. ⋯ Intraoperative high-dose dexamethasone did not reduce the risk of POCD after cardiac surgery.
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Multicenter Study
Predictors of Functional Outcome after Intraoperative Cardiac Arrest.
Few outcome data are available about intraoperative cardiac arrest (IOCA). The authors studied 90-day functional outcomes and their determinants in patients admitted to the intensive care unit after IOCA. ⋯ By day 90, 45% of IOCA survivors had good functional outcomes. The main outcome predictors were directly related to IOCA occurrence and postcardiac arrest syndrome; they suggest that the intensive care unit management of postcardiac arrest syndrome may be amenable to improvement.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Lung Ultrasound Predicts Well Extravascular Lung Water but Is of Limited Usefulness in the Prediction of Wedge Pressure.
Pulmonary congestion is indicated at lung ultrasound by detection of B-lines, but correlation of these ultrasound signs with pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) and extravascular lung water (EVLW) still remains to be further explored. The aim of the study was to assess whether B-lines, and eventually a combination with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) assessment, are useful to differentiate low/high PAOP and EVLW in critically ill patients. ⋯ B-lines allow good prediction of pulmonary congestion indicated by EVLW, whereas are of limited usefulness for the prediction of hemodynamic congestion indicated by PAOP. Combining B-lines with estimation of LVEF at transthoracic ultrasound may improve the prediction of PAOP.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Prospective External Validation of a Predictive Score for Postoperative Pulmonary Complications.
The 'Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia' risk score can predict post-operative pulmonary complications with adequate utility.
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