Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2003
Clinical TrialPrevalence and characteristics of pain induced by percutaneous liver biopsy.
Percutaneous needle liver biopsy is an important procedure for the diagnosis and evaluation of liver disease and is frequently associated with pain. In this prospective study, we investigated the prevalence and characteristics of this pain syndrome. Fifty-four subjects, who underwent liver biopsy under ultrasound guidance, received 5 mg of diazepam orally 1 h before the procedure and local infiltration with 10 mL of 2% lidocaine just before needle insertion. Outcome measures included the visual analog scale for measuring pain intensity over 24 h, pain localization on a body scheme, and the Spielberger questionnaire for measuring anxiety levels. Forty-seven (84%) of the 54 respondents reported pain 30 min after the biopsy (visual analog scale, 4.2 +/- 0.5; mean +/- SEM), and 21 (39%) reported pain at the 24-h time point. Biopsy site pain was reported by 9 subjects, right shoulder pain by 14, and pain at both sites by 24. Higher pain intensities were reported by women and by subjects with higher anxiety levels. This study indicates that liver biopsy is a painful condition in most patients. Mild anxiolytic treatment plus local anesthetic infiltration seem to produce insufficient analgesia, thus indicating that a more profound analgesic treatment is required for better control of this pain. ⋯ Percutaneous liver biopsy is a painful procedure in most patients. Mild anxiolytic treatment plus local anesthetic infiltration seem to produce insufficient analgesia. A more profound analgesic treatment is required for better control of this pain.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialRecovery of neuromuscular function after cardiac surgery: pancuronium versus rocuronium.
The use of pancuronium in fast-track cardiac surgical patients may be associated with delays in clinical recovery. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the incidence and severity of residual neuromuscular blockade after cardiac surgery in patients randomized to receive either pancuronium (0.08-0.1 mg/kg) or rocuronium (0.6-0.8 mg/kg). Eighty-two patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass were randomized to a pancuronium (n = 41) or rocuronium (n = 41) group. Intraoperative and postoperative management was standardized. In the intensive care unit, train-of-four (TOF) ratios were measured each hour until weaning off ventilatory support was initiated. Neuromuscular blockade was not reversed. After tracheal extubation, patients were examined for signs and symptoms of residual paresis. When weaning of ventilatory support was initiated, significant neuromuscular blockade was present in the pancuronium subjects (TOF ratio: median, 0.14; range, 0.00-1.11) compared with the rocuronium subjects (TOF ratio: median, 0.99; range, 0.87-1.21) (P < 0.05). Patients in the rocuronium group were more likely to be free of signs and symptoms of residual paresis than patients in the pancuronium group. Our findings suggest that the use of longer-acting muscle relaxants in cardiac surgical patients is associated not only with impaired neuromuscular recovery, but also with signs and symptoms of residual muscle weakness in the early postoperative period. ⋯ The use of long-acting muscle relaxants in fast-track cardiac surgical patients is associated with significant residual neuromuscular block in the intensive care unit, including signs and symptoms of residual paresis.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2003
Anesthetic technique influences brain temperature, independently of core temperature, during craniotomy in cats.
