This article explored the application of dexmedetomidine(Dex),a highly selective alpha-2 agonist,in managing postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD)in elderly patients undergoing radical colon cancer surgery.Aging i...This article explored the application of dexmedetomidine(Dex),a highly selective alpha-2 agonist,in managing postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD)in elderly patients undergoing radical colon cancer surgery.Aging is associated with a progressive decline in physiological functions and an increased risk of adverse surgical outcomes,including POCD,which encompasses many neurocognitive disorders that manifest during the perioperative period.The aging population is at a higher risk for POCD,which can lead to prolonged hospital stays,delayed recovery,and increased healthcare costs.Dex has neuroprotective,opioid-sparing,and sympatholytic properties,which reduces the incidence and severity of POCD.Dex was introduced for sedation in patients receiving mechanical ventilation but has since been adopted in anesthesia due to its multifaceted benefits.Its appli-cation extends to sedation,analgesia,maintenance of anesthesia,and controlling delirium.Its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects have been explored in managing POCD.This article discussed the broad range of patient and procedure-related risk factors for POCD.Early identification and intervention are crucial to prevent the progression of POCD,which can have severe physical,psychological,and economic consequences.The article underscored the importance of a mul-tidisciplinary approach in managing POCD,involving the optimization of comor-bidities,depth of anesthesia monitoring,hemodynamic stability,and cerebral oxygenation monitoring.展开更多
BACKGROUND Tourniquets are commonly used in elective extremity orthopaedic surgery to reduce blood loss,improve visualization in the surgical field,and to potentially reduce surgical time.There is a lack of consensus ...BACKGROUND Tourniquets are commonly used in elective extremity orthopaedic surgery to reduce blood loss,improve visualization in the surgical field,and to potentially reduce surgical time.There is a lack of consensus in existing guidelines regarding the optimal tourniquet pressure,placement site,and duration of use.There is a paucity of data on the relationship between the site of a tourniquet and postoperative pain in foot and ankle surgery.AIM To explore the relationship between tourniquet site and intensity of post-operative pain scores in patients undergoing elective foot and ankle surgery.METHODS Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 201 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery in a single institution was undertaken.Intraoperative tourniquet duration,tourniquet pressure and site,and postoperative pain scores using Visual Analogue Score were collected in immediate recovery,at six hours and at 24 h post-op.Scatter plots were used to analyse the data and to assess for the statistical correlation between tourniquet pressure,duration,site,and pain scores using Pearson correlation coefficient.RESULTS All patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery had tourniquet pressure of 250 mmHg for ankle tourniquet and 300 mmHg for thigh.There was no correlation between the site of the tourniquet and pain scores in recovery,at six hours and after 24 h.There was a weak correlation between tourniquet time and Visual Analogue Score immediately post-op(r=0.14,P=0.04)but not at six or 24 h post-operatively.CONCLUSION This study shows that there was no statistically significant correlation between tourniquet pressure,site and postop pain in patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.The choice of using a tourniquet is based on the surgeon's preference,with the goal of minimizing the duration of its application at the operative site.展开更多
Background: Chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents poses an occupational hazard related to the practice of anaesthesia. Therefore, this study sought to find out the perception of anaesthesia providers on expos...Background: Chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents poses an occupational hazard related to the practice of anaesthesia. Therefore, this study sought to find out the perception of anaesthesia providers on exposure to inhalational anaesthetics, evaluate their knowledge on the effects of chronic exposure and strategies to reduce chronic exposure to operating room inhalational anaesthetic agents. Method: This cross-sectional survey was conducted by administering a self-administered questionnaire to 71 anaesthesia providers in Ghana who attended the annual refresher course of the faculty of Anaesthesia, West African College of Surgeons, in 2016. Data collected were analysed and presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Halothane and isoflurane were the most frequently used inhalational agents by the respondents. Majority (90.1%) of the respondents perceived they are exposed to inhalational anaesthetics in their working environment. Majority of the anaesthetic providers cited poorly functioning scavenging systems (28.2%) and use of paediatric Ayre’s T-piece (28.2%) as sources of exposure to inhalational anaesthetics. All respondents admitted making attempts to reduce their exposure to inhalational anaesthetics. Majority of the respondents mentioned teratogenicity (77.5%) and hepatotoxicity (67.6%) as effects of chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents. Conclusion: Anaesthesia providers in Ghana perceived they are chronically exposed to inhalational anaesthetic agents in their work environment. They are aware of the sources of inhalational anaesthetic agent exposure, associated health risks and strategies required to reduce chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents.展开更多
Background: Hypnosis monitoring has been shown to reduce the incidence of awareness. A-line ARX-IndexTM (AAI) derived from auditory evoked potentials (AEP) represents as a numerical variable depth of anaesthesia. Obje...Background: Hypnosis monitoring has been shown to reduce the incidence of awareness. A-line ARX-IndexTM (AAI) derived from auditory evoked potentials (AEP) represents as a numerical variable depth of anaesthesia. Objectives: To study the efficacy of AEP as an indicator of anaesthetic depth and monitor intraoperative awareness in neurosurgical patients by using the AAI scale. Design: Prospective cohort study is used. Setting: The study is in Neurosurgical centre of Tertiary care hospital. Participants: Neurosurgical patients requiring general anaesthesia with duration of surgery between 90 - 150 minutes were enrolled for the study. Intervention: Patients in Group 1 (control) were monitored by conventional methods. Patients in Group 2 (study) underwent intraoperative monitoring by using the AEP monitor. Primary outcome: To study the efficacy of AEP monitoring and AAI index for monitoring the depth of anaesthesia and reducing the incidence of awareness. Results: There was no significant difference in the intraoperative haemodynamic responses measured between the two study groups (p > 0.5). There was no significant difference in the identification of intraoperative awareness by using conventional parameters between the two groups (p > 0.5). There was also a significantly faster time to recovery for patients in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Hypnosis monitoring using AEP monitor/AAI in neurosurgical patients under general anaesthesia did not show any significant difference in haemodynamic response and intraoperative awareness but had significant lower consumption of volatile anaesthetic with cost sparing effect and a faster recovery time as compared to conventional monitoring.展开更多
Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare acquired pulmonary disorder that develops secondary to infectious etiologies in early childhood. Patients who are affected have the potential of developing perioperative respirat...Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare acquired pulmonary disorder that develops secondary to infectious etiologies in early childhood. Patients who are affected have the potential of developing perioperative respiratory complications. While regional anaesthetic techniques are often performed as adjuncts to general anaesthesia, there is less data on breast operations being done solely under regional anaesthesia. We herein describe a patient with Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome who underwent breast lesion wide excision under combined paravertebral and pectoral nerves block, supplemented with propofol infusion for sedation. Choice of blocks was decided upon based on knowledge on the anatomy. Sole regional anaesthetic techniques have been the safest approach in some circumstances and should always be considered in patients who are of high risk under general anaesthesia.展开更多
