European journal of anaesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the Surgical Pleth Index with autonomic nervous system modulation on cardiac activity during general anaesthesia.
Surgical plethysmographic index (SPI) has been proposed as a tool to measure the nociception/antinociception balance during general anaesthesia. Untreated nociception may increase sympathetic tone, but the relationship between SPI and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is poorly understood. ⋯ In the context of a balanced general anaesthesia in healthy patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery, ANS modulation seems to correlate with changes in SPI. Further studies are warranted to assess whether this may reflect a change in nociception/antinociception balance or a pharmacodynamic effect of remifentanil.
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Observational Study
Pain assessment in the postanaesthesia care unit using pupillometry: A cross-sectional study after standard anaesthetic care.
Patients assess their own pain with a numerical rating scale (NRS). In the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU), NRS helps to determine and monitor analgesic administration, but is useless in patients who are unable to communicate. In non-PACU patients, acute pain increases pupillary diameter and pupillary light reflex amplitude (PLRA), the difference between pupillary diameter before and after light stimulation. ⋯ Acute postoperative pain is not associated with pupillary diameter or PLRA. Further research is required to develop tools to assess pain in the PACU.
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Observational Study
Validation of rotational thromboelastometry during cardiopulmonary bypass: A prospective, observational in-vivo study.
Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) is a whole blood point-of-test used to assess the patient's coagulation status. Three of the available ROTEM tests are EXTEM, INTEM and HEPTEM. In the latter, heparinase added to the INTEM reagent inactivates heparin to reveal residual heparin effect. Performing ROTEM analysis during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) might allow the anaesthesiologist to anticipate the need for blood products. ⋯ HEPTEM and EXTEM measurements are valid in the presence of very high heparin concentrations and can be performed before protamine administration in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB.
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Observational Study
Preoperative urine-specific gravity and the incidence of complications after hip fracture surgery: A prospective, observational study.
Mild to moderately severe dehydration is common in the elderly, but its relationship to surgical outcome is unclear. ⋯ Dehydration before surgery nearly quadrupled the number of postoperative complications after hip fracture repair.