Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pharmacokinetic model selection for target controlled infusions of propofol. Assessment of three parameter sets.
Computer-assisted target controlled infusions (TCI) result in prediction errors that are influenced by pharmacokinetic variability among and within patients. It is uncertain whether the selection of a propofol pharmacokinetic parameter set significantly influences drug concentrations and clinical acceptability. ⋯ Although it may be preferable to administer propofol TCI by using a locally derived parameter set, it is acceptable to use a model from elsewhere. The Marsh and Tackley models produced equally good performance and are appropriate for propofol TCI within the range of 3-6 micrograms/ml. The Dyck model was less accurate at maintaining anesthetic concentrations, possibly because it was derived from low concentrations. Concentrations in blood, the most sensitive indicators of performance, demonstrated differences among the parameter sets. Clinically, TCI worked well, and by clinical criteria, the choice of pharmacokinetic model did not appear to make a difference.
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Sevoflurane has low blood and tissue solubility and is metabolized to free fluoride and hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Although sevoflurane uptake and distribution and fluoride formation have been described, the pharmacokinetics of HFIP formation and elimination are incompletely understood. This investigation comprehensively characterized the simultaneous disposition of sevoflurane, fluoride, and HFIP. ⋯ Sevoflurane was rapidly metabolized to fluoride and HFIP, which was rapidly glucuronidated and eliminated in the urine. The overall extent of sevoflurane metabolism was approximately 5%.
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After upper abdominal surgery, patients have been observed to have alterations in respiratory movements of the rib cage and abdomen and respiratory shifts in pleural and abdominal pressure that suggest dysfunction of the diaphragm. The validity of making such deductions about diaphragm function from these observations is open to discussion. ⋯ Indirect measurements of respiratory muscle action based on pressure and chest wall motion are easier than are assessments based on implanted electromyogram electrodes and sonomicrometers that measure electric activity and muscle length, respectively, directly. Interpretation requires numerous assumptions and detailed analysis of phase relations among the variables. In patients after thoracic surgery, however, these measurements strongly point to a shift in the distribution of motor output toward muscles other than the diaphragm.
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Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) is decreased in pregnancy, but it is not known how quickly after delivery MAC returns to normal. We measured the MAC of isoflurane in a group of women undergoing elective tubal ligation after delivery. ⋯ The MAC of isoflurane was reduced in women 24-36 h postpartum and gradually increased to normal values by 72 h postpartum.