Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2009
Editorial CommentPatient safety revisited: reliability is paramount.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2009
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialThe effect of residual neuromuscular blockade on the speed of reversal with sugammadex.
Sugammadex is a modified gamma cyclodextrin compound which encapsulates rocuronium resulting in rapid reversal of residual neuromuscular blockade. We performed a post hoc analysis of data from a multicenter study designed to mimic standard clinical practice which would test the hypothesis that the presence (versus the absence) of a twitch response to neuromuscular stimulation at the time of reversal drug administration would influence the speed and completeness of the reversal effect of sugammadex. ⋯ Reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade by sugammadex was influenced by the degree of residual blockade at the time the reversal drug was administered. Despite the wide variability, reversal of the TOF ratio to 0.9 occurred < or = 5 min in more than 80% of the patients regardless of the number of twitches at the time of reversal drug administration.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Mar 2009
Review Meta AnalysisDoes thromboelastography predict postoperative thromboembolic events? A systematic review of the literature.
Since thromboelastography (TEG) can detect hypercoagulable states, it is a potentially useful test for predicting postoperative thromboembolic complications. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the accuracy of TEG in predicting postoperative thromboembolic events. ⋯ The predictive accuracy of TEG for postoperative thromboembolic events is highly variable. To determine if the TEG is a clinically useful screening test in high-risk surgical populations, more prospective studies are needed.