Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2011
Biography Historical ArticleThe leech airway or pharyngeal bulb gasway.
Beverley Charles Leech (1898 to 1960) patented the Leech airway or "Pharyngeal Bulb Gasway" in 1937. The Leech airway formed a seal with the pharyngeal tissues, resulting in a closed system during cyclopropane anaesthesia. Two prototypes and four commercially available versions of the airway have been identified.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2011
Observational study of admission and triage decisions for patients referred to a regional intensive care unit.
The objectives of this study were to identify factors associated with decisions concerning triage and admission to the intensive care unit and to describe the outcome of patients referred to intensive care unit for admission. The study was a single-centre, prospective, observational study. It was performed in the general intensive care unit of a tertiary regional hospital, over the period of February to June 2009. ⋯ Age, gender Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, diagnostic category and reason for referral did not impact on admission or triage decisions. Bed status in intensive care unit at the time of referral affected neither admission nor triage decisions. Hospital mortality in patients deemed too well to benefit from intensive care unit was 7.3%, suggesting that all patients referred for consideration of admission to intensive care unit should be classified as 'high risk'.