Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2017
ReviewThrombolysis for non-traumatic intra-ventricular hemorrhage in adults: a critical reappraisal.
Intra-ventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a critical condition with high rate of morbidity and mortality due to acute hydrocephalus and secondary brain injury. Mechanisms underlying the clinical deterioration are not only related to the appearance of an acute hydrocephalus but also to blood-clot mass effect and the inflammatory effects of blood break-down products which impede local blood flow and exert a direct toxic effect on the peri-ventricular structures leading to chronic hydrocephalus. An effective treatment strategy should aim at IVH fast removal and reduction of blood-clot mass effect. ⋯ Protocol-based use of alteplase with extra-ventricular drain seemed safe, therefore such approach may be a potential option in individual cases. Currently no consensus has been reached and extrapolation of data from the literature does not permit to identify a uniform therapeutic approach but merely to outline some rational procedural modalities. Further research and studies are needed to compare the efficacy of the different fibrinolytic agents and protocols on functional outcome.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2017
Comparative StudyIs outpatient continuous regional analgesia more effective and equally safe than single--shot peripheral nerve blocks after ambulatory orthopedic surgery? A systematic review of randomized, double--blinded, placebo--controlled trials.
Continuous regional analgesia is an established technique for effective postoperative pain treatment, particularly after orthopedic surgical procedures. Even if it has been increasingly applied to the outpatient setting as well, many anesthesiologists are still reluctant to discharge patients with a perineural catheter in place. Aim of this review was to clarify the evidences about safety and effectiveness of outpatient continuous peripheral nerve blocks. ⋯ High-quality evidences about outpatient regional analgesia are scarce. Considering the advantages of continuous peripheral nerve blocks in the inpatient setting more prospective studies assessing also functional recovery are needed to further implement these techniques in the ambulatory setting.