Anesthesia and analgesia
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRecovery from opioid anesthesia: the clinical implication of context-sensitive half-times.
The context-sensitive half-time, the time required for a 50% decrease in drug concentration, has been proposed to predict the speed of recovery after infusions of i.v. anesthetics. We studied 40 patients to compare the clinical recovery characteristics of alfentanil and sufentanil. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either sufentanil/propofol (Group 1) or alfentanil/propofol (Group 2) total i.v. anesthesia by target-controlled infusions (TCI), assuming an equipotency ratio of 500:1. After discontinuation, times to tracheal extubation and to discharge from the postanesthesia care unit were measured, as were drug concentrations up to 24 h. The TCI bias was -17.1% for sufentanil and -16.9% for alfentanil. We found no difference in mean extubation times between the groups (48.7 min in Group 1 versus 46.4 min in Group 2), whereas discharge criteria were fulfilled significantly (P = 0.039) earlier after alfentanil (99.5 min) compared with sufentanil (131.3 min). The relative decrement values to tracheal extubation were 62.1% for sufentanil and 48.0% for alfentanil, compared with 75.7% and 65.0% for discharge, respectively. Based on a difference in propofol requirements, we suggest an actual sufentanil to alfentanil equipotency ratio of 1:300. We conclude that the decay in pharmacodynamic effect is not only the result of pharmacokinetics. ⋯ Computer simulations may help to anticipate the clinical behavior of anesthetic drugs. In a clinical setting, we tested whether the recovery characteristics after i.v. anesthesia could be explained by a pharmaco-kinetic value, which describes the decline of drug concentrations in the body. This was not fully achieved.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effect of adenosine triphosphate on sevoflurane requirements for minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration and minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration-awake.
We evaluated the effects of i.v. adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on sevoflurane minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) and MAC-Awake. The study group included healthy patients 20-60 yr of age. The study groups for MAC-Awake determination included 49 patients who were scheduled for elective surgery. The study groups for MAC determination included 53 patients scheduled for elective surgery involving a skin incision. These patients were randomly assigned to two groups, an ATP group and a control group. The ATP group received 100 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 ATP i.v., and the control group received no medication. The ATP group and the control group were compared with regard to MAC-Awake (anesthetic concentration achieving 50% probability of eye opening in response to a verbal command) and MAC (anesthetic concentration achieving 50% probability of no movement in response to skin incision). The MAC-Awake was 0.7% +/- 0.1% in the control group (mean +/- SD) and 0.7% +/- 0.1% in the ATP group. MAC was 1.9% +/- 0.1% in the control group and 2.1% +/- 0.2% in the ATP group. The differences in MAC and MAC-Awake between the two groups were not statistically significant. We conclude that ATP infusion (100 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) has no effect on sevoflurane MAC and MAC-Awake. ⋯ We found that an i.v. adenosine triphosphate infusion (100 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) has no effect on sevoflurane minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (anesthetic concentration achieving 50% probability of no movement in response to skin incision) and minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration-Awake (anesthetic concentration achieving 50% probability of eye opening in response to a verbal command) in humans.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 1998
Factors that influence parents' decisions to consent to their child's participation in clinical anesthesia research.
There is concern that the environment in which consent for anesthesia research is sought may be coercive. We therefore designed this study to determine the factors that parents consider in consenting to their child's participation in clinical anesthesia research. The study sample consisted of 246 parents who had been approached for permission to allow their child to participate in a clinical anesthesia study. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire detailing the reasons for their decision to consent or decline their child's participation. There were no differences in the demographics of the consenters (n = 168) and nonconsenters (n = 78). Perceived risk and the importance of the study were the primary factors in the parents' decisions to consent or decline. Only 2.8% of nonconsenters strongly considered a lack of privacy as a deciding factor; 15.3% stated that they had insufficient time in which to make a decision, and 0% reported having felt pressured. Furthermore, only 3.1% of consenters strongly considered an obligation to consent. Results of this survey highlight factors that influence parents' decisions to consent to their child's participation in clinical anesthesia research. We hope that this information will be important to researchers in providing an appropriate environment for obtaining consent for clinical anesthesia research studies. ⋯ Parents who are approached for permission for their child to participate in a research study must be fully informed and under no pressure to consent. This study describes factors that influence parents' decisions to consent to their child's participation in clinical anesthesia research.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 1998
The cerebral and cardiovascular effects of cisatracurium and atracurium in neurosurgical patients.
Drugs for neurosurgical patients should not increase intracranial pressure (ICP) or change cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and cerebral blood flow. This double-blind, cross-over study compares the effects of a single (3 x effective dose producing 95% twitch depression) intravenous bolus dose of cisatracurium 0.15 mg/kg with atracurium 0.75 mg/kg on mean red blood cell flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (CBFV; transcranial Doppler), ICP (intraventricular or intraparenchymal monitor), mean arterial pressure (MAP), CPP (MAP-ICP), and heart rate (HR) every minute during a 15-min study period. Included in the study were 14 sedated and ventilated adult neurosurgical patients. After the cisatracurium bolus, ICP, CPP, CBFV, MAP, and HR did not change, and no histamine related events were observed. After the atracurium bolus, ICP, CPP, CBFV, and MAP decreased. The lowest values of ICP (-16% of baseline), CPP (-5%), CBFV (-8%), and MAP (-7%) were recorded 2-4 min after the atracurium bolus injection. After this transient decrease, MAP and CPP returned to baseline, whereas CBFV and ICP transiently exceeded baseline values. The highest values of CBFV (5%) and ICP (17%) were recorded 9-12 min after the atracurium bolus injection. Five patients showed a typical histamine response after atracurium, with a decrease in MAP and flushing. Excluding these five patients eliminated statistical significance in ICP, CPP, CBFV, and MAP differences. In conclusion, cisatracurium demonstrated fewer cerebral and cardiovascular hemodynamic side effects in sedated adult neurosurgical patients. ⋯ This double-blind study in sedated and mechanically ventilated adult neurosurgical patients demonstrates that an intravenous bolus dose of the neuromuscular blocker cisatracurium results in less cerebral (intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity) and cardiovascular (blood pressure) hemodynamic side effects, compared with an equipotent dose of atracurium.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Jan 1998
Gabapentin reverses the allodynia produced by the administration of anti-GD2 ganglioside, an immunotherapeutic drug.
Systemically administered, the anti-GD2 antibody produces allodynia demonstrated by decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold. Electrophysiologic recordings indicate a probable neuropathic origin, as small-diameter sensory fibers develop continuous high-frequency discