Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2012
Case ReportsFocal cerebral ischemia after surgery in the "beach chair" position: the role of a congenital variation of circle of Willis anatomy.
A 50-year-old man underwent shoulder surgery in the beach chair position. His mean arterial blood pressure at arm level was approximately 65 mm Hg. ⋯ Radiologic evaluation revealed a congenital asymmetry of the circle of Willis that resulted in limited collateral flow to the left anterior and middle cerebral artery distributions. Similar anatomical variations are relatively common in the general population and may render some patients relatively and unpredictably more vulnerable to hypotension.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMultiple reservoirs contribute to intraoperative bacterial transmission.
Intraoperative stopcock contamination is a frequent event associated with increased patient mortality. In the current study we examined the relative contributions of anesthesia provider hands, the patient, and the patient environment to stopcock contamination. Our secondary aims were to identify risk factors for stopcock contamination and to examine the prior association of stopcock contamination with 30-day postoperative infection and mortality. Additional microbiological analyses were completed to determine the prevalence of bacterial pathogens within intraoperative bacterial reservoirs. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used to assess the contribution of reservoir bacterial pathogens to 30-day postoperative infections. ⋯ Bacterial contamination of patients, provider hands, and the environment contributes to stopcock transmission events, but the surrounding patient environment is the most likely source. Stopcock contamination is associated with increased patient mortality. Patient and provider bacterial reservoirs contribute to 30-day postoperative infections. Multimodal programs designed to target each of these reservoirs in parallel should be studied intensely as a comprehensive approach to reducing intraoperative bacterial transmission.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyReduction in sodium content of local anesthetics for peripheral nerve blocks: a comparative evaluation of saline with 5% dextrose--a randomized controlled double-blind study.
Commercially available local anesthetic drugs when diluted with normal saline have high sodium content. High perineural sodium concentration has been implicated in antagonizing the analgesic effects of local anesthetics by preventing and/or delaying neural blockade. Five percent dextrose is not known to cause any short- or long-term injury when injected around neural tissue. In this study, we prospectively compared and evaluated block characteristics when local anesthetic drug was diluted with these 2 different agents. ⋯ Dilution with 5% dextrose provides earlier onset of axillary brachial plexus block with ropivacaine.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2012
ReviewPerioperative care for the older outpatient undergoing ambulatory surgery.
As the number of ambulatory surgery procedures continues to grow in an aging global society, the implementation of evidence-based perioperative care programs for the elderly will assume increased importance. Given the recent advances in anesthesia, surgery, and monitoring technology, the ambulatory setting offers potential advantages for elderly patients undergoing elective surgery. ⋯ We conclude with a discussion of future challenges related to the growth of ambulatory surgery practice in this segment of our surgical population. When information specifically for the elderly population was not available in the peer-reviewed literature, we drew from relevant information in other ambulatory surgery populations.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jun 2012
Comparative StudyTransesophageal Doppler measurement of renal arterial blood flow velocities and indices in children.
Doppler-derived renal blood flow indices have been used to assess renal pathologies. However, transesophageal ultrasonography (TEE) has not been previously used to assess these renal variables in pediatric patients. In this study, we (a) assessed whether TEE allows adequate visualization of the renal parenchyma and renal artery, and (b) evaluated the concordance of TEE Doppler-derived renal blood flow measurements/indices compared with a standard transabdominal renal ultrasound (TAU) in children. ⋯ This study confirms the feasibility of obtaining 2-dimensional images of kidney parenchyma and Doppler-derived measurements using TEE in children. Angle-independent TEE Doppler-derived indices show significant concordance with those derived by TAU. Further studies are required to assess whether this correlation holds true in the presence of renal pathology. This technique has the potential to help modulate intraoperative interventions based on their impact on renal variables and may prove helpful in the perioperative period for children at risk of acute kidney injury.