Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Suicide rates among physicians have constantly been reported to be higher than in the general population and anaesthesiologists appear to lead the suicide statistics among physicians. ⋯ The reported level of suicidal ideation among Finnish anaesthesiologists is worth concern. It should be of utmost importance to screen the risk factors and recognize suicidal physicians in order to help them. Interpersonal relationships, decision-making procedures, and on-call-burden should be focused on when aiming to prevent suicidality among physicians.
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Photoplethysmography (PPG), i.e. pulse oximetric wave, is a non-invasive technique that is used in anaesthesia monitoring primarily to monitor blood oxygenation. The PPG waveform resembles that of the arterial blood pressure but instead of pressure it is related to the volume changes in the measurement site and hence contains information related to the peripheral blood circulation, including skin vasomotion, which is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. ⋯ In many of the published studies, PPG waveform information has been included. The focus of this topical review is to provide an overview on the information embedded in the PPG waveform especially in the context of the autonomic nervous system and analgesia monitoring.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Sep 2009
Comparative StudyEffects of dexmedetomidine or methylprednisolone on inflammatory responses in spinal cord injury.
The aim of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory response of methylprednisolone and the alpha2-agonist dexmedetomidine in spinal cord injury (SCI). ⋯ The current study does not clarify the definitive mechanism by which dexmedetomidine decreases inflammatory cytokines but it is the first study to report the anti-inflammatory effect of dexmedetomidine in SCI. Further studies are required to elucidate the effects of dexmedetomidine on the inflammatory response.