J Trauma
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Because the skin of the groin is often spared, femoral central venous catheters are sometimes used in patients with extensive burns. The accuracy of central venous pressures obtained from the infradiaphragmatic location relative to the traditional supradiaphragmatic value is not known in this population. ⋯ In the absence of clinically significant abdominal distention, infradiaphragmatic central venous pressure is an accurate reflection of supradiaphragmatic pressure, and indirectly, circulating blood volume.
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A prospective, nonrandomized cohort study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) for management of the difficult airway in patients requiring air transport. ⋯ Our patient data show that when conventional methods have failed, the LMA can be safely, rapidly, and effectively used for temporary airway control.
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It has been suggested that measurement of continuous cardiac output (CCO) is an advancement in the management of critically ill patients. Our objective was to determine the accuracy of CCO during the rapid hemodynamic changes induced by hemorrhage and resuscitation. ⋯ CCO has a delayed response during acute hemodynamic changes induced by hemorrhage and resuscitation. When sudden changes in mean arterial pressure or in mixed venous oxygen saturation are detected, cardiac output must be estimated by the standard bolus thermodilution technique, not by CCO.