British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Patients with end-stage renal disease admitted to the intensive care unit: systematic review.
The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is increasing worldwide, with a growing demand on healthcare services. A systematic review of the literature was performed to determine the requirement for intensive care unit (ICU) services, reasons for admission, predictors of mortality, and short- and long-term outcomes of ESRD patients admitted to ICU. Sixteen studies were identified, comprising 6591 ICU admissions. ⋯ Although the mortality rate remains high shortly after hospital discharge, the duration of increased mortality risk is unclear. Patients with ESRD frequently benefit from ICU admission, despite chronic co-morbidity. Further studies are required to modify and validate existing illness severity scores for ESRD patients admitted to the ICU, and to establish the duration of increased mortality risk after discharge from ICU.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of high-dose preoperative methylprednisolone on recovery after total hip arthroplasty: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
High-dose glucocorticoid may reduce postsurgical pain and improve recovery. We hypothesized that 125 mg methylprednisolone (MP) would reduce time to meet functional discharge criteria after total hip arthroplasty (THA). ⋯ MP 125 mg i.v. before surgery added to a multimodal oral analgesic regime did not reduce time to meet functional discharge criteria after THA, but improved analgesia for the first 24 h.
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Review Historical Article
The first intravenous anaesthetic: how well was it managed and its potential realized?
Our speciality commonly traces its origin to a demonstration of the inhalation of ether by a patient undergoing surgery in Boston in 1846. Less well known is the demonstration of the i.v. injection of opium with alcohol into a dog in Oxford in 1656, leading to anaesthesia followed by full long-term recovery. After gaining i.v. access, a mixture of opium and alcohol was injected, resulting in a brief period of anaesthesia. ⋯ It is important to consider why there was a failure to translate the results into clinical practice and nearly 200 yr of potentially pain-free surgery. Possible factors include lack of equipment for i.v. access, lack of understanding of dose-response effects, and a climate of scientific discovery rather than clinical application. Given the current interest in total i.v. anaesthesia, it seems appropriate to identify its origins well before those of inhalation anaesthesia.
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An organizational approach is proposed as an immediate solution for improving postoperative pain (POP) management. The aim was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a quality management system (QMS), based on procedure-specific, multimodal analgesic protocols, modified to meet the individual patients' requirements. ⋯ The implementation of QMS allowed the reduction in POP intensity with a simultaneous decrease in analgesia-related side-effects. This has led to an increased quality of life and patient satisfaction.