British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of the effect of heart rate achieved by perioperative beta-adrenergic blockade on cardiovascular outcomes.
Acute perioperative beta-adrenergic blockade may be cardioprotective in the high-risk cardiac patient for major non-cardiac surgery. We have investigated the association between the heart rate achieved with perioperative beta-blockade and the incidence of perioperative cardiac complications. ⋯ This meta-analysis cannot confirm that heart rate control with beta-adrenergic blockade is cardioprotective. A randomized controlled trial examining the effect of tight perioperative heart rate control with beta-adrenergic blockade on clinically important outcomes and adverse events is warranted.
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Review Meta Analysis
Superficial or deep cervical plexus block for carotid endarterectomy: a systematic review of complications.
Carotid endarterectomy is commonly conducted under regional (deep, superficial, intermediate, or combined) cervical plexus block, but it is not known if complication rates differ. We conducted a systematic review of published papers to assess the complication rate associated with superficial (or intermediate) and deep (or combined deep plus superficial/intermediate). The null hypothesis was that complication rates were equal. ⋯ The conversion rate to general anaesthesia was also higher with deep/combined block (odds ratio 5.15, P < 0.0001), but there was an equivalent incidence of other systemic serious complications (odds ratio 1.13, P = 0.273; NS). We conclude that superficial/intermediate block is safer than any method that employs a deep injection. The higher rate of conversion to general anaesthesia with the deep/combined block may have been influenced by the higher incidence of direct complications, but may also suggest that the superficial/combined block provides better analgesia during surgery.
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Review Meta Analysis
Neuromuscular monitoring and postoperative residual curarisation: a meta-analysis.
We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effect of intraoperative monitoring of neuromuscular function on the incidence of postoperative residual curarisation (PORC). PORC has been considered present when a patient has a train-of-four (TOF) ratio of < 0.7 or < 0.9. We analysed data from 24 trials (3375 patients) that were published between 1979 and 2005. ⋯ A simple peripheral nerve stimulator was used in 543 patients, and an objective monitor was used in 280. The incidence of PORC was found to be significantly lower after the use of intermediate neuromuscular blocking drugs. We could not demonstrate that the use of an intraoperative neuromuscular function monitor decreased the incidence of PORC.
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Review Meta Analysis
Prophylaxis of postoperative vomiting in children undergoing tonsillectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Postoperative vomiting (POV) remains one of the commonest causes of significant morbidity after tonsillectomy in children. A variety of prophylactic anti-emetic interventions have been reported, but there has only been a limited systematic review in this patient group. A systematic search was performed by using Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials of prophylactic anti-emetic interventions in children undergoing tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy. ⋯ Metoclopramide was also found to be efficacious (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34-0.77). There is not sufficient evidence to suggest that dimenhydrinate, perphenazine or droperidol, in the doses studied, are efficacious, nor were gastric aspiration or acupuncture. In conclusion, dexamethasone and the anti-serotinergic agents appear to be the most effective agents for the prophylaxis for POV in children undergoing tonsillectomy.
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Review Meta Analysis
Myocardial protection with volatile anaesthetic agents during coronary artery bypass surgery: a meta-analysis.
Previous studies have investigated the role of volatile anaesthetic agents in myocardial protection during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and some have identified beneficial effects. However, these studies have been too small to identify a significant effect on myocardial infarction (MI) or mortality. We undertook a systematic overview and meta-analysis of all randomized trials comparing volatile with non-volatile anaesthesia in CABG surgery. ⋯ Duration of mechanical ventilation was reduced by 2.7 h (P=0.04), and there was a 1 day decrease in hospital length of stay (P<0.001). Some of these outcomes were based on a smaller number of trials because of incomplete data, largely because the individual trials focused on one or more surrogate endpoints. We found some evidence that volatile anaesthetic agents provide myocardial protection in CABG surgery, but larger adequately powered trials with agreed, defined outcomes need to be done to fully assess a possible beneficial effect of volatile anaesthetic agents on the risk of MI and mortality.