Background: The main function of the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff is to ensure a tight seal between the tracheal wall and the endotracheal tube to prevent stomach contents from entering the trachea during ventilation ...Background: The main function of the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff is to ensure a tight seal between the tracheal wall and the endotracheal tube to prevent stomach contents from entering the trachea during ventilation thus preventing aspiration. Whereas excessive inflation of the cuff is associated with complications as a result of impaired blood supply to the trachea mucosa, low inflation pressure puts the patient at risk of aspiration. This study sought to find the accuracy of correctly estimating the cuff pressure and whether experience has effect on the accuracy. Methods: After approval from the Ethics Committee, we observed 199 patients who had general anaesthesia and had been intubated at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,KumasiGhana. Anaesthesia practitioners were blinded to the study. The endotracheal cuff pressure was measured using a low pressure manometer. The experience of the Anaesthetist was also noted. Results: Only 26% of the cuff pressures measured were within the acceptable range of 20-30 cm H2O. 4.5% of the pressures measured were below the acceptable minimum value of20 cm H2O hence exposing the patient to the risk of aspiration. 68% of the cuff pressures measured were above the maximum pressure of30 cm H2O. Physician anaesthetists were likely to inflate the cuff correctly. They had average inflation pressures of24 cm H2O with minimum and maximum inflation pressures of15 cm H2O and32 cm H2O respectively. Resident physician anaesthetists inflate the endotracheal pressures moderately high, an average of41.64 cm H2O. Nurse anaesthetists and student nurse anaesthetists had a tendency to overinflate the endotracheal cuff above the recommended range of 20-30 cm H2O. Their mean inflating pressures were 64.7 and 68.54 respectively. Conclusion: ETT cuff pressures measured by the low pressure aneroid manometer in patients undergoing general anaesthesia in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are routinely high and are significantly higher when inflated by nurse anaesthetists, student nurse anaesthetists and Anaesthesia residents.展开更多
BACKGROUND The use of opioids for pain is linked to an increased risk of developing opioid use disorder,and has resulted in the emergence of the opioid crisis over the last few years.AIM The systematic review question...BACKGROUND The use of opioids for pain is linked to an increased risk of developing opioid use disorder,and has resulted in the emergence of the opioid crisis over the last few years.AIM The systematic review question is“How does the use of opioid medications in pain management,compared with non-opioid medications,affect pain intensity over the short,intermediate,and long-term in adults with acute traumatic pain?”.METHODS The protocol was prospectively registered on the International Prospective Re-gister of Systematic Reviews:CRD42021279639.Medline and Google Scholar were electronically searched for controlled peer-reviewed studies published in full,with the PICO framework:P:Adult patients with traumatic injuries,I:Opioid medications,C:Non-opioid medi-cations,O:A minimum clinically important difference(MCID)in pain.RESULTS After full-text screening,we included 14 studies in the qualitative synthesis.Of these 14 studies,12 were rando-mized clinical trials(RCTs)and 2 were pseudo-RCTs with a total of 2347 patients enrolled.There was heteroge-neity in both medication utilized and outcome in these studies;only two studies were homogeneous regarding the type of study conducted,the opioid used,its comparator,and the outcome explored.The MCID was evaluated in 8 studies,while in 6 studies,any measured pain reduction was considered as an outcome.In 11 cases,the setting of care was the Emergency Department;in 2 cases,care occurred out-of-hospital;and in one case,the setting was not well-specified.The included studies were found to have a low-moderate risk of bias.CONCLUSION Non-opioids can be considered an alternative to opioids for short-term pain management of acute musculoskeletal injury.Intravenous ketamine may cause more adverse events than other routes of administration.展开更多
Anaphylaxis is a serious systemic reaction that is part of the general pattern of potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions requiring immediate management. We report the case of a patient presenting to emergency wi...Anaphylaxis is a serious systemic reaction that is part of the general pattern of potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions requiring immediate management. We report the case of a patient presenting to emergency with signs of malaria and pneumonia who was diagnosed with grade 4 anaphylaxis following antibiotic injection in the emergency department. The patient was 30 years old, with no previous history of anaphylaxis, and presented to the emergency department with fever, dry cough, headache and dizziness associated with prostration. Physical examination showed stable hemodynamics (BP = 110/80 mmHg, HR = 95 p/min,) and respiratory function with SpO<sub>2</sub> = 98%, HR = 22 c/min and crepitus rales at the base of the lungs. The laboratory work-up carried out in the emergency department revealed a biological inflammatory syndrome associated with hyperleukocytosis of 11,260/mm<sup>3</sup>, a positive thick drop with GE(+) dp = 1183 T/microlitre;blood glucose = 0.83 g/l;Covid 19 RDT = (negative). A diagnosis of malaria and pneumonia was made and antibiotic therapy (ceftriaxone) and artesunate were indicated. During the injection of ceftriaxone 1 g, the patient became agitated, followed by cardiorespiratory arrest, confirming the diagnosis of stage 4 anaphylaxis. Treatment consisted of stopping the ceftriaxone injection, external cardiac massage and ventilation, intravenous adrenaline and vascular filling, which enabled the patient to recover and stabilize. The diagnosis of anaphylaxis is clinical. Early administration of adrenaline is the mainstay of treatment.展开更多
Introduction: Pain assessment is an essential step towards pain relief. In our context, however, it is insufficient in emergency departments. The aim was to assess the nature and effectiveness of the analgesia used in...Introduction: Pain assessment is an essential step towards pain relief. In our context, however, it is insufficient in emergency departments. The aim was to assess the nature and effectiveness of the analgesia used in the emergency department of the CHU-Donka. Method: This was a single-centre prospective observational study conducted over one month (November 2020) in the medical-surgical emergency department of CHU-Donka. All patients aged 18 or over admitted to the emergency department with moderate to severe acute pain were included. Results: We enrolled 880 patients, 615 of whom (69.88%) were in pain. Males predominated (65.2%), with a sex ratio of 1.87. The average age was 44.78 ± 16.41 years, with extremes ranging from 18 to 85 years. The most represented age group was 18 - 34 years, with 66.18%. Initial assessment of pain by nursing staff in 3 cases. Initial assessment of pain by the investigator was 100%, 74% moderate and 26% severe. No reassessment of pain by nursing staff. Reassessment by the interviewer was 100% and found 5% no pain, 61% mild pain, 24% moderate pain and 10% severe pain. With an average numerical scale of 3.77 ± 2.61 and extremes from 0 to 10. Average length of stay was 2.85 ± 1.48 hours, with extremes ranging from 45 minutes to 8 hours. Analgesia was administered with paracetamol alone (43.58%), combined with tramadol or nefopam. No patient received morphine. Conclusion: This study revealed a lack of pain assessment in our department.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> Lower extremity surgeries performed in elderly people usually have high prevalence of peri-operative medical problems related to anaesthesia. The overall objective of peri-oper...<strong>Background:</strong> Lower extremity surgeries performed in elderly people usually have high prevalence of peri-operative medical problems related to anaesthesia. The overall objective of peri-operative care of geriatric population is to fast recovery from anaesthesia and avoid functional decline.<strong> Objective: </strong>To compare the peri-operative pulmonary status of combined spinal epidural anaesthesia (CSEA) and spinal anaesthesia (SA) in geriatric patients underwent lower extremity surgeries. Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (B中央人民政府), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2016 to June 2018. A total of 70 geriatric cases that underwent lower extremity surgeries were included in this study. Cases were randomly allocated into two groups;35 in Group A (CSEA) and 35 in Group B (SAB). The different outcome variables between the groups like-duration of anaesthesia, respiratory rates (RR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), end tidal CO<sub>2</sub> (EtCO<sub>2</sub>), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), breath holding test (BHT), peri-operative side effects of anaesthesia and post-operative visual analogue score (VAS) were analyzed and compared by statistical tests. <strong>Results: </strong>The mean age, weight, BMI of Group A and Group B patients were not significantly different (<em>p</em> > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in duration of surgery, gender and ASA grade between the groups (<em>p</em> > 0.05). Mean duration of anaesthesia, mean time to achieve target level of sensory block and mean time to achieve complete motor block were significantly higher in Group A (<em>p</em> < 0.001). Mean RR, SpO2, EtCO<sub>2</sub>, PEFR and BHT of both groups were not significantly different (<em>p</em> > 0.05). Peri-operative side effects of anaesthesia and post-operative VAS were significantly less in group A patients (<em>p </em>< 0.05). <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Combined spinal epidural anaesthesia is effective and safe;produces stable peri-operative pulmonary status with prolonging analgesia and fewer side effects as compared to spinal anaesthesia in geriatric patients.展开更多
