British journal of anaesthesia
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Arterial pressure measurements are important to monitor vital function in neonates, and values are known to be dependent of gestational and postnatal age. Current reference ranges for mean arterial pressure in neonates have been derived from small samples and combined data of noninvasive and invasive measurements. We aimed to define reference values for noninvasive mean, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure during the first week of life in otherwise healthy preterm and term neonates defined by gestational and postnatal age. ⋯ These reference values for noninvasive blood pressure in neonates in the NICU for various gestational age groups provide guidance for clinical decision-making in healthy and diseased neonates during anaesthesia and sedation.
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'Depth of anaesthesia' monitors claim to measure hypnotic depth during general anaesthesia from the EEG, and clinicians could reasonably expect agreement between monitors if presented with the same EEG signal. We took 52 EEG signals showing intraoperative patterns of diminished anaesthesia, similar to those that occur during emergence (after surgery) and subjected them to analysis by five commercially available monitors. ⋯ Many clinical providers still rely on index values and manufacturer's recommended ranges for titration decision making. That two-thirds of cases showed discordant recommendations given identical EEG data, and that one-third signified excessive hypnotic depth where the EEG would suggest a lighter hypnotic state, emphasizes the importance of personalised EEG interpretation as an essential clinical skill.