Articles: prospective-studies.
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Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2023
ReviewSpine surgery under neuraxial vs. general anesthesia: the current state of comparative outcomes research.
The impact of primary anesthetic technique on outcomes after spine surgery is controversial. Given frequent calls for well designed prospective comparative studies of neuraxial anesthesia vs. general anesthesia and recent reports of 'awake spine surgery' successes in the surgical literature, an updated evidence review is indicated. ⋯ Our understanding of the risks, benefits and comparative outcomes between neuraxial anesthesia and general anesthesia for spine surgery is evolving. Although the results derived from this body of literature suggest specific benefits of neuraxial anesthesia, further research is required before widespread recommendations for either technique can be made. Until then, both neuraxial anesthesia and general anesthesia are reasonable choices for lumbar spine surgery of short duration, in appropriately selected patients.
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Many factors influence fertility, one being the timing of intercourse. The 'fertile window' describes a stage in the cycle when conception can occur and is approximately five days before to several hours after ovulation. 'Timed intercourse' is the practice of prospectively identifying ovulation and, thus, the fertile window to increase the likelihood of conception. Methods of predicting ovulation include urinary hormone measurement (luteinising hormone (LH) and oestrogen), fertility awareness-based methods (FABM) (including tracking basal body temperatures, cervical mucus monitoring, calendar charting/tracking apps), and ultrasonography. However, there are potentially negative aspects associated with ovulation prediction, including stress, time consumption, and cost implications of purchasing ovulation kits and app subscriptions. This review considered the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the use of timed intercourse (using ovulation prediction) on pregnancy outcomes. ⋯ The new evidence presented in this review update shows that timed intercourse using urine ovulation tests probably improves live birth and pregnancy rates (clinical or positive urine pregnancy tests but not yet confirmed by ultrasound) in women under 40, trying to conceive for less than 12 months, compared to intercourse without ovulation prediction. However, there are insufficient data to determine the effects of urine ovulation tests on adverse events, clinical pregnancy, time to pregnancy, and quality of life. Similarly, due to limited data, we are uncertain of the effect of FABM on pregnancy outcomes, adverse effects, and quality of life. Further research is therefore required to fully understand the safety and effectiveness of timed intercourse for couples trying to conceive. This research should include studies reporting clinically relevant outcomes such as live birth and adverse effects in fertile and infertile couples and utilise various methods to determine ovulation. Only with a comprehensive understanding of the risks and benefits of timed intercourse can recommendations be made for all couples trying to conceive.
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Critical care medicine · Sep 2023
Sounding the Alarm: What Clinicians Need to Know about Physical, Emotional and Cognitive Recovery After Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.
We summarize the existing data on the occurrence of physical, emotional, and cognitive dysfunction associated with postintensive care syndrome (PICS) in adult survivors of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). ⋯ Survivors of VA-ECMO represent a population of critically ill patients at high risk for deficits in physical, emotional, and cognitive function related to PICS. This systematic review highlights the alarming reality that PICS and in particular, neurocognitive outcomes, in survivors of VA-ECMO are understudied, underrecognized, and thus likely undertreated. These results underscore the imperative that we look beyond survival to focus on understanding the burden of survivorship with the goal of optimizing recovery and outcomes after these life-saving interventions. Future prospective, multicenter, longitudinal studies in recovery after VA-ECMO are justified.
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Meta Analysis
Incidence and Recurrence of Deep Spine Surgical Site Infections: A Systematic Review and meta-analysis.
Systematic review and meta-analysis. ⋯ The pooled incidence rate of deep SSI post-thoracolumbar spinal surgery is 1.5%. The rate of recurrence and repeat debridement is at least 12%, up to 25%. Persistent infection is a significant risk, highlighting the need for standardized treatment protocols. Our review further demonstrates heterogeneity in management strategies. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to develop better evidence around deep SSI incidence and management in the instrumented thoracolumbar adult spinal fusion population.
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This review will focus on the neglected side of metabolic support in ICU survivors: nutritional therapy after critical illness. Knowledge of the evolution of the metabolism of patients that survived critical illness will be bundled, and current practices will be investigated. We will discuss some studies conducted to determine resting energy expenditure in ICU survivors and which identified barriers that cause interruptions in the feeding process based on published data between January 2022 and April 2023. ⋯ Patients may be in a catabolic state during and after ICU discharge, with several factors impacting metabolism. Therefore, large prospective trials are needed to determine the physiological state of ICU survivors, determine nutritional requirements, and develop nutritional care protocols. Many barriers causing decreased feeding adequacy have already been identified, but solutions are scarce. This review depicts a variable metabolic rate among ICU survivors and a significant variation in feeding adequacy in-between world regions, institutions, and patient sub-phenotypes.