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Query: UMLS:C0344307 (analgesia)
 28,200 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The heel prick is a common procedure, mainly carried out by midwives. This paper argues that midwifery practice is often based on tradition and habit rather than evidence. Firstly, the evidence on which midwives choose a site for heel prick is examined, and it is argued that practice is based on old evidence and that more recent research must be built on to ensure the best care for babies. It is argued that preparation of the heel is unnecessary, and that midwives should consider alternatives to squeezing the heel. Finally, it is argued that encouraging women to breastfeed their babies or otherwise maintain skin-to-skin contact throughout the procedure may be the most appropriate form of analgesia.
RCM Midwives 2005 Mar
PMID:The heel prick: how efficient is common practice? 1579 Jan 79

With the introduction of biomarkers like troponin I (cTnI), our ability to identify and quantify myocardial infarction in the postoperative period has been greatly enhanced. Even small elevations of cTnI should be considered as a myocardial infarction. Small increases in cTnI postoperatively have indeed been found to be associated with worse short and long-term outcomes, the higher the cTnI level the worse the outcome. Studies undertaken in the 1980s when postoperative myocardial infarction (PMI) was detected by means of electrocardiogram recordings every 12 hours following operation suggested that this complication occurred on the second or third postoperative day. More recent studies where postoperative myocardial necrosis has been detected by repeated troponin dosages have revealed that, in fact, postoperative myocardial infarction appears much earlier between 12 and 32 hour after the end of surgery. Two types of PMI were identified based on intense troponin surveillance. They stem from two different major pathophysiological mechanisms. One seems to be related to plaque-vulnerability, while the other may be due to the effects of prolonged ischemia. The postoperative period should be regarded as a vulnerable period' that acts synergistically with both plaque and patient vulnerabilities in the development of PMI. Monitoring troponin levels in the postoperative period following surgery enables the identification of patients with myocardial damage and the institution of early aggressive intervention (e.g., intensive beta blockers therapy, adequate analgesia, correction of anemia) in order to prevent the evolution of PMI during this golden period' that lasts about two days. In patients that are prone to develop PMI, and especially in those who are prone to develop PMI related to plaque rupture, prevention can be achieved by better preoperative identification of the vulnerable plaque, and by a better plaque stabilization, either metabolically (e.g., statins) or by actual coronary stenting. Further understanding of the mechanisms underlying PMI, as well as their early identification, may contribute to the reduction of the incidence of PMI and its associated morality in the future.
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PMID:Postoperative myocardial infarction: pathophysiology, new diagnostic criteria, prevention. 1723 64