Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 1997
Comparative StudyManagement of patient-controlled analgesia: a comparison of primary surgeons and a dedicated pain service.
Although Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) is routinely available in most hospitals in the United States, there appears to be little standardization regarding who provides this valuable service to postoperative patients. This study evaluates the differences in PCA management practices and patient outcomes between primary service (PS) physicians and acute pain service (APS) physicians. Over a 3-mo period, 40 patients prescribed PCA by PS physicians were prospectively studied without the knowledge of the physicians or nurses involved in PCA management. ⋯ Although pain scores were not different between groups, APS patients had fewer side effects, were more likely to receive a loading dose, had their PCA settings adjusted more often (P < 0.05), and used more opioid. PS patients were more likely to receive intramuscular medications after PCA discontinuation (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates potentially important PCA management differences between APS and PS physicians.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 1997
Comparative StudyComparative pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine and bupivacaine in nonpregnant and pregnant ewes.
We determined the pharmacokinetics and protein binding of ropivacaine and bupivacaine after intravenous administration to nonpregnant and pregnant sheep. All animals were in good condition throughout the study. The highest mean total serum drug concentrations were found at the end of infusion. ⋯ In conclusion, the pharmacokinetics of ropivacaine and bupivacaine are altered by ovine pregnancy in a similar way. If these data are applicable to humans, an unintended intravascular injection of either drug could be expected to result in higher total serum concentrations in the pregnant than in the nonpregnant patient, but drug levels would decline at similar rates in both groups of individuals. However, differences between the two drugs, particularly in T(1/2)beta and MRT, may make ropivacaine preferable for use in obstetric anesthesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 1997
Laryngeal mask airway and the incidence of regurgitation during gynecological laparoscopies.
We studied the incidence of regurgitation in 100 patients undergoing elective gynecological laparoscopies under general anesthesia with intermittent positive pressure ventilation using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Patients ingested methylene blue capsules 10-15 min before induction of anesthesia. After induction and insertion of an LMA using the recommended insertion technique, a fiberoptic examination of the larynx was made for traces of dye and to site a pH probe in the bowl of the LMA for continuous monitoring. ⋯ The 95% confidence limit for a true probability of regurgitation in this study is 0.041 or a true rate of regurgitation of less than 4.1%. A larger study would be required to possibly demonstrate a lower incidence of regurgitation. This study confirms the clinical impression that the incidence of regurgitation during laparoscopies with a LMA is extremely low.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jul 1997
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA comparison of oral ketorolac and hydrocodone-acetaminophen for analgesia after ambulatory surgery: arthroscopy versus laparoscopic tubal ligation.
This multicenter study compared the analgesic efficacy and side effects of ketorolac and hydrocodone-acetaminophen when administered orally after ambulatory arthroscopic or laparoscopic tubal ligation procedures. After awakening from general anesthesia, 252 patients experiencing moderate or severe postoperative pain were randomly assigned to receive one of three analgesic treatments according to a placebo-controlled, double-blind protocol. Group 1 (n = 83) received oral ketorolac 10 mg every 6 h for up to 3 days, Group 2 (n = 82) received hydrocodone 7.5 mg plus acetaminophen 750 mg every 6 h for up to 3 days, and Group 3 (n = 87) received placebo capsules followed by ketorolac 10 mg every 6 h for up to 3 days. ⋯ However, the ketorolac group scored higher in terms of overall tolerability than the hydrocodone-acetaminophen group. In conclusion, there was no difference in the efficacy between oral ketorolac and hydrocodone-acetaminophen combination in controlling pain after outpatient arthroscopic surgery procedures. Neither oral analgesic proved to be very effective after laparoscopic tubal ligation.