Minerva anestesiologica
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Minerva anestesiologica · May 2013
Current practice of brain death determination and use of confirmatory tests in an Italian University hospital: a report of 66 cases.
Time to final brain death (BD) determination is fundamental to rapidly identify donors without organ deterioration. Guidelines for BD determination are different from country to country and, through years, they have been subjected to several revisions, to simplify the procedure. The aim of this study was to describe a one-year experience according to the latest Italian Guidelines for BD in our University hospital and to focus on timing of final BD declaration according to the ancillary tests executed. ⋯ In Italy, the same guidelines ensure the same approach in every hospital, with multi-specialist cooperation. The EEG is mandatory and prompt recognition of the first, flat EEG is fundamental to reduce time to the final procedure. A multimodal neurophysiological approach with trained specialists, neurosonologists and monitoring devices in intensive care units may represents a valid help to further reduce time for BD diagnosis.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Apr 2013
ReviewPatient-ventilator dyssynchrony during assisted invasive mechanical ventilation.
Patient-ventilator dyssynchrony is common during mechanical ventilation. Dyssynchrony decreases comfort, prolongs mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit stays, and might lead to worse outcome. Dyssynchrony can occur during the triggering of the ventilator, the inspiration period after triggering, the transition from inspiration to expiration, and the expiratory phase. ⋯ To date, technological complexity has made it impossible to evaluate patient-ventilator synchrony throughout the course of mechanical ventilation. Studies have shown that a high index of dyssynchrony may increase the duration of mechanical ventilation. Better training, better ventilatory modes, and/or computerized systems that permit better synchronization of patients' demands and ventilator outputs are necessary to improve patient-ventilator synchrony.
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Fluid management is a crucial issue in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Assessment of preload responsiveness should help to define the best fluid strategy. Arterial pulse pressure variation (PPV), which represents the amplitude of the respiratory changes in arterial pulse pressure, is considered as a marker of preload responsiveness in patients mechanically ventilated and fully adapted to their ventilator. ⋯ Although a PPV >10-12% still keeps its good predictive value, a lower PPV (<10%) is far to guarantee fluid unresponsiveness since many false-negative cases can be encountered in this setting. Thus, performance of alternative preload responsiveness tests such as passive leg raising or end-expiratory occlusion tests, is necessary when low PPV values are measured. This review addresses the meaning of PPV, its conditions of use and its limits in ARDS patients.