Design and Evaluation of a Wireless Electrocardiogram Monitor in an Operating Room: A Pilot Study.

Background: Wired electrocardiogram monitors are an important component of current perioperative monitoring. Wireless monitoring units could help reduce the number of cables attached to patients and thus improve anesthesia ergonomics and patient management. However, there is concern that electromagnetic interference generated by electrosurgical units may prevent effective wireless signals in the operating room.

Determination of the learning curve for ultrasound-guided jugular central venous catheter placement.

Purpose: Use of ultrasound (US) when introducing central venous catheters (CVC) may improve success rates, reduce the number of needle punctures, and decrease complication rates, but has been hampered by supposed difficulty in learning how to perform the technique. This study describes the learning curve for US-guided jugular CVC placement after a training program.

Methods: After an initial slide presentation and a video, intensivists who had not previously used US for CVC placement were evaluated qualitatively for US set up (score S1) and technical skills (score S2).

[Severe imported Falciparum malaria treated with artesunate].

Falciparum malaria is a potentially deadly infectious disease, imposing a sure and fast biologic diagnosis, an early and efficient treatment. We report a case of severe imported Falciparium malaria who received artesunate, and we rewiew the different diagnostic methods of malaria as well as the clinico-biological characteristics of severe malaria. Recent data concerning malaria treatment are presented, as a pharmacokinetic study leaded during this case.

The accuracy of noninvasive hemoglobin measurement by multiwavelength pulse oximetry after cardiac surgery.

Background: In March 2008, a new multiwavelength pulse oximeter, the Radical 7 (Rad7; Masimo Corp., Irvine, CA), was developed that offers noninvasive measurement of hemoglobin concentration. Accuracy has been established in healthy adults and some surgical patients, but not in cardiac surgery intensive care patients, a group at high risk of postoperative bleeding events and anemia in whom early diagnosis could improve management.

The reproducibility of Stewart parameters for acid-base diagnosis using two central laboratory analyzers.

Background: Acid-base derangements can be interpreted using the Stewart-Fencl approach, which includes calculation of the apparent strong ion difference (SID(app)), the effective SID (SID(eff)), and the strong ion gap (SIG). These calculations require the measurement of several variables. We hypothesized that the SID and SIG calculated by different analyzers would not be reproducible because of variability in the measured values.

Time course of hemoglobin concentrations in nonbleeding intensive care unit patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the time course of hemoglobin concentrations in nonbleeding intensive care unit patients.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: Multidisciplinary (medicosurgical) department of intensive care.