Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 2005
ReviewHigh-dose buprenorphine: perioperative precautions and management strategies.
Buprenorphine has been in clinical use in anaesthesia for several decades. Recently, the high-dose sublingual formulation (Subutex, Reckitt Benckiser, Slough, U. K.) has been increasingly used as maintenance therapy in opioid dependence, as an alternative to methadone and other pharmacological therapies. ⋯ Where pain may not be adequately relieved by these methods, the addition of a full opioid agonist such as fentanyl or morphine at appropriate doses should be considered, accompanied by close monitoring in a high dependency unit. In situations where this regimen is unlikely to be effective, preoperative conversion to morphine or methadone may be an option. Where available, liaison with a hospital-based alcohol and drug service should always be considered.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 2005
Review Meta AnalysisUse of intrathecal neostigmine as an adjunct to other spinal medications in perioperative and peripartum analgesia: a meta-analysis.
Intrathecal neostigmine has been used as an adjunct to intrathecal local anaesthetic or opioid to prolong regional analgesia and improve haemodynamic stability, with variable results. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness and side-effects of intrathecal neostigmine in the perioperative and peripartum settings. The literature search was based on Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE and MEDLINE (from 1966 to 14 November 2003) databases. ⋯ It did not affect the duration of motor blockade (3.5 min, 95% CI: -1.5 to 8.6; P=0.17) or the total amount of ephedrine required (-0.4 mg, 95% CI: -1.5 to 0.7; P=0.5). Adding intrathecal neostigmine to other spinal medications improves perioperative and peripartum analgesia marginally when compared with placebo. It is associated with significant side-effects and the disadvantages outweigh the minor improvement in analgesia achieved.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialSpinal-induced hypotension in elderly patients with hip fracture. A comparison of glucose-free bupivacaine with glucose-free bupivacaine and fentanyl.
Intraoperative hypotension is a common and potentially deleterious event in elderly patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia for repair of hip fractures. The synergism between intrathecal opioids and local anaesthetics may allow a reduction in the dose of local anaesthetic and cause less sympathetic block and hypotension, while still maintaining adequate anaesthesia. We studied 40 elderly patients having either an insertion of a dynamic hip screw or a hemiarthroplasty and compared 9.0 mg glucose-free bupivacaine with added fentanyl 20 microg (group BF) with 11.0 m glucose-free bupivacaine alone (group B). ⋯ The incidence and frequency of hypotension in group BF were less than in group B. Similarly, falls in systolic, diastolic and mean blood pressures were all less in group BF than in group B. However, there were four failed blocks in group BF and one in group B.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 2005
Multicenter StudyThe spectrum of practice in the diagnosis and management of pneumonia in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Australian and New Zealand practice in intensive care (ANZPIC II).
This study of ventilated patients investigated current clinical practice in 476 episodes of pneumonia (48% community-acquired pneumonia, 24% hospital-acquired pneumonia, 28% ventilator-associated pneumonia) using a prospective survey in 14 intensive care units (ICUs) within Australia and New Zealand. Diagnostic methods and confidence, disease severity, microbiology and antibiotic use were assessed. All pneumonia types had similar mortality (community-acquired pneumonia 33%, hospital-acquired pneumonia 37% and ventilator-associated pneumonia 24%, P=0.15) with no inter-hospital differences (P=0.08-0.91). ⋯ Third generation cephalosporins were less frequently used for mild infections (OR 0.38, CI 95% 0.16-0.90, P=0.03), hospital-acquired pneumonia (OR 0.40, CI 95% 0.23-0.72, P<0.01), ventilator-associated pneumonia (OR 0.04, CI 95% 0.02-0.13, P<0.001), suspected aspiration (OR 0.20, CI 95% 0.04-0.92, P=0.04), in one regional (OR 0.26, CI95% 0.07-0.97, P=0.05) and one tertiary hospital (OR 0.14, CI 95% 0.03-0. 73, P=0.02) but were more commonly used in older patients (OR 1.02, CI 95% 1.01-1.03, P=0.01). There is practice variability in bronchoscopy and antibiotic use for pneumonia in Australian and New Zealand ICUs without significant impact on patient outcome, as the prevalence of inappropriate antibiotic prescription is low. There are opportunities for improving microbiological diagnostic work-up for isolation of aetiological pathogens.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Feb 2005
Multicenter StudyDisease risk and mortality prediction in intensive care patients with pneumonia. Australian and New Zealand practice in intensive care (ANZPIC II).
This study of ventilated patients investigated pneumonia risk factors and outcome predictors in 476 episodes of pneumonia (48% community-acquired pneumonia, 24% hospital-acquired pneumonia, 28% ventilator-associated pneumonia) using a prospective survey in 14 intensive care units within Australia and New Zealand. For community acquired pneumonia, mortality increased with immunosuppression (OR 5.32, CI 95% 1.58-1799, P<0.01), clinical signs of consolidation (OR 2.43, CI 95% 1.09-5.44, P=0.03) and Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores (OR 1.19, CI 95% 1.08-1.30, P<0.001) but improved if appropriate antibiotic changes were made within three days of intensive care unit admission (OR 0.42, CI 95% 0.20-0.86, P=0.02). For hospital-acquired pneumonia, immunosuppression (OR 6.98, CI 95% 1.16-42.2, P=0.03) and non-metastatic cancer (OR 3.78, CI 95% 1.20-11.93, P=0.02) were the principal mortality predictors. ⋯ A history of alcoholism is a major risk factor for mortality in ventilator-associated pneumonia, greater in magnitude than the mortality effect of immunosuppression in hospital-acquired pneumonia or community-acquired pneumonia. Non-invasive ventilation is associated with reduced ICU mortality. Clinical signs of consolidation worsen, while rationalising antibiotic therapy within three days of ICU admission improves mortality for community-acquired pneumonia patients.