Effects of avoidance or use of neuromuscular blocking agents on outcomes in tracheal intubation: a Cochrane systematic review.

Cohort studies have indicated that avoidance of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) is a risk factor for difficult tracheal intubation. However, the impact of avoiding NMBA on tracheal intubation, possible adverse effects, and postoperative discomfort has not been evaluated in a systematic review of randomised trials. We searched several databases for trials published until January 2017. We included randomised controlled trials comparing the effect of avoiding vs using NMBA. Two independent authors assessed risk of bias and extracted data. The risk of random errors was assessed by trial sequential analysis (TSA). We included 34 trials (3565 participants). In the four trials judged to have low risk of bias, there was an increased risk of difficult tracheal intubation with no use of NMBA [random-effects model, risk ratio (RR) 13.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.19-21.49, P<0.00001, TSA-adjusted CI 1.85-95.04]. The result was confirmed when including all trials, (RR 5.00, 95% CI 3.49-7.15, P<0.00001, TSA-adjusted CI 1.20-20.77). There was a significant risk of upper airway discomfort or injury by avoiding NMBA (RR=1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.74, P=0.008, TSA-adjusted CI 1.00-1.86). None of the trials reported mortality. Avoiding NMBA was significantly associated with difficult laryngoscopy, (RR 2.54, 95% CI 1.53-4.21, P=0.0003, TSA-adjusted CI 0.27-21.75). In a clinical context, one must balance arguments for using NMBA when performing tracheal intubation.

Post-cardiac arrest level of free-plasma DNA and DNA-histone complexes.

BACKGROUND: Plasma DNA-histone complexes and total free-plasma DNA have the potential to quantify the ischaemia-reperfusion damages occurring after cardiac arrest. Furthermore, DNA-histone complexes may have the potential of being a target for future treatment. The aim was to examine if plasma DNA-histone complexes and the levels of total free-plasma DNA were elevated in post-cardiac arrest patients compared with healthy individuals, and to examine if these biomarkers were capable of predicting mortality. METHODS: We included 42 comatose out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients and collected blood samples after 22, 46 and 70 h. Samples for DNA-histone complexes were quantified by Cell Death Detection ELISAplus . The total free-plasma DNA analyses were quantified with qPCR by analysing the Beta-2 microglobulin gene. The control group comprised 40 healthy individuals. RESULTS: We found no difference in the level of DNA-histone complexes between the 22-h sample and healthy individuals (P = 0.10). In the 46-h sample, there was an increased level of DNA-histone complexes in non-survivors compared with survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (P < 0.01) and the area under the ROC curve was 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.59;0.96). The level of total free-plasma DNA was increased in the 22-h sample compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.001) but no significant difference was found between non-survivors and survivors 30 days after the cardiac arrest (all P ≥ 0.06). CONCLUSION: An increased level of DNA-histone complexes was associated with increased mortality and that the level of total free-plasma DNA was elevated post-cardiac arrest.