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants are notorious for their transmissibility,but little is known about their subgenomic RNA(sgRNA)expression.This study applied RNA-seq to delineate the quantitative and qualitative profile...The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants are notorious for their transmissibility,but little is known about their subgenomic RNA(sgRNA)expression.This study applied RNA-seq to delineate the quantitative and qualitative profiles of canonical sgRNA of 118 respiratory samples collected from patients infected with Omicron BA.2 and compared with 338 patients infected with non-variant of concern(non-VOC)-D614G.A unique characteristic profile depicted by the relative abundance of 9 canonical sgRNAs was reproduced by both BA.2 and non-VOCD614G regardless of host gender,age and presence of pneumonia.Remarkably,such profile was lost in samples with low viral load,suggesting a potential application of sgRNA pattern to indicate viral activity of individual patient at a specific time point.A characteristic qualitative profile of canonical sgRNAs was also reproduced by both BA.2 and non-VOC-D614G.The presence of a full set of canonical sgRNAs carried a coherent correlation with crude viral load(AUC¼0.91,95%CI 0.88–0.94),and sgRNA ORF7b was identified to be the best surrogate marker allowing feasible routine application in characterizing the infection status of individual patient.Further potentials in using sgRNA as a target for vaccine and antiviral development are worth pursuing.展开更多
Acetazolamide is the commonly prescribed oral and intravenous carbonic anhydrase inhibitor;over the years,its use in clinical practice has decreased in favor of more recent drugs.However,it is a rather handy drug,whic...Acetazolamide is the commonly prescribed oral and intravenous carbonic anhydrase inhibitor;over the years,its use in clinical practice has decreased in favor of more recent drugs.However,it is a rather handy drug,which can be useful in several clinical settings when managing critically ill patients.The objective of this review is the evaluation of the most recent evidence on the use of acetazolamide in emergency medicine and critical care medicine.Furthermore,the safety profile of this drug has been evaluated.This is a narrative review on the use of acetazolamide in the main contexts in which this drug can be useful in emergency situations for patients with potential critical issues.For the timeline 1999–2024,a search was conducted on the main scientific platforms;resources of greatest relevance for the use of acetazolamide in critical care and emergency medicine were selected.The most common emergency situations in which a critically ill patient could benefit from acetazolamide therapy are acute heart failure,acute mountain sickness,post hypercapnic metabolic alkalosis,idiopathic intracranial hypertension and acute angle-closure glaucoma.In a few cases,however,randomized controlled clinical trials have been conducted.There are also other less solid indications based mostly on experience or retrospective data.Acetazolamide seems to be an overall safe drug;serious side effects are rare and can be avoided by carefully selecting the patients to be treated.Acetazolamide represents a precious resource for emergency physicians and intensivists;critical patients with different conditions can in fact benefit from it;furthermore,acetazolamide is a safe drug if administered to correctly selected patients.展开更多
Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, pre-eclampsia remains a major health problem contributing to high rates of maternal mortality. Despite this condition having adverse effects on maternal and child health, its prevale...Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, pre-eclampsia remains a major health problem contributing to high rates of maternal mortality. Despite this condition having adverse effects on maternal and child health, its prevalence and associated risk factors are still significant, especially in developing countries including Ghana. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and demographic distributions associated with pre-eclampsia among pregnant women at the Ho Teaching Hospital. Methods: A facility-based retrospective study was conducted by reviewing available data or hospital records of pregnant mothers admitted to the labor and maternity wards from January 2018 to December 2020. All pregnant women who were diagnosed with pre-eclampsia within this period were included in the study. The data were collected using a structured checklist. Results: 5609 data on pregnant women from 2018 to 2020 were recorded. Out of the 5609 data recorded, 314 pre-eclampsia cases were recorded giving an overall prevalence of 5.6%. The yearly prevalence for 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 4.6%, 5.6%, and 6.6%, respectively. The most recorded pre-eclampsia cases were seen among women within the age group of 18 - 24 years. The data showed that 112 (35.7%) of the pregnant women who had pre-eclampsia were nulliparous. Pre-eclampsia-associated maternal and fetal complications were;preterm delivery 221 (70.4%), intrauterine fetal death 62 (19.7%), eclampsia 9 (2.9%), HELLP syndrome 5 (1.6%) and maternal death 17 (5.4%). Associated factors of pre-eclampsia were parity, level of education, and occupation (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed a rising trend in the incidence of pre-eclampsia over the years at the Ho Teaching Hospital. Parity, level of education, and occupation were found to be associated with developing pre-eclampsia.展开更多
Background and objective: Classically, diabetic subjects are at high risk of anaesthesia compared with general population. However, some recent publications have shown contrasting and sometimes contrary results. The a...Background and objective: Classically, diabetic subjects are at high risk of anaesthesia compared with general population. However, some recent publications have shown contrasting and sometimes contrary results. The aim of our study was to evaluate morbidity and mortality during and after anaesthesia in patients with versus without diabetes operated on at Monkole Hospital over the last ten years. Methods: Retrospective cohort study including all patients who underwent all-comers surgery excluding cardiac surgery between 2011 and 2021. Each diabetic patient was matched to 2 non-diabetic controls on age and sex. The evaluation criterion was the frequency of occurrence of at least one perioperative complication and/or death up to day 30. A multivariate analysis using a Cox model was used to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of this morbidity and mortality. The model was adjusted for comorbidities, preoperative hyperglycaemia, ASA score, type of anaesthesia and severity of surgery. Results: A total of 351 diabetic patients (mean age 53.3 ± 14.18 years) and 701 non-diabetic patients (mean age 53.52 ± 14.7 years) were included and analysed. Preoperatively, hyperglycaemia (blood glucose > 180 mg/dl) was observed in 24.3% of diabetic patients compared with 1.6% of non-diabetic patients. The incidence of overall perioperative complications was 25.6% in diabetic patients compared with 28.6% in non-diabetic patients (p = 0.27). The risk factors associated with this morbidity were general anaesthesia with oro-tracheal intubation vs loco-regional anaesthesia (OR = 3.06 [95%CI: 1.91 - 4.94];p Conclusion: This study shows that there is not significant increase in perioperative morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic ones of similar severity. These results suggest that diabetes itself (excluding associated comorbidities) has only a minor impact on perioperative morbidity and mortality.展开更多
