Korean journal of anesthesiology
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Korean J Anesthesiol · Apr 2016
ReviewMechanisms underlying brain monitoring during anesthesia: limitations, possible improvements, and perspectives.
Currently, anesthesiologists use clinical parameters to directly measure the depth of anesthesia (DoA). This clinical standard of monitoring is often combined with brain monitoring for better assessment of the hypnotic component of anesthesia. Brain monitoring devices provide indices allowing for an immediate assessment of the impact of anesthetics on consciousness. ⋯ This is a challenging task because mathematical concepts appear remote from clinical practice. Moreover, most DoA algorithms are proprietary algorithms and the difficulty of exploring the inner workings of mathematical models represents an obstacle to accurate simplification. The limitations of current DoA monitors - and the possibility for improvement - as well as perspectives on brain monitoring derived from recent research on corticocortical connectivity and communication are also discussed.
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Korean J Anesthesiol · Feb 2016
ReviewPerioperative lung-protective ventilation strategy reduces postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing thoracic and major abdominal surgery.
The occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications is strongly associated with increased hospital mortality and prolonged postoperative hospital stays. Although protective lung ventilation is commonly used in the intensive care unit, low tidal volume ventilation in the operating room is not a routine strategy. Low tidal volume ventilation, moderate positive end-expiratory pressure, and repeated recruitment maneuvers, particularly for high-risk patients undergoing major abdominal surgery, can reduce postoperative pulmonary complications. Facilitating perioperative bundle care by combining prophylactic and postoperative positive-pressure ventilation with intraoperative lung-protective ventilation may be helpful to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications.
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As surgical and graft preservation techniques have improved and immunosuppressive drugs have advanced, liver transplantation (LT) is now considered the gold standard for treating patients with end-stage liver disease worldwide. However, despite the improved survival following LT, severe hemodynamic disturbances during LT remain a serious issue for the anesthesiologist. The greatest hemodynamic disturbance is postreperfusion syndrome (PRS), which occurs at reperfusion of the donated liver after unclamping of the portal vein. ⋯ Moreover, risk factors associated with PRS are not fully understood. Rapid and appropriate treatment with vasopressors, volume replacement, or venesection must be provided depending on the cause of the hemodynamic disturbance when hemodynamic instability becomes profound after reperfusion. The negative effects of PRS on postoperative early morbidity and mortality are clear, but the effect of PRS on postoperative long-term mortality remains a matter of debate.
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Korean J Anesthesiol · Oct 2015
ReviewNeonatal anesthesia: how we manage our most vulnerable patients.
Neonates undergoing surgery are at higher risk than older children for anesthesia-related adverse events. During the perioperative period, the maintenance of optimal hemodynamics in these patients is challenging and requires a thorough understanding of neonatal physiology and pharmacology. Data from animals and human cohort studies have shown relation of the currently used anesthetics may associate with neurotoxic brain injury that lead to later neurodevelopmental impairment in the developing brain. In this review, the unique neonatal physiologic and pharmacologic features and anesthesia-related neurotoxicity will be discussed.
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Due to rapid evolution and technological advancements, medical personnel now require special training outside of their safe zones. Anesthesiologists face challenges in practicing in locations beyond the operating room. ⋯ Therefore, anesthesiologists must recognize possible risk factors during anesthesia in nonoperating rooms and familiarize themselves with standards to improve safe practice. This review article emphasizes the need for standardizing hospitals and facilities requiring nonoperating room anesthesia, and encourages anesthesiologists to take the lead in applying these practice guidelines to improve patient outcomes and reduce adverse events.