Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2018
Opioid Use Disorders and the Risk of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications.
As the rate of opioid use disorders continues to rise, perioperative physicians are increasingly faced with the challenge of providing analgesia to these patients after surgery. Due to the likelihood of opioid dose escalation in the perioperative period, we hypothesized that opioid-dependent patients would be at increased risk for postoperative pulmonary complications. ⋯ This study demonstrates that patients with opioid use disorders are at increased risk for postoperative pulmonary complications, and have prolonged length of stay and resource utilization. Further research is needed regarding interventions to reduce the risk of complications in this subset of patients.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2018
Low Level of Vegetative State After Traumatic Brain Injury in a Swiss Academic Hospital.
No standards exist regarding decision making for comatose patients, especially concerning life-saving treatments. The aim of this retrospective, single-center study was to analyze outcomes and the decision-making process at the end of life (EOL) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a Swiss academic tertiary care hospital. ⋯ At our institution, the majority of deaths after TBI follow a decision to limit life-prolonging therapies. The frequency of patients in vegetative state 6 months after TBI is lower than expected; this could be due to the high prevalence of limitation of life-prolonging therapies. EOL decision making follows a standardized process, based on patients' will documented in the ADs or on preferences assumed by the SDM. The prevalence of ADs was low and should be encouraged.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Sep 2018
Variable Ventilation Associated With Recruitment Maneuver Minimizes Tissue Damage and Pulmonary Inflammation in Anesthetized Lung-Healthy Rats.
Recruitment maneuver and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) can be used to counteract intraoperative anesthesia-induced atelectasis. Variable ventilation can stabilize lung mechanics by avoiding the monotonic tidal volume and protect lung parenchyma as tidal recruitment is encompassed within the tidal volume variability. ⋯ Variable ventilation was more protective than conventional ventilation within the applied PEEP levels.