Introduction: The greatest effect of maternal mortality is renowned in children aged 2 - 5 months whose mothers had died. Children whose mothers died due to maternal complications were likely to record a higher mortal...Introduction: The greatest effect of maternal mortality is renowned in children aged 2 - 5 months whose mothers had died. Children whose mothers died due to maternal complications were likely to record a higher mortality in infancy compared to children of surviving mothers. Motherless children mostly suffer a lot due to lack of day-to-day care, isolation, lack of motivation as well as economic cost associated with mother’s death. Thus, the purpose of this study was to ascertain the lives of children whose mothers passed away during childbirth at the Sagnarigu Municipality. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out at the Sagnarigu Municipal. The study recruited 297 respondents. To assess the effects of maternal death on the lives of children, families that experienced maternal death were assessed. The number of pregnancies experienced by the deceased woman, pregnancy-related complaints experienced, determinants of maternal death, number of children alive, and their standard of living were assessed with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Results: The data showed that negligence, illiteracy, poor road access, poverty, ignorance, delays in recognizing the problem, delays in making appropriate decisions, delays in the health facility, delays in giving the appropriate treatments, and traditional beliefs were some of the factors that led to maternal death in the Sagnarigu Municipality. Conclusion: The study concluded that determinants of maternal death in the Sagnarigu Municipal included the following;negligence, illiteracy, poverty, and delays in recognizing the problem. The study findings also demonstrated that the effects of maternal death on children are diverse and cut across different areas of a child’s life including livelihood sustenance, healthcare, education, and emotional and psychological development.展开更多
Background: Despite the advances in anesthetics and non-pharmacological techniques, the prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in all patients remains high. It is one of the most common distressing symptoms t...Background: Despite the advances in anesthetics and non-pharmacological techniques, the prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in all patients remains high. It is one of the most common distressing symptoms that cause dissatisfaction among patients after anesthesia and surgery. A sub-hypnotic dose of propofol has been shown to reduce morphine-induced postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. This review article will provide sufficient knowledge on the role of propofol in minimizing opioid-induced postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pruritus by providing detailed information on propofol antiemetic and antipruritic effects, as well as discussions based on empirically available data. Method: We conducted a narrative review of the literature published between 1990 and 2023 from a range of databases;PubMed, BioMed Central, Biosis Previews, Nature, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Springer-Link, and Elsevier. Discussion and Conclusion: The literatures reviewed in this study have demonstrated that propofol may have diverse therapeutic effects including antiemetic and antipruritic. The antiemetic effect of propofol may be an effective therapeutic approach for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The literature also demonstrated that the use of propofol for sedation during surgery may as well ameliorates opioids induced postoperative pruritus, which may be beneficial to surgical patients. Also, it was demonstrated that prophylactic use of propofol may be an effective way of preventing nausea and vomiting and pruritus during opioid use.展开更多
Background: Chronic ulcers are responsible for considerable morbidity and significantly contribute to the escalation in the cost of health care. Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) are susceptible to microbial infections and se...Background: Chronic ulcers are responsible for considerable morbidity and significantly contribute to the escalation in the cost of health care. Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) are susceptible to microbial infections and serious complications such as tissue necrosis and osteomyelitis, can result without the timely control of infections. Recent studies have also reported an increase in the association of fungal infections with chronic non-healing ulcers. Aim: To determine the prevalence of bacterial and fungal infections among patients reporting with chronic leg ulcers in participants without co-morbidities. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with chronic leg ulcers at the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (NRPS/BC-KBTH) and those who consented were enrolled. Characteristics of the wound as well as micro-organisms cultured from wound swabs were recorded. Results: A total of 50 participants were enrolled for the study with the mean (SD) age of 40.7 (10.7) years. Eighty percent of the participants presented with post traumatic leg ulcers with 80% being artisans and traders in the age group 31 - 50 years. There was no statistically significant association between sex and the organism cultured for post traumatic and cellulitis (p-value > 0.05). The prevalence of bacterial and fungal infection was 79.3% and 20.7% respectively. Pseudomonas species was the most isolated bacteria (61.5%) while Aspergillus niger was the most isolated fungi (41%). Conclusion: From this study, fungal infections should be included in managing chronic leg ulcers, especially among artisans, famers and gardeners even though there was a significantly higher burden of bacterial infections.展开更多
Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the diff...Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the different epidemic waves, probably due to the genetic variant phenomenon of the virus. The aim of this study is to determine the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted with ARF to the intensive care unit of the Grand H?pital Est Francilien (GHEF) according to the waves and variants. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of COVID-19 patients with ARF admitted to the intensive care unit of the GHEF site in Meaux covering the period from March 1<sup>st</sup> 2020 to December, 31<sup>st</sup> 2021. Per-hospitalisation and outcome data were collected and analysed with SPSS version 25.0 software using the Chi-square or Fischer’s exact test or Student’s t-test and logistic regression for p Results: A total of 86 patients were included. The mean age was higher (70 ± 8.5) in patients in the fourth wave than in the other waves (p = 0.015), with male predominance in all waves without significant difference. Co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dyslipidaemia and arrhythmia complete with fibrillation were present in all waves. The majority of patients were classified as KDIGO 1 for the different waves (1st: 61.9%, 2nd: 86.5%, 3rd: 80%, and 4th: 75%), with the same trend according to variant (alpha: 80%, beta: 75%, delta: 81.3%, omicron: 75%). Mortality by the wave was: 1st: 28.5%, 2nd: 37.5%, 3rd: 23% and 4th: 11%) and by variant: alpha: 24.2%, beta: 44.8%, delta: 20.7%, omicron: 10.3%). Overall mortality was 33.7%. Case fatality was higher in the fourth wave. Hypertension, shock, failure to recover renal function, acute lung oedema, ventilator-associated lung disease and hyperkalaemia were factors associated with mortality (p Conclusion: Acute renal failure is common in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and mortality is not negligible. The beta variants and the second wave presented more cases of renal impairment, although the mechanism is still unknown. Further studies are needed to understand this mechanism and perhaps to be able to identify the cause.展开更多
Background: Wrist pain is prevalent. Activities such as dexterous sports, prolonged use of personal handheld devices, and extensive desktop keyboard usage are common contributors to wrist pain. Intersection syndrome, ...Background: Wrist pain is prevalent. Activities such as dexterous sports, prolonged use of personal handheld devices, and extensive desktop keyboard usage are common contributors to wrist pain. Intersection syndrome, a form of inflammatory tenosynovitis, occurs at the intersection of the first and second dorsal compartments of the wrist. The first dorsal compartment is comprised of the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, while the second dorsal compartment contains the tendons of extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi radialis brevis. Intersection syndrome is diagnosed by pain localized to the dorsoradial forearm, approximately five cm proximal to the wrist joint, which worsens with resisted wrist and thumb extension. To date, the use of hydro dissection with 5% dextrose under ultrasound guidance as a treatment for Intersection syndrome has not been reported. This case report presents the first report on ultrasound-guided hydro dissection as a therapeutic approach for intersection syndrome. Methods: A case report, with informed consent, involving a 32-year-old male athlete. The patient, a hurling player, presented with chronic right wrist pain diagnosed as intersection syndrome. The condition significantly affected his work, sporting activities, and daily living activities. Previous conservative management and physiotherapy had failed to alleviate his symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, relevant imaging was performed, supplemented by dynamic ultrasound assessment. The procedure was performed aseptically. Continuous ultrasound guidance was employed to ensure accurate needle placement. Once the needle tip position was confirmed, an initial injection of 5 mL of 0.25% chirocaine was administered. 10 mL of 5% dextrose was injected under ultrasound guidance for hydro dissection, with good visualization of the solution’s distribution. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided hydro dissection has not previously been documented as a treatment option for intersection syndrome. In this case, it proved to be an effective pain-relieving therapy with sustained effect at three-month clinical follow-up. Further studies are required.展开更多
Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GID...Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GIDS)and the Acute Gastroin-testinal Injury(AGI)grade].The authors note that this study is the first proposal that suggests an equivalence between the ability of both scores to predict mor-tality at 28 days from intensive care unit(ICU)admission.Shen et al retrospec-tively analysed an ICU cohort of patients utilising two physicians administering both the AGI grade and GIDS score,using electronic healthcare records and ICU flowsheets.Where these physicians disagreed about the scores,the final decision as to the scores was made by an associate chief physician,or chief physician.We note that the primary reason for the development of GIDS was to create a clear score for GI dysfunction,with minimal subjectivity or inter-operator variability.The subjectivity inherent to the older AGI grading system is what ultimately led to the development of GIDS in 2021.By ensuring consensus between physicians administering the AGI,Shen et al have controlled for one of this grading systems biggest issues.We have concerns,however,that this does not represent the real-world challenges associated with applying the AGI compared to the newer GIDS,and wonder if this arbitration process had not been instituted,would the two scoring systems remain equivalent in terms of predicted mortality?展开更多
文摘This article explored the application of dexmedetomidine(Dex),a highly selective alpha-2 agonist,in managing postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD)in elderly patients undergoing radical colon cancer surgery.Aging is associated with a progressive decline in physiological functions and an increased risk of adverse surgical outcomes,including POCD,which encompasses many neurocognitive disorders that manifest during the perioperative period.The aging population is at a higher risk for POCD,which can lead to prolonged hospital stays,delayed recovery,and increased healthcare costs.Dex has neuroprotective,opioid-sparing,and sympatholytic properties,which reduces the incidence and severity of POCD.Dex was introduced for sedation in patients receiving mechanical ventilation but has since been adopted in anesthesia due to its multifaceted benefits.Its appli-cation extends to sedation,analgesia,maintenance of anesthesia,and controlling delirium.Its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects have been explored in managing POCD.This article discussed the broad range of patient and procedure-related risk factors for POCD.Early identification and intervention are crucial to prevent the progression of POCD,which can have severe physical,psychological,and economic consequences.The article underscored the importance of a mul-tidisciplinary approach in managing POCD,involving the optimization of comor-bidities,depth of anesthesia monitoring,hemodynamic stability,and cerebral oxygenation monitoring.
文摘BACKGROUND Tourniquets are commonly used in elective extremity orthopaedic surgery to reduce blood loss,improve visualization in the surgical field,and to potentially reduce surgical time.There is a lack of consensus in existing guidelines regarding the optimal tourniquet pressure,placement site,and duration of use.There is a paucity of data on the relationship between the site of a tourniquet and postoperative pain in foot and ankle surgery.AIM To explore the relationship between tourniquet site and intensity of post-operative pain scores in patients undergoing elective foot and ankle surgery.METHODS Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 201 patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery in a single institution was undertaken.Intraoperative tourniquet duration,tourniquet pressure and site,and postoperative pain scores using Visual Analogue Score were collected in immediate recovery,at six hours and at 24 h post-op.Scatter plots were used to analyse the data and to assess for the statistical correlation between tourniquet pressure,duration,site,and pain scores using Pearson correlation coefficient.RESULTS All patients who underwent foot and ankle surgery had tourniquet pressure of 250 mmHg for ankle tourniquet and 300 mmHg for thigh.There was no correlation between the site of the tourniquet and pain scores in recovery,at six hours and after 24 h.There was a weak correlation between tourniquet time and Visual Analogue Score immediately post-op(r=0.14,P=0.04)but not at six or 24 h post-operatively.CONCLUSION This study shows that there was no statistically significant correlation between tourniquet pressure,site and postop pain in patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery.The choice of using a tourniquet is based on the surgeon's preference,with the goal of minimizing the duration of its application at the operative site.
文摘Background: Chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents poses an occupational hazard related to the practice of anaesthesia. Therefore, this study sought to find out the perception of anaesthesia providers on exposure to inhalational anaesthetics, evaluate their knowledge on the effects of chronic exposure and strategies to reduce chronic exposure to operating room inhalational anaesthetic agents. Method: This cross-sectional survey was conducted by administering a self-administered questionnaire to 71 anaesthesia providers in Ghana who attended the annual refresher course of the faculty of Anaesthesia, West African College of Surgeons, in 2016. Data collected were analysed and presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Halothane and isoflurane were the most frequently used inhalational agents by the respondents. Majority (90.1%) of the respondents perceived they are exposed to inhalational anaesthetics in their working environment. Majority of the anaesthetic providers cited poorly functioning scavenging systems (28.2%) and use of paediatric Ayre’s T-piece (28.2%) as sources of exposure to inhalational anaesthetics. All respondents admitted making attempts to reduce their exposure to inhalational anaesthetics. Majority of the respondents mentioned teratogenicity (77.5%) and hepatotoxicity (67.6%) as effects of chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents. Conclusion: Anaesthesia providers in Ghana perceived they are chronically exposed to inhalational anaesthetic agents in their work environment. They are aware of the sources of inhalational anaesthetic agent exposure, associated health risks and strategies required to reduce chronic exposure to inhaled anaesthetic agents.
文摘Background: Hypnosis monitoring has been shown to reduce the incidence of awareness. A-line ARX-IndexTM (AAI) derived from auditory evoked potentials (AEP) represents as a numerical variable depth of anaesthesia. Objectives: To study the efficacy of AEP as an indicator of anaesthetic depth and monitor intraoperative awareness in neurosurgical patients by using the AAI scale. Design: Prospective cohort study is used. Setting: The study is in Neurosurgical centre of Tertiary care hospital. Participants: Neurosurgical patients requiring general anaesthesia with duration of surgery between 90 - 150 minutes were enrolled for the study. Intervention: Patients in Group 1 (control) were monitored by conventional methods. Patients in Group 2 (study) underwent intraoperative monitoring by using the AEP monitor. Primary outcome: To study the efficacy of AEP monitoring and AAI index for monitoring the depth of anaesthesia and reducing the incidence of awareness. Results: There was no significant difference in the intraoperative haemodynamic responses measured between the two study groups (p > 0.5). There was no significant difference in the identification of intraoperative awareness by using conventional parameters between the two groups (p > 0.5). There was also a significantly faster time to recovery for patients in Group 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Hypnosis monitoring using AEP monitor/AAI in neurosurgical patients under general anaesthesia did not show any significant difference in haemodynamic response and intraoperative awareness but had significant lower consumption of volatile anaesthetic with cost sparing effect and a faster recovery time as compared to conventional monitoring.
文摘Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome is a rare acquired pulmonary disorder that develops secondary to infectious etiologies in early childhood. Patients who are affected have the potential of developing perioperative respiratory complications. While regional anaesthetic techniques are often performed as adjuncts to general anaesthesia, there is less data on breast operations being done solely under regional anaesthesia. We herein describe a patient with Swyer-James-MacLeod Syndrome who underwent breast lesion wide excision under combined paravertebral and pectoral nerves block, supplemented with propofol infusion for sedation. Choice of blocks was decided upon based on knowledge on the anatomy. Sole regional anaesthetic techniques have been the safest approach in some circumstances and should always be considered in patients who are of high risk under general anaesthesia.
