Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2007
Comparative StudyDisruption of attention and working memory traces in individuals with chronic pain.
Research has found that chronic pain disrupts attention and that this disruption can lead to significant functional impairment and decreased quality of life. We conducted the present study to examine how attention and memory are disrupted by chronic pain. ⋯ These findings point to a specific cognitive mechanism, the maintenance of the memory trace, that is affected by chronic pain during task performance. Cognitive function was not improved by short-term local analgesia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2007
Comparative StudyLack in effects of therapeutic concentrations of dexmedetomidine and clonidine on the neuromuscular blocking action of rocuronium in isolated rat diaphragms.
We investigated the effects of the alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonists clonidine and dexmedetomidine on the neuromuscular blocking effect of rocuronium in vitro. ⋯ These results indicate that very high, but not therapeutic, concentrations of clonidine and dexmedetomidine enhance the neuromuscular blocking action of rocuronium, but this is not mediated by an agonist action on alpha-2 adrenoceptors.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2007
The "axillary tunnel": an anatomic reappraisal of the limits and dynamics of spread during brachial plexus blockade.
Various anatomic factors have been described as affecting the distribution of a solution injected around the brachial plexus. Using computerized axial tomography dye studies, we introduce a new concept. ⋯ We conclude that the brachial plexus is contained within a rigid-walled tunnel of variable dimensions, which we call the "axillary tunnel." The scapula/subscapularis complex, related to the subcoracoid point of resistance, may account for the differing patterns of dye distribution observed.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2007
Case ReportsThe novel use of computer-generated virtual imaging to assess the difficult pediatric airway.
In a patient with a known difficult airway, history and examination may be of limited use in formulating a management plan for subsequent tracheal intubation. Further detailed and descriptive review of the airway is necessary. ⋯ It creates a movie clip image of the upper airway akin to the view obtained through a fiberscope. We present a patient with Goldenhar syndrome in whom virtual imaging was used to identify the cause of a previous failed tracheal intubation.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · May 2007
Case ReportsVisual loss in a prone-positioned spine surgery patient with the head on a foam headrest and goggles covering the eyes: an old complication with a new mechanism.
A patient developed central retinal artery occlusion during surgery in the prone position with eye protectors placed over his eyes. We discuss the potential hazards of using such a device (the Dupaco Opti-Gard) in this setting.