Acta anaesthesiologica Belgica
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Belg · Jan 2010
ReviewNear-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring in contemporary anesthesia and critical care.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive technology that continuously monitors regional tissue oxygenation. Originally used for assessment of oxygen saturation of the brain, its use has now been expanded to evaluation of oxygenation of tissues other than the brain. ⋯ New and promising advances may further this technology to become part of our standard armamentarium, in order to optimize patient care in daily anesthesia practice. The present paper briefly reviews the basic principles of operation, the inherent limitations of the technology and the clinical data that have been acquired with NIRS monitoring in the broad field of acute clinical medicine.
-
Hemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. The increasing shortage of blood and blood products, and growing anxiety about the use of donor blood, is leading to investigation and use of several blood conservation techniques. ⋯ The safety of cell salvage in obstetrics has been questioned, therefore the experience in this field is limited. The aim of this article is to review the medical literature about the prevalence of obstetric hemorrhage, the principles of cell salvage and its safety profile in the obstetric setting.
-
Acta Anaesthesiol Belg · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialGabapentin premedication: assessment of preoperative anxiolysis and postoperative patient satisfaction.
Gabapentin reduces anxiety in psychiatric patients. In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, we investigated whether a single dose of gabapentin as a premedicant reduces preoperative anxiety, and improves patient satisfaction. ⋯ A single dose of gabapentin has proven to be an effective premedication to reduce preoperative anxiety.