British journal of anaesthesia
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Multicenter Study
Modern hydroxyethyl starch and acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery: a prospective multicentre cohort.
Recent trials have shown hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solutions increase the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. It is uncertain whether these adverse effects also affect surgical patients. We sought to determine the renal safety of modern tetrastarch (6% HES 130/0.4) use in cardiac surgical patients. ⋯ The intraoperative and postoperative use of modern hydroxyethyl starch 6% HES 130/0.4 was not associated with increased risks of AKI and dialysis after cardiac surgery in our multicentre cohort.
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The reliability of meta-analysis (MA) in predicting the findings of subsequent large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has not been assessed in perioperative medicine and anaesthesia. ⋯ There was a strong tendency towards positive findings in MA not substantiated by subsequent large RCTs, which was not attributable to differences in study power. This finding suggests caution in clinical decision-making in anaesthesia and perioperative medicine based on findings of meta-analysis.
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Observational Study
Cerebral oxygen saturation and cardiac output during anaesthesia in sitting position for neurosurgical procedures: a prospective observational study.
Neurosurgical operations in the dorsal cranium often require the patient to be positioned in a sitting position. This can be associated with decreased cardiac output and cerebral hypoperfusion, and possibly, inadequate cerebral oxygenation. In the present study, cerebral oxygen saturation was measured during neurosurgery in the sitting position and correlated with cardiac output. ⋯ NCT01275898.
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The role of transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) in anaesthetic practice is expanding. We evaluated the effect of a TOE perceptual and adaptive learning module (PALM) on first-yr anaesthesiology residents' performance, in diagnosing cardiac pathology by TOE. ⋯ In this pilot study, exposure to a PALM significantly improved accuracy and fluency in diagnosing TOE cardiac pathology, in a group of first-year anaesthesiology residents. PALMs can significantly improve learning and pattern recognition in medical education.