British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system dynamics after targeted blood pressure control using angiotensin II or norepinephrine in cardiac surgery: mechanistic randomised controlled trial.
The role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis in vasoplegia after cardiac surgery remains unclear. We tested the hypothesis that, compared with norepinephrine, infusion of angiotensin II titrated to achieve similar mean arterial pressure (MAP) would suppress plasma renin concentration (PRC) while maintaining aldosterone levels. ⋯ Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry-ACTRN12621000195853 23/02/2021.
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Comment Letter Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Delirium in older patients given propofol or sevoflurane anaesthesia for major cancer surgery: a multicentre randomised trial. Comment on Br J Anaesth 2023; 131: 253-65.
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Unresolved surgical inflammation might induce chronic cognitive decline in older adults. Although inflammatory biomarkers have been correlated with perioperative cognitive impairment and delirium, the effects of prolonged inflammation on cognition are not well studied. This prospective cohort study investigated 1-yr dynamics in plasma interleukin-6 levels and executive function. ⋯ NCT01980511, NCT03124303.
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Cortical excitability is higher in unconsciousness than in wakefulness, but it is unclear how this relates to anaesthesia. We investigated cortical excitability in response to dexmedetomidine, the effects of which are not fully known. ⋯ Transcranial magnetic stimulation-evoked potential amplitude changes non-linearly as a function of depth of sedation by dexmedetomidine, with a region-specific paradoxical increase. Future research should investigate other anaesthetics to elucidate the link between cortical excitability and depth of sedation.
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Editorial Comment
Improving pulse oximetry accuracy in dark-skinned patients: technical aspects and current regulations.
Recent concerns regarding the clinical accuracy of pulse oximetry in dark-skinned patients, specifically in detecting occult hypoxaemia, have motivated research on this topic and recently reported in this journal. We provide an overview of the technical aspects of the issue, the sources of inaccuracy, and the current regulations and limitations. These insights offer perspectives on how pulse oximetry can be improved to address these potential limitations.