Advanced biomedical research
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Sore throat and hoarseness are the most frequent subjective complaints after tracheal intubation for general anesthesia. We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous (IV) dexamethasone plus ketamine gargle for reducing the incidence and severity of post-operative sore throat (POST) and hoarseness. ⋯ The prophylactic use of 0.2 mg/kg of IV dexamethasone plus ketamine gargle significantly reduced the incidence and severity of POST compared with using each of these drugs alone or using placebo.
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Failed intubation is imperative source of anesthetic interrelated patient's mortality. The aim of this present study was to compare the ability to predict difficult visualization of the larynx from the following pre-operative airway predictive indices, in isolation and combination: Modified Mallampati test (MMT), the ratio of height to thyromental distance (RHTMD), hyomental distance ratios (HMDR), and the upper-lip-bite test (ULBT). ⋯ The HMDR is comparable with RHTMD and ULBT for prediction of difficult laryngoscopy in the general population, but was significantly more than for MMT.
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Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is an important infection in critically ill patients including patients of intensive care units (ICU). Different diagnostic tools are available and since its mortality is high, it is vital to start the antifungal therapy as soon as possible. Knowing the epidemiology of this disease in each ICU and area will help to better and more rapid management of such patients. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of IPA based on the level of galactomannan in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in ICU of Al-Zahra hospital, Isfahan, Iran. ⋯ Larger studies are required to determine the exact frequency of IPA and the best antifungal therapy for it.
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Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (BMA/BMB) is a painful procedure mostly used in diagnosing and staging of a broad spectrum of hematological diseases. In spite of local anesthesia, the prevalence and intensity of the pain and patient discomfort caused by this procedure are considerable. The effect of acupuncture and electrical stimulation of acupoints (acupuncture points) in the treatment of many medical conditions, including pain, have been approved. The study is designed to evaluate the effect of electrical stimulation of acupoints to decrease the pain during BMA/BMB in adults. ⋯ The results of this study show that the electrical stimulation of acupoints significantly decreases the pain caused by BMA/BMB and some of the complications of the pain.
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Intraoperative fluid management of the patients who had undergone neurosurgery presents special challenges for the anesthesiologist. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of two fluid combinations (half-normal + bicarbonate with saline + Ringer's lactate) on brain relaxation, and acid, base, and hemodynamic balance in patients undergoing elective craniotomy surgery. ⋯ These two fluids did not show any significant differences in the studied variables in this research.