Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2017
ReviewPerioperative Care of the Patient With the Total Artificial Heart.
Advanced heart failure continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality despite improvements in pharmacologic therapy. High demand for cardiac transplantation and shortage of donor organs have led to an increase in the utilization of mechanical circulatory support devices. The total artificial heart is an effective biventricular assist device that may be used as a bridge to transplant and that is being studied for destination therapy. This review discusses the history, indications, and perioperative management of the total artificial heart with emphasis on the postoperative concerns.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2017
Comparative Study Observational StudyBlood Bupivacaine Concentrations After a Combined Single-Shot Sciatic Block and a Continuous Femoral Nerve Block in Pediatric Patients: A Prospective Observational Study.
We evaluated blood bupivacaine concentrations in children having a single-shot sciatic and continuous femoral blocks after anterior cruciate ligament repair. Dried blood spot samples were analyzed for bupivacaine levels at 0, 5, 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes and 4, 24, and 48 hours. ⋯ The 99% upper confidence interval was below potentially toxic levels (1500 ng/mL) across all sampling times. The risk of local anesthetic toxicity in pediatric patients receiving single-shot sciatic and continuous femoral nerve blocks is very low.