Therapeutics and clinical risk management
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
ReviewA meta-analysis and systematic review evaluating the use of erythropoietin in total hip and knee arthroplasty.
The debate is still ongoing on the effectiveness and safety of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment in orthopedic surgeries. Specifically, previous studies have not compared the dynamic change of hemoglobin (Hb) levels between different transfusion methods. Besides, complications or side effects of this alternative have not been quantitatively analyzed. We conducted a meta-analysis and systemic review to evaluate the efficacy of EPO on Hb levels observed during the whole perioperative period as well as the volume of allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT), the risk of venous thromboembolism, and application frequency of ABT in hip and knee surgery. ⋯ Preoperative administration of EPO was shown to generally increase Hb levels during the whole perioperative period; however, the extent of the positive effects varies with time points. Additionally, EPO minimizes the need for transfusion significantly in patients undergoing hip or knee surgery without increasing the chance of developing thrombotic complications. Therefore, EPO offers an alternative blood management strategy in total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
Influence of stroke volume variation on fluid treatment and postoperative complications in thoracic surgery.
Fluid management in critically ill patients usually relies on increasing preload to augment cardiac output. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether stroke volume variation (SVV) can guide fluid therapy and reduce complications. ⋯ Our study results showed that the use of SVV increased the use of crystalloids and colloids and favorably affected urine output per hour but did not reduce complications in thoracic surgery.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
The addition of capnography to standard monitoring reduces hypoxemic events during gastrointestinal endoscopic sedation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The use of capnography monitoring devices has been shown to lower the rates of hypoxemia via early detection of respiratory depression, and facilitate more accurate titration of sedatives during procedures. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to compare the incidence of hypoxemia associated with standard monitoring alone during gastrointestinal endoscopy to that associated with standard monitoring with the addition of capnography. ⋯ This study indicates that capnography monitoring is an important addition with regard to the detection of hypoxemia during gastrointestinal procedural sedation, and should be considered in routine monitoring during gastrointestinal endoscopy.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
The use of the C-MAC videolaryngoscope for awake intubation in patients with a predicted extremely difficult airway: case series.
The C-MAC videolaryngoscope was evaluated for intubation in patients with predicted extremely difficult airway. The presented cases are patients with neoplasm tumors in larynx. In all cases, awake intubation using C-MAC videolaryngoscope was performed in patients breathing spontaneously, under local anaesthesia, with oxygen administered via nasal catheter. ⋯ Based on my experience, I assume that C-MAC videolaryngoscope is a very useful tool for anaesthesiologists and can be applied not only for unexpected difficult intubation but also for predicted difficult airway. Moreover, it could be used as an additional diagnosis tool before larynx surgery. The view obtained with the C-MAC videlaryngoscope corresponds with larynx examination performed before surgery, and could potentially reveal more details.
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Ther Clin Risk Manag · Jan 2018
Off-label prescriptions in intensive care unit: the Chinese experience.
Off-label prescriptions for critically ill patients pose several ethical and legal dilemmas for intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians. Yet, few data are available on the prevalence of this practice in critical care environment in China. This nationwide survey was performed to evaluate the conditions of off-label prescriptions in ICU within China. ⋯ Off-label prescriptions have been commonly practiced by ICU clinicians in China. A concerted effort should be made to develop a practical and explicit guidance for off-label prescriptions.