Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Mar 2016
ReviewImmunonutrients in critically ill patients: an analysis of the most recent literature.
Modulation of inflammatory and immune response to critical illness has been the goal of much research in the last decade and a variety of drugs and nutrients (so called "immunonutrients") have been tested in experimental models with promising results. Though, in the clinical setting of intensive care, their efficacy have been inconsistently proven, most likely because the effects of each drug may vary in relation to the timing, the dose, the route of administration, the interaction with other nutrients, the severity of illness and many other factors. ⋯ Reviewing the latest evidence-based documents on this subject (multicenter trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and international guidelines), there is no convincing evidence that immunonutrients may be beneficial in the critically ill. Considering that these substances invariably increase the costs of health care and may be unsafe or even harmful in some subgroups, particularly in septic patients, we conclude that routine administration of immune-nutrients (glutamine, arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, etc.) cannot be currently recommended in the critically ill.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2016
ReviewA critical appraisal of the quality of analgosedation guidelines in critically ill patients.
The management of analgesia and sedation in critically ill patients is still a challenge due to the shortage of evidence-based treatments. The main objectives of the present study were to critically evaluate the quality of current clinical practice guidelines (CPGL) published on this matter and to identify the contrasting positions and unsolved questions. ⋯ This quality evaluation indicated that CPGLs published by the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies, the American College of Critical Care Medicine and the PanAmerican and Iberica Federation of the Critical Care Medicine Societies should be recommended for use. Even in guidelines with a high quality rating, numerous recommendations have moderate or low levels of evidence.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Feb 2016
ReviewCould 'safe practice' be compromising safe practice? Should anaesthetists have to deflate the cuff of the endotracheal tube before extubation?
Deflation of the cuff of the endotracheal tube (ETT) before tracheal extubation is considered mandatory and safe practice. However, there are potential shortcomings associated with this practice (e.g., aspiration around the uncuffed ETT, loss of positive airway pressure, difficulty in generating an effective cough at the time of extubation). By contrast, keeping the cuff inflated during extubation will minimize the risk of tracheal aspiration around the ETT, and it will reliably allow maintenance of positive airway pressure until extubation, effective lung recruitment before extubation, and generation of an effective cough during extubation. ⋯ Mandatory monitoring of cuff pressure ensures a remaining rather small, highly compressible cuff volume around the ETT which is unlikely to carry per se the risk of producing laryngeal trauma. In my view, as the overall advantages of not deflating the cuff before extubation outweigh the disadvantages, anesthetists should not have to deflate the cuff of the ETT before extubation. Ultimately, only a randomized controlled trial will be able to assess the effect of such practice on patient outcome.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jan 2016
Review Meta AnalysisBedside predictors of difficult intubation: a systematic review.
Unanticipated difficult intubation is associated with unwanted patient outcomes. The capability of predicting difficult airways may contribute to patient safety, efficient patient flow and rational use of limited resources. We evaluated current literature on performance of bedside airway tests in predicting difficult tracheal intubation. ⋯ Current bedside tests have limited and inconsistent capacity to discriminate between patients with difficult and easy airways. Most studies are characterized by high risk of bias and concerns of applicability. Reliable bedside criteria to predict difficult intubation remain elusive.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Jan 2016
ReviewShort Hospitalization System: a new way of interpreting day surgery care.
Today's poorer income on the one hand and the more and more unbearable costs on the other, call for solutions to maintain public health through proper and collective care. We need to think of a new dimension of health, to found a modern and innovative approach, which can combine the respect of healthcare rights with the optimization of resources. Worldwide, franchises serving millions of people every year succeed in limiting operating costs and still offer a service and a quality equal to single businesses. ⋯ The Short Hospitalization System (SHS) is the proposed project, which is not only a type of hospitalization which is different from the ordinary, but also an innovative clinical-organizational model, with an important economic impact, where the management and maximization of the different hospital flows (care, professional, logistical, information), as well as the ability to implement strategies to anticipate them are crucial. The expected benefits are both clinically and socially relevant. Among them: 1) best practice build up; 2) lower impact on daily habits and increased patient satisfaction; 3) reduction of social and health expenditure.