Current opinion in anaesthesiology
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This review will summarize and comment upon recent developments in the evolution and implementation of anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) in current practice. ⋯ The searchable, timed, and dated perioperative documentation generated by an AIMS appears to be an evolving requirement for contemporary anesthetic practice. The obstacles to more widespread AIMS adoption appear to be behavioral and financial rather than technical.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2009
ReviewA practical guide to commonly performed ultrasound-guided peripheral-nerve blocks.
Regional anesthesia has experienced a tremendous renaissance of interest over the past several years. Much of this renewed enthusiasm among clinicians is due to the increased usage of ultrasound guidance for peripheral-nerve blocks. This review serves as a useful foundation for the most commonly employed ultrasound-guided blocks utilized by the clinician. ⋯ With ultrasound guidance, the regional anesthesiologist has yet another tool to enhance both the accuracy and success of peripheral-nerve blockade. This article serves to display the most clinically relevant nerve blocks utilized in the perioperative setting. It is meant to be used as a clinical starting point for the development of regional anesthesia skills.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2009
ReviewProcessed electroencephalogram in depth of anesthesia monitoring.
We critically review the principles underlying processed electroencephalogram (EEG) monitors and recent studies validating their use in monitoring anesthetic depth. ⋯ Current processed EEG monitors are limited by their calibration range and the interpatient variability in their dose-response curves. The next generation of depth-of-anesthesia monitors will require a greater understanding of the transformations of cortical and subcortical activity into EEG signals, the effects of anesthetics at a systems level, and the neural correlates of consciousness.
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to discuss emerging concepts and to provide an update on the clinical evaluation, management, and predictors of outcome after pediatric TBI. ⋯ As TBI is the leading cause of death in children, research in this area is needed to advance our knowledge of the sequelae after and improve outcomes of children with TBI.