Anaesthesia
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Over recent years there has been an increase in the implementation of goal-directed therapy using minimally invasive haemodynamic monitoring techniques to guide peri-operative care. Since the introduction of the pulmonary artery flotation catheter in the 1980s, various haemodynamic monitors have been developed, each associated with their own benefits and limitations. Goal-directed therapy has been well-established as a standard of care in the peri-operative period and has largely been associated with a reduction in morbidity and mortality. ⋯ We should therefore not look at the effects of goal-directed therapy in isolation but as part of a progressive care bundle. Additionally, other markers of haemodynamic status have also begun to be further appreciated and these are worthy of further investigation. We feel that the future for haemodynamic monitoring remains promising with new areas of interest continuously emerging, but further research is still required.
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A significant amount of anaesthetists' work involves the prediction of drug effects and interactions to produce a smooth general anaesthetic that minimises drug side effects and promotes rapid emergence. Successfully managing this process requires a basic understanding of drug effects, experience and inevitably some guesswork, since it is difficult (and in some cases impossible) to anticipate all relevant patient and surgical factors. Although data are generally available to allow calculation of plasma drug and effect site concentrations, this is often difficult to apply in complex clinical contexts, particularly when multiple drug types are used. ⋯ Examples are used to illustrate how such systems can be used in practice, and how drug effects and interactions can be simulated to "rehearse" an anaesthetic before any drugs are actually administered. At present only a small number of anaesthetic workstations use this technology, and as yet they are not able to manage all drugs used in anaesthetic practice. However, such systems have the potential to help anaesthetists manage the complexity of their work, and to provide information on predicted drug effects in a way that is useful and relevant to both experienced anaesthetists and trainees.