British journal of anaesthesia
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Case Reports
Use of recombinant factor VIIa to treat life-threatening non-surgical bleeding in a post-partum patient.
Ongoing bleeding from patients who have an acquired coagulopathy post-surgery is a common problem. Strategies that are available to combat this problem revolve around the replacement of coagulation factors, platelets, and red blood cells as necessary. These strategies are not always successful and a more direct approach to activating the coagulation system can be more effective and in some instances life saving. We describe the use of recombinant factor VIIa in a patient with ongoing post partum bleeding.
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Central venous lines are often used when there is difficulty obtaining peripheral venous access. The basilic and cephalic veins in the mid-arm region, although difficult to see or palpate, can be imaged longitudinally and cannulated using real-time ultrasonography, providing an easy alternative. These techniques are described, with reports of four typical cases.
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Comparative Study
Differential effects of propofol, ketamine, and thiopental anaesthesia on the skeletal muscle microcirculation of normotensive and hypertensive rats in vivo.
This study utilized the dorsal microcirculatory chamber (DMC) model to determine differential effects of i.v. propofol, ketamine, and thiopental anaesthesia on the skeletal muscle microcirculation (10-180 micro m) of normotensive (Male Wistar Kyoto, WKY) and hypertensive (spontaneously hypertensive Harlan, SHR) rats, importantly, comparing responses to a conscious baseline. ⋯ Within the skeletal muscle microcirculation of hypertensive rats there is enhanced dilation with propofol and constriction with ketamine, associated with exaggerated changes in arterial pressure. Thus, dysfunctional control mechanisms at the level of the microcirculation alter responses to anaesthesia during hypertension.