文摘Background: The main function of the endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff is to ensure a tight seal between the tracheal wall and the endotracheal tube to prevent stomach contents from entering the trachea during ventilation thus preventing aspiration. Whereas excessive inflation of the cuff is associated with complications as a result of impaired blood supply to the trachea mucosa, low inflation pressure puts the patient at risk of aspiration. This study sought to find the accuracy of correctly estimating the cuff pressure and whether experience has effect on the accuracy. Methods: After approval from the Ethics Committee, we observed 199 patients who had general anaesthesia and had been intubated at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital,KumasiGhana. Anaesthesia practitioners were blinded to the study. The endotracheal cuff pressure was measured using a low pressure manometer. The experience of the Anaesthetist was also noted. Results: Only 26% of the cuff pressures measured were within the acceptable range of 20-30 cm H2O. 4.5% of the pressures measured were below the acceptable minimum value of20 cm H2O hence exposing the patient to the risk of aspiration. 68% of the cuff pressures measured were above the maximum pressure of30 cm H2O. Physician anaesthetists were likely to inflate the cuff correctly. They had average inflation pressures of24 cm H2O with minimum and maximum inflation pressures of15 cm H2O and32 cm H2O respectively. Resident physician anaesthetists inflate the endotracheal pressures moderately high, an average of41.64 cm H2O. Nurse anaesthetists and student nurse anaesthetists had a tendency to overinflate the endotracheal cuff above the recommended range of 20-30 cm H2O. Their mean inflating pressures were 64.7 and 68.54 respectively. Conclusion: ETT cuff pressures measured by the low pressure aneroid manometer in patients undergoing general anaesthesia in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital are routinely high and are significantly higher when inflated by nurse anaesthetists, student nurse anaesthetists and Anaesthesia residents.
文摘BACKGROUND The use of opioids for pain is linked to an increased risk of developing opioid use disorder,and has resulted in the emergence of the opioid crisis over the last few years.AIM The systematic review question is“How does the use of opioid medications in pain management,compared with non-opioid medications,affect pain intensity over the short,intermediate,and long-term in adults with acute traumatic pain?”.METHODS The protocol was prospectively registered on the International Prospective Re-gister of Systematic Reviews:CRD42021279639.Medline and Google Scholar were electronically searched for controlled peer-reviewed studies published in full,with the PICO framework:P:Adult patients with traumatic injuries,I:Opioid medications,C:Non-opioid medi-cations,O:A minimum clinically important difference(MCID)in pain.RESULTS After full-text screening,we included 14 studies in the qualitative synthesis.Of these 14 studies,12 were rando-mized clinical trials(RCTs)and 2 were pseudo-RCTs with a total of 2347 patients enrolled.There was heteroge-neity in both medication utilized and outcome in these studies;only two studies were homogeneous regarding the type of study conducted,the opioid used,its comparator,and the outcome explored.The MCID was evaluated in 8 studies,while in 6 studies,any measured pain reduction was considered as an outcome.In 11 cases,the setting of care was the Emergency Department;in 2 cases,care occurred out-of-hospital;and in one case,the setting was not well-specified.The included studies were found to have a low-moderate risk of bias.CONCLUSION Non-opioids can be considered an alternative to opioids for short-term pain management of acute musculoskeletal injury.Intravenous ketamine may cause more adverse events than other routes of administration.
文摘Anaphylaxis is a serious systemic reaction that is part of the general pattern of potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions requiring immediate management. We report the case of a patient presenting to emergency with signs of malaria and pneumonia who was diagnosed with grade 4 anaphylaxis following antibiotic injection in the emergency department. The patient was 30 years old, with no previous history of anaphylaxis, and presented to the emergency department with fever, dry cough, headache and dizziness associated with prostration. Physical examination showed stable hemodynamics (BP = 110/80 mmHg, HR = 95 p/min,) and respiratory function with SpO<sub>2</sub> = 98%, HR = 22 c/min and crepitus rales at the base of the lungs. The laboratory work-up carried out in the emergency department revealed a biological inflammatory syndrome associated with hyperleukocytosis of 11,260/mm<sup>3</sup>, a positive thick drop with GE(+) dp = 1183 T/microlitre;blood glucose = 0.83 g/l;Covid 19 RDT = (negative). A diagnosis of malaria and pneumonia was made and antibiotic therapy (ceftriaxone) and artesunate were indicated. During the injection of ceftriaxone 1 g, the patient became agitated, followed by cardiorespiratory arrest, confirming the diagnosis of stage 4 anaphylaxis. Treatment consisted of stopping the ceftriaxone injection, external cardiac massage and ventilation, intravenous adrenaline and vascular filling, which enabled the patient to recover and stabilize. The diagnosis of anaphylaxis is clinical. Early administration of adrenaline is the mainstay of treatment.
文摘Introduction: Pain assessment is an essential step towards pain relief. In our context, however, it is insufficient in emergency departments. The aim was to assess the nature and effectiveness of the analgesia used in the emergency department of the CHU-Donka. Method: This was a single-centre prospective observational study conducted over one month (November 2020) in the medical-surgical emergency department of CHU-Donka. All patients aged 18 or over admitted to the emergency department with moderate to severe acute pain were included. Results: We enrolled 880 patients, 615 of whom (69.88%) were in pain. Males predominated (65.2%), with a sex ratio of 1.87. The average age was 44.78 ± 16.41 years, with extremes ranging from 18 to 85 years. The most represented age group was 18 - 34 years, with 66.18%. Initial assessment of pain by nursing staff in 3 cases. Initial assessment of pain by the investigator was 100%, 74% moderate and 26% severe. No reassessment of pain by nursing staff. Reassessment by the interviewer was 100% and found 5% no pain, 61% mild pain, 24% moderate pain and 10% severe pain. With an average numerical scale of 3.77 ± 2.61 and extremes from 0 to 10. Average length of stay was 2.85 ± 1.48 hours, with extremes ranging from 45 minutes to 8 hours. Analgesia was administered with paracetamol alone (43.58%), combined with tramadol or nefopam. No patient received morphine. Conclusion: This study revealed a lack of pain assessment in our department.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> Lower extremity surgeries performed in elderly people usually have high prevalence of peri-operative medical problems related to anaesthesia. The overall objective of peri-operative care of geriatric population is to fast recovery from anaesthesia and avoid functional decline.<strong> Objective: </strong>To compare the peri-operative pulmonary status of combined spinal epidural anaesthesia (CSEA) and spinal anaesthesia (SA) in geriatric patients underwent lower extremity surgeries. Methods: This prospective comparative study was conducted at Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (B中央人民政府), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2016 to June 2018. A total of 70 geriatric cases that underwent lower extremity surgeries were included in this study. Cases were randomly allocated into two groups;35 in Group A (CSEA) and 35 in Group B (SAB). The different outcome variables between the groups like-duration of anaesthesia, respiratory rates (RR), oxygen saturation (SpO2), end tidal CO<sub>2</sub> (EtCO<sub>2</sub>), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), breath holding test (BHT), peri-operative side effects of anaesthesia and post-operative visual analogue score (VAS) were analyzed and compared by statistical tests. <strong>Results: </strong>The mean age, weight, BMI of Group A and Group B patients were not significantly different (<em>p</em> > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in duration of surgery, gender and ASA grade between the groups (<em>p</em> > 0.05). Mean duration of anaesthesia, mean time to achieve target level of sensory block and mean time to achieve complete motor block were significantly higher in Group A (<em>p</em> < 0.001). Mean RR, SpO2, EtCO<sub>2</sub>, PEFR and BHT of both groups were not significantly different (<em>p</em> > 0.05). Peri-operative side effects of anaesthesia and post-operative VAS were significantly less in group A patients (<em>p </em>< 0.05). <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Combined spinal epidural anaesthesia is effective and safe;produces stable peri-operative pulmonary status with prolonging analgesia and fewer side effects as compared to spinal anaesthesia in geriatric patients.
