Physiological responses in female rescuers during 30 minutes sustained CPR with feedback: a comparison between medicine and physical education students.

Objectives: Since fatigue seems related to poorer physical fitness rather than to gender, we analyzed the physiological responses in female medicine and physical education students during a 30 minutes sustained cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) sequence.

Methods: Handgrip strength and maximal aerobic power (V02 max) determined strength and endurance. Twenty-three medicine (M) and 27 physical education (PE) female students performed 30 minutes CPR.

Repetitive sessions of formative self-testing to refresh CPR skills: a randomised non-inferiority trial.

Objectives: To investigate whether repetitive sessions of formative self-testing (RFST) result in an equal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skill level compared to repetitive sessions of formative self-testing with additional practice (RFSTAP).

Methods: In a non-inferiority trial, 196 third-year medical students were randomised to an RFST or RFSTAP group. Testing and practising took place in a self-learning station equipped with a manikin connected to a computer.

Investigation of urinary excretion of hydroxyethyl starch and dextran by uhplc-hrms in different acquisition modes.

Plasma volume expanders (PVEs) such as hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and dextran are misused in sports because they can prevent dehydration and reduce haematocrit values to mask erythropoietin abuse. Endogenous hydrolysis generates multiple HES and dextran oligosaccharides which are excreted in urine. Composition of the urinary metabolic profiles of PVEs varies depending on post-administration time and can have an impact on their detectability.

Awareness of dental practitioners to cope with a medical emergency: a survey in Belgium.

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine whether in Belgium dentists feel confident to diagnose a medical emergency situation in their dental practice.

Methods: A questionnaire was completed by 7.0% of the active Belgian general dental practitioners (n = 548) including questions on the frequency and knowledge of medical emergency situations in the dental office, history of dental training to treat emergency situations and confidence level in treating emergency situations.

Retraining basic life support skills using video, voice feedback or both: a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: The optimal strategy to retrain basic life support (BLS) skills on a manikin is unknown. We analysed the differential impact of a video (video group, VG), voice feedback (VFG), or a serial combination of both (combined group, CG) on BLS skills in a self-learning (SL) environment.

Methods: Two hundred and thirteen medicine students were randomly assigned to a VG, a VFG and a CG.

Training to deeper compression depth reduces shallow compressions after six months in a manikin model.

Introduction: Studies show that students, trained to perform compressions between 40 and 50mm deep, often do not achieve sufficient depth at retention testing. We hypothesized that training to achieve depths >50mm would decrease the proportion of students with depth <40mm after 6 months, compared to students trained to a depth interval of 40-50mm.

Methods: A basic life support (BLS) self-learning station was attended by 190 third year medicine students.

The effect of Lidocaine on the viability of cultivated mature human cartilage cells: an in vitro study.

Purpose: More and more orthopedic procedures are performed in an outpatient setting. A commonly used strategy in pain management is the intra-articular injection of local anesthetics. Recent attention has been drawn to their possible toxic effect on chondrocytes.

Medication in the perioperative period: stop or continue? A review.

Preoperative evaluation of medication is important as part of the anesthetic plan. The aim of this manuscript is to evaluate and compare through literature review the existing evidence to support optimal perioperative medication management.

The peri-operative use of intra-articular local anesthetics: a review.

Acute and chronic pain are of major concern after orthopedic surgery. The increasing trend toward day case surgery induced the development of different techniques in postoperative pain control. One commonly used strategy in pain management after knee and shoulder joint surgery is the intra-articular (IA) use of local anesthetics (LA).

Comparison of contemporary EEG derived depth of anesthesia monitors with a 5 step validation process.

During the last decennium, a growing number of depth of anesthesia monitors, extracting information from the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) have been developed and commercialized. The growing interest in depth of anesthesia monitoring resulted in an intensified technological progress. Innovations on both hardware and mathematical algorithms were introduced for improving the extraction of data.

Manual versus target-controlled infusion remifentanil administration in spontaneously breathing patients.

Background: The combination of propofol-remifentanil for procedural deep sedation in spontaneously breathing patients is characterized by the frequent incidence of side effects, especially respiratory depression. These side effects may be due to either the drug combination or the drug delivery technique. Target-controlled infusion (TCI) might optimize drug delivery.

