Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Mar 2018
ReviewRecent advances and anaesthetic considerations in corneal transplantation.
Significant surgical advances have been made recently in corneal transplantation. Penetrating keratoplasty was the dominant method from 1905, until selective lamellar keratoplasty emerged as the preferred technique over the last 20 years. Advanced techniques such as corneal limbal stem cell transplant and keratoprosthesis are also available. ⋯ General anaesthesia remains suitable for a wide range of these procedures especially in repeat surgery, difficult, or prolonged procedures. Regional ophthalmic blocks are ideal for endothelial keratoplasty but can be used in penetrating keratoplasty based on individual risk-benefit assessment, and as a supplement to general anaesthesia. Topical anaesthesia provides an alternative when general anaesthesia and ophthalmic regional blocks are less desirable but overall its use is limited.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2018
ReviewBasic and advanced echocardiographic evaluation of myocardial dysfunction in sepsis and septic shock.
Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the intensive care unit. Cardiovascular dysfunction in sepsis is associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes. ⋯ With the increasing use of ultrasonography in the intensive care unit, there is a renewed interest in sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction. This review summarises the current scope of literature focused on sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction and highlights the use of basic and advanced echocardiographic techniques for the diagnosis of sepsis-related myocardial dysfunction and the management of sepsis and septic shock.
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Failed airway management in the obstetric patient undergoing general anaesthesia is associated with major sequelae for the mother and/or fetus. Effective and adequate pre-oxygenation is an important safety strategy and a recommendation in all current major airway guidelines. ⋯ We review the current literature surrounding high flow nasal oxygen relevant to the pregnant woman. We also propose a basis for potential advantages and complications for its use in this context.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2018
ReviewAnaesthetic issues in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.
Over the past decade there has been an exponential increase in the number of robotic-assisted surgical procedures performed in Australia and internationally. Despite this growth, there are no level I or II studies examining the anaesthetic implications of these procedures. ⋯ Most anaesthetic considerations overlap with those of non-robotic surgery. However, issues with limited patient access and extremes of positioning resulting in physiological disturbances and risk of injury are consistently demonstrated concerns specific to robotic-assisted procedures.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Nov 2017
Review Comparative StudyEffect of hypocaloric normoprotein or trophic feeding versus target full enteral feeding on patient outcomes in critically ill adults: a systematic review.
Uncertainty surrounds the optimal approach to feeding the critically ill, with increasing interest in the concept of intentional underfeeding to reduce metabolic stress while maintaining gut integrity. Conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, this systematic review evaluates clinical outcomes reported in studies comparing hypocaloric normonitrogenous or trophic feeding (collectively 'intentional underfeeding') targeted full energy feeding administered via enteral nutrition to adult critically ill patients. Electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and CENTRAL were searched up to September 2017 for trials evaluating intentional underfeeding versus targeted energy feeding interventions on clinical outcomes (mortality, length of stay, duration of ventilation, infective complications, feeding intolerance and glycaemic control) among critically ill adult patients. ⋯ Across the studies, there was considerable heterogeneity in study methodology, population, feeding strategy and outcomes and their timepoints. We observed no evidence that intentional underfeeding, when compared to targeting full energy feeding, reduced mortality or duration of ventilation or length of stay. However, limited trial evidence is available on the impact of intentional underfeeding on post-discharge functional and quality of life outcomes.