B a c k g r o u n d: Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) is considered a reliable assessment method of a balance between cerebral oxygen demand and supply. One of forms of anaesthesia applied during extensive abdominal surgical procedures is the epidural anaesthesia. Its application in addition to the general anaesthesia is a commonly accepted form of anaesthesia in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that epidural blocks may have eff ects on cerebral saturation in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anaesthesia.
M e t h o d s: Cerebral saturation was monitored intrasurgically. Reduction of cerebral oxymetry by over 25% in relation to the baseline, or cerebral oxymetry value below 50% was considered clinically significant.
R e s u l t s: One hundred and one (101) subsequent and non-randomised patients, age between 35 and 84 years (mean 64 ± 10) qualifi ed for major abdominal surgeries were enrolled. In 14 (13.9%) patients of 101 enrolled a clinically signifi cant reduction of cerebral saturation was observed. In 50 (49.5%) of the enrolled patients, the epidural anaesthesia was applied along the general anaesthesia. A clinically signifi cant reduction of cerebral saturation was observed in 9 of them. No statistically significant association was found between the application of epidural anaesthesia and development of cerebral desaturation.
C o n c l u s i o n: The application of epidural anaesthesia caused no clinically significant reduction of cerebral saturation during the general anaesthesia in course of major abdominal surgical procedures.
Introduction: Trauma is one of the leading causes of death in the European Union. The European Trauma Course (ETC) is a training course that focuses on administering aid to trauma patients in a Hospital’s Emergency Department by creating an effective and well-organized trauma team. The purpose of the study is to analyze how the ETC training is evaluated by its participants and whether it is tailored to local needs.
Materials and Methodology: The study includes eight courses conducted between 2010 and 2015, involving 109 medical professionals. Participants were given questionnaires where they could evaluate the various aspects of the course and comment on each of them, using a four-level scale. Finally, 78 surveys were qualified for the study.
Results: The exercises were very highly rated (average 3.79 points), mainly for their interesting scenarios and station preparation. Equally well-evaluated was the short and concise method of instruction. The lowest ranked aspect was the course fee (2.41 points). There were oft en negative comments about the use of English during the training (lectures and manuals).
Discussion: The opinions of Polish students were similar to those of ETC participants in other European countries. There are many interesting advantages of workshop scenarios, while the downside is the time constraint. Nevertheless, the ETC has been very successful. High ratings and positive feedback affirm the high demand for such courses in Poland.