Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Feb 2016
ReviewEchophysiology: the transesophageal echo probe as a noninvasive Swan-Ganz catheter.
In an attempt to make cardiovascular monitoring less invasive and more effective, transesophageal echocardiography is progressively being used in critically ill patients suffering from hemodynamic instability. This review analyses the capacity of transesophageal echocardiography to fully replace the pulmonary artery catheter in the management of hemodynamic impairment, as transesophageal echocardiography similarly allows for the measurement of central venous pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, stroke volume and cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance. ⋯ Transesophageal echocardiography has the potential to offer a noninvasive, valid alternative to Swan-Ganz catheters in the hemodynamic assessment of patients in the perioperative period.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Feb 2016
ReviewFast track in thoracic surgery and anaesthesia: update of concepts.
Update of key elements on enhanced recovery after thoracic anaesthesia and surgery. ⋯ The concept of enhanced recovery ('fast-track') after thoracic surgery and anaesthesia was developed in recent years making allowance to the increased number of video-assisted parenchymal lung resections in managing primary lung cancer. Current studies promote the benefit in thoracic surgical patients, if an established departmental protocol-based algorithm is implemented.
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This article focuses on the recent findings in the diagnosis and treatment of diastolic heart failure (DHF) or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. ⋯ The understanding of the phenotypic heterogeneity and multifactorial pathophysiology of DHF may lead to novel therapeutic targets in the future. Currently, the key to the treatment of DHF is aggressive management of contributing factors.