Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyMiddle ear pressure changes during anesthesia with or without nitrous oxide are similar among airway devices.
We tested the hypothesis that middle ear pressure (MEP) is influenced by the choice of airway device during anesthesia with or without nitrous oxide (N2O) in the gas mixture. Eighty consecutive anesthetized, paralyzed ventilated patients (ASA physical status I-II, 18-65 yr) were randomly allocated for airway management with the orally inserted tracheal tube, classic laryngeal mask airway, ProSeal laryngeal mask airway, or laryngeal tube suction with or without N2O 66% in the gas mixture. MEP was measured from both ears in random order by a blinded observer before induction of anesthesia and every 10 min for 70 min. ⋯ MEP was unchanged in the air groups but increased in the N2O groups with N2O (P < 0.0001) and decreased with air (P < 0.02). Baseline values for MEP were similar, but MEP was always higher for the N2O groups (P < 0.001). We conclude that the choice of airway device does not influence MEP among orally inserted tracheal tube, classic laryngeal mask airway, ProSeal laryngeal mask airway, and laryngeal tube suction during anesthesia with or without N2O in the gas mixture.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyTotal knee arthroplasty as an overnight-stay procedure using continuous femoral nerve blocks at home: a prospective feasibility study.
The average duration of hospitalization after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the United States is 4-5 days. In this two-phase study we investigated the feasibility of converting TKA into an overnight-stay procedure using a continuous femoral nerve block provided at home through postoperative day 4. ⋯ Pain was well controlled, opioid requirements and sleep disturbances were minimal, and patient satisfaction was high. Additional research is required to replicate these results in a controlled trial, define the appropriate subset of patients, and assess the incidence of complications associated with this practice before its mainstream use.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyContinuous positive airway pressure breathing increases the spread of sensory blockade after low-thoracic epidural injection of lidocaine.
Factors affecting the distribution of sensory blockade after epidural injection of local anesthetics remain incompletely clarified. To evaluate if increasing intrathoracic pressure affects the spread of thoracic epidural anesthesia, we randomized 20 patients who received an epidural catheter at the T7-8 or T8-9 intervertebral space into 2 groups. The control group (n = 10) received an epidural test dose of 4 mL lidocaine 2% during spontaneous breathing at ambient pressure. ⋯ The total number of segments blocked was 7 (median, interquartile range 2.25) in the control group and 11 (interquartile range 3.5) in the continuous positive airway pressure group (P = 0.004). The number of segments blocked caudad to the injection site was 3 (median, interquartile range 3.5) in the control group and 6 (interquartile range 2.25) in the continuous positive airway pressure group (P = 0.005). We conclude that continuous positive airway pressure increases the spread of sensory blockade in thoracic epidural anesthesia, primarily by a more caudad extension of sensory blockade.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyDuration of dialysis is a significant predictor of prolonged postoperative mechanical ventilation in dialysis-dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
Prolonged mechanical ventilation is reported to correlate with increased risk of mortality after cardiac surgery. We designed the present study to determine the preoperative and intraoperative risk factors that could predict postoperative prolonged mechanical ventilation in dialysis-dependent patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Forty-four dialysis-dependent patients were divided into two groups; patients of group E were tracheally extubated within 24 h after admission to the intensive care unit postoperatively (n = 19) and patients of group L (n = 25) required more than 24 h of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ On admission to the intensive care unit, Pao2/Fio2 of group L was significantly lower than that of group E (294 +/- 135 versus 415 +/- 99 mm Hg) and the circulatory status of group L was worse than that of group E. The median (interquartile range) duration of intensive care unit stay in group E was 3 (3.00) days, which was significantly shorter than that of group L (5 [2.75] days). It is possible that longer surgery increases the likelihood of cardiac dysfunction and poor oxygenation in patients with a long history of dialysis.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 2006
Comparative StudyAccreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies and the American Board of Anesthesiology Clinical Competence Committee: a comparison.
We compared the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Outcome Project to the long-standing requirement of the American Board of Anesthesiology for a Clinical Competence Committee Report. There are many similarities between these two systems of resident evaluation. ⋯ In addition, the Clinical Competence Committee Report is primarily a summative evaluation for the purpose of assigning credit for training. The ACGME Outcome Project may be used as a component of a summative evaluation, but the primary emphasis is on formative assessment.