PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Edward Crosby

Publications and source records attributed to Edward Crosby.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Airway management after upper cervical spine injury: what have we learned?

PURPOSE: Survival after atlanto-axial-occipital ligamentous injury is uncommon and experience with the immediate clinical management of these patients is similarly low. There has been considerable work published recently with respect to airway management in similar patients and a review of this material was undertaken. METHODS: Medline searches were performed to seek out the English language literature using the key words and phrases: cervical spinal injury; atlanto-occipital dislocation; atlanto-occipital disarticulation; and airway management after spinal injury. The titles were culled for materials relevant particularly to upper cervical spinal injury, these were obtained and reviewed. The bibliographies of these articles were searched to ensure that the review would be complete. RELEVANT FINDINGS: The majority of cervical spinal movement occurring during direct laryngoscopy is concentrated in the upper cervical spine. The magnitude of movement during airway management rarely exceeds the physiological limits of the spine. Movement is reduced by in-line immobilization but traction forces cause clinically important distraction and should be avoided. Indirect techniques for tracheal intubation cause less cervical movement than does the direct laryngoscope. Survival after severe upper ligamentous injury is uncommon but intact survival occurs. Missed diagnosis is common and associated with a high incidence of severe secondary injury. Failure to immobilize the spine is deemed to be the most relevant factor in secondary injury. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who survive severe upper cervical ligamentous injury and present to hospital are uncommon. However, of those who do, both intact survival and survival with limited neurological sequelae do occur. Meticulous airway care with maintenance of alignment and provision of continuous cervical immobilization are an integral component of care in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perioperative use of erythropoietin.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is the primary regulator of red blood cell (RBC) production, and hypoxia is the main stimulus for EPO secretion. Increases in circulating levels of EPO are proportionate to the levels of tissue hypoxia, which are influenced by hematocrit (HCT). Small decreases in HCT as would be typical after presurgical autologous blood donation often do not result in increased EPO levels or in compensatory erythropoiesis. Erythropoiesis may also be limited by deficiencies of vitamin B(12), folate, and, most commonly, iron. The preoperative administration of EPO is effective in increasing erythrocyte mass and autologous donation volumes while maintaining higher HCT levels. In some surgical populations, particularly those individuals who experience surgical blood losses in excess of 2 L, EPO treatment also reduces allogeneic blood exposure. This effect is prominent in patients with a low initial HCT. Current assessments of the cost-effectiveness of EPO suggest that it achieves little overall improvement in patient health and that what improvement it does offer, it does at enormous cost.

Blood Loss, Surgical↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Re-evaluating the transfusion trigger: how low is safe?

Concerns about transfusion-associated complications, in particular viral transmission, have motivated a more restrained pattern of clinical transfusion practice. This change in practice has allowed for an evaluation of the risks of withholding transfusion and the benefits of providing transfusion. The recognized risks of transfusion have declined, and this reduction in risks has been brought about by improved screening, better testing strategies and tests, and leuko-reduction at the time of donation. There are benefits to transfusion, in limiting hypoxic morbidity and mortality. These benefits are clearly evident only at very low levels of serum hemoglobin concentrations in healthy patients who tolerate moderate levels of anemia without morbidity. However, the benefits of transfusion are apparent at higher initial serum level concentrations in patients with cardiovascular disease who are less tolerant of anemia.

Adult↗