Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe effect of single-injection femoral nerve block versus continuous femoral nerve block after total knee arthroplasty on hospital length of stay and long-term functional recovery within an established clinical pathway.
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may result in severe pain, and single-injection femoral nerve blocks (SFNB) have been demonstrated to have a limited duration of analgesia. Continuous femoral nerve blocks (CFNB) can prolong the analgesic duration of SFNB. We prospectively randomized 36 patients undergoing TKA to CFNB versus SFNB and evaluated the effect on hospital length of stay (LOS) as the primary outcome within a standardized clinical pathway. ⋯ Mean oxycodone consumption was significantly lower among patients who received CFNB versus SFNB: 15 mg versus 40 mg (P = or < 0.0001) on the first day after surgery; 20 mg versus 43 mg (P = 0.0004) on the second day after surgery. There was no difference in hospital LOS (3.8 vs 3.9 days) or long-term functional recovery (117 degrees versus 113 degrees knee flexion at 12 wk) between the two groups. The lack of effect provided by increased duration of analgesia (from CFNB) after TKA may now have minimal impact on hospital LOS and long-term functional recovery in the contemporary healthcare environment within the United States.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2006
Comparative StudyGiving toys to children reduces their anxiety about receiving premedication for surgery.
Children have increased anxiety during the preoperative period. The administration of oral premedication to children is often met with apprehension, reluctance, or refusal. ⋯ The anxiety of each child was assessed using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale. The results showed significantly less anxiety in children who received a toy before oral administration of midazolam.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2006
Comparative StudySkin temperature during regional anesthesia of the lower extremity.
Increase in skin temperature (Ts) occurs early during neuraxial blocks. However, the reliability of Ts to predict successful peripheral block is unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether an increase in Ts more than 1 degrees C precedes or follows an impairment of sensation after combined femoral and sciatic nerve block as well as after epidural anesthesia. ⋯ We conclude that an increase of Ts is a reliable, but late, sign of successful sciatic nerve block. Therefore it is of limited clinical value. Ts changes after femoral nerve block are negligible and late.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2006
Comparative StudyEtomidate depresses lumbar dorsal horn neuronal responses to noxious thermal stimulation in rats.
Etomidate is a widely used IV anesthetic, but little is known about its analgesic properties, in particular, its effects on spinal cord neuronal responses to noxious stimuli. We hypothesized that etomidate would depress lumbar neuronal responses to noxious heat. Rats (n = 15) were anesthetized with isoflurane (1.2%) and laminectomy was performed to record single unit activity. ⋯ The responses quickly recovered, usually by the 10-min period postinjection. Similar responses were obtained in decerebrate, isoflurane-free rats administered etomidate and in isoflurane-anesthetized rats administered propofol. These data demonstrate that etomidate depresses spinal cord neuronal responses to noxious stimulation and is a possible mechanism by which this drug might produce analgesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2006
Case ReportsInfusion pump delivers over-dosage of propofol as a result of missing syringe support.
We describe the malfunction of a common drug infusion pump. The syringe saddle was missing and allowed the syringe barrel to contact the pump case, which decreased the outward displacement of the syringe clamp. Then, the infusion pump falsely detected a smaller syringe size and consequently delivered an increased infusion rate and overdose of propofol to the patient. More commonly, an incorrectly mounted syringe may increase the outward displacement of the syringe clamp so that the infusion pump falsely detects a larger syringe size, with resultant less than expected infusion rate.