Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1996
Responses to nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers and succinylcholine in von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis.
Patients with type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF-1) have been reported to have prolonged responses to nondepolarizing (ND) neuromuscular blockers (NMBs). Responses to succinylcholine (SCh) have been described as increased, decreased, or normal. The purpose of this study was to assess responses to NMBs in NF-1 patients in order to determine the clinical significance of abnormal responses. ⋯ Standard milligram per kilogram doses of NMBs were used in all cases, and in none was there evidence of abnormal response. The risk of abnormal response to NMBs in individuals with NF-1 appears to be minimal. We recommend no alteration in dosing of either SCh or ND NMBs in patients with NF-1.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1996
Displacement of the endotracheal tube caused by change of head position in pediatric anesthesia: evaluation by fiberoptic bronchoscopy.
Displacement of the endotracheal tube (ETT) caused by flexion and extension of the neck and the placement of a tongue depressor was investigated in 10 small children between the ages of 16 and 19 mo by means of a fiberoptic bronchoscope. The ETT tip moved a mean distance of 0.9 cm toward the carina with flexion and 1.7 cm toward the vocal cords with extension of the neck. After the placement of a tongue depressor, the ETT tip, which had once moved toward the vocal cords with neck extension, was displaced a mean distance of 1.2 cm toward the carina. Our results demonstrate that endobronchial intubation and accidental extubation could occur after significant changes of the head position and careless placement of a tongue depressor in small children.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1996
Comparison of end-tidal PCO2 and average alveolar expired PCO2 during positive end-expiratory pressure.
The measurement of average alveolar expired PCO2 (PAECO2) weights each PCO2 value on the alveolar plateau of the CO2 expirogram by the simultaneous change in exhaled volume. PAECO2 can be determined from a modified analysis of the Fowler anatomic dead space (VDANAT). In contrast, end-tidal PCO2 (PETCO2) only measures PCO2 in the last small volume of exhalate. ⋯ This difference was significantly magnified during PEEP ventilation. The overestimation of PAECO2 by PETCO2 can result in a falsely high assessment of overall alveolar PCO2. Moreover, the use of PETCO2 to estimate alveolar PCO2 in the determination of the alveolar dead space fraction can result in falsely low and even negative values of alveolar dead space.