Aagaardhobbs1837

This study aims to measure entrance surface doses during routine chest and abdomen x-ray examinations of adult and child patients. Radiation dose measurements were performed using thermoluminescent dosimeters TLD-100s in three major public hospitals in northern Jordan on a total of 100 patients. Wide variations in entrance surface doses were observed within and between hospitals, which might be attributed to significant variations of the selected exposure parameters. For adult patients, the results have shown that the majority of entrance surface dose values from both chest and abdomen examinations were within recommended values of diagnostic reference levels. For child patients, the mean entrance surface dose from chest examinations in three age groups were 0.131 mGy (0-1 y), 0.136 mGy (1-5 y), and 0.191 mGy (5-10 y). These values were considered relatively high compared to the European reference levels and published results in the literature. However, for abdomen examinations, entrance surface dose values were relatively lower than European reference levels. Patient effective doses were estimated using a PCXMC 2.0 Monte Carlo program. The results for both adults and children were found to be relatively lower than the values reported by international publications. Due to the wide variations of entrance surface dose and the higher radiation doses delivered to child patients, this study recommends implementing a quality assurance program in such hospitals to achieve optimization between good image quality and minimum dose according to the as low as reasonably achievable principle. Moreover, the results of this work will provide a useful base for establishing local diagnostic reference levels for chest and abdomen examinations in Jordan.PURPOSE OF REVIEW We will highlight the role of ventriculoarterial coupling in the pathophysiology of sepsis and how to assess it. RECENT FINDINGS Most septic patients show a ventriculoarterial uncoupling at the time of diagnosis with arterial elastance (Ea) greater than left ventricle (LV) end-systolic elastance (Ees), often despite arterial hypotension. Ventriculoarterial coupling levels predict the cardiovascular response to resuscitation in this heterogeneously responding population. SUMMARY Ventriculoarterial coupling is quantified as the ratio of Ea to Ees. this website The efficiency of the cardiovascular function is optimal when Ea/Ees is near one. When the hydraulic load of the arterial system is excessive either from increased vasomotor tone, decreased LV contractility or both, Ea/Ees becomes greater than 1 (i.e. ventriculoarterial decoupling), and cardiac efficiency decreases leading to heart failure, loss of volume responsiveness, and if sustained, increased mortality. Noninvasive echocardiographic techniques when linked with arterial pressure monitoring allow for the bedside estimates of both Ea and Ees. Studies using this approach have documented the key role ventriculoarterial coupling has defining initial cardiovascular state, response to therapy and outcome from critical illness. Sequential monitoring of ventriculoarterial coupling at the bedside offers a unique opportunity to assess relevant cardiovascular determinants in septic patients requiring resuscitation.PURPOSE OF REVIEW To fully exploit the concept of hemodynamic coherence in resuscitating critically ill one should preferably take into account information about the state of parenchymal cells. Monitoring of mitochondrial oxygen tension (mitoPO2) has emerged as a clinical means to assess information of oxygen delivery and oxygen utilization at the mitochondrial level. This review will outline the basics of the technique, summarize its development and describe the rationale of measuring oxygen at the mitochondrial level. RECENT FINDINGS Mitochondrial oxygen tension can be measured by means of the protoporphyrin IX-Triplet State Lifetime Technique (PpIX-TSLT). After validation and use in preclinical animal models, the technique has recently become commercially available in the form of a clinical measuring system. This system has now been used in a number of healthy volunteer studies and is currently being evaluated in studies in perioperative and intensive care patients in several European university hospitals. SUMMARY PpIX-TSLT is a noninvasive and well tolerated method to assess aspects of mitochondrial function at the bedside. It allows doctors to look beyond the macrocirculation and microcirculation and to take the oxygen balance at the cellular level into account in treatment strategies.PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite restoration of adequate systemic blood flow in patients with shock, single organs may remain hypoperfused. In this review, we summarize the results of a literature research on methods to monitor single organ perfusion in shock. We focused on methods to measure heart, brain, kidney, and/or visceral organ perfusion. Furthermore, only methods that can be used in real-time and at the bedside were included. RECENT FINDINGS We identified studies on physical examination techniques, electrocardiography, echocardiography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, near-infrared spectroscopy, and Doppler sonography to assess single organ perfusion. SUMMARY Physical examination techniques have a reasonable negative predictive value to exclude single organ hypoperfusion but are nonspecific to detect it. Technical methods to indirectly measure myocardial perfusion include ECG and echocardiography. