Articles: function.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Nov 2014
Case ReportsPeri-operative massive pulmonary embolism management: is veno-arterial ECMO a therapeutic option?
Pulmonary embolism remains an important clinical problem with a high mortality rate. The potential for sudden and fatal hemodynamic deterioration highlights the need for a prompt diagnosis and appropriate intervention. The purpose of the present case report is to describe a successful peri-operative veno-arterial extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) implantation for assumed massive pulmonary embolism associated with high hemodynamic instability and severe hypoxemia. ⋯ The patient was able to be mobilized 2 days after the surgery and was transferred to a rehabilitation ward on day 15. At that time, her cognitive functions had fully recovered. ECMO can provide lifesaving hemodynamic and respiratory support in patients with massive pulmonary embolism who are too unstable to tolerate other interventions, who have failed other therapies or for whom other therapies are contraindicated.
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Critical care medicine · Nov 2014
Comparative StudyShort- and Long-Term Outcome in Elderly Patients After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Cohort Study.
Determinants of outcome and long-term survival are unknown in elderly patients successfully resuscitated after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Our aim was to identify factors associated with short- and long-term neurologic outcome in such patients. ⋯ Neurologic outcome in successfully resuscitated elderly patients depends on cardiac arrest characteristics rather than age. Short-term survival is 25% with acceptable long-term outcome among survivors.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Nov 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudySurgical Space Conditions During Low-Pressure Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with Deep Versus Moderate Neuromuscular Blockade: A Randomized Clinical Study.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed during low intraabdominal pressure (<12 mm Hg) is associated with significantly less postoperative pain than standard pressure (≥12 mm Hg). The impact on surgical space conditions and safety of operating at lower pressures has not been adequately described, but deep neuromuscular blockade may be beneficial. We investigated if deep muscle relaxation would be associated with a higher proportion of procedures with "optimal" surgical space conditions compared with moderate relaxation during low-pressure (8 mm Hg) laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ⋯ Deep neuromuscular blockade was associated with surgical space conditions that were marginally better than with moderate muscle relaxation during low-pressure laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
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In functional imaging studies, the insular cortex (IC) has been identified as an essential part of the processing of a whole spectrum of multimodal sensory input. However, there are no lesion studies including a sufficient number of patients, which would reinforce the functional imaging data obtained from healthy subjects. Such lesion studies should examine how damage to the IC affects sensory perception. We chose acute stroke patients with lesions affecting the IC in order to fill this gap. ⋯ Our data allow the conclusion that the posterior IC may represent the major region responsible for encoding warm and cold perception in the brain. To what extent focal IC lesions may also impair pain processing or induce post-stroke pain has to be addressed in future studies including more patients.
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Propionic acidemia is a congenital disorder of metabolism where the enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase is nonfunctional, resulting in an accumulation of propionic acid in the blood. It is important to avoid excess protein intake and a catabolic state to prevent acidemia. Additionally, it may be wise to avoid anesthetic drugs metabolized by propionyl-CoA carboxylase because use of these drugs may lead to acidosis. We present a case of a parturient with propionic acidemia who presented for induction of labor.