Blood pressure control with phenylephrine or dobutamine: a randomized controlled trial comparing effects on cerebral and paravertebral tissue oxygen saturation measured with near-infrared spectroscopy.

Preserving haemodynamics is expected to positively affect tissue oxygen saturation. We hypothesized that maintaining mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) (using phenylephrine (PE) or dobutamine (Dobu)) would equally affect regional cerebral and paravertebral tissue saturation (rSO and rSO, respectively). Thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive either PE or Dobu, in order to keep MAP within 20% of the preoperative value.

Incongruous effect of phenylephrine on changes in cerebral blood volume measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) indicating extracranial contamination.

We assessed extracranial contamination of the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signal during administration of phenylephrine. The study was performed with NIRO 200NX which employs both the Modified Beer-Lambert (MBL) method to measure total hemoglobin (tHb, expressed in µM), and Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy (SRS) to measure total hemoglobin content (nTHI, expressed in arbitrary units (a.u.

Cardiac Biomarkers for the Prediction and Detection of Adverse Cardiac Events After Noncardiac Surgery: A Narrative Review.

Yearly, more than 200 million people worldwide undergo noncardiac surgery, of whom about 5% will develop cardiovascular complications. Prevention, early recognition, and prompt treatment of these adverse cardiovascular events is therefore an important concern in perioperative medicine. The present narrative review aims to provide an overview and critical analysis of the currently available evidence on the role of biomarkers in perioperative cardiac risk assessment and monitoring of perioperative cardiac events before and after noncardiac surgery.

Ephedrine and phenylephrine induce opposite changes in cerebral and paraspinal tissue oxygen saturation, measured with near-infrared spectroscopy: a randomized controlled trial.

While the effects of phenylephrine (PE) and ephedrine (E) on cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO) already has been studied, the effect on paraspinal oxygen saturation (rSO) is still unexplored. This study aims to assess the effect of PE and E on rSO and rSO, measured with near-infrared spectroscopy. A randomized 4-treatment cross-over trial was designed in 28 patients under BIS-titrated anaesthesia with sevoflurane.

Microvascular reactivity monitored with near-infrared spectroscopy is impaired after induction of anaesthesia in cardiac surgery patients: An observational study.

Background: Induction of anaesthesia causes significant macrohaemodynamic changes, but little is known about its effects on the microcirculation. However, alterations in microvascular perfusion are known to be associated with impaired tissue oxygenation and organ dysfunction. Microvascular reactivity can be assessed with vascular occlusion testing, which evaluates the response of tissue oxygen saturation to transient ischaemia and reperfusion.

Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation Patterns with Near-infrared Spectroscopy during Pharmacological-induced Pressure Changes.

Background: Previous work has demonstrated paradoxical increases in cerebral oxygen saturation (ScO2) as blood pressure decreases and paradoxical decreases in ScO2 as blood pressure increases. It has been suggested that these paradoxical responses indicate a functional cerebral autoregulation mechanism. Accordingly, the authors hypothesized that if this suggestion is correct, paradoxical responses will occur exclusively in patients with intact cerebral autoregulation.

Implementation of a structured information transfer checklist improves postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery.

Background: During one hospital stay, a patient can be cared for by five different units. With patient transfer from one unit to another, it is of prime importance to convey a complete picture of the patient's situation to minimise the risk of medical errors and to provide optimal patient care.

Objective(s): This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the implementation of a standardised checklist used during verbal patient handover could improve postoperative data transfer after congenital cardiac surgery.

A pathophysiological approach towards right ventricular function and failure.

The scope of this review is to provide a pathophysiological summary of perioperative right ventricular function and failure. In recent decades, the importance of right ventricular function in the perioperative period has been established. However, much of our current knowledge on the management of this clinical entity is based on extrapolation of results from left ventricular research, although biventricular physiology is known to be markedly different in many aspects.

Levosimendan: molecular mechanisms and clinical implications: consensus of experts on the mechanisms of action of levosimendan.

The molecular background of the Ca(2+)-sensitizing effect of levosimendan relates to its specific interaction with the Ca(2+)-sensor troponin C molecule in the cardiac myofilaments. Over the years, significant preclinical and clinical evidence has accumulated and revealed a variety of beneficial pleiotropic effects of levosimendan and of its long-lived metabolite, OR-1896. First of all, activation of ATP-sensitive sarcolemmal K(+) channels of smooth muscle cells appears as a powerful vasodilator mechanism.

Cerebral oxygen desaturation during beach chair position.

Context: Cases of ischaemic brain damage have been reported in relatively healthy patients undergoing shoulder surgery in the beach chair position. Unrecognised cerebral hypoperfusion may have contributed to these catastrophic events, indicating that routine anaesthesia monitoring may not suffice. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides a non-invasive, continuous method to measure regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rScO2).

Right ventricular function declines after cardiac surgery in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

Right ventricular function (RVF) is often selectively declined after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) the incidence and persistence of declined RVF after cardiac surgery is unknown. The current study aimed to describe RVF after cardiac surgery in these patients.

Effect of remote ischemic conditioning on atrial fibrillation and outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (RICO-trial).

Background: Pre- and postconditioning describe mechanisms whereby short ischemic periods protect an organ against a longer period of ischemia. Interestingly, short ischemic periods of a limb, in itself harmless, may increase the ischemia tolerance of remote organs, e.g.

Magnesium--essentials for anesthesiologists.

Magnesium plays a fundamental role in many cellular functions, and thus there is increasing interest in its role in clinical medicine. Although numerous experimental studies indicate positive effects of magnesium in a variety of disease states, large clinical trials often give conflicting results. However, there is clear evidence for magnesium to benefit patients with eclampsia or torsades de pointes arrhythmias.

A randomised trial comparing sufentanil versus remifentanil for laparoscopic gastroplasty in the morbidly obese patient.

Background And Objective: This prospective, randomised double-blind study compared the effects of target control infusion (TCI) of sufentanil and remifentanil on the quality of recovery and post-operative pain control in morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic gastroplasty.

Methods: Following institutional Ethics Committee approval and written informed consent, 100 morbidly obese patients were randomised to receive either TCI sufentanil (0.3 ng ml⁻¹; S-group; N = 50) or TCI remifentanil (3 ng ml⁻¹; R-group; N = 50) in combination with desflurane (O₂/air mixture: FiO₂, 50%).

A randomized controlled trial comparing an intraoperative goal-directed strategy with routine clinical practice in patients undergoing peripheral arterial surgery.

Background And Objective: We hypothesized that, in vascular surgery patients, the application of a goal-directed strategy based on a pulse contour-derived cardiac index would be associated with a better haemodynamic status than the application of routine perioperative care and that the amount of fluid and/or inotropes required in such a goal-directed therapy depended on the general anaesthetic technique used.

Methods: Patients undergoing peripheral arterial bypass grafting were randomly assigned to three groups. In group 1, haemodynamic management was performed according to routine clinical practice.

Drugs mediating myocardial protection.

The occurrence of myocardial ischaemia will result in either reversible or irreversible myocardial dysfunction. Even when revascularization is successful, some reperfusion injury may occur that transiently impairs myocardial function. Therefore, treatment should not only be directed towards prompt restoration of myocardial blood flow but measures should also be taken to prevent or alleviate the consequences of myocardial reperfusion injury.

Update on inhalational anaesthetics.

Purpose Of Review: Inhalational anaesthetic agents are a cornerstone in modern anaesthetic practice. The currently used compounds are very effective and have a good safety profile. In addition, it has been demonstrated that they possess organ-protective properties that might provide an additional tool in the treatment or prevention of the consequences of organ ischaemia-reperfusion injury or both.