Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
-
Observational Study
Cerebral tissue oxygen saturation values in volunteers and patients in the lateral decubitus and beach chair positions: a prospective observational study.
The objective of this study was to describe changes in cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2) due to changes in body position in healthy volunteers and in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia in the beach chair position (BCP) and lateral decubitus position (LDP). ⋯ More than 55% of patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery in the BCP experience cerebral desaturation events. In volunteers without anesthesia, no desaturation events were observed. The clinical importance of these findings needs further investigation.
-
Postoperative epidural analgesia for major upper abdominal and thoracic surgery can provide significant benefits, including superior analgesia and reduced pulmonary dysfunction. Nevertheless, epidural analgesia may also be associated with decreased muscle strength, sympathetic tone, and proprioception that could possibly contribute to falls. The purpose of this retrospective case-control study was to search a large national database in order to investigate the possible relationship between postoperative epidural analgesia and the rate of inpatient falls. ⋯ Our study suggests that postoperative epidural analgesia for patients undergoing major upper abdominal and thoracic surgery is not associated with an increased risk of inpatient falls.