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Biomedical subjects

G Hartstein

Publications and source records attributed to G Hartstein.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

The cervical spine in trauma: implications for the anaesthesiologist.

In this paper, the authors review the most recent literature concerning the management of the cervical spine in trauma patients. They address the main topics of concern for the anaesthesiologist including pre-hospital care, clearance of the cervical spine, neuroprotective therapies, difficult tracheal intubation, and management during general anaesthesia, in the intensive care unit and in paediatric patients. The most widely accepted strategies are provided as well as alternative options.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Management of difficult intubation.

Appropriate airway management is an essential part of the anaesthetist's role. Difficult intubation, which can now be quantified using the 'Intubation Difficulty Scale', should be anticipated whenever possible. A strategy needs to be developed in order to anticipate problems. The first part of this paper reviews the different factors that contribute to make intubation and/or ventilation difficult. Problems with intubation (or ventilation of the lungs) can be caused by abnormal laryngeal structures (e.g. tumour, stenosis), or by difficulty in seeing the glottis. The clinical history will usually help identify the former problem, while physical examination of the airway is required to reveal either disproportion between the various structures of the airway (e.g. tongue, larynx), and/or difficulties in aligning the oral, pharyngeal, and laryngeal axes. The different techniques used to diagnose these problems are described. The second part of this paper summarizes the algorithms used by the anaesthetist when management of the airway is found difficult. Three situations are considered: (a) anticipated difficult intubation, for which awake fibreoptic intubation would appear to be the technique of choice in the majority of cases, (b) unforeseen difficult intubation in a patient whose lungs can be ventilated; here, various techniques for control of the airway will be briefly described, and (c) both tracheal intubation and lung ventilation are impossible; this is a life-threatening emergency, for which three solutions are proposed. These include use of the laryngeal mask airway, the Combitube, or transtracheal ventilation. These situations will be analysed with the aim of proposing management strategies that always guarantee the safety of the patient.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

[Emergency medicine: general principles governing the hospital management of victims of multiple trauma].

The management of the trauma victim admitted to the emergency department must be rapid and efficient. Within the first hour, vital functions must be stabilised while a systematic survey of all injuries is carried out. This survey must be as complete as possible, and depends on the patient's status and response to initial resuscitative measures. The need for urgent surgical intervention, therapeutic radiology, or other treatment modalities must be quickly established. This systematic approach, which follows a seven step sequence, can only be carried out by a well-trained team. Because at this time emergency and SMUR are often staffed with general practitioners, and because the trauma centers do not yet exist in Belgium, the application of the treatment protocol presented in this paper is a pre-requisite to quality of care for these patients. It is the only means to end, once and for all, the improvised or intuitive, and often erroneous, approach to these patients.

Emergency Medicine↗
PubMed2001

[Emergency practice: specifics in the management of complex multiple trauma].

Almost twenty years ago, Trunkey showed that deaths due to trauma followed a trimodal distribution over time. Half of these deaths were delayed by at least one to two hours after the initiating insult. This interval (the "golden hour") can be exploited, especially in specialized trauma centers (where the most severely injured patients are cared for), to aggressively treat these patients, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality. In Belgium, this hierarchy of trauma care centers is non-existent; patients are distributed within the healthcare system randomly, depending on the localisation of the accident and the directives of the unified "100" call centre. Because this limits the number of cases any one centre treats, this type of arrangement acts to inhibit the acquisition of competency in the handling of these complex patients. The relative lack of experience of individual emergency departments leads to difficulties in establishing diagnostic and treatment priorities for the most severely injured trauma victims. The approach to these patients must follow very precise guidelines, established scientifically in order to minimize the impact of the injury on life and maximize chances of satisfactory functional recovery. In this paper, we describe the general principles of the initial approach to victims of complex multiple trauma.

Belgium↗
PubMed1997

[Is celioscopic approach of pheochromocytoma acceptable? Reflections apropos of a prospective study of 6 personal cases].

Today, laparoscopy is for us the technique of choice for approaching presumed benign adrenal tumors. With regards to pheochromocytoma however, two major questions must be addressed. First, is it acceptable to resect potentially multifocal tumors with such a targeted approach? Second, can peroperative hemodynamic changes be anticipated and controlled by the anesthetist, taking into account the additional effects of pneumoperitoneum and catecholamine release on the cardiovascular system? The present prospective study attempts to answer these two questions. From November 1993 to November 1995 we operated on four women and two men, with ages ranging from 33 to 71 years (mean of 47) and a mean Body Mass Index of 25 kg/m2 (range 17-35). Four patients were assigned ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) physical status 2, one grade 1 and one grade 3. Comprehensive preoperative work-up, including a CT scan and an I131 MIBG Scan in all, a C11 Hydroxyephedrine PET Scan in 4 and a MRI in one patient, showed a solitary lesion in each case. There were four right-sided and two left-sided tumors, ranging from 30 to 60 mm in diameter. Laparoscopy was always performed transperitoneally. Systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics were thoroughly assessed. Epinephrin and norepinephrin concentrations were measured at the 10 key-time of surgery. Use of continuous intravenous infusion of nicardipine allowed tight control of hemodynamics despite impressive increases in circulating catecholamines. The mean operative time was 76 minutes (range 59-130). Blood loss was minimal. We observed neither mortality nor morbidity. Mean hospital stay ranged from 3 to 13 days (median = 3). All patients are normotensive without drug after a follow-up of 9 to 33 months. In conclusion, we think that laparoscopic removal of selected cases of pheochromocytoma may be performed safely from both the hemodynamical and oncological standpoints.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1996

