British journal of anaesthesia
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Transcranial Doppler measurements of the middle cerebral artery flow velocity are widely used as an indicator of vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). We investigated inter- and intraoperator agreement in SAH patients and healthy volunteers using colour-coded transcranial Doppler (TCCD), with the secondary aim of describing prediction of angiographic vasospasm and mortality. ⋯ TCCD measurement variability is wider in patient measurements than in controls. This discrepancy can largely be explained by a higher degree of error in patients with angiographic vasospasm. Despite the considerable measurement variability in TCCD, values are predictive of outcome in SAH.
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Patients undergoing emergency surgery continue to be at very high risk, but accurate risk identification for the individual patient remains difficult. This study tested the usefulness of perioperative N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for in-hospital and long-term risk stratification. ⋯ Preoperative NT-proBNP can help identify patients at high risk for adverse long-term outcome after emergency surgery.