Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2011
Comparative StudyIs a patella motor response necessary for continuous femoral nerve blockade performed in conjunction with ultrasound guidance?
Successful continuous femoral nerve blockade (CFNB) has been associated with the elicitation of a patella motor response during needle and catheter insertion. We evaluated whether a patella motor response is necessary when CFNB is performed in conjunction with ultrasound (US) guidance. ⋯ Based on observational data, a patella or medial motor response from the catheter similarly results in sensory block of the anterior thigh when CFNB is performed in conjunction with out-of-plane US guidance.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2011
Comparative StudyThe effects of intrathecal and systemic gabapentin on spinal substance P release.
Gabapentin binds at the extracellular α2δ1 subunit of voltage- sensitive calcium channels. Some voltage-sensitive calcium channels regulate substance P release from small primary afferents. We sought to determine in vivo whether spinal and systemic gabapentin at antihyperalgesic doses will attenuate substance P release. ⋯ Systemic and spinal gabapentin have an acute inhibitory effect on the release of substance P from small primary afferents and a concurrent effect upon the initiation of facilitated pain states.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2011
Comparative StudySevoflurane preconditioning induces neuroprotection through reactive oxygen species-mediated up-regulation of antioxidant enzymes in rats.
It has been reported that sevoflurane preconditioning can induce neuroprotection, the mechanisms of which, however, are poorly elucidated. We designed the present study to examine the hypothesis that sevoflurane preconditioning could reduce cerebral ischemia- reperfusion injury through up-regulating antioxidant enzyme activities before ischemic injury by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). ⋯ Sevoflurane preconditioning induces cerebral ischemic tolerance in a dose- response manner through ROS release and consequent up-regulation of antioxidant enzyme activity before ischemic injury in rats. Serum GSH-px activity could be developed as a marker to assess the effectiveness of sevoflurane preconditioning before ischemia.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Apr 2011
Comparative StudyContinuous cardiac output measurement with a Doppler-equipped pulmonary artery catheter.
We developed a Doppler-equipped pulmonary artery catheter that provides continuous measurement of the true main pulmonary blood flow velocity independent of the angle of incidence formed by the pulmonary artery catheter and the main pulmonary artery blood flow. This device uses 2 orthogonally positioned Doppler transducers that allow trigonometric correction for differences in the angle of blood flow between each transducer. We tested the accuracy of the Doppler-equipped pulmonary artery catheter by comparing its cardiac output measurements with those done by conventional techniques in animals. ⋯ The newly developed Doppler-equipped pulmonary artery catheter with 2 orthogonally positioned Doppler transducers allowed accurate and continuous measurements of cardiac output independent of the angle of incidence formed by the pulmonary artery catheter and the main pulmonary artery blood flow.