OBJECTIVE — To systematically review the incidence of posttransplantation diabetes (PTD), risk factors for its development, prognostic implications, and optimal management. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS — We searched databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and others) from inception to September 2000, reviewed bibliographies in reports retrieved, contacted transplantation experts, and reviewed specialty journals. Two reviewers independently determined report inclusion (original studies, in all languages, of PTD in adults with no history of diabetes before transplantation), assessed study methods, and extracted data using a standardized form. Meta-regression was used to explain between-study differences in incidence. RESULTS — Nineteen studies with 3,611 patients were included. The 12-month cumulative incidence of PTD is lower (10% in most studies) than it was 3 decades ago. The type of immunosuppression explained 74% of the variability in incidence (P 0.0004). Risk factors were patient age, nonwhite ethnicity, glucocorticoid treatment for rejection, and immunosuppression with high-dose cyclosporine and tacrolimus. PTD was associated with decreased graft and patient survival in earlier studies; later studies showed improved outcomes. Randomized trials of treatment regimens have not been conducted. CONCLUSIONS — Physicians should consider modification of immunosuppressive regimens to decrease the risk of PTD in high-risk transplant recipients. Randomized trials are needed to evaluate the use of oral glucose-lowering agents in transplant recipients, paying particular attention to interactions with immunosuppressive drugs. Diabetes Care 25:583–592, 2002

A systematic review of the literature

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics A Textbook of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics for Physicians and Medical Students. By Prof. Louis Goodman and Prof. Alfred Gilman. Pp. xiii + 1383. (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1941.) 50s. net.

The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics

RACTICE Guidelines are systematically developed recommendations that assist the practitioner and patient in making decisions about health care. These recommendations may be adopted, modified, or rejected according to clinical needs and constraints and are not intended to replace local institutional policies. In addition, Practice Guidelines developed by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) are not intended as standards or absolute requirements, and their use cannot guarantee any specific outcome. Practice Guidelines are subject to revision as warranted by the evolution of medical knowledge, technology, and practice. They provide basic recommendations that are supported by a synthesis and analysis of the current literature, expert and practitioner opinion, open-forum commentary, and clinical feasibility data. This document updates the “Practice Guidelines for Management of the Difficult Airway: An Updated Report by

practice Guidelines for Management of the Difficult airway An Updated Report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force on Management of the Difficult Airway

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(04)16300-9.pdf

Bispectral index monitoring to prevent awareness during anaesthesia: the B-Aware randomised controlled trial

Background Awareness during anesthesia is a serious complication with potential long-term psychological consequences. Use of the bispectral index (BIS), developed from a processed electroencephalogram, has been reported to decrease the incidence of anesthesia awareness when the BIS value is maintained below 60. In this trial, we sought to determine whether a BIS-based protocol is better than a protocol based on a measurement of end-tidal anesthetic gas (ETAG) for decreasing anesthesia awareness in patients at high risk for this complication. Methods We randomly assigned 2000 patients to BIS-guided anesthesia (target BIS range, 40 to 60) or ETAG-guided anesthesia (target ETAG range, 0.7 to 1.3 minimum alveolar concentration [MAC]). Postoperatively, patients were assessed for anesthesia awareness at three intervals (0 to 24 hours, 24 to 72 hours, and 30 days after extubation). Results We assessed 967 and 974 patients from the BIS and ETAG groups, respectively. Two cases of definite anesthesia awareness occurred in each group (absolute difference, 0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.56 to 0.57%). The BIS value was greater than 60 in one case of definite anesthesia awareness, and the ETAG concentrations were less than 0.7 MAC in three cases. For all patients, the mean (±SD) time-averaged ETAG concentration was 0.81±0.25 MAC in the BIS group and 0.82±0.23 MAC in the ETAG group (P = 0.10; 95% CI for the difference between the BIS and ETAG groups, −0.04 to 0.01 MAC). Conclusions We did not reproduce the results of previous studies that reported a lower incidence of anesthesia awareness with BIS monitoring, and the use of the BIS protocol was not associated with reduced administration of volatile anesthetic gases. Anesthesia awareness occurred even when BIS values and ETAG concentrations were within the target ranges. Our findings do not support routine BIS monitoring as part of standard practice. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00281489.)

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa0707361

Anesthesia Awareness and the Bispectral Index

Background: Explicit recall (ER) is evident in approximately 0.2% of patients given general anaesthesia including muscle relaxants. This prospective study was performed to evaluate if cerebral moni ...

Reduction in the incidence of awareness using BIS monitoring.

