Anaesthesia and Intensive Care back issues from December 2007:
Sevoflurane
Dec 01, 2007; ... Most of the modern inhalational agents arose from the work of Terrell and associates at Ohio Medical Products but there were other laboratories working with fluorinated volatile agents. One agent that showed initial promise was aliflurane, a stable chemical with low solubility that was developed ...
ARF, ATN or AKI? It's now acute kidney injury
Dec 01, 2007; ... The Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society was an active participant at the meeting of the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) which followed the Congress of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine in Amsterdam in 2006. The initiative brought together nephrologists and critical ...
Inoprotection: the perioperative role of levosimendan
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Levosimendan is emerging as a novel cardioprotective inotrope. Levosimendan augments myocardial contractility by sensitising contractile myofilaments to calcium without increasing myosin adenosine triphosphatase activity or oxygen consumption. Levosimendan activates cellular ...
Pulsed radiofrequency: a critical review of its efficacy
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Pulsed radiofrequency is a growingly popular pain treatment modality. However, its clinical efficacy remains controversial. In this review, the available literature on pulsed radiofrequency is critically analysed to determine its clinical efficacy. Our search of the literature ...
Thrombocytopenia in septic shock patients-a prospective observational study of incidence, risk factors and correlation with clinical outcome
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY The objectives of the study were to study the incidence of various degrees of severity of thrombocytopenia in septic shock, the risk factors for its development and the correlation with clinical outcome. Complete blood counts, chemistry panel, arterial lactate, serum Cortisol, ...
Drug abuse and dependency during pregnancy: anaesthetic issues
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Drug abuse is a significant social problem that can lead to serious obstetric complications, some of which may be confused with pregnancy-related disease states. Substance abuse poses a number of challenges with respect to the management of pain and the conduct of anaesthesia in ...
Propofol-induced changes in myoplasmic calcium concentrations in cultured human skeletal muscles from RYR1 mutation carriers
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Malignant hyperthermia is a pharmacogenetic disorder caused by autosomal dominant mutations in the ryanodine receptor type 1 gene. Propofol has been reported as a safe anaesthetic for malignant hyperthermia susceptible patients but has not been tested on cultured cells from ...
The preoperative detection of risk of anaphylaxis during anaesthesia
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY In 144 patients who were referred to an anaesthetic allergy clinic because of perceived risk of anaphylaxis during anaesthesia, the only 'at risk' group that could be identified was patients with a history of unexplained severe adverse reaction during previous anaesthesia ....
USCOM (Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitors) lacks agreement with thermodilution cardiac output and transoesophageal echocardiography valve measurements
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY The USCOM (Ultrasonic Cardiac Output Monitors) device is a non-invasive cardiac output monitor, which utilises transaortic or transpulmonary Doppler flow tracing and valve area estimated using patient height to determine cardiac output. We evaluated USCOM against thermodilution ...
Continuous veno-venous haemofiltration attenuates myocardial mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes activity in porcine septic shock
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in modulating the development of septic shock. In the present study, we investigated whether continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH) with high-volume might improve myocardial mitochondrial ...
Propofol-induced hyperamylasaemia in a general intensive care unit
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY This study examined the incidence of hyperamylasaemia, in the absence of other plausible causes of pancreatic dysfunction, in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who received propofol. One-hundred-and-seventy-two consecutive patients of a general ICU who stayed for more ...
A comparison of 4% succinylated gelatin solution versus normal saline in stable normovolaemic sheep: global haemodynamic, regional blood flow and oxygen delivery effects
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY The objective of this study was to compare the effects on regional blood flow and regional oxygen delivery of 4% succinylated gelatin solution (Gelofusine®, B. Braun) with those of normal saline. This was a randomised, controlled, cross-over large animal study, which took place ...
The influence of flushing epidural catheters before use on detection of intravenous placement: an in vitro and in vivo study
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Undetected intravenous placement of epidural catheters is rare but potentially fatal and no perfect identification method exists. Epidural catheters may be flushed before insertion to identify faulty epidural catheters, or to prime the system with local anaesthetic. We ...
Perioperative complications in patients with drug-eluting stents: a three-year audit at Geelong Hospital
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Drug-eluting stents are a recommended treatment for lesions in the coronary arteries. Stent insertion requires the patient remain on anti-platelet medication for a minimum of six months after insertion. A serious consequence of ceasing anti-platelet medication is late stent ...
Effectiveness of superior versus inferior subconjunctival anaesthesia for cataract surgery
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY This study compared the efficacy of two different injection sites for subconjunctival anaesthesia (SCA) in cataract surgery. One-hundred-and-three eyes of 99 consecutive patients undergoing routine cataract surgery were randomised to receive SCA either to the superior bulbar ...
