British Journal of Anaesthesia

Originally Published hereNon-pharmaceutical approaches can help manage preoperative anxiety, but few studies have evaluated psychoeducational programmes, especially for cancer surgery. We assessed the feasibility of the COHErence Cardiaque (COHEC) programme where cardiac coherence and medical hypnosis are combined to manage preoperative anxiety in patients undergoing breast or gynaecological cancer surgical interventions (BGCSI).

Originally Published hereNeonates, infants, and children undergoing major surgery or with trauma can develop severe coagulopathy perioperatively. Neonates and infants are at highest risk because their haemostatic system is not fully developed and underlying inherited bleeding disorders may not have been diagnosed before surgery. Historically, laboratory coagulation measurements have been used to diagnose and monitor…

Originally Published hereProlonged mechanical ventilation can create heterogeneous ventilation patterns, which increase the risk of lung injury in infants. However, little is understood about the risk of brief exposure to mechanical ventilation during anaesthesia. The aim of this prospective observational study was to describe the regional pattern of lung ventilation during general anaesthesia in healthy…

Originally Published hereEditor—It was with great interest that we read the response by Green and colleagues1 to our publication on tryptase in paediatric hypersensitivity.2 We would like to thank the authors for their prompt response to our request for external validation of the new paediatric consensus formula for mast cell activation. Some aspects of their…

Originally Published hereEditor—Preoperative anaemia occurs in one-third of patients and is associated with an increased risk of blood transfusion, patient morbidity, and mortality.1,2 The leading cause of anaemia is iron deficiency, with several studies exploring the use of iron around the time of surgery.3 Preoperative iron therapy has become a plausible and attractive therapeutic intervention…

Originally Published hereEditor—We read with interest the recent publication by Vlaeminck and colleagues.1 A dynamic change in the acute serum tryptase concentration (aST) from the basal serum tryptase concentration (bST) suggests mast cell degranulation and can be used to support a diagnosis of anaphylaxis. A new consensus formula, aST>bST+0.71, has been proposed by Vlaeminck and…

Originally Published hereIn recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of neuromodulation as an alternative treatment option for chronic pain. Neuromodulation techniques, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation, deep brain stimulation (DBS), and peripheral nerve stimulation, have shown promising results in the management of various chronic…

Originally Published hereIntroducing variability in tidal volume, ventilatory frequency, or both is beneficial during mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We investigated whether applying cycle-by-cycle variability in the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) exerts beneficial effect on lung function in a model of ARDS.

Originally Published hereIn an era of ‘big data’, we propose that a collaborative network approach will drive a better understanding of the mechanisms of delirium, and more rapid development of therapies. We have formed the International Delirium Pathophysiology & Electrophysiology Network for Data sharing (iDEPEND) group with a key aim to ‘facilitate the study of…

Originally Published hereIron-deficiency anaemia, occurring in 30–40% of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes. Our long-term goal is to assess if postoperative i.v. iron therapy improves clinical outcomes in patients with preoperative iron-deficiency anaemia undergoing cardiac surgery. Before conducting a definitive RCT, we first propose a multicentre pilot trial…