Minerva anestesiologica
-
Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2017
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyElderly versus non-elderly patients with intra-abdominal candidiasis in the ICU.
Intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC) has a considerable cost in terms of mortality and morbidity. We sought to study the epidemiology, characteristics and outcome of elderly (>75 years old) versus non-elderly patients with IAC and risk factors for mortality in elderly patients. ⋯ Factors independently predicting mortality in elderly patients with IAC were ESRD and inadequate abdominal source control. Elderlies were found to have more pulmonary and cardiac morbidities and had higher mortality than non-elderlies.
-
Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2017
Editorial CommentAre you "too old" to survive a traumatic brain injury?
-
Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2017
Safety aspects of desflurane anesthesia and laryngeal mask airway.
Laryngeal mask (LM) and inhaled anesthesia combination is often deemed unsuitable. Actually the evolution of surgical procedures towards minimal invasiveness, the search of improved productivity, and the contemporary need for patient safety and faster recovery, push the anesthetists to get interested in their use in the daily practice. ⋯ Main operative steps have been defined, which, if appropriately implemented, would successfully achieve safety objectives. Two aspects are considered crucial, first the educational role of Universities and Medical Schools to structure a systematic approach to the theoretical and practical teaching of the use of LM with desflurane; second an appropriate training for improving the skills in the use of LM also for more complicated patients.
-
Minerva anestesiologica · Nov 2017
Multicenter Study Observational StudyIndividual duration of axillary brachial plexus block is unpredictable: a prospective double centred observational study.
The duration of effect for axillary plexus block using ropivacaine is highly variable. The available literature does not offer any plausible means of predicting time of block offset for individual patients, making it difficult to give accurate information and plan postoperative analgesics. This study was designed to identify factors influencing axillary plexus block offset time. ⋯ This prospective study demonstrates a large inter individual variation in time of axillary plexus block offset using ropivacaine 0.75%. The lack of association between offset time and both demographic and block performance factors, makes predictability of individual duration of axillary plexus blocks in clinical practice extremely difficult. We suggest that all patients should be made aware of such variability in duration prior to block placement.