A modified fascia iliaca compartment block has significant morphine-sparing effect after total hip arthroplasty
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY We assessed whether a modified fascia iliaca compartment block in unilateral total hip arthroplasty provides a morphine-sparing effect in the first 24 hours. This involved a randomised, double blind study of 44 patients. Both groups received a modified fascia iliaca block with ...
Methods of endotracheal tube placement in patients undergoing pelviscopic surgery
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Accidental endobronchial intubation is reported frequently during laparoscopic gynaecological surgery. We performed a prospective randomised study to compare three different methods of endotracheal tube placement in terms of susceptibility of accidental endobronchial intubation ...
The influence of head rotation on ProSeal(TM) laryngeal mask airway sealing during paediatric myringotomy
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion in children involves turning the head from neutral to allow surgical access to the ear. In adults, rotation of the head from the mid-line generally increases the oropharyngeal leak pressure when a ProSeal(TM) laryngeal mask airway ...
Critically ill children in non-paediatric intensive care units: a survey, review and proposal for practice
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Despite strong arguments in favour of centralising care of critically ill children to paediatric intensive care units, around 2000 children per year are cared for in non-paediatric intensive care units in Australia and New Zealand. This paper reports a survey of consultants from ...
Supplemental jet ventilation in conscious patients following major oesophageal surgery
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Intensive care unit patients are at particular risk of respiratory failure after major abdominal surgery. Non-invasive ventilation or application of continuous positive airway pressure through a face mask may stabilise respiratory function and avoid the need for endotracheal ...
Missed foreign body and nessitans empyema
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY A recurrent empyema over a three-month period ultimately presented as an empyema necessitans (an empyema pointing through the skin) due to Fusobacterium varium. The recurrence of the empyema was due to an animal vertebra aspirated during a bar-room altercation, into the right ...
Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in pregnancy. Caesarean section in the second trimester to improve maternal ventilation
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY We report the case of a 25-year-old woman in the second trimester of pregnancy with acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with miliary tuberculosis. Delivery of the baby by caesarean section at 24 weeks gestation resulted in an immediate and sustained improvement in ...
The management of a super morbidly obese parturient delivering twins by caesarean section
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY A super morbidly obese (230 kg, body mass index 76 kg/m^sup 2^) patient presented to our service for a planned elective caesarean section for twin delivery. She subsequently underwent a non-elective caesarean section after normal working hours under combined spinal epidural ...
Bilaterally absent pupillary responses: not always a bad sign
Dec 01, 2007; ... SUMMARY Pupillary responses are a simple test commonly used as a predictor of outcome after severe brain injury. It is also common for clinicians to associate bilaterally absent pupillary responses with very poor prognosis. We report a series of cases of severely brain injured children ...
Estimating oxygenation in methaemoglobinaemia
Dec 01, 2007; ... I read with interest the article by Mullick et al describing management of case of aniline-induced methaemoglobinaemia in a G6PD deficient patient1. The authors need to be commended for their management of the case. However, I wish to bring to notice the possibility of misinterpretation of ...
Audit response rates
Dec 01, 2007; ... Audit is seen as an important part of improving health care1,2. However, participation in clinical audit by doctors varies2. Anecdotally, anaesthesia audits, particularly departmental audits relying on self-reporting, have low response rates. There is, however, little published information on ...
Effect of nitric oxide on oxygenation in lung injury after surgery for ruptured abdominal aneurysm
Dec 01, 2007; ... We report two cases of lung injury after ruptured abdominal aneurysm, in which nitric oxide was used successfully to improve oxygenation. A 77-year-old man underwent emergency surgery for replacement of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. His lung oxygenation decreased postoperatively, ...
Intraoperative hyperglycemia in a child with primary pancreatic lymphoma
Dec 01, 2007; ... Childhood primary pancreatic lymphoma is rare, with lymphoblastic, diffuse large cell and Burkitt lymphoma accounting for most cases. It may be associated with either diabetes mellitus or hypoglycaemic coma1-3. In addition, it is associated with hypercalcaemia and may be part of the differential ...
Fractured spike of needle-less InterLink(TM) Vial Access Cannula
Dec 01, 2007; ... I report an incident of the blue spike of the Inter Link(TM) Vial Access Cannula fracturing during the drawing-up of drugs. The needle-less InterLink(TM) Vial Access Cannula is manufactured by Becton Dickinson and Company (Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; part No. 303367) and is used in many ...
New source of leak on Aestiva®/5 anaesthesia machine
Dec 01, 2007; ... We report a previously unmentioned source of leak on the Aestiva®/5 anaesthesia machine (GE Healthcare, Madison WI, U.S.A.). The machine was checked in accordance with standard guidelines1. The patient had three minutes of uneventful bag ventilation on the Aestiva®/5 machine prior to intubation ....
Transoesophageal Echocardiography: Study guide and practice questions
Dec 01, 2007; ... Transoesophageal Echocardiography: Study guide and practice questions. A. Roscoe; Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, U.K.; £23.99; 157×234 mm; pp. 154; ISBN-13: 978-0-521-68960-1. Transoesophageal Echocardiography by Andrew Roscoe is a brief text ...
