Journal of clinical anesthesia
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Vasoplegic syndrome is an unusual cause of refractory hypotension under general anesthesia. It is commonly described in the setting of cardiac surgery, but rarely seen in noncardiac setting. We describe successful management of vasoplegic syndrome during Whipple procedure with vasopressin infusion. A high index of suspicion and prompt treatment with vasopressin can be lifesaving in patients with risk factors for vasoplegic syndrome who present with severe refractory hypotension and who respond poorly to fluid administration and routine vasopressor infusion.
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Movement disorders following heart surgery are very unusual. Post-pump chorea is mainly a pediatric complication of heart surgery, typically manifesting after a latent period of normality and is usually related with long extracorporeal circulation time and deep hypothermia. We report a 73-year-old woman, without risk factors predisposing to paroxysmal movement disorders, presenting acute choreoathetoid movements 5 days after aortic valvular replacement with normal extracorporeal circulation time and perioperative normothermia.
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To evaluate the perioperative dynamics of hematologic changes and transfusion ratio in patients undergoing a major spinal surgery accompanied with massive bleeding defined as blood loss >5 liters. ⋯ Our results indicate that a 1:1 RBC:FFP and 4:1 RBC:PLT transfusion ratio was associated with significant intraoperative variations in coagulation variables but stable intraoperative acid-base parameters. This transfusion ratio helped clinicians to achieve postoperative coagulation parameters not significantly different to those at baseline. Future studies should assess if more liberal transfusion strategies or point of care monitoring might be warranted in patients undergoing spinal surgery at risk of major blood loss.
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To evaluate the quality of postoperative pain relief during the first 3 days after surgery and to evaluate with the incidence of persistent pain at 6 months after surgery. ⋯ Poorly controlled acute postoperative pain correlated with persistent postsurgical pain at 6 months. In view of such a high incidence in thoracotomy patients, preventative strategies assume great significance.
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Observational Study
Factors associated with blood transfusion during intracranial aneurysm surgery.
The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors associated with intraoperative blood transfusions in patients presenting for intracranial aneurysm surgery in the current era of more restrictive transfusion guidelines. ⋯ The incidence of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion in intracranial aneurysm surgery in our patient cohort was 9.5%, and the most significant factors associated with transfusion were presenting hemoglobin level less than 11.7 g/dL and age greater than 52 years. It would seem advisable that these patients undergo routine type and cross-matching of red blood cells before intracranial aneurysm surgery.