Because anesthetic technique has the potential to dramatically affect cerebral blood flow and metabolism (two determinants of brain thermoregulation), we tested the hypothesis that, after craniotomy, anesthetic technique would influence brain temperature independent of core temperature. Twenty-one cats (2.7 +/- 0.4 kg; mean +/- SD) undergoing a uniform right parasagittal craniotomy received 1) halothane 1.5% end-expired and normocapnia (HN), 2) halothane 1.5% and hypocapnia (HH), or 3) large-dose pentobarbital and normocapnia (PN) (n = 7 per group). Heating devices initially maintained core and right subdural normothermia (38.0 degrees C). Thereafter, cranial heating was discontinued. Brain-to-core temperature gradients during the 3 h study were greatest in the right subdural area, averaging -2.5 degrees C +/- 0.9 degrees C in HN, -2.5 degrees C +/- 0.8 degrees C in HH, and -4.1 degrees C +/- 1.1 degrees C in PN. Gradients within the unexposed left subdural area and in the right cortex 0.5 and 1.0 cm below the brain surface were -0.8 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C to -1.1 degrees C +/- 0.6 degrees C for both HN and HH but were twice this amount in PN (-1.9 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C to -2.1 degrees C +/- 0.7 degrees C) (P < 0.05 for PN versus HN and HH). Deep barbiturate anesthesia can reduce brain temperature independently of core temperature, presumably by reducing the metabolic rate and associated brain heat production. The magnitude is sufficient to augment any direct cerebroprotective properties of the barbiturates. ⋯ Deep barbiturate anesthesia reduced brain temperature independently of body temperature in cats and significantly more than the reduction seen with halothane anesthesia. The magnitude of temperature reduction was sufficient to account for cerebral protection by barbiturates independently of any other properties of the drug.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRemifentanil with thiopental for tracheal intubation without muscle relaxants.
Tracheal intubation may be accomplished with remifentanil and a non-opioid IV anesthetic without a muscle relaxant. In this study, we evaluated in double-blinded, prospective, randomized manner the dose requirements for remifentanil with thiopental without muscle relaxant administration to obtain clinically acceptable intubation conditions and cardiovascular responses. After premedication with midazolam 0.03 mg/kg IV, 105 patients were randomized equally to one of three study groups, each receiving the following: remifentanil 2 micro g/kg (Group I), 3 micro g/kg (Group II), and 4 micro g/kg (Group III). Remifentanil was administered over 30 s, and anesthesia was induced with thiopental 5 mg/kg. Tracheal intubation conditions were assessed by the anesthesiologist performing the intubation as: (a) excellent, (b) satisfactory, (c) fair, and (d) unsatisfactory. There were no statistically significant differences among groups regarding to demographic data. Blood pressure and heart rate did not increase in any group after accomplishing intubation. There was a significant improvement in intubation conditions between Groups I and II, I and III, and II and III (P < 0.001). We conclude that remifentanil 4 micro g/kg administered before thiopental 5 mg/kg provided excellent or satisfactory intubation conditions in 94% of patients and prevented cardiovascular responses to intubation. ⋯ We evaluated in a double-blinded manner the dose requirements for remifentanil with thiopental without muscle relaxants for obtaining acceptable intubation condition. Our results show that remifentanil 4 micro g/kg administered before thiopental provided excellent or satisfactory intubation condition in 94% of patients.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2003
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialChanges in respiratory mechanics during cardiac surgery.
We investigated the role of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in compromised lung function associated with cardiac surgery. Low-frequency respiratory impedance (Zrs) was measured in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with (n = 30; CPB group) or without (n = 29; off-pump coronary artery bypass [OPCAB] group) CPB. Another group of CPB patients received dopamine (DA) (n = 12; CPB-DA group). Extravascular lung water was determined in five CPB subjects. Zrs was measured before skin incision and after chest closure. Airway resistance and inertance and tissue damping and elastance were determined from Zrs data. Airway resistance increased in the CPB group (74.9% +/- 20.8%; P < 0.05), whereas it did not change in the OPCAB group (11.8% +/- 7.9%; not significant) and even decreased in the CPB-DA patients (-40.6% +/- 9.2%; P < 0.05). Tissue damping increased in the CPB and OPCAB groups, whereas it remained constant in the CPB-DA patients. Significant increases in elastance were observed in all groups. There was no difference in extravascular lung water before and after CPB, suggesting that edema did not develop. These results indicate a significant and heterogeneous airway narrowing during CPB, which was counteracted by the administration of DA. The mild deterioration in tissue mechanics, reflecting partial closure of the airways, may be a consequence of the anesthesia itself. ⋯ We observed that cardiopulmonary bypass deteriorates lung function by inducing a heterogeneous airway constriction, whereas no such effects were observed in patients undergoing cardiac surgery without bypass. The impairment in parenchymal mechanics, which was obtained in both groups, may result from peripheral airway closure and/or be a consequence of mediator release.