Anesthesiology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Preoperative dipyridamole thallium imaging and ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring as a predictor of perioperative cardiac events and long-term outcome.
Dipyridamole thallium imaging (DTI) and ambulatory electrocardiography (AEGC) have been advocated as means to stratify risk before vascular surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the predictive value of both tests in noncardiac surgery patients for perioperative cardiac morbidity and long-term mortality. ⋯ AECG and DTI demonstrated a similar, although lower than initially reported, ability to stratify risk and predict short-term outcome. Only quantitative dipyridamole thallium also had predictive value for long-term prognosis.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Direct cerebrovasodilatory effects of halothane, isoflurane, and desflurane during propofol-induced isoelectric electroencephalogram in humans.
The effect of volatile anesthetics on cerebral blood flow depends on the balance between the agent's direct vasodilatory action and the indirect vasoconstrictive action mediated by flow-metabolism coupling. To compare the intrinsic action of volatile anesthetics, the effect of halothane, isoflurane, and desflurane on flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery during propofol-induced isoelectricity of the electroencephalogram was examined. ⋯ Halothane, isoflurane, and desflurane have intrinsic, dose-related cerebral vasodilatory effects. Whereas all three agents are similar at 0.5 MAC, isoflurane and desflurane have greater vasodilatory effects than halothane at 1.5 MAC.
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Comparative Study
Epinephrine is metabolized by the spinal meninges of monkeys and pigs.
Epinephrine commonly is added to epidural opioids and local anesthetics, however, little is known about the fate of epidurally administered epinephrine. Studies have identified the epinephrine metabolizing enzyme, catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), in the cranial meninges of several species. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the spinal meninges also contain COMT and are capable of metabolizing epinephrine. If so, then the spinal meninges may have an important impact in limiting the bioavailability of epinephrine in both the spinal cord and epidural space. ⋯ These data demonstrate the functional presence of COMT in the spinal meninges of pigs and monkeys and suggest that the spinal meninges may limit the spinal bioavailability of epidurally or intrathecally administered epinephrine.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Dose-response curves of inhaled nitric oxide with and without intravenous almitrine in nitric oxide-responding patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Inhaled nitric oxide, a selective pulmonary vasodilator, in combination with intravenous almitrine, a selective pulmonary vasoconstrictor, markedly improves arterial oxygenation in 50-60% of patients with acute lung injury. The goal of this study was to assess dose response of inhaled nitric oxide with and without almitrine in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome responding to nitric oxide. ⋯ In 6 patients with early acute respiratory distress syndrome and highly responsive to inhaled nitrix oxide, the administration of intravenous almitrine at a concentration of 16 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 induced an additional increase in Pao2. Dose response of nitric oxide was not changed by the administration of almitrine and a plateau effect was observed at inspiratory nitric oxide concentrations of 1.5 ppm.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane compared with those of isoflurane in volunteers.
Sevoflurane is a new inhalational anesthetic with desirable clinical properties. In some clinical situations, an understanding of the detailed cardiovascular properties of an anesthetic is important, so the authors evaluated the hemodynamic effects of sevoflurane in healthy volunteers not undergoing surgery. ⋯ At 1.0 and 1.5 MAC, sevoflurane was well tolerated by healthy volunteers. At 2.0 MAC, in subjects with mean arterial pressure > or = 50 mmHg, no adverse cardiovascular properties were noted. Similar to other contemporary anesthetics, sevoflurane caused evidence of myocardial depression. Hemodynamic instability was noted in some subjects at high anesthetic concentrations in the absence of surgical stimulation. The incidence was similar to that with isoflurane. The cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane were similar to those of isoflurane, an anesthetic commonly used in clinical practice since 1981.