Supplemental intravenous crystalloid administration does not reduce the risk of surgical wound infection.

Wound perfusion and oxygenation are important determinants of the development of postoperative wound infections. Supplemental fluid administration significantly increases tissue oxygenation in surrogate wounds in the subcutaneous tissue of the upper arm in perioperative surgical patients. We tested the hypothesis that supplemental fluid administration during and after elective colon resections decreases the incidence of postoperative wound infections.

Supplemental oxygen and carbon dioxide each increase subcutaneous and intestinal intramural oxygenation.

Oxidative killing by neutrophils, a primary defense against surgical pathogens, is directly related to tissue oxygenation. We tested the hypothesis that supplemental inspired oxygen or mild hypercapnia (end-tidal PCO2 of 50 mm Hg) improves intestinal oxygenation. Pigs (25 +/- 2.

Effects of a circulating-water garment and forced-air warming on body heat content and core temperature.

Background: Forced-air warming is sometimes unable to maintain perioperative normothermia. Therefore, the authors compared heat transfer, regional heat distribution, and core rewarming of forced-air warming with a novel circulating-water garment.

Methods: Nine volunteers were each evaluated on two randomly ordered study days.

Supplemental perioperative fluid administration increases tissue oxygen pressure.

Background: Wound infections are common and serious surgical complications. Wound perfusion delivers oxygen, inflammatory cells, growth factors, and cytokines to injured tissues. Hypoperfused regions experience low oxygen tensions that do not support adequate oxidative killing or wound healing.

Effects of decreasing endotracheal tube cuff pressures during neck retraction for anterior cervical spine surgery.

Object: The authors' goal was to determine whether the incidence of postoperative sore throat, hoarseness, and dysphagia associated with anterior spine surgery is reduced by maintaining endotracheal tube cuff pressure (ETCP) at 20 mm Hg during the period of neck retraction.

Methods: Fifty-one patients scheduled for anterior cervical spine surgery were enrolled. After intubation, ETCP was adjusted to 20 mm Hg in all patients.