The ICU Book. Third Edition
Dec 01, 2007; ... The ICU Book. Third Edition. P. Marino; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Suite 303, 55 Mountain Street, Broadway, N.S.W. 2007; $132.00; 151×229 mm; pp. 1065; ISBN: 978-0-7817-48025. The ICU Book by Paul Marino has been a standard text for ICU trainees for the past 15 years. The format ...
Clinical Critical Care Medicine
Dec 01, 2007; ... Clinical Critical Care Medicine. Eds R. K. Albert, A. S. Slutsky, V. M. Ranieri, J. Takala, A. Torres; Mosby-Elsevier; Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www. elsevier.com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W 2204; $243.00; 220×283 mm; pp. 722; ISBN-10: 0-323-02844-6; ISBN-13: ...
Benumof's Airway Management. Second Edition
Dec 01, 2007; ... Benumof's Airway Management. Second Edition. Ed C. A. Hagberg; Mosby-Elsevier; Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www.elsevier.com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W 2204; $299.00; 220×280 mm; p. 1320; ISBN-10: 0-323-02233-2, ISBN-13: 978-0-323-2233-0. This is the second edition of ...
Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia
Dec 01, 2007; ... Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia. Eds K. G. Allman, I. H. Wilson; Oxford University Press, 253 Normanby Road, South Melbourne, Vic. 3205; $105.00; 110×185 mm; pp. 1203; ISBN-10: 0-19856609-3; ISBN-13: 978-0-19-856609-0. Since its publication in 2001, the Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia has ...
Postoperative Pain Management: An Evidence-based Guide to Practice
Dec 01, 2007; ... Postoperative Pain Management: An Evidence-based Guide to Practice. Eds G. Shorten, D. B. Carr, D. Harmon, M. Puig, J. Browne; Saunders Elsevier; Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www.elsevier. com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W 2204; $175.00; 215×282 mm; pp. 276; ISBN-10: ...
Peripheral Regional Anesthesia: An Atlas of Anatomy and Techniques. Second Edition
Dec 01, 2007; ... Peripheral Regional Anesthesia: An Atlas of Anatomy and Techniques. Second Edition G. Meier, J. Buettner. Thieme Medical, Georg Thieme Verlag, Rüdigerstrasse 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germay or Thieme New York, 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, U.S.A.; $350.00; 235×315 mm; pp.253; ISBN ...
Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniques. Second Edition
Dec 01, 2007; ... Atlas of Pain Management Injection Techniques. Second Edition. Ed S. D. Waldman; Saunders Elsevier; Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www. elsevier.com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W 2204; $310.00; 220×285 mm; pp. 597; ISBN: 978-1-4160-3855-9. This is an Atlas of Pain ...
Get Through FRCA Physics: MCQs
Dec 01, 2007; ... Get Through FRCA Physics: MCQs. R. L. A. Jayaweera, R. Jayaweera; The Royal Society of Medicine Press. Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www.elsevier.com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W. 2204; $73.00; 155×235 mm; pp. 244; ISBN: 1-85315-689-2. This textbook is specifically ...
Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia
Dec 01, 2007; ... Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia. Ed C. A. Wong; McGraw Hill Australia Pty Ltd, Locked Bag 2233, Business Centre, North Ryde, NSW 1670; $135.00; 193×243 mm; pp. 374; ISBN-10: 0-07-143772-X, ISBN-13: 978-0-07-143772-1. One would think that a book dedicated to neuraxial anaesthesia and ...
The Biomechanics of Back Pain. Second Edition
Dec 01, 2007; ... The Biomechanics of Back Pain. second Edition. M. A. Adams, N. Bogduk, K. Burton, P. Dolan, B. J. C. Freeman; Churchill Livingstone; Distributor: Elsevier Australia-www.elsevier.com.au, 30-52 Smidmore St, Marrickville, N.S.W. 2204; $90.00; 190x245 mm; pp. 316; ISBN-10: 0-443-10068-3, ISBN-13: ...
Manual of Office-Based Anesthesia Procedures
Dec 01, 2007; ... Manual of Office-Based Anesthesia Procedures. F E. Shapiro; Wolters Kluwer, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Suite 303,55 Mountain Street, Broadway, NSW 2007; $74.80; 130x211 mm; pp. 200; ISBN-10: 0-7817-6908-6;, ISBN-13: 978-0-7817-6908-2. Manual of Office-Based Anesthesia Procedures ...
Future Meetings
Dec 01, 2007; ... 2008 January 12-13, Wanchai, Hong Kong: 2nd Pan Asian Symposium on Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, New York School of Regional Anesthesia. Venue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Information: NYSORA Asia secretariat, Ping Healthcare, 14 Science Park ...