Therapeutics and clinical risk management
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
Does perioperative intravenous dextrose reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Perioperative dextrose-containing fluid administration has been used as a non-pharmacologic preventive measure against postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), a common and distressing complication of anesthesia. However, its efficacy remains unclear as previous studies reported inconsistent results. Our objective was to compare dextrose-containing fluid with non-dextrose-containing fluid in terms of PONV for 24 hours after surgery under general anesthesia. The effects of dextrose according to different types of surgery and the fluid volume were also examined. ⋯ Perioperative intravenous (i.v.) dextrose did not reduce the risk for PONV. However, it did reduce the need for anti-emetics after general anesthesia. Furthermore, the effects of dextrose varied according to the surgery type. Further studies are needed to determine the benefits of perioperative i.v. dextrose administration as a preventive measure against PONV.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2017
Patient characteristics associated with false arrhythmia alarms in intensive care.
A high rate of false arrhythmia alarms in the intensive care unit (ICU) leads to alarm fatigue, the condition of desensitization and potentially inappropriate silencing of alarms due to frequent invalid and nonactionable alarms, often referred to as false alarms. ⋯ Patients likely to trigger a higher number of false arrhythmia alarms may be those with older age, confusion, cardiovascular diagnoses, and ECG features that indicate BBB or ventricular pacing, respiratory diagnoses, and mechanical ventilatory support. Algorithm improvements could focus on better noise reduction (eg, motion artifact with confused state) and distinguishing BBB and paced rhythms from ventricular arrhythmias. Increasing awareness of patient conditions that apparently trigger a higher rate of false arrhythmia alarms may be useful for reducing unnecessary noise and improving alarm management.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2017
Adverse outcomes after percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy versus surgical tracheostomy in intensive care patients: case series and literature review.
Tracheostomy is a routinely done procedure in the setting of intensive care unit (ICU) in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. There are two ways of making a tracheostomy: an open surgical tracheostomy and percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is associated with fewer complications than open tracheostomy. In this study, we would like to compare both techniques of performing a tracheostomy in ICU patients and to present possible complications, methods of diagnosing and treating and minimizing their risk.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
Comparison between the long-axis/in-plane and short-axis/out-of-plane approaches for ultrasound-guided vascular catheterization: an updated meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.
A long-axis in-plane (LA-IP) approach and a short-axis out-of-plane (SA-OOP) approach are the two main approaches used in ultrasound (US)-guided vascular catheterization. However, the efficacy and safety of these approaches remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this meta-analysis to compare the two techniques in vascular catheterization. ⋯ Despite a similar total success rate between the SA-OOP approach and the LA-IP approach when used for RA and IJV catheterization (as confirmed by TSA), further robust well-designed trials are warranted to evaluate other outcomes. There is insufficient evidence to definitively state that the SA-OOP approach was superior to the LA-IP approach when used for SCV and axillary vein catheterization. High-quality trials are needed to confirm or refute this finding.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
Discrimination ability of the endotracheal tube location using real-time palpation during intubation using an endotracheal tube with a preloaded stylet.
Palpation during intubation could be used as an ancillary method of providing real-time information of the endotracheal tube (ETT) placement before manual ventilation. This study aimed to evaluate the ability to discriminate the ETT location using a modified real-time palpation method with a preloaded stylet during intubation. ⋯ The real-time palpation method during intubation using an ETT with a preloaded stylet is an instantly applicable technique with good discrimination ability. The addition of real-time information through this palpation method to the conventional intubation process, especially in patients with poor vocal cord visualization, would be useful to facilitate the process of safe and careful endotracheal intubation.