BACKGROUND: A correlation between deep anesthesia (defined as time with Bispectral Index (BIS) l45; T-BIS l45 and death within 1. yr after surgery has previously been reported. In order to confirm or refute these findings, we evaluated T-BIS (l45) as an independent risk factor for death within I and 2 yr after surgery and also the impact of malignancy, the predominant cause of death in the previous report. METHODS: Mortality within 2 yr after surgery, causes of death and the occurrence of malignant disease at the time of surgery were identified in a cohort of 4087 BIS-monitored patients. Statistically significant univariate predictors of mortality were identified. In order to allow for comparison with previous data, the following multivariate analysis was first done without, and thereafter with, preexisting malignancy status, the predominant cause of death. RESULTS: One-hundred-seventy-four (4.3%) patients died within I yr and another 92 during the second year (totaling 6.5% in 2 yr). T-BIS l45 was a significant predictor of 1- and 2-yr mortality when preexisting malignant disease was not among the co-variates (hazard ratio [HR] 113 [1.01-1.27] and 1.18 [1.08-1.29], respectively). Further exploration confined the significant relation between postoperative mortality and T-BIS l45 to Patients with preexisting malignant diagnoses associated with extensive Surgery and less favorable prognosis. The most powerful predictors of 2-yr mortality in the model, including preexisting malignancy, were ASA physical score class IV (HR 19.3 [7.31-51.1]), age g80 yr (HR 2.93 [1.79-4.79]), and preexisting malignancy associated with less favorable prognosis (HR 9.30 [6.60-13.1]). When the initial multivariate regression was repeated using preexisting malignancy status among the co-variates in the model, the previously significant relation between 1, and 2-yr mortality and T-BIS l45 did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Using a similar set of co-variates as in previous work, we confirmed the statistical relation between 1-yr mortality and T-BIS l45, and we extended this observation to 2-yr mortality. However, this relation is sensitive to the selection of co-variates in the statistical model, and a randomized study is required to demonstrate that there really is a causal impact from and T-BIS (l45) on postoperative mortality and, if it does, the effect is probably very weak in comparison with co-morbidity as assessed by ASA physical score, the preexisting malignancy status at surgery and age.

Mortality within 2 years after surgery in relation to low intraoperative bispectral index values and preexisting malignant disease.

Background: Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall may be followed by long-lasting mental symptoms. However, the average risk for developing mental sequelae after awareness, and the average severity and the duration of symptoms has not previously been illustrated in a consecutive series of awareness cases.



Methods: Nine patients among 18 consecutive, prospectively identified cases of intraoperative awareness with recall could be located after approximately 2 years and agreed to an interview about possible persisting problems.



Results: Four of the nine interviewed patients were still severely disabled due to psychiatric/psychological sequelae. All of these patients had experienced anxiety during the period of awareness, but only one had complained about pain. Another three patients had less severe, transient mental symptoms, although they could cope with these in daily life. Two patients denied any sequelae from their awareness episode.



Conclusions: Up to 3 weeks after their unsuccessful anesthetic, repeated information and discussions had been offered. Despite the fact that all patients at that time claimed to be satisfied with this management, and eventually considered no further contacts necessary, this was obviously inaccurate. Therefore, professional psychiatric assessment, treatment and long-term follow-up should constitute standard practice for all patients who have experienced intraoperative awareness.

Victims of awareness

The use of platelet density and volume measurements to estimate the severity of pre-eclampsia.

This study compares psychomotor recovery following induction of anaesthesia with either thiopentone or propofol in 30 healthy, unpremedicated patients undergoing outpatient arthroscopic procedures of the knee. A battery of tests including simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT), perceptive accuracy test (PAT) and digit symbol substitution test (DSST) were done before anaesthesia. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group 1 was induced with thiopentone 5-6 mg/kg while Group 2 was induced with propofol 2-3 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was then maintained with isoflurane (0.5-2%) in oxygen and air, and supplements of alfentanil were given for analgesia during spontaneous respiration with a face mask. Psychomotor recovery assessed every 30 min postoperatively for 120 min showed that patients in Group 1 had not returned to baseline values until 120 min after the operation on the PAT, while those in Group 2 had returned to baseline values at 60 min. No patient had any significant side effects. The SRT, CRT and DSST proved to be relatively insensitive in the detection of residual effects of anaesthesia and had a significant learning effect. This study suggests that induction of anaesthesia with propofol followed by maintenance with isoflurane in oxygen and air during spontaneous ventilation is associated with rapid psychomotor recovery and is a suitable method for ambulatory surgery. The PAT is sensitive and not associated with some of the problems found with other commonly used tests.

C. Lennmarken

Papers

Reduction in the incidence of awareness using BIS monitoring.

Mortality within 2 years after surgery in relation to low intraoperative bispectral index values and preexisting malignant disease.

Victims of awareness

The use of platelet density and volume measurements to estimate the severity of pre-eclampsia.

Thiopentone or propofol for induction of isoflurane-based anaesthesia for ambulatory surgery?