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can quantify myocardial perfusion but has so far only been used to detect regional myocardial hypoperfusion. Near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler sonography can be used to assess cerebral perfusion and determine autoregulation thresholds of the brain. Both Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasound techniques are novel methods to evaluate renal and visceral organ perfusion. A key limitation of most techniques is the inability to determine adequacy of organ blood flow to meet the organs' metabolic demands.PURPOSE OF REVIEW To describe current practice, recent advances in knowledge and future directions for research related to the post return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) ventilatory management of cardiac arrest patients. RECENT FINDINGS Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health problem with an estimated incidence of approximately one per 1000 persons per year. A priority of intensive care management of resuscitated OHCA patients is to reduce secondary reperfusion injury. Most OHCA patients are mechanically ventilated. Most of these require mechanical ventilation as they are unconscious and for oxygen (O2) management and carbon dioxide (CO2) control. Low levels of O2 and CO2 following OHCA is associated with poor outcome. Recently, very high fraction of inspired oxygen has been associated with poor outcomes and elevated CO2 levels have been associated with improved neurological outcomes. Moreover, it is increasingly being appreciated that the ventilator may be a tool to adjust physiological parameters to enhance the chances of favourable outcomes. Finally, ventilator settings themselves and the adoption of protective ventilation strategies may affect lung-brain interactions and are being explored as other avenues for therapeutic benefit. SUMMARY Current evidence supports the targeting of normal arterial O2 and CO2 tensions during mechanical ventilation following ROSC after cardiac arrest. Use of protective lung strategies during mechanical ventilation in resuscitated cardiac arrest patients is advocated. The potential therapeutic benefits of conservative O2 therapy, mild hypercapnia and the optimal ventilator settings to use post-ROSC period will be confirmed or refuted in clinical trials.PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current narrative review outlines the evidence for the most common drugs given during adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation. RECENT FINDINGS Two large clinical trials recently made the roles of adrenaline and antiarrhythmic drugs clearer. Adrenaline leads to a substantially higher rate of return of spontaneous circulation and a moderate increase in survival. Amiodarone and lidocaine increase short-term outcomes, and point estimates suggest a small but uncertain effect on long-term survival. There is still a lack of high-quality evidence for other drugs during cardiac arrest such as bicarbonate, calcium, and magnesium, but small-scale randomized clinical trials show no effect. A promising entity may be the combination of vasopressin and glucocorticoids, but external validation of preliminary trials is needed. Data from observational studies and subgroup analyses of trials generally favor intravenous over intraosseous access, while the latter remains a reasonable alternative. SUMMARY Guidelines for the above-mentioned drugs have been updated yet remain largely unchanged over the last decades. There are still multiple unanswered questions related to drugs during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. On the contrary, only few trials are ongoing.PURPOSE OF REVIEW Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) is a contemporary resuscitation approach that employs veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). This approach is increasingly used worldwide to mitigate the widespread hemodynamic and multiorgan dysfunction that accompanies cardiac arrest. RECENT FINDINGS In this review, the physiology of VA-ECMO and ECPR, the role of ECPR in contemporary resuscitation care, the complications associated with ECPR and VA-ECMO usage, and intensive care considerations for this population are discussed. SUMMARY ECPR offers a promising mechanism to mitigate multiorgan injury and allow time for the institution of supportive interventions required to effectively treat cardiac arrest. More prospective data in the context of extensive prehospital and hospital collaboration is needed to promote its successful use.Because of the rising health care costs in the United States, there has been a focus on value-based care and improving the cost-effectiveness of surgical procedures. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can not only give physicians and health care providers immediate feedback on the well-being of the patients but also be used to assess health and determine outcomes for surgical research purposes. Recently, PROMs have become a prominent tool to assess the cost-effectiveness of spine surgery by calculating the improvement in quality-adjusted life years (QALY). The cost of a procedure per QALY gained is an essential metric to determine cost-effectiveness in universal health care systems. Common patient-reported outcome questionnaires to calculate QALY include the EuroQol-5 dimensions, the SF-36, and the SF-12. On the basis of the health-related quality of life outcomes, the cost-effectiveness of various spine surgeries can be determined, such as cervical fusions, lumbar fusions, microdiscectomies. As the United States attempts to reduce costs and emphasize value-based care, PROMs may serve a critical role in spine surgery moving forward. In addition, PROM-driven QALYs may be used to analyze novel spine surgical techniques for value-based improvements.BACKGROUND Patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA) is one option for the treatment of isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis, but there are limited data regarding the procedure and results. Because isolated patellofemoral arthritis is relatively uncommon, available case series generally are small, and even within national registries, sample sizes are limited. Combining data from multiple registries may aid in assessing worldwide PFA usage and survivorship. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES We combined and compared data from multiple large arthroplasty registries worldwide to ask (1) What proportion of patients undergoing primary knee arthroplasty have PFA? (2) What are the patient and prosthesis characteristics associated with PFA in common practice, as reflected in registries? (3) What is the survivorship free from revision of PFA and what are the reasons for and types of revisions? METHODS Data were provided by eight registries that are members of the International Society of Arthroplasty Registries (ISAR) who agreed to share aggregate data Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United States.