基金supported by the Food and Health Bureau,Hong Kong SAR Government(reference no.COVID19F06).
文摘The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants are notorious for their transmissibility,but little is known about their subgenomic RNA(sgRNA)expression.This study applied RNA-seq to delineate the quantitative and qualitative profiles of canonical sgRNA of 118 respiratory samples collected from patients infected with Omicron BA.2 and compared with 338 patients infected with non-variant of concern(non-VOC)-D614G.A unique characteristic profile depicted by the relative abundance of 9 canonical sgRNAs was reproduced by both BA.2 and non-VOCD614G regardless of host gender,age and presence of pneumonia.Remarkably,such profile was lost in samples with low viral load,suggesting a potential application of sgRNA pattern to indicate viral activity of individual patient at a specific time point.A characteristic qualitative profile of canonical sgRNAs was also reproduced by both BA.2 and non-VOC-D614G.The presence of a full set of canonical sgRNAs carried a coherent correlation with crude viral load(AUC¼0.91,95%CI 0.88–0.94),and sgRNA ORF7b was identified to be the best surrogate marker allowing feasible routine application in characterizing the infection status of individual patient.Further potentials in using sgRNA as a target for vaccine and antiviral development are worth pursuing.
文摘Acetazolamide is the commonly prescribed oral and intravenous carbonic anhydrase inhibitor;over the years,its use in clinical practice has decreased in favor of more recent drugs.However,it is a rather handy drug,which can be useful in several clinical settings when managing critically ill patients.The objective of this review is the evaluation of the most recent evidence on the use of acetazolamide in emergency medicine and critical care medicine.Furthermore,the safety profile of this drug has been evaluated.This is a narrative review on the use of acetazolamide in the main contexts in which this drug can be useful in emergency situations for patients with potential critical issues.For the timeline 1999–2024,a search was conducted on the main scientific platforms;resources of greatest relevance for the use of acetazolamide in critical care and emergency medicine were selected.The most common emergency situations in which a critically ill patient could benefit from acetazolamide therapy are acute heart failure,acute mountain sickness,post hypercapnic metabolic alkalosis,idiopathic intracranial hypertension and acute angle-closure glaucoma.In a few cases,however,randomized controlled clinical trials have been conducted.There are also other less solid indications based mostly on experience or retrospective data.Acetazolamide seems to be an overall safe drug;serious side effects are rare and can be avoided by carefully selecting the patients to be treated.Acetazolamide represents a precious resource for emergency physicians and intensivists;critical patients with different conditions can in fact benefit from it;furthermore,acetazolamide is a safe drug if administered to correctly selected patients.
文摘Background: In Sub-Saharan Africa, pre-eclampsia remains a major health problem contributing to high rates of maternal mortality. Despite this condition having adverse effects on maternal and child health, its prevalence and associated risk factors are still significant, especially in developing countries including Ghana. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and demographic distributions associated with pre-eclampsia among pregnant women at the Ho Teaching Hospital. Methods: A facility-based retrospective study was conducted by reviewing available data or hospital records of pregnant mothers admitted to the labor and maternity wards from January 2018 to December 2020. All pregnant women who were diagnosed with pre-eclampsia within this period were included in the study. The data were collected using a structured checklist. Results: 5609 data on pregnant women from 2018 to 2020 were recorded. Out of the 5609 data recorded, 314 pre-eclampsia cases were recorded giving an overall prevalence of 5.6%. The yearly prevalence for 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 4.6%, 5.6%, and 6.6%, respectively. The most recorded pre-eclampsia cases were seen among women within the age group of 18 - 24 years. The data showed that 112 (35.7%) of the pregnant women who had pre-eclampsia were nulliparous. Pre-eclampsia-associated maternal and fetal complications were;preterm delivery 221 (70.4%), intrauterine fetal death 62 (19.7%), eclampsia 9 (2.9%), HELLP syndrome 5 (1.6%) and maternal death 17 (5.4%). Associated factors of pre-eclampsia were parity, level of education, and occupation (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed a rising trend in the incidence of pre-eclampsia over the years at the Ho Teaching Hospital. Parity, level of education, and occupation were found to be associated with developing pre-eclampsia.
文摘Background and objective: Classically, diabetic subjects are at high risk of anaesthesia compared with general population. However, some recent publications have shown contrasting and sometimes contrary results. The aim of our study was to evaluate morbidity and mortality during and after anaesthesia in patients with versus without diabetes operated on at Monkole Hospital over the last ten years. Methods: Retrospective cohort study including all patients who underwent all-comers surgery excluding cardiac surgery between 2011 and 2021. Each diabetic patient was matched to 2 non-diabetic controls on age and sex. The evaluation criterion was the frequency of occurrence of at least one perioperative complication and/or death up to day 30. A multivariate analysis using a Cox model was used to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of this morbidity and mortality. The model was adjusted for comorbidities, preoperative hyperglycaemia, ASA score, type of anaesthesia and severity of surgery. Results: A total of 351 diabetic patients (mean age 53.3 ± 14.18 years) and 701 non-diabetic patients (mean age 53.52 ± 14.7 years) were included and analysed. Preoperatively, hyperglycaemia (blood glucose > 180 mg/dl) was observed in 24.3% of diabetic patients compared with 1.6% of non-diabetic patients. The incidence of overall perioperative complications was 25.6% in diabetic patients compared with 28.6% in non-diabetic patients (p = 0.27). The risk factors associated with this morbidity were general anaesthesia with oro-tracheal intubation vs loco-regional anaesthesia (OR = 3.06 [95%CI: 1.91 - 4.94];p Conclusion: This study shows that there is not significant increase in perioperative morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients compared with non-diabetic ones of similar severity. These results suggest that diabetes itself (excluding associated comorbidities) has only a minor impact on perioperative morbidity and mortality.
文摘Introduction: The greatest effect of maternal mortality is renowned in children aged 2 - 5 months whose mothers had died. Children whose mothers died due to maternal complications were likely to record a higher mortality in infancy compared to children of surviving mothers. Motherless children mostly suffer a lot due to lack of day-to-day care, isolation, lack of motivation as well as economic cost associated with mother’s death. Thus, the purpose of this study was to ascertain the lives of children whose mothers passed away during childbirth at the Sagnarigu Municipality. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out at the Sagnarigu Municipal. The study recruited 297 respondents. To assess the effects of maternal death on the lives of children, families that experienced maternal death were assessed. The number of pregnancies experienced by the deceased woman, pregnancy-related complaints experienced, determinants of maternal death, number of children alive, and their standard of living were assessed with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Results: The data showed that negligence, illiteracy, poor road access, poverty, ignorance, delays in recognizing the problem, delays in making appropriate decisions, delays in the health facility, delays in giving the appropriate treatments, and traditional beliefs were some of the factors that led to maternal death in the Sagnarigu Municipality. Conclusion: The study concluded that determinants of maternal death in the Sagnarigu Municipal included the following;negligence, illiteracy, poverty, and delays in recognizing the problem. The study findings also demonstrated that the effects of maternal death on children are diverse and cut across different areas of a child’s life including livelihood sustenance, healthcare, education, and emotional and psychological development.
