Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Apr 2017
ReviewMultimodal individualized concept of hemodynamic monitoring.
To discuss the pathophysiological rationale of advanced hemodynamic monitoring in the critically ill and also to highlight the importance of a multimodal, individualized approach. ⋯ Advanced hemodynamic monitoring-based management provides a number of benefits, which could be better tailored for the patients' actual needs by putting this into a multimodal, individualized approach.
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Decisions to forego life-sustaining treatments are complex, and disagreements between physicians and patients occur. This review discusses recent findings regarding what factors influence physicians and patients or their surrogates in these decisions and considers whether futility arguments regarding life-sustaining treatments should be abandoned. ⋯ Further research is needed about factors that affect both physicians and patients with regard to forgoing life-sustaining interventions. Physicians need more information regarding religious/spiritual preferences of patients and decision-makers. 'Futility' arguments in end-of-life decision-making are flawed and should probably be abandoned.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Apr 2017
ReviewAssessment of competence: developing trends and ethical considerations.
This review explores new concepts in competency assessment in anesthesiology, the associated ethical challenges, and directions for new research. ⋯ The search for objective measures of competence is well underway. Current methods require substantial investment of resources, and further research into more efficient and financially feasible tools of assessment is needed. As these assessments become more common in use, the ethical challenges raised by defining competency in high-stakes clinical practice situations will need to be addressed.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Feb 2017
ReviewPrevention of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury.
Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) is a frequently occurring complication. It carries the risks of increasing mortality and development of chronic kidney disease. The complex pathophysiologic mechanisms still remain unexplained to a large extent. As a result, there is a considerable lack of sufficient therapeutic strategies with renal replacement therapy still representing the cornerstone for the treatment of severe AKI. ⋯ The identification of high-risk patients for AKI and the adherence to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines constitute the mainstays in the management of CSA-AKI. It is of paramount importance to always maintain a sufficient perfusion pressure throughout the perioperative period. In patients at high risk, the use of new biomarkers and remote ischemic preconditioning should be considered.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Feb 2017
ReviewEpidemiology and pathophysiology of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) remains a serious complication of cardiac surgery. An understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of AKI in cardiac surgery patients is crucial to early recognition and proper management. ⋯ Investigators should aim to use consistent criteria for defining AKI in future studies. Efforts should be taken to use actual measurements rather than estimated values of baseline serum creatinine whenever possible. Further study of the more recently proposed pathophysiologic factors contributing to cardiac surgery-associated AKI, such as circulating damage-associated molecular patterns, venous congestion, and genetic predisposition, are warranted.