Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2008
Elastomeric pump reliability in postoperative regional anesthesia: a survey of 430 consecutive devices.
Postoperative analgesia via continuous perineural infusion of local anesthetics compares favorably with systemic analgesia. Elastomeric pumps increase patient satisfaction compared with electronic models. In in vitro investigations, infusions remained within 15% of their designated set rates. We assessed in vivo the infusion rate of elastomeric pumps in regional analgesia after orthopedic surgery. ⋯ In vivo reliability of elastomeric pumps is different than in vitro. In the event of early insufficient postoperative perineural analgesia, an absence of deflation of the elastomeric pump must be considered. We recommend weighing these devices every 3 h during the first 24 h of infusion.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyLow volume and high concentration of local anesthetic is more efficacious than high volume and low concentration in Labat's sciatic nerve block: a prospective, randomized comparison.
Various factors markedly affect the onset time and success rate, of peripheral nerve blockade. This prospective, randomized, double-blind study, compared a dose of mepivacaine 300 mg, in a 20 or 30 mL injection volume for sciatic nerve blockade using Labat's posterior approach. ⋯ In Labat's sciatic nerve blockade, administering a low volume and a high concentration of local anesthetic (1.5% mepivacaine) is associated with a higher success rate and a shorter onset time than a high volume and a low concentration of solution (1% mepivacaine).
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialProphylactic dexamethasone decreases the incidence of sore throat and hoarseness after tracheal extubation with a double-lumen endobronchial tube.
Postoperative sore throat and hoarseness are common complications after tracheal intubation, particularly after using a double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT). We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone for reducing the incidence and severity of postoperative sore throat and hoarseness. ⋯ The prophylactic use of 0.2 mg/kg of dexamethasone significantly decreases the incidence and severity of sore throat and hoarseness 1 h and 24 h after tracheal extubation of a DLT.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 2008
ReviewAcupuncture for the management of chronic headache: a systematic review.
The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of chronic headache. ⋯ Needling acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and medication therapy in improving headache intensity, frequency, and response rate.