Neuromuscular dysfunction acquired in critical illness: a systematic review.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of critical illness neuromuscular abnormalities (CINMA).

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources And Study Selection: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for reports on adult ICU patients who were evaluated for CINMA clinically and electrophysiologically.

Achieving the National Quality Forum's "Never Events": prevention of wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong patient operations.

Objective: Review the evidence regarding methods to prevent wrong site operations and present a framework that healthcare organizations can use to evaluate whether they have reduced the probability of wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong patient operations.

Summary Background Data: Operations involving the wrong site, patient, and procedure continue despite national efforts by regulators and professional organizations. Little is known about effective policies to reduce these "never events," and healthcare professional's knowledge or appropriate use of these policies to mitigate events.

Effect of postoperative epidural analgesia on morbidity and mortality after lung resection in Medicare patients.

Study Objective: To perform an analysis of the Medicare claims database in patients undergoing lung resection to determine whether there is an association between postoperative epidural analgesia and mortality.

Design: Retrospective cohort (database) design.

Setting: University hospital.

Gender and post-dural puncture headache.

Gender is believed to be an independent risk factor for the development of post-dural puncture headache, but there are some of the inconsistencies in the available data. This systematic review examined a total of 18 trials (2,163 males, 1,917 females). The odds of developing a post-dural puncture headache were significantly lower for male than nonpregnant female subjects (odds ratio = 0.

Bevel direction and postdural puncture headache: a meta-analysis.

Background: The effect of lumbar puncture needle bevel direction on the incidence of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is somewhat controversial. We performed a meta-analysis of available trials to determine if bevel direction during lumbar puncture would influence the incidence of PDPH.

Review Summary: Studies were identified primarily by searching the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database (1966 to November 29, 2004) and abstracts from several national meetings (American Society of Anesthesiology, International Anesthesia Research Society, American Society of Regional Anesthesia, Society of Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology) for terms related to needle and bevel direction.