COVERT: A classless approach to generating balanced datasets for process modelling.

In this work, a classless oversampling technique, Covert, was developed to improve historical datasets from industrial processing plants to aid process modelling. Using kernel density estimation and nearest neighbour algorithms, sparse regions are identified and resampled, developing a more balanced dataset. When applied to a real dataset from a geothermal power plant, Covert outperforms current best practice (Smote) in uniformly populating the input feature space and generating credible data in the output variable.

[Treatment of cardiac arrest in potential organ donors creates ethical conflicts].

This article describes the results of an interview study on the ethical issues related to treating cardiac arrest in potential organ donors in Denmark. The medical background and the Danish guidelines relevant to the issue are described. The results from the interview study are then summarized and analyzed from an ethical perspective in order to clarify the ethical issues and value conflicts experienced by health personnel in this situation.

Twenty years' experience at the Heart Transplant Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark.

Objectives: The Heart Transplantation Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, now has 20 years' experience with heart transplantation (HTX). This study aims to evaluate long-term outcome after HTX including incidences of cancer and severe renal dysfunction.

Design: Outcomes were reviewed using the transplant database of our department, the Scandiatransplant database, hospital medical records, and national database of biopsies.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult patients with severe acute respiratory failure.

Background: A group of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is resistant to advanced respiratory therapy. In these patients, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be used as a rescue therapy. This study presents 14 years of experience from a Scandinavian ECMO centre.

[Influenza A H1N1v treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation].

A 37-year-old woman with body mass index > 30 was admitted to hospital with severe pneumonia due to H1N1v. Thoracic X-ray showed bilateral, diffuse infiltrates. There was no sign of complicating bacterial infection and all microbiological tests of tracheal secretion, blood and urine were negative.

Pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Ten years experience in Denmark.

Objectives: To evaluate survival and functional outcome in patients treated by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in Denmark.

Design: Follow-up of the first 50 patients operated at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Results: Fifty patients underwent PEA in the period from 1994 to mid 2004.

Postoperative treatment with low molecular weight heparin after right heart assist for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Right heart assist (RHA) was used for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We explored the affection of the coagulation system during surgery and evaluated two different antithrombotic treatments postoperatively. The pilot study comprised 14 patients.

Right heart assist for beating heart coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: Cardiopulmonary bypass used in conventional coronary artery bypass surgery (cCABG) entails a risk of complications. Consequently, the trend is moving towards off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB). This procedure, however, may lead to haemodynamic instability due to kinking of the right ventricle when the posterior aspect of the heart is exposed.

Right heart assist ensures hemodynamic stability during beating heart coronary surgery on marginal arteries. An animal experimental porcine study.

Objectives: In many heart centers myocardial revascularization using beating heart coronary surgery has partly replaced conventional coronary artery bypass grafting (cCABG) using cardiopulmonary bypass. However, access to the marginal arteries is problematic and hampered by space limitations, which might compromise the quality of the anastomoses and it entails a significant risk of hemodynamic instability subsequent to the manipulations of the heart. Hemodynamic impairment may be caused by dislocation of the low-pressure right atrium and ventricle.

Factors predicting atracurium reversal time.

Background: To identify individual factors and combination of factors predictive of reversal time (defined as time from neostigmine administration to train-of-four (TOF) ratio 0.70) from atracurium-induced neuromuscular block, the present study tested the following variables as possible predictors of reversal time: 1) degree of block at the time of antagonism as quantified by first response to TOF or double-burst stimulation (DBS); 2) time from last supplemental dose of atracurium to administration of neostigmine (pre-reversal time); and 3) time from administration of initial atracurium dose to T1 (the magnitude of the first twitch in TOF) recovered to 10% (duration of action of the initial dose of atracurium).

Methods: The study population comprised 83 female patients, ASA physical status 1 or 2, anaesthetized with fentanyl, thiopental, halothane and nitrous oxide.

New equipment for neuromuscular transmission monitoring: a comparison of the TOF-Guard with the Myograph 2000.

Objective: The present study is to clarify whether the bias and limits of agreement of the TOF-Guard and the mechanomyograph differ from those of two mechanomyographs on contra lateral arms. Previous studies of the bias and limits of agreement between acceleromyographical (TOF-Guard) and mechanomyographical measurements of neuromuscular transmission did not take the error introduced by using contra lateral arms into consideration.

Methods: Fifty-two women undergoing gynecological surgery were anesthetized with midazolam, fentanyl, thiopental, halothane and nitrous oxide.

