Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialLevobupivacaine combined with sufentanil and epinephrine for intrathecal labor analgesia: a comparison with racemic bupivacaine.
We performed a randomized, double-blinded study to compare levobupivacaine with racemic bupivacaine for labor analgesia. Eighty term parturients received either levobupivacaine 0.125% or racemic bupivacaine 0.125%, to which was added sufentanil 0.75 microg/mL and epinephrine 1.25 microg/mL. As part of a combined spinal-epidural procedure, 2 mL of this mixture was initially injected intrathecally, and the same solutions were subsequently administered epidurally. For both combinations, onset until the first painless contraction was 4 to 5 min. Most patients were pain free during the second contraction. The duration of initial spinal analgesia was 93.5 +/- 20 min and 94.7 +/- 31 min for levobupivacaine and racemic bupivacaine, respectively. The duration of analgesia for the first epidural top-up dose was also similar in the two groups. Total local anesthetic requirements during labor were not different. The only major difference observed was the absence of motor impairment in levobupivacaine-treated parturients as compared with the Racemic Bupivacaine group, in which the incidence of a Bromage-1 motor block was 34%. Other side effects and obstetric or neonatal outcomes were not different between groups. Intrathecal levobupivacaine has a similar clinical profile as racemic bupivacaine, but at equal doses it produced less motor block. ⋯ When used intrathecally and epidurally for labor analgesia, levobupivacaine had the same clinical profile as racemic bupivacaine, but at equal doses it produced less motor block.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialNormal saline versus lactated Ringer's solution for intraoperative fluid management in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm repair: an outcome study.
Metabolic acidosis and changes in serum osmolarity are consequences of 0.9% normal saline (NS) solution administration. We sought to determine if these physiologic changes influence patient outcome. Patients undergoing aortic reconstructive surgery were enrolled and were randomly assigned to receive lactated Ringer's (LR) solution (n = 33) or NS (n = 33) in a double-blinded fashion. Anesthetic and fluid management were standardized. Multiple measures of outcome were monitored. The NS patients developed a hyperchloremic acidosis and received more bicarbonate therapy (30 +/- 62 mL in the NS group versus 4 +/- 16 mL in the LR group; mean +/- SD), which was given if the base deficit was greater than -5 mEq/L. The NS patients also received a larger volume of platelet transfusion (478 +/- 302 mL in the NS group versus 223 +/- 24 mL in the LR group; mean +/- SD). When all blood products were summed, the NS group received significantly more blood products (P = 0.02). There were no differences in duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, and incidence of complications. When NS was used as the primary intraoperative solution, significantly more acidosis was seen on completion of surgery. This acidosis resulted in no apparent change in outcome but required larger amounts of bicarbonate to achieve predetermined measurements of base deficit and was associated with the use of larger amounts of blood products. These changes should be considered when choosing fluids for surgical procedures involving extensive blood loss and requiring extensive fluid administration. ⋯ Predominant use of 0.9% saline solution in major surgery has little impact on outcome as assessed by duration of mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, and postoperative complications, but it does appear to be associated with increased perioperative blood loss.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe concentration-effect relationship of the respiratory depressant effects of alfentanil and fentanyl.
The relative potencies of fentanyl and alfentanil for respiratory depression were determined in eight healthy male volunteers in a double-blinded, randomized study with a cross-over design. The drugs were delivered by computer-driven infusion with logarithmically ascending plasma concentrations until the respiratory rate reached 2/min and/or oxygen saturation decreased below 85% with subjects breathing room air. Ventilation was measured with respiratory inductive plethysmography, indirect calorimetry, and arterial blood gas analysis, and plasma drug concentrations were determined. Pharmacodynamic modeling was performed using a fractional E(max) model for minute volume and respiratory rate and the concentrations producing 50% depression (i.e., apparent 50% effective concentration [EC(50)] values) were determined. Both drugs decreased ventilation in a similar manner, and drug infusions were terminated at mean +/- SD measured plasma concentrations of 254 +/- 88 ng/mL and 5.1 +/- 1.7 ng/mL for alfentanil and fentanyl, respectively. Alfentanil decreased minute volume from baseline by 54% +/- 19% and respiratory rate by 40% +/- 11% with EC(50) values of 234 +/- 57 ng/mL and 195 +/- 101 ng/mL. The respective decreases for fentanyl were 50% +/- 11%, 41% +/- 15%, and the estimated EC(50) values were 6.1 +/- 1.4 ng/mL and 3.5 +/- 1.4 ng/mL, respectively. Using the apparent EC(50) values, the calculated potency ratio for alfentanil:fentanyl was (mean and 95% confidence interval) 1:39 (1:31-1:46) for minute volume and 1:51 (1:34-1:68) for respiratory rate. This is analogous to the analgesic effect studied earlier. The findings support the notion of parallel analgesic and respiratory depressant effects of alfentanil and fentanyl. Therefore equianalgesic concentrations of both drugs will lead to equally pronounced respiratory depression. ⋯ This double-blinded, randomized study evaluated the potency ratio of alfentanil and fentanyl-induced respiratory depression. The findings support the notion of parallel analgesic and respiratory depressant effects of alfentanil and fentanyl. Therefore equianalgesic concentrations of both drugs will lead to equally pronounced respiratory depression.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialSalbutamol prevents the increase of respiratory resistance caused by tracheal intubation during sevoflurane anesthesia in asthmatic children.
