Advanced biomedical research
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Although it is accepted that inducing cardioplegia is the gold standard in myocardial protection, there is still no consensus on the exact type of the cardioplegia. There are fewer studies on the type of the cardioplegia in hearts of the children than adults and they are contradictory. The effects of esmolol have been reviewed (a type of ultrashort-acting beta-adrenergic antagonist, i.e., ß-blockers) in conjunction with the cardioplegia due to the effect of the β-blockers in reducing the myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. ⋯ The patients who received cardioplegia along with esmolol had less inotropic requirement after operation, and increase in EF and cardiac output (CO) 1 week after surgery. In addition, it reduced damage to the heart during surgery, and patients may have greater stability in the cardiac conduction system.
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This study was performed to evaluate the learning curve and related complications of ultrasound (US) guided central venous catheter (CVC) insertion in infants. ⋯ US-guided percutaneous CVC insertion is a safe and reliable method which can be easily and rapidly learned.
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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.