Treatment of excessive mediastinal bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: Excessive mediastinal bleeding after cardiopulmonary bypass is one of the most frequently reported complications of cardiac operations. Appropriate treatment requires a rapid and effective diagnostic work-up, based on the knowledge of the pathophysiology induced by cardiopulmonary bypass. METHODS: Possible causes, diagnostic methods available, and therapeutic approaches are reviewed in the light of the literature published on excessive bleeding after cardiac operations. RESULTS: When bleeding is massive (> 250 to 300 mL/h for the first 2 hours, > 150 mL/h thereafter), immediate surgical reexploration is mandatory. When bleeding is less important (50 to 150 mL/h), the decision to reoperate should be based on the presence of hemodynamic compromise or a suspected surgical cause. Otherwise, coagulation testing should allow the correction of hemostatic defects as appropriate with protamine, platelet concentrates, fresh frozen plasma, desmopressin, or antifibrinolytics. Hypothermia and hypotension should be corrected and a trial of positive end-expiratory pressure may be considered if diffuse mediastinal oozing (especially from the bed of the mammary artery) is suspected. CONCLUSIONS: A protocol is suggested to guide treatment, taking into account the rapidity of blood loss and the suspected underlying cause.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1996

Reduction in requirements for allogeneic blood products: pharmacologic methods.

BACKGROUND: Numerous articles describe the reduction of perioperative bleeding by the therapeutic or prophylactic administration of drugs such as prostacyclin, desmopressin, and natural or synthetic antifibrinolytics. METHODS: A review of the literature was carried out to help the reader define the indications of these drugs during cardiopulmonary bypass operations, highlight the questions that remain concerning their indications and modes of action, and suggest future studies to answer these remaining questions. RESULTS: Prostacyclin reduces platelet trauma induced by extracorporeal circulation but does not effectively reduce postoperative bleeding and transfusion requirements. Desmopressin acts as a "glue," improving platelet adhesion, and may be effective when postoperative bleeding is excessive, but its routine use in cardiac operations cannot be recommended. Natural and synthetic antifibrinolytics inhibit plasmin and plasmin-induced platelet dysfunction. These agents have been shown to decrease bleeding and the need for allogeneic transfusions after open heart operations. However, with antifibrinolytic drugs, the risk of thromboembolic phenomena cannot be neglected. With aprotinin, this risk appears to be minimal when the drug is used at concentrations high enough to inhibit plasma kallikrein also. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic antifibrinolytics are efficacious, but their routine use remains controversial, both for economic reasons and for fear of thromboembolic complications.

Antifibrinolytic Agents↗
PubMed1993

Spontaneous rupture of the iliac vein.

A spontaneous rupture of the left iliac vein is described. A 2 cm tear on the anterior surface of the left iliac vein was discovered at emergency laparotomy on a patient who was suspected of having a huge intraabdominal hemorrhage. Prodromal symptoms, cause, and treatment are discussed. The nine previously reported cases are reviewed. This case represents the seventh successful repair of an idiopathic rupture of an iliac vein.

Emergencies↗
PubMed1992

A high-risk method for studying psychosocial antecedents of chronic pain: the prospective investigation of herpes zoster.

Although patients with chronic pain are often psychologically distressed, it has been difficult to determine whether this distress is an antecedent of chronic pain or whether it is caused by the experience of living with chronic pain. The aim of this investigation was to develop a method that would allow individuals who are at risk for the development of chronic pain to be studied before their pain has become chronic. Patients with acute herpes zoster were assessed with demographic, medical, pain, and psychosocial measures. Pain was assessed in follow-up interviews at 6 weeks and 3, 5, 8, and 12 months after these initial assessments. There were no significant differences between patients who developed short-term herpes zoster pain and patients who did not develop short-term pain for any of the measures at the initial assessment, except for one measure of pain intensity. Patients who developed chronic herpes zoster pain, however, had significantly greater pain intensity, higher state and trait anxiety, greater depression, lower life satisfaction, and greater disease conviction at the initial assessment than patients who did not develop chronic pain. In discriminant analyses, disease conviction, pain intensity, and state anxiety each made a unique contribution to discriminating patients who did and who did not develop chronic pain. This study demonstrates the feasibility of investigating psychosocial antecedents of the development of chronic pain by prospectively examining the longitudinal course of herpes zoster.

Adult↗