文摘Background: Despite the advances in anesthetics and non-pharmacological techniques, the prevalence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in all patients remains high. It is one of the most common distressing symptoms that cause dissatisfaction among patients after anesthesia and surgery. A sub-hypnotic dose of propofol has been shown to reduce morphine-induced postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pruritus. This review article will provide sufficient knowledge on the role of propofol in minimizing opioid-induced postoperative nausea, vomiting, and pruritus by providing detailed information on propofol antiemetic and antipruritic effects, as well as discussions based on empirically available data. Method: We conducted a narrative review of the literature published between 1990 and 2023 from a range of databases;PubMed, BioMed Central, Biosis Previews, Nature, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Springer-Link, and Elsevier. Discussion and Conclusion: The literatures reviewed in this study have demonstrated that propofol may have diverse therapeutic effects including antiemetic and antipruritic. The antiemetic effect of propofol may be an effective therapeutic approach for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting. The literature also demonstrated that the use of propofol for sedation during surgery may as well ameliorates opioids induced postoperative pruritus, which may be beneficial to surgical patients. Also, it was demonstrated that prophylactic use of propofol may be an effective way of preventing nausea and vomiting and pruritus during opioid use.
文摘Background: Chronic ulcers are responsible for considerable morbidity and significantly contribute to the escalation in the cost of health care. Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) are susceptible to microbial infections and serious complications such as tissue necrosis and osteomyelitis, can result without the timely control of infections. Recent studies have also reported an increase in the association of fungal infections with chronic non-healing ulcers. Aim: To determine the prevalence of bacterial and fungal infections among patients reporting with chronic leg ulcers in participants without co-morbidities. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with chronic leg ulcers at the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (NRPS/BC-KBTH) and those who consented were enrolled. Characteristics of the wound as well as micro-organisms cultured from wound swabs were recorded. Results: A total of 50 participants were enrolled for the study with the mean (SD) age of 40.7 (10.7) years. Eighty percent of the participants presented with post traumatic leg ulcers with 80% being artisans and traders in the age group 31 - 50 years. There was no statistically significant association between sex and the organism cultured for post traumatic and cellulitis (p-value > 0.05). The prevalence of bacterial and fungal infection was 79.3% and 20.7% respectively. Pseudomonas species was the most isolated bacteria (61.5%) while Aspergillus niger was the most isolated fungi (41%). Conclusion: From this study, fungal infections should be included in managing chronic leg ulcers, especially among artisans, famers and gardeners even though there was a significantly higher burden of bacterial infections.
文摘Introduction: The incidence of acute renal failure (ARF) varies between 20% and 40% of cases for COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, with very high mortality, but heterogeneous according to the different epidemic waves, probably due to the genetic variant phenomenon of the virus. The aim of this study is to determine the morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 patients admitted with ARF to the intensive care unit of the Grand H?pital Est Francilien (GHEF) according to the waves and variants. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of COVID-19 patients with ARF admitted to the intensive care unit of the GHEF site in Meaux covering the period from March 1<sup>st</sup> 2020 to December, 31<sup>st</sup> 2021. Per-hospitalisation and outcome data were collected and analysed with SPSS version 25.0 software using the Chi-square or Fischer’s exact test or Student’s t-test and logistic regression for p Results: A total of 86 patients were included. The mean age was higher (70 ± 8.5) in patients in the fourth wave than in the other waves (p = 0.015), with male predominance in all waves without significant difference. Co-morbidities: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dyslipidaemia and arrhythmia complete with fibrillation were present in all waves. The majority of patients were classified as KDIGO 1 for the different waves (1st: 61.9%, 2nd: 86.5%, 3rd: 80%, and 4th: 75%), with the same trend according to variant (alpha: 80%, beta: 75%, delta: 81.3%, omicron: 75%). Mortality by the wave was: 1st: 28.5%, 2nd: 37.5%, 3rd: 23% and 4th: 11%) and by variant: alpha: 24.2%, beta: 44.8%, delta: 20.7%, omicron: 10.3%). Overall mortality was 33.7%. Case fatality was higher in the fourth wave. Hypertension, shock, failure to recover renal function, acute lung oedema, ventilator-associated lung disease and hyperkalaemia were factors associated with mortality (p Conclusion: Acute renal failure is common in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and mortality is not negligible. The beta variants and the second wave presented more cases of renal impairment, although the mechanism is still unknown. Further studies are needed to understand this mechanism and perhaps to be able to identify the cause.
文摘Background: Wrist pain is prevalent. Activities such as dexterous sports, prolonged use of personal handheld devices, and extensive desktop keyboard usage are common contributors to wrist pain. Intersection syndrome, a form of inflammatory tenosynovitis, occurs at the intersection of the first and second dorsal compartments of the wrist. The first dorsal compartment is comprised of the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis, while the second dorsal compartment contains the tendons of extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi radialis brevis. Intersection syndrome is diagnosed by pain localized to the dorsoradial forearm, approximately five cm proximal to the wrist joint, which worsens with resisted wrist and thumb extension. To date, the use of hydro dissection with 5% dextrose under ultrasound guidance as a treatment for Intersection syndrome has not been reported. This case report presents the first report on ultrasound-guided hydro dissection as a therapeutic approach for intersection syndrome. Methods: A case report, with informed consent, involving a 32-year-old male athlete. The patient, a hurling player, presented with chronic right wrist pain diagnosed as intersection syndrome. The condition significantly affected his work, sporting activities, and daily living activities. Previous conservative management and physiotherapy had failed to alleviate his symptoms. To confirm the diagnosis, relevant imaging was performed, supplemented by dynamic ultrasound assessment. The procedure was performed aseptically. Continuous ultrasound guidance was employed to ensure accurate needle placement. Once the needle tip position was confirmed, an initial injection of 5 mL of 0.25% chirocaine was administered. 10 mL of 5% dextrose was injected under ultrasound guidance for hydro dissection, with good visualization of the solution’s distribution. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided hydro dissection has not previously been documented as a treatment option for intersection syndrome. In this case, it proved to be an effective pain-relieving therapy with sustained effect at three-month clinical follow-up. Further studies are required.
文摘Shen et al’s retrospective study aims to compare the utility of two separate scoring systems for predicting mortality attributable to gastrointestinal(GI)injury in critically ill patients[the GI Dysfunction Score(GIDS)and the Acute Gastroin-testinal Injury(AGI)grade].The authors note that this study is the first proposal that suggests an equivalence between the ability of both scores to predict mor-tality at 28 days from intensive care unit(ICU)admission.Shen et al retrospec-tively analysed an ICU cohort of patients utilising two physicians administering both the AGI grade and GIDS score,using electronic healthcare records and ICU flowsheets.Where these physicians disagreed about the scores,the final decision as to the scores was made by an associate chief physician,or chief physician.We note that the primary reason for the development of GIDS was to create a clear score for GI dysfunction,with minimal subjectivity or inter-operator variability.The subjectivity inherent to the older AGI grading system is what ultimately led to the development of GIDS in 2021.By ensuring consensus between physicians administering the AGI,Shen et al have controlled for one of this grading systems biggest issues.We have concerns,however,that this does not represent the real-world challenges associated with applying the AGI compared to the newer GIDS,and wonder if this arbitration process had not been instituted,would the two scoring systems remain equivalent in terms of predicted mortality?
