European journal of anaesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A preemptive alveolar recruitment strategy before one-lung ventilation improves arterial oxygenation in patients undergoing thoracic surgery: a prospective randomised study.
Arterial hypoxaemia remains a problem during one-lung ventilation (OLV). We determined whether a preemptive alveolar recruitment strategy (ARS) before OLV improves arterial oxygenation during OLV in patients undergoing thoracic surgery. ⋯ Preemptive ARS before OLV is effective in improving arterial oxygenation during the entire period of OLV.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the effects of low-flow and high-flow inhalational anaesthesia with nitrous oxide and desflurane on mucociliary activity and pulmonary function tests.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inhalational anaesthesia using low and high gas flow rates of nitrous oxide and desflurane on mucociliary clearance and pulmonary function. ⋯ Respiratory function and mucociliary clearance are better preserved in a low-flow anaesthesia technique than in high-flow anaesthesia with nitrous oxide and desflurane. Therefore, a low-flow anaesthesia technique with nitrous oxide and desflurane may provide an important clinical advantage because it provides appropriately heated and humidified gases to the tracheobronchial tree.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Role of thoracic epidural block in improving post-operative outcome for septic patients: a preliminary report.
Sepsis is considered a relative contraindication for epidural blockade. Recent evidence indicates that thoracic epidural blockade may be of benefit during sepsis by improving gut perfusion. This study was planned to evaluate whether combining thoracic epidural blockade with general anaesthesia could decrease the post-operative mortality and morbidity in patients with sepsis due to perforation peritonitis. ⋯ Use of intra-operative segmental thoracic epidural blockade performed in addition to general anaesthesia suggested some benefit in improving post-operative mortality or major morbidity, but the trend was not significant, perhaps due to the small sample size. There was, however, a significantly earlier return of bowel motility and earlier discharge from hospital.