Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2015
Meta AnalysisPreoperative Acute Normovolemic Hemodilution for Minimizing Allogeneic Blood Transfusion: A Meta-Analysis.
Previous studies have evaluated the efficacy of preoperative acute normovolemic hemodilution (PANH) in reducing the need for allogeneic blood transfusion. However, the results to date have been controversial. In this study, we sought to reassess the efficacy and safety of PANH based on newly emerging evidence. ⋯ Although these results suggest that PANH is effective in reducing allogeneic blood transfusion, we identified significant heterogeneity and publication bias, which raises concerns about the true efficacy of PANH.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe Effects of Single-Dose Etomidate Versus Propofol on Cortisol Levels in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Urologic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The effects of general anesthetics on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and cortisol release in children are poorly characterized. Normal, daily fluctuation of cortisol levels complicates assessment of these effects. This study aimed to characterize the effects of etomidate compared with propofol on the normal cortisol secretory pattern in children undergoing urologic surgery by using a salivary cortisol assay. ⋯ Compared with propofol, a single induction dose of etomidate suppressed postoperative cortisol levels in healthy children undergoing urologic surgery. This suppression lasted approximately 24 hours and was not associated with any changes in clinical outcomes.
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Caring for the Jehovah's Witness parturient is a complex task that presents a number of ethical, medical, and legal concerns because many Jehovah's Witnesses refuse allogeneic blood transfusion. Childbirth and its surrounding events may be associated with significant blood loss. Given their significant role in the intraoperative administration of blood products, anesthesia providers should be familiar with factors that must be considered in the perioperative care of Jehovah's Witness parturients. ⋯ Therefore, the patient-physician relationship must ensure that the individual patient's desires are accurately communicated, respected, and documented in the patient's medical record. The Perioperative Surgical Home model is appropriate for use in caring for Jehovah's Witness patients because it allows for the early and continuing coordination of care and communication between the patient and a multidisciplinary team. In this article, we present a focused review of concepts important to the provision of anesthetic care of parturients who are Jehovah's Witnesses and introduce an algorithmic perioperative approach that may be applied to the care of the Jehovah's Witness parturient undergoing an operative procedure.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialA Randomized Trial of a Supplemental Alarm for Critically Low Systolic Blood Pressure.
Intraoperative hypotension is associated with complications that might be ameliorated by earlier intervention. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that a supplemental decision support alert for critically low systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreases the duration of intraoperative hypotension. ⋯ An additional warning for severe hypotension did not reduce the duration of hypotension or hospitalization. Decision support alerts may be more useful for more complicated situations.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2015
Observational StudyThe Effect of General Anesthesia on Aminotransferase Levels in Patients with Elevated Aminotransferase Levels: A Single-Center 5-Year Retrospective Study.
The effect of commonly used anesthetics on postoperative aminotransferase levels in patients with preoperatively elevated values is unclear. ⋯ In most cases, postoperative alanine aminotransferase levels did not worsen even in patients with preoperatively elevated levels. Sevoflurane was associated with increased odds for postoperative elevation of these levels after general surgery compared with TIVA.