Online exhaled propofol monitoring in normal-weight and obese surgical patients.

Background: Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) allows for online quantification of exhaled propofol concentrations. We aimed to validate a bedside online IMS device, the Edmon , for predicting plasma concentrations of propofol in normal-weight and obese patients.

Methods: Patients with body mass index (BMI) >20 kg/m scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy or bariatric surgery were recruited.

Current use of ultrasound for central vascular access in children and infants in the Nordic countries--a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The use of ultrasound (US) guidance for central vascular access in children has been advocated as a safer approach compared to traditional landmark techniques. We therefore collected data on the current use of US for central vascular access in children and infants in the Nordic countries.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire was distributed to one anaesthesiologist at every hospital in the Nordic countries; a total of 177 anaesthesiologists were contacted from July till August 2012.