Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyEfficacy of Coopdech videolaryngoscope: comparisons with a Macintosh laryngoscope and the Airway Scope in a manikin with difficult airways.
We studied the efficacy of the Coopdech videolaryngoscope Portable VLP-100, by comparing it with a Macintosh laryngoscope, and another videolaryngoscope, the Airway Scope (AWS), in a manikin with four simulated difficult airways. In a randomized, crossover design, each of 50 residents inserted the three devices, in turn, and graded the view of the glottis at laryngoscopy. Time to see the glottis, time to intubate the trachea, and the success rate of tracheal intubation (within 120 s) were recorded. ⋯ In a manikin with cervical spine rigidity or pharyngeal obstruction, the AWS and the VLP-100 provided significantly higher success rates of intubation than the Macintosh laryngoscope (P < 0.05). In a manikin with laryngospasm, no one could intubate the trachea using any device. Our results indicate that, in patients with difficult airways, the videolaryngoscopes (VLP-100 and AWS) would provide higher success rates of tracheal intubation than the Macintosh laryngoscope, but the VLP-100 may be inferior to the AWS.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Case ReportsCervical impalement injury to a child by a chopstick diagnosed with computed tomography and ultrasonography.
Injuries penetrating into the floor of the mouth in the oral cavity caused by chopsticks are rare. We report a case of neck impalement injury caused by a wooden chopstick fragment penetrating all the way through the base of the tongue. An 18-month-old boy fell off his chair when he was biting on a wooden chopstick. ⋯ Postoperative progress was satisfactory and without complications. Of particular interest is the sensitivity of US in outlining the broken chopstick fragment lodged in the neck. It is noteworthy that the contrast of the chopstick greatly varied between CT and US.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Case ReportsIncidence and neurological outcomes of aneurysm rupture during interventional neuroradiology procedures in a hybrid operating suite.
A hybrid operating suite, where craniotomy, brain CT scanning, fluoroscopy, and angiography can be performed on the same operating table, is becoming popular among neurosurgeons. However, whether use of a hybrid operating suite can improve neurological outcome has not been studied. ⋯ Despite emergency neurosurgical intervention within 2 h of rupture of the aneurysms, two of these five patients died and one patient had permanent neurological deficit postsurgery. Whether use of a hybrid operating suite improves neurological outcome remains uncertain.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialParker Flex-Tip Tube® provides higher intubation success with the Pentax-AWS Airwayscope® despite the AWS tip being inserted into the vallecula.
The Parker Flex-Tip(®) tube, in combination with the Pentax-Airwayscope(®) (AWS), is anecdotally reported to facilitate intubation when the AWS tip fails to be inserted behind the epiglottis. We examined whether the Parker tube facilitates intubation when the AWS tip is inserted into the vallecula. Forty patients were randomly assigned into either the standard or Parker tube group. ⋯ The primary outcome was defined as the success rate for intubation and secondary outcome as the time needed for tube placement. The Parker tube provided both a higher intubation success rate (17/20 vs. 4/20, P < 0.01), and a faster intubation time (17 ± 5 s vs. 25 ± 4 s, P < 0.01), than the standard tube. We conclude the use of the Parker tube in combination with the AWS is an optional technique allowing the laryngoscopist to obtain more reliable intubation success despite insertion of the AWS tip into the vallecula.
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Journal of anesthesia · Aug 2012
Use of dexmedetomidine for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in critically ill patients: a retrospective case series.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) continues to be a challenge to manage in the ICU setting, and the ideal pharmacological treatment continues to evolve. Dexmedetomidine is a newer agent approved for short-term sedation in the ICU, but its use in the treatment of AWS has been limited. We report a retrospective case series of ten patients who were identified as receiving dexmedetomidine for AWS as designated by electronic pharmacy records. ⋯ Dexmedetomidine was safe to use in all patients, although mechanical ventilation was still required in three patients. With dexmedetomidine, the autonomic hyperactivity was blunted, with a mean 12.8% reduction in rate pressure product observed. Consideration should be given to the combined use of dexmedetomidine with benzodiazepines in the treatment of AWS.