Journal of anesthesia
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Journal of anesthesia · Feb 2016
Postoperative complications associated with extubation strategies following palatoplasty: a single-center retrospective analysis.
Palatoplasty carries a high risk of airway obstruction as a postoperative complication. Since 2007, the protocol in our hospital has been to leave an endotracheal tube in place after surgery while the patient is moved to the pediatric intensive care unit. Extubation is then performed after achievement of hemostasis and recovery of consciousness. We compared the cases over the 5-year periods before and after the introduction of this revised postsurgical management plan to investigate its effect on postoperative complications. ⋯ Extubation in an intensive care unit was possibly associated with a reduction in postoperative complications.
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Journal of anesthesia · Feb 2016
Case ReportsIntraoperative severe hypoglycemia indicative of post-hepatectomy liver failure.
We present the first reported case of a patient with intraoperative hypoglycemia, with no predisposing factors, that was indicative of post-hepatectomy liver failure due to liver injury. A 56-year-old man was hospitalized to undergo left lateral segmentectomy, cholecystectomy and T-tube choledocholithotripsy due to calculi in the intrahepatic and common bile ducts. His medical history was unremarkable. ⋯ His aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels increased to over 10,000 IU/L, and his blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels increased postoperatively. Thus, we diagnosed post-hepatectomy liver failure and hepatorenal syndrome and treated the patient conservatively. This case illustrates that, if no other causative factors for severe hypoglycemia occurring during liver resection are present, the anesthesiologist should predict post-hepatectomy liver failure due to liver injury and inform the surgeon in order to enable rapid evaluation and treatment.
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Journal of anesthesia · Feb 2016
Serum acidosis prior to reperfusion facilitates hemodynamic recovery following liver transplantation.
Reperfusion is the most critical event during liver transplantation, and sustained leakage of acidic preservation solution from the liver graft contributes to marked hemodynamic instability. Recent laboratory studies with hepatocyte cultures have revealed that low pH may protect hepatocyte mitochondria against ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), the so-called "pH paradox." However, the clinical significance of this pH paradox theory remains largely unknown. In this study, we sought to determine whether there is an association between serum pH immediately prior to reperfusion and hemodynamic recovery after reperfusion and graft survival. ⋯ Our findings suggest that less aggressive treatment of acidosis with a slower rate of normalization of serum pH (from low to normal) after reperfusion promotes faster hemodynamic stabilization. These findings provide evidence to support the concept of the pH paradox, and may also substantiate the argument against the usage of alkalizing agents before reperfusion unless acidosis becomes clinically significant.
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Journal of anesthesia · Feb 2016
Implementing enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery protocol: a retrospective study.
While the demand for bariatric surgery is increasing, hospital capacity remains limited. The ERABS (Enhanced Recovery After Bariatric Surgery) protocol has been implemented in a number of bariatric centers. We retrospectively compared the operating room logistics and postoperative complications between pre-ERABS and ERABS periods in an academic hospital. ⋯ Induction times were reduced from 15.2 (95 % CI 14.3-16.1) min to 12.5 (95 % CI 11.7-13.3) min (P < 0.001). Turnover times were shortened significantly from 38 (95 % CI 44-32) min to 11 (95 % CI 8-14) min. The incidence of re-operations, re-admissions and complications did not change.
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Journal of anesthesia · Feb 2016
Teaching basic fiberoptic intubation skills in a simulator: initial learning and skills decay.
Generally, novices are taught fiberoptic intubation on patients by attending anesthesiologists; however, this approach raises patient safety concerns. Patient safety should improve if novice learners are trained for basic skills on simulators. In this educational study, we assessed the time and number of attempts required to train novices in fiberoptic bronchoscopy and fiberoptic intubation on simulators. Because decay in skills is inevitable, we also assessed fiberoptic bronchoscopy and fiberoptic intubation skill decay and the amount of effort required to regain fiberoptic bronchoscopy skill. ⋯ Novices were successfully trained to proficiency skill level. Although fiberoptic bronchoscopy skills started to decay within 2 months, the re-training time was shorter.