[Degloving injury of the thorax and abdomen].

A 22-year-old man was caught between a truck and a wagon. His chest was torn apart from the sternum downward; both lungs and the heart were visible. The skin and mucosa were covered with oil from the truck.

Scrutinizing incident reporting in anaesthesia: why is an incident perceived as critical?

Background: The purpose of the present study was to measure the incidence and type of incidents that occurred in relation to anaesthesia and surgery during a 1-year period in six Danish hospitals. Furthermore, we wanted to identify risk factors for incidents, as well as risk factors for incidents being deemed critical.

Methods: A four-page questionnaire describing patient data, type of anaesthesia and surgery, and occurrence of incidents was filled in for all anaesthesias in the period, and subsequently processed.

Intracranial pressure and cerebral hemodynamic in patients with cerebral tumors: a randomized prospective study of patients subjected to craniotomy in propofol-fentanyl, isoflurane-fentanyl, or sevoflurane-fentanyl anesthesia.

Background: A critical point during craniotomy is opening of dura, where a high intracranial pressure (ICP) results in swelling of cerebral tissue. Controlled studies concerning ICP, degree of dural tension, and degree of cerebral swelling are therefore warranted.

Methods: In an open-label study, 117 patients with supratentorial cerebral tumors were randomized to propofol-fentanyl (group 1), isoflurane-fentanyl (group 2), or sevoflurane-fentanyl anesthesia (group 3).

[Seriously injured patients intubated at the accident site. A three-year survey from the mobile emergency care unit in Aarhus].

Background: The success rate of out-of-hospital endotracheal intubations performed by paramedics has been questioned. It seems to be difficult to achieve and keep a routine. The aim was to describe the severity of injuries and the number of such intubations in trauma patients treated by the Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU) staffed with an anaesthetist.

ICP is lower during propofol anaesthesia compared to isoflurane and sevoflurane.

Objectives: Propofol is a cerebral vasoconstrictor while inhalation anaesthetics like isoflurane and sevoflurane act as cerebral vasodilators in both animal and human studies. This difference of action upon cerebral vessels might implicate a lower ICP during propofol anaesthesia. Cerebral metabolism is decreased by all three anaesthetics.