Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Management of severe pre-eclamptic patients is a challenge for the staff on obstetrical wards. We demonstrate that ultrasound applied to several organs performed at a patient's bedside gave the information required for the patient's management, without the need to transfer her to the radiology department or to call external consultants. ⋯ Practitioners must be aware of the role of whole-body ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of complex, multi-organ conditions such as pre-eclampsia. Moreover, ultrasound helps in the management of global hemodynamics. The training of anesthesiologists in a variety of ultrasound techniques should be encouraged.
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Comparative Study
Evaluation of a novel mouse model of intracisternal strychnine-induced trigeminal allodynia.
Intractable neuropathic dynamic allodynia remains one of the major symptoms of human trigeminal neuropathy and is commonly accepted to be the most excruciatingly painful condition known to humankind. At present, a validated animal model of this disorder is necessary for efficient and effective development of novel drug treatments. Intracisternal strychnine in rats has been shown to result in localized trigeminal dynamic allodynia, thus representing a possible model of trigeminal neuralgia. The purpose of this study was to validate a mouse model of trigeminal glycinergic inhibitory dysfunction using established positive (carbamazepine epoxide) and negative (morphine) controls. ⋯ In this study, we have developed and validated a novel murine model of trigeminal dynamic allodynia induced by intracisternal strychnine. The use of mice to study trigeminal allodynia has many benefits, including access to a vast repository of transgenic mouse variants, ease of handling, low cost, and minimal variance of results. The present model may have utility in screening drug treatments for dynamic mechanical allodynia resulting from trigeminal neuropathies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Anesthesiologists' learning curves for bedside qualitative ultrasound assessment of gastric content: a cohort study.
Focused assessment of the gastric antrum by ultrasound is a feasible tool to evaluate the quality of the stomach content. We aimed to determine the amount of training an anesthesiologist would need to achieve competence in the bedside ultrasound technique for qualitative assessment of gastric content. ⋯ With appropriate training and supervision, it is estimated that anesthesiologists will achieve a 95% success rate in bedside qualitative ultrasound assessment after performing approximately 33 examinations.
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Complete and accurate reporting of original research in the biomedical literature is essential for healthcare professionals to translate research outcomes appropriately into clinical practice. Use of reporting guidelines has become commonplace among journals, peer reviewers, and authors. This narrative review aims 1) to inform investigators, peer reviewers, and authors of original research in anesthesia on reporting guidelines for frequently reported study designs; 2) to describe the evidence supporting the use of reporting guidelines and checklists; and 3) to discuss the implications of widespread adoption of reporting guidelines by biomedical journals and peer reviewers. ⋯ Use of reporting guidelines improves the quality of published research in biomedical journals. Nevertheless, the quality of research in the biomedical literature remains suboptimal despite increased adherence to reporting guidelines.
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Current methods of assessing nerve blocks, such as loss of perception to cold sensation, are subjective at best. Transcutaneous nerve stimulation is an alternative method that has previously been used to measure the current perception threshold (CPT) in individuals with neuropathic conditions, and various devices to measure CPT are commercially available. Nevertheless, the device must provide reproducible results to be used as an objective tool for assessing nerve blocks. ⋯ Overall, the Stimpod device displayed good to excellent reproducibility in measuring CPT in healthy volunteers. The Neurometer displayed poor reproducibility at low frequency (5 Hz). These results suggest that peripheral nerve stimulators may be potential devices for measuring CPT to assess nerve blocks.