Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2015
A Perioperative Evaluation of Respiratory Mechanics Using the Forced Oscillation Technique.
The forced oscillation technique is a new approach for assessing perioperative respiratory function. ⋯ The forced oscillation technique is a clinical tool that can be used to assess the effects of perioperative ventilation strategies on respiratory mechanics.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2015
The Association Between Sjögren Syndrome and Adverse Postoperative Outcomes: A Historical Cohort Study Using Administrative Health Data.
Sjögren syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the exocrine glands associated with cardiovascular events. We aimed to evaluate postoperative complications in patients with Sjögren syndrome undergoing noncardiac surgery. Specifically, we tested the primary hypothesis that patients with Sjögren syndrome have a greater risk of postoperative cardiovascular complications than those without the disease. Our secondary hypotheses were that patients with Sjögren syndrome are at greater risk of thromboembolic complications, microcirculatory complications, and mortality. ⋯ The presence of Sjögren syndrome does not place patients at an increased risk for postoperative complications or in-hospital mortality.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2015
Using Nursing Activities Score to Assess Nursing Workload on a Medium Care Unit.
The medium care unit (MCU) or "stepdown" unit is an increasingly important, but understudied care environment. With an aging population and more patients with complex multiple diseases, many patients often require a higher level of inpatient care even when full intensive care is not indicated. However, the nurse-to-patient ratio required on a MCU is neither well defined nor clear whether this ratio should be adjusted per shift. The Nursing Activities Score (NAS) is an effective instrument for measuring nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU) but has not been used in an MCU. The aim of this study was to measure the nursing workload per 8-hour shift on an MCU using the NAS and compare it with the NAS from an ICU in the same hospital. We also compared the NAS between groups of patients with different admission sources. ⋯ In our university hospital, NAS was higher during the day and evening hours and lower at night. We also found that patients from accident and emergency had a higher NAS than those admitted to the MCU from other locations. NAS in the MCU was not lower than the NAS in the ICU. Because of its ability to discriminate between day and evening workloads and between patients from different sources, the NAS may assist MCU managers in assessing staffing needs.