Anesthesia and analgesia
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The neuromuscular blocking and cardiovascular effects of pipecuronium, in doses ranging 2-3 times its ED95, were evaluated in 46 patients during thiopental, fentanyl, N2O/O2 anesthesia. The neuromuscular blocking effect of pipecuronium was evaluated by recording of the mechanical twitch of the adductor pollicis muscle in response to stimulation of the ulnar nerve at the wrist. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and cardiac output were non-invasively measured during the onset of the neuromuscular blockade and compared to a saline control group to separate the effect of anesthesia from those of pipecuronium. ⋯ The time from the administration of pipecuronium to 5% recovery of T1 was 52.3 +/- 18.2 min in the group given 70 micrograms/kg. This was significantly longer in patients given 85 micrograms/kg (71.9 +/- 15.7 min) or 100 micrograms/kg (71.8 +/- 22.1 min). Times to the start of recovery of T1 and to 25% recovery of T1 showed a similar significant pattern.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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The wall temperatures of the absorptive chambers of a divided soda lime canister were measured in 70 patients to determine the relationship between the difference in temperature of the two chambers and CO2 passage through the first chamber. CO2 passage through the first chamber was detected when the temperature of the second chamber became equal to that of the first. ⋯ When the maximal absorptive capacity of soda lime was reached, the pH of the surface of soda lime granules was still too high to change the indicator color. Exhaustion of soda lime is more reliably recognized by measuring wall temperatures of the chambers than by observing color change of the soda lime granules.