Anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis of perineural dexamethasone for peripheral nerve blocks.
Perineural dexamethasone may significantly increase the duration of analgesia after regional blockade, though without dose-response effect.
pearl -
Medical radiation exposure increases the likelihood of cataract formation. A personal dosimeter was attached to the left temple of 77 anaesthetists during 45 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and 32 interventional neuroradiology procedures. ⋯ These data suggest that anaesthetists at our institution would have to deliver anaesthesia for ~1300 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and ~5000 interventional neuroradiology cases annually to exceed the general occupational limits, and ~10,000 endovascular aortic aneurysm repairs and ~37,500 interventional neuroradiology cases to exceed the ocular exposure limits recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Nevertheless, anaesthetists should be aware of the risk of ocular radiation exposure, and reduce this by limiting the time of exposure, increasing the distance from the source of radiation, and shielding.
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Almost 30,000 cardiopulmonary bypass operations are performed in the UK every year, consuming a considerable portion of the UK blood supply. Each year, in cardiac surgery, 90% of blood products are used by only 10% of patients, and over the past 25 years, much innovation and research has gone into improving peri-operative diagnosis and therapy for these patients. Visco-elastic tests performed at the bedside, with modifications to allow direct quantification of fibrinogen levels, are probably the biggest advancement. ⋯ Factor concentrates, however, carry significant risks, particularly unnecessary donor exposures, potential selective over-correction of partial deficiencies and the possibility that the postoperative risk of venous thromboembolism is increased; as yet there are no data on risk-benefit analysis. There are a number of promising drugs used in topical haemostasis, but the requirement to apply these before major bleeding is manifest limits their use considerably. Hyperfibrinolysis is less important than in the past due to the wide spread adoption of antifibrinolytic agents and close intra-operative monitoring of heparin effect.