BMC anesthesiology
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Observational Study
Anesthesia for pregnant patients with symptomatic neurological disease: 13 years' experience from a tertiary care center.
Improvements in diagnostics and clinical care have allowed more women of childbearing age, suffering from neurological diseases, to safely have pregnancy, reducing peripartum complications. However, these patients remain at risk and are a constant challenge for anesthesiologists in the delivery room. ⋯ In our experience, when neuraxial anesthesia was feasible, it proved to be a safe option for pregnant patients with symptomatic neurological disease, resulting in uncommon maternal complications.
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Given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, encountering difficult airways in this patient population is quite common. The challenge for anesthesiologists lies not only in establishing the airway but also in managing the hemodynamic instability caused by sympathetic activation during intubation. The purpose of this report is to describe the anesthetic experience of this patient with severe mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response, and moderate pulmonary hypertension with an anticipated difficult airway. ⋯ This case highlights the importance of considering both airway safety and maintaining hemodynamic stability when cardiac surgery patients encounter an anticipated difficult airway. Awake intubation is not the only option, and intubation after general anesthesia may be considered when the benefits are evaluated to outweigh the risks.
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Postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCCS) in cardiac surgery is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Beside other therapeutic measures (e.g. intraaortic balloon pump (IABP)), extracorporeal life support is being increasingly used in this particular form of shock. Objectives of this meta-analysis were to determine mortality and complications of extracorporeal life support treatment (ECLS) in cardiac surgery patients, and if outcomes were influenced by a preexisting cardiovascular risk profile. ⋯ Extracorporeal life support for PCCS is associated with a substantial mortality and complication rate. Diabetes mellitus and obesity seem to be independent risk factors. Therefore, until future work has elucidated which patients benefit at all, the risks of ECLS-treatment must be critically weighed up against a possible benefit.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support, leading to requirement of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in 70% of ECMO patients. Parallel arrangement of CRRT and ECMO circuits is common in adult patients. However, CRRT may also be integrated directly into the ECMO circuit. This study compares the safety of both approaches. ⋯ Despite higher pressures in CRRT lines, the integrated approach provided comparable safety to the parallel approach. In case of hygienically challenging settings (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), the minimization of extracorporeal accesses and the streamlining of alarm management are decisive factors in providing intensive care medicine. Therefore, the integrated configuration of CRRT into the ECMO circuit can be advantageous in daily intensive care medicine.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Intravenous lidocaine decreased oxygen-desaturation episodes induced by propofol-based sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
As a popularly used analgesic adjuvant, intravenous (IV) lidocaine could reduce the consumption of propofol in painless gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy. However, whether IV lidocaine could affect the incidence of oxygen-desaturation episodes (ODE) during painless GI endoscopy is still unknown. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that IV lidocaine could decrease the incidence of propofol-induced ODE and involuntary movements in patients during GI endoscopy. ⋯ IV lidocaine adjuvant to propofol-based sedation could reduce the incidence of oxygen-desaturation episodes and involuntary body movements, with fewer adverse circulatory events.