Antagonism of atracurium-induced block in obese patients.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between total body weight (TBW) or body mass index (BMI) and atracurium reversal time.

Methods: The study population comprised 25 patients with TBW < 80 kg and 25 patients with TBW > or = 80 kg anaesthetised with midazolam, thiopentone, fentanyl, nitrous oxide and halothane. Neuromuscular block was induced with 0.

Double burst monitoring during recovery from atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade: a comparison with train-of-four.

Background: Double burst stimulation (DBS) was originally introduced for improved manual detection of residual neuromuscular blockade. Previous studies demonstrated a high correlation between mechanomyographical responses to DBS and train-of-four (TOF) stimulation during recovery from neuromuscular blockade. However, repeatability and bias analyses that are recommended when new monitoring devices are introduced into clinical practice [11] have not yet been performed.

Anthropometric variables as predictors for duration of action of atracurium-induced neuromuscular block.

Reports concerning duration of action of atracurium in obese patients are conflicting. The aim of this study was to evaluate different anthropometric variables as predictors for duration of action of atracurium-induced block. We studied 127 female patients (total body weight 46-119 kg) anesthetized with midazolam, fentanyl, thiopental, nitrous oxide, and halothane.

Optimum time for neostigmine reversal of atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the optimum time for administration of neostigmine during recovery from atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade.

Methods: The study comprised 103 patients anaesthetised with midazolam, fentanyl, thiopentone, halothane, and nitrous oxide. Relaxation was induced with atracurium 0.

Response to double-burst appears before response to train-of-four stimulation during recovery from non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockade.

Background: Double-burst stimulation (DBS) it a relatively new nerve stimulation mode introduced for improved manual detection of residual neuromuscular blockade. Previous studies have shown that DBS3,3 50/50 (3 stimuli at 50 Hz followed 0.75 seconds later by 3 stimuli at 50 Hz) can detect deeper degrees of neuromuscular blockade than train-of-four (TOF) stimulation.

Time to peak effect of neostigmine at antagonism of atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block.

Study Objective: (1) To determine the time to peak effect of neostigmine (time to peak antagonism) during atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block; and (2) to determine the effect on time to peak effect of neostigmine during atracurium-induced neuromuscular block, when the dose of neostigmine is increased from 35 micrograms/kg to 70 micrograms/kg.

Design: Prospective, randomized clinical study.

Setting: Gynecologic operating room suite at a university hospital.

Optimum time for neostigmine administration to antagonize vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade.

We followed the recovery time course in 46 patients antagonized by neostigmine (0.036 mg kg-1) at different levels of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade ranging from post-tetanic count 1 to train-of-four ratio 0.4 and in 15 patients during spontaneous recovery.

Double burst monitoring during surgical degrees of neuromuscular blockade: a comparison with train-of-four.

Unlabelled: With double burst stimulation (DBS) it is possible to monitor more profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade than with train-of-four stimulation (TOF). It may therefore be indicated to change between DBS and TOF stimulation during moderate to profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade. Consequently, the aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the twitch height of the first twitch (D1) in DBS and the twitch height of the first twitch (T1) in TOF stimulation during moderate to profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade.

Comparison of tactile and mechanomyographical assessment of response to double burst and train-of-four stimulation during moderate and profound neuromuscular blockade.

It is common clinical practice to estimate the degree of neuromuscular blockade by tactile evaluation of twitch responses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of tactile responses of adductor pollicis to double-burst stimulation (DBS) and train-of-four (TOF) peripheral nerve stimulation for monitoring moderate and profound levels of neuromuscular blockade. The study comprised 44 women scheduled for gynaecological laparotomy and anaesthetised with midazolam, fentanyl, thiopentone, halothane, nitrous oxide and atracurium.

Anthropometric variables as predictors for duration of action of vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block.

To identify the best anthropometric predictor for duration of action of neuromuscular block and to propose a better dosing regimen for vecuronium in obese patients, we studied 67 female patients (body weight 45-126 kg) anesthetized with thiopental, fentanyl, droperidol, and nitrous oxide. Twelve different anthropometric variables were evaluated as predictors for duration of action. Simple and multiple linear, least-squares, regression analyses were used.

Effect of epidurally administered bupivacaine on atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade.

The effect of epidurally administered bupivacaine on duration, intensity and reversal characteristics of atracurium-induced neuromuscular blockade was studied in 30 healthy patients anaesthetized with thiopentone, fentanyl, midazolam and nitrous oxide. Fifteen patients received, in addition, epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine. The remaining patients served as controls.