Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2022
ReviewPoint-of-care coagulation testing for postpartum haemorrhage.
The use of viscoelastic haemostatic assays (VHAs) to guide blood product replacement during postpartum haemorrhage is expanding. Rotem and TEG devices can be used to detect and treat clinically significant hypofibrinogenaemia, although evidence to support the role of VHAs for guiding fresh frozen plasma and platelet transfusion is less clear. If Rotem/TEG traces are normal, clinicians should investigate for another cause of bleeding, and haemostatic support is not required. ⋯ There is a wide consensus that fibrinogen replacement is needed if the Fibtem A5 is <12 mm and if there is ongoing bleeding. Guidelines recommend against using VHAs to guide tranexamic acid infusion, and this drug should be given as soon as bleeding is recognised, irrespective of the Rotem/TEG traces. The cost-effectiveness of VHAs during postpartum haemorrhage needs to be addressed.
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Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide (WHO), with almost 60000 deaths annually. Pregnancy is a prothrombotic state with increased levels of several coagulation factors to protect the parturient from bleeding problems during delivery. ⋯ Early, the goal-directed fibrinogen concentrate therapy might be very useful in a subgroup of patients with serious PPH. This review aims to summarize the current literature on fibrinogen during PPH.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewPerioperative acute kidney injury: Stratification and risk reduction strategies.
Perioperative acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Patient comorbidities, the type of surgery, timing of surgery, and exposure to nephrotoxins are important contributors for developing acute kidney injury. ⋯ A history of preoperative chronic kidney disease is the main risk factor for developing AKI, conferring as much as a 10-fold risk. However, beyond the preoperative renal function, the development of AKI is a complex phenomenon that involves a combination of patient-related and surgery-related factors.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Mar 2023
ReviewClinical investigations on anesthesia-induced developmental neurotoxicity: The knowns, the unknowns and future prospects.
Pre-clinical experimental evidence, along with a plausible biological rational suggests that exposure of neonates and young children to anesthesia may harm brain development. However, the translational relevance of these observations remains unsolved. While a variety of lasting morpho-functional effects can be attributed to early life exposure to anesthetics in laboratory animals, we do not have a convincing human phenotype that reflects any causal effects of general anesthetic exposure on brain development and functional outcome. This review is aimed to provide a comprehensive description of the current state of clinical research alongside exploring future challenges in this field by focusing on the critical appraisal of methodological approaches applied in clinical research into developmental anesthesia neurotoxicity.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Jun 2020
ReviewShared decision-making - Creating pathways and models of care.
Shared decision-making (SDM) is an essential element providing patient-centered perioperative care. Newer value-based healthcare models, defined as patient-centered outcomes versus the cost required to achieve these outcomes, will necessitate the use of metrics that reflect the alignment of treatment decisions with patient preferences and goals. ⋯ By learning methodologies to successfully incorporate SDM into clinical practice, anesthesiologists can increase the value of care they provide to their patients. The ideal means of achieving SDM within the complexity of modern medicine is not yet certain.