Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
ReviewThe anesthesia information management system for electronic documentation: what are we waiting for?
The anesthesia information management system (AIMS) will be part of the future of healthcare. An electronic medical records system or AIMS will provide clear and concise information and have the potential to integrate information across the entire hospital system, improve quality of care, reduce errors, decrease risks, and improve revenue capture. The practice of anesthesia requires a medical record system that can capture data in real time. In this article, we describe challenges that must be overcome to establish an efficient electronic medical record system for anesthesiology.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyBoth clonidine and metoprolol modify anesthetic depth indicators and reduce intraoperative propofol requirement.
Beta-blockers have been used in the past to decrease the depth of anesthesia, but the results are conflicting. However, beta-blockers are known to suppress electroencephalographic activities. This study was carried out to assess the effect of metoprolol on anesthetic depth indicators. We also compared the effect of metoprolol in reducing propofol requirements. ⋯ Our study showed that, like clonidine, metoprolol attenuated the hemodynamic response to intraoperative stimuli and also had a sparing effect on the propofol dose requirement.
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General anesthesia accompanied by surgical stress is considered to suppress immunity, presumably by directly affecting the immune system or activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system. Along with stress such as surgery, blood transfusion, hypothermia, hyperglycemia, and postoperative pain, anesthetics per se are associated with suppressed immunity during perioperative periods because every anesthetic has direct suppressive effects on cellular and neurohumoral immunity through influencing the functions of immunocompetent cells and inflammatory mediator gene expression and secretion. ⋯ Alternatively, the anti-inflammatory effects of anesthetics may be beneficial in distinct situations involving ischemia and reperfusion injury or the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Clinical anesthesiologists should select anesthetics and choose anesthetic methods with careful consideration of the clinical situation and the immune status of critically ill patients, in regard to long-term mortality, morbidity, and the optimal prognosis.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Case ReportsAminophylline reversal of prolonged postoperative sedation induced by propofol.
Propofol is frequently used for intravenous sedation or anesthesia in ambulatory and office-based anesthesia. Although awakening is usually rapid, there are instances of delayed recovery from propofol anesthesia. ⋯ There were no side effects or delayed re-sedation after the administration of aminophylline. Our study suggests that aminophylline could be a clinically useful propofol antagonist.
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Journal of anesthesia · Jan 2008
Biography Historical ArticleHarvey Cushing, a pioneer of neuroanesthesia.
Harvey Cushing's name is most frequently mentioned in conjunction with Cushing's syndrome, and Cushing's reflex following raised intracranial pressure. The aim of this review is to pay tribute to Cushing's contribution to anesthesia. Besides his own specialty, he used an anesthesia chart for the first time, he introduced blood pressure measurement and precordial auscultation to anesthesiological practice, he employed the first independent neurosurgical anesthetist, and he described the terminology of regional anesthesia.