Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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The aim of this PhD thesis was to provide a continuous method to monitor myocardial function during cardiac surgery with the superior sensitivity of ultrasonic technique and the continuity of electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring. ⋯ The provided ultrasound system could give continuous real-time monitoring of myocardial function, and detect myocardial dysfunction with superior sensitivity than ECG or hemodynamic monitoring. This could be used for improved monitoring of myocardial function during cardiac surgery.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jul 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyDexamethasone for pain after outpatient shoulder surgery: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Preoperative IV dexamethasone reduces pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jul 2014
Case ReportsRecombinant human growth hormone improves cognitive capacity in a pain patient exposed to chronic opioids.
During recent decades, the increasing use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain has raised concerns regarding tolerance, addiction, and importantly cognitive dysfunction. Current research suggests that the somatotrophic axis could play an important role in cognitive function. Administration of growth hormone (GH) to GH-deficient humans and experimental animals has been shown to result in significant improvements in cognitive capacity. ⋯ In the right hippocampus, the N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio (reflecting nerve cell function) was initially low but increased significantly during rhGH treatment, as did subjective cognitive, physical and emotional functioning. This case report indicates that rhGH replacement therapy could improve cognitive behaviour and well-being, as well as hippocampal metabolism and functioning in opioid-treated patients with chronic pain. The idea that GH could affect brain function and repair disabilities induced by long-term exposure to opioid analgesia is supported.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jul 2014
A calibration study of SAPS II with Norwegian intensive care registry data.
Mortality prediction is important in intensive care. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II is a tool for predicting such mortality. However, the original SAPS II is poorly calibrated to current intensive care unit (ICU) populations because it draws on data, which is more than 20 years old. We aimed to improve the calibration of SAPS II using data from the Norwegian Intensive Care Registry (NIR). This is the first recalibration of SAPS II for Nordic data. ⋯ As expected, Model B is better calibrated than Model A, and both models have similar uniformity of fit and equal discrimination. Introducing Model B into Norwegian ICUs may improve precision in decision-making. Units will have a more realistic benchmark for the assessment of ICU performance. Mortality risk estimates from Model B are better than previous SAPS II estimates have been.