Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of the success rate of tracheal intubation between stylet and bougie with a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope: a randomised controlled trial.
Hyperangulated videolaryngoscopes are known to increase the success rate of tracheal intubation in the setting of difficult airway management when used with a stylet or bougie. However, there is controversy over which adjunct is more useful. This randomised study aimed to compare first attempt tracheal intubation success rate between a stylet and bougie when using a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope. ⋯ Each group had one patient (1%) where tracheal intubation was achieved after a third attempt. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of sore throat, dysphagia and hoarseness between the two groups. When difficult tracheal intubation is anticipated and a hyperangulated videolaryngoscope is used, the success rate of the first attempt is higher when a bougie is used compared with a stylet.
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Hip fracture is a common serious injury among older adults, yet the management of hip fractures for patients taking direct oral anticoagulants remains inconsistent worldwide. Drawing from a synthesis of available evidence and expert opinion, best practice approaches for managing patients with a hip fracture and who are taking direct oral anticoagulants pre-operatively were considered by a working group of the Fragility Fracture Network Hip Fracture Audit Special Interest Group. The literature and related clinical guidelines were reviewed and a two-round modified Delphi study was conducted with a panel of experts from 16 countries and involved seven clinical specialities. ⋯ No consensus was achieved regarding timing of spinal anaesthesia. The consensus statements were developed to aid clinicians in their decision-making and to reduce practice variations in the management of patients with hip fracture and who are taking direct oral anticoagulants. Each statement will need to be considered specific to each individual patient's treatment.
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Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines for the assessment and management of pain in the critical care setting, the prevalence of acute pain remains high. Inadequate pain management is associated with longer duration of mechanical ventilation, reduced capacity for rehabilitation and long-term psychological sequelae. This study aimed to describe the experiences of pain management from healthcare professionals working in intensive care units. ⋯ Fourth, participants described their own emotional reaction to managing those in pain which influenced their learning. Finally, there was a perception that, due to the complexity of the intensive care unit population, pain was de-prioritised and there were conflicting views as to whether standardised analgosedation algorithms were useful. This study provides evidence to suggest interdisciplinary training, collaboratively designed decision-making tools, prioritisation initiatives and research priorities are areas that could be targeted to improve pain management in critical care.
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Review
Predicting time to asystole following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment: a systematic review.
The planned withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment is a common practice in the intensive care unit for patients where ongoing organ support is recognised to be futile. Predicting the time to asystole following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment is crucial for setting expectations, resource utilisation and identifying patients suitable for organ donation after circulatory death. This systematic review evaluates the literature for variables associated with, and predictive models for, time to asystole in patients managed on intensive care units. ⋯ This review identifies variables associated with time to asystole following withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and summarises existing predictive models. Although several predictive models have been developed, their generalisability and performance varied. Further research and validation are needed to improve the accuracy and widespread adoption of predictive models for patients managed in intensive care units who may be eligible to donate organs following their diagnosis of death by circulatory criteria.