Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie
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Serial measurement of mixed venous oxygen saturation is useful in the care of critically ill patients. It is an index of cardiac output and overall tissue perfusion. Previously, lack of refinement of the technology for continuous monitoring of mixed venous oxygen saturation deterred its clinical application. ⋯ The Oximetrix system proved reliable. Mixed venous oxygen saturation is a nonspecific indicator of hemodynamic status. Continuous monitoring of the mixed venous oxygen saturation facilitates optimal patient management by immediately alerting intensive care personnel to the development of inadequate tissue perfusion.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
The conduct of cholecystectomy: incision, drainage, bacteriology and postoperative complications.
The benefits of some ancillary techniques of cholecystectomy are exaggerated by retrospective study of selected patients. Therefore, the authors performed a prospective, randomized study of 100 consecutive patients who underwent simple elective cholecystectomy for chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. No patient was excluded because of incomplete hemostasis or fear of bile leakage. ⋯ Peritoneal drainage was found to be unnecessary. Short-term drainage may increase the frequency of postoperative fever, but did not increase pulmonary complications or wound infections. In these patients, intra-abdominal sepsis is rare; wound infections were uncommon and the gallbladder bile was usually sterile and not the cause of postoperative infection.