Myasthenia gravis and thymectomy: an anaesthetic approach.

In this paper, we discuss the case of a 48 year old patient with newly diagnosed myasthenia gravis, who is scheduled for a thymectomy. The patient's history showed an undocumented difficult intubation, which led to the approach of an awake intubation after sevoflurane induction. We used a slightly modified non-muscle relaxant technique, allowing induction and maintanance of anesthesia under safe and excellent conditions.

Latex allergy: a challenge for anaesthetists.

First reported in 1979, anaesthetists now encounter more and more patients with latex allergy. Several risk groups prone to develop this allergy have been identified. A thorough preoperative interview is necessary to detect high-risk patients.

Postoperative results after desflurane or sevoflurane combined with remifentanil in morbidly obese patients.

Background: This randomized prospective study with blinded postanesthesia care unit (PACU) observers compared the recovery profiles in morbidly obese patients who received sevoflurane or desflurane for maintenance of anesthesia in combination with a remifentanil target controlled infusion (TCI).

Methods: 50 morbidly obese patients scheduled for laparoscopic gastric banding were included to receive BIS-guided sevoflurane or desflurane anesthesia with BIS-triggered inhalation boli in combination with remifentanil TCI. In the PACU, the following recovery scores were investigated: Modified Aldrete score, a modified Observers' Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale (OAA/S), pain numerical rating scale (NRS), oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).

Remifentanil used to supplement propofol does not improve quality of sedation during spontaneous respiration.

Study Objective: To evaluate whether the use of remifentanil to supplement propofol during spontaneous respiration confers any benefits in terms of quality of sedation and recovery, or in terms of reduction in propofol requirements.

Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

Setting: University hospital.

Anaesthesia for a patient with Leigh's syndrome undergoing surgery for scoliosis.

Anaesthesia for patients with Leigh's syndrome has rarely been reported. Leigh's syndrome or subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy is a neurodegenerative disorder of infancy or childhood. Acute exacerbation with respiratory failure may accompany surgery and general anaesthesia.

Propofol versus remifentanil for monitored anaesthesia care during colonoscopy.

Background And Objective: We conducted an open, prospective, randomized study to compare the efficacy, safety and recovery characteristics of remifentanil or propofol during monitored anaesthesia care in patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Methods: Forty patients were randomly assigned to receive either propofol (1 mg kg(-1) followed by 10 mg kg (-1) h(-1), n = 20) or remifentanil (0.5 microg kg(-1) followed by 0.

Ambulatory electrical external cardioversion with propofol or etomidate.

Study Objective: To compare, in pairwise fashion, the effects of propofol and etomidate during ambulatory cardioversion and early recovery.

Design: Clinical, prospective, randomized, blinded, monocenter, pairwise, comparative study

Setting: OR and recovery area of the electrophysiological department, University Hospital Ghent, Belgium.

Patients: 34 patients with atrial arrhythmia who were scheduled for repetitive electrical cardioversion, of whom 25 patients completed the study.

Cost-reduction analysis of propofol versus sevoflurane: maintenance of anaesthesia for gynaecological surgery using the bispectral index.

Background And Objective: The study was designed to compare the costs of propofol versus sevoflurane for the maintenance of the hypnotic component of anaesthesia during general anaesthesia, guided by the bispectral index, for gynaecological laparoscopic surgery.

Methods: Forty ASA Grade I-II female patients scheduled for gynaecological laparoscopy were randomly allocated to two groups. All patients received a continuous infusion of remifentanil (0.

Comparative efficacy and safety of remifentanil and fentanyl in 'fast track' coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a randomized, double-blind study.

This multi-centre, parallel group, randomized, double-blind study compared the efficacy and safety of high-dose remifentanil administered by continuous infusion with an intermittent bolus fentanyl regimen, when given in combination with propofol for general anaesthesia in 321 patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A significantly lower proportion of the patients who received remifentanil had responses to maximal sternal spread (the primary efficacy endpoint) compared with those who received fentanyl (11% vs 52%; P<0.001).