Anesthesia and analgesia
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    Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2001 Clinical TrialThe minimum alveolar concentration of enflurane for laryngeal mask airway extubation in deeply anesthetized children.The end-tidal anesthetic gas concentration required to prevent the anesthetized patient from coughing or moving during or immediately after the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) extubation is not known. We sought to determine the minimum alveolar concentration of enflurane required for the removal of the LMA in children. We studied 21 nonpremedicated children between 4 and 11 yr of age, ASA physical status I, undergoing procedures below the umbilicus. General anesthesia was induced with a mask by using sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen, and the LMA was inserted. Anesthesia was maintained with enflurane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen. At the end of surgery, a predetermined end-tidal enflurane concentration was achieved, and the LMA was removed. Each concentration at which the LMA extubation was attempted was predetermined by the up-and-down method (with 0.1% as a step size). When LMA removal was accomplished without coughing, clenching teeth, or gross purposeful muscular movements during or within 1 min after removal, it was considered a successful LMA removal. Removal was considered to be unsuccessful in patients who developed breath holding or laryngospasm during or immediately after LMA removal. The minimum alveolar concentration of enflurane at which 50% of children had a successful LMA removal was found to be 1.02% (95% CL, 0.95%-1.11%), and the 95% effective dose for successful extubation was 1.14% (95% CL, 1.07%-1.66%). In conclusion, the LMA removal may be accomplished without coughing or moving at 1.02% end-tidal enflurane concentration in 50% of anesthetized children aged 4-11 yr. ⋯ There may be fewer problems associated with the laryngeal mask airway extubation when patients are deeply anesthetized. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum concentration of enflurane for successful removal of the laryngeal mask in children. 
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    Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2001 Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized, double-blinded comparison of intrathecal morphine, sufentanil and their combination versus IV morphine patient-controlled analgesia for postthoracotomy pain.We compared the analgesic effect of lumbar intrathecal (IT) 0.5 mg morphine (Group M, n = 10), 50 microg sufentanil (Group S, n = 10), and their combination (Group S-M, n = 10) given before general anesthesia and patient-controlled analgesia with IV morphine (Group C, n = 19) in a randomized, double-blinded study performed in patients undergoing thoracotomy. Pain visual analog scale (VAS) and morphine consumption were assessed for 24 h. In Group S-M the number of patients initially titrated with IV morphine was less than in group C (30 vs 84%, P < 0.05). Morphine requirement was higher in Group C (71 +/- 30 mg) than in Groups S (46 +/- 34 mg, P < 0.05), M (38 +/- 31 mg, P < 0.05) and S-M (23 +/- 16 mg, P < 0.01). VAS scores were significantly decreased during the first 0-11 postoperative h at rest and during the first 0-8 postoperative h on coughing in Groups M and S-M rather than in Group C. The incidence of side effects was infrequent except for urinary retention. Preoperative IT morphine or combined sufentanil and morphine could be given as a booster to achieve rapidly effective analgesia in the immediate postoperative period. ⋯ As compared with IV patient-controlled analgesia, intrathecal morphine or combined sufentanil and morphine provided superior postoperative pain relief both at rest (11 h) and on coughing (8 h) than did IV patient-controlled analgesia morphine alone. IV morphine requirement was decreased during the first postoperative day after posterolateral thoracotomy. 
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    Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2001 Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialMinimum local anesthetic volume blocking the femoral nerve in 50% of cases: a double-blinded comparison between 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine.Recent studies demonstrated that ropivacaine was nearly 40% less potent than bupivacaine in the first stage of labor, but contrasting results have been reported. We, therefore, conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded study to determine the effects of the ropivacaine/bupivacaine potency ratio on the minimum volume of local anesthetic required to produce effective block of the femoral nerve in 50% of patients. Fifty adults premedicated with IV midazolam, 0.05 mg/kg, undergoing elective knee arthroscopy received femoral nerve blocks with a multiple-injection technique with a nerve stimulator (contractions of vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and vastus lateralis were elicited with a 0.5-mA stimulating current). Patients randomly received either 0.5% ropivacaine (n = 25) or 0.5% bupivacaine (n = 25). The anesthetic volume was decided according to Dixon's up-and-down method, starting from 12 mL and being equally divided among the three elicited twitches. Successful nerve block was loss of pinprick sensation in the femoral nerve distribution with concomitant block of the quadriceps muscle within 20 min after injection, as assessed by a blinded observer. Positive or negative responses determined a 3-mL decrease or increase for the next patient, respectively. According to the up-and-down sequences, the minimum local anesthetic volume providing successful nerve block in 50% of cases was 14 +/- 2 mL in the ropivacaine group (95% CI: 12-16 mL) and 15 +/- 2 mL (95% CI: 13-17 mL) in the bupivacaine group (P: = 0.155). We conclude that the volume of 0.5% ropivacaine required to produce effective block of the femoral nerve in 50% of patients is similar to that required when using 0.5% bupivacaine. ⋯ Considering the risk for drug-related systemic toxicity, the equipotency ratio between ropivacaine and bupivacaine is crucial for daily practice. Despite the 40% reduction in the analgesic potency of ropivacaine reported during epidural analgesia for labor pain, results of this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study demonstrated that the same volume of 0.5% ropivacaine or 0.5% bupivacaine is required to produce an effective block of the femoral nerve in 50% of cases. 
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    Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2001 Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialS(+)-ketamine for rectal premedication in children.Our purpose for this prospective, randomized, and double-blinded study was to evaluate the anesthetic efficacy of S(+)-ketamine, an enantiomer of racemic ketamine, compared with a combination of S(+)-ketamine and midazolam, and plain midazolam for rectal premedication in pediatric anesthesia. Sixty-two children, ASA physical status I and II, scheduled for minor surgery, were randomly assigned to be given rectally one of the following: 1.5 mg/kg preservative-free S(+)-ketamine, a combination of 0.75 mg/kg preservative-free S(+)-ketamine and 0.75 mg/kg midazolam, or 0.75 mg/kg midazolam. Preoperative anesthetic efficacy was graded during a period of 20 min by using a five-point scale from 1 = awake to 5 = asleep. ⋯ Whereas the mask acceptance score was comparable in the three study groups, a 25% rate of complications during anesthesia induction via face was observed in the S(+)-ketamine study group (P < 0.05 versus other study groups). Our conclusions are that S(+)-ketamine for rectal premedication in the dose we chose shows a poor anesthetic effect and a frequent incidence of side effects during induction of anesthesia via face mask compared with the combination of midazolam/S(+)-ketamine and plain midazolam. Dose-response studies of S(+)-ketamine for rectal premedication in pediatric anesthesia may be warranted.