Asthmatic children having their tracheas intubated with sevoflurane often have an increase in respiratory system resistance (Rrs). In this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study, we investigated the protective effect of an inhaled beta2-adrenergic agonist. Either salbutamol or placebo was administered 30 to 60 min before anesthesia to 30 mildly to moderately asthmatic children scheduled for elective surgery. Induction was performed with sevoflurane in a mixture of 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen and maintained at 3%, with children breathing spontaneously via a face mask and Jackson-Rees modification of the T-piece. Airway opening pressure and flow were measured before and after insertion of an oral endotracheal tube. Rrs and respiratory system compliance were calculated with multilinear regression analysis. The groups were comparable with respect to age, weight, asthma history, and breathing pattern. Intubation induced a different Rrs response in the two groups: children treated with salbutamol showed a 6.0% (-25.2% to +13.2%) decrease (mean, 95% confidence interval), whereas in the Placebo group there was a 17.7% (+4.4% to +30.9%) increase (P = 0.04). Neither asthma history nor the serum inflammation marker eosinophilic cationic protein was predictive for this response. We conclude that when using sevoflurane in mildly to moderately asthmatic children, a preanesthetic treatment with inhaled salbutamol is protective of an increase in Rrs. ⋯ Tracheal intubation with sevoflurane as the sole anesthetic is now often performed in children. It can induce an increase in respiratory system resistance in children with asthma. This study shows that in children with mild to moderate asthma, a preanesthetic treatment with inhaled salbutamol can prevent the increase of respiratory system resistance.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAmbulatory surgery: room air versus nasal cannula oxygen during transport after general anesthesia.
We compared outpatients transported to the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) while breathing room air to 2-4 L/min nasal cannula oxygen (O2) to test the hypothesis that routine supplemental O2 during transport is not required after general anesthesia in an ambulatory surgery center. We also examined whether the arbitrary arrival PACU O2 saturations of > 92% may be used to predict an infrequent incidence of subsequent significant desaturations (< 90%) in the PACU. One-hundred-ninety patients were randomized to receive either room air or 2-4 L/min nasal cannula for transport to PACU after receiving general anesthesia. O2 saturations were recorded before surgery, just before leaving the operating room, and upon arrival in the PACU. The lowest O2 saturation occurring in the PACU was also recorded. The mean arrival PACU O2 saturation was 95.0 in the Room Air group, compared with 97.2 for the Nasal Cannula (NC) group, a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). In the Room Air group, 20% had arrival O2 saturations < or = 92%, and half of these (10%) had O2 saturations < 90%. In the NC group, 6% had O2 saturations < or = 92%, of which one third (2%) were < 90% on arrival in the PACU. All of these initial desaturations were easily corrected with face-tent O2 administration, deep breathing, or both. Subgroup analysis revealed that patients whose ages were 60 yr or older or those weighing 100 kg or more had lower arrival room air saturations than their younger or slimmer counterparts. In the Room Air group, only three (3.9%) of the patients that arrived in PACU with O2 saturations > 92% had subsequent desaturations < 90%, compared with seven (7.9%) in the NC group. We conclude that most adult patients undergoing ambulatory surgery can be transported safely to the PACU breathing room air after general anesthesia. However, patients whose age was > or = 60 yr or weight was > or = 100 kg, or for whom transient O2 desaturation on transport may be harmful, should be transported while breathing nasal O2 via nasal cannula. ⋯ Most adult patients undergoing ambulatory surgery can be transported safely to the PACU breathing room air after general anesthesia. However, patients whose age was > or = 60 yr or weight > or = 100 kg, or for whom transient O2 desaturation on transport may be harmful, should be transported while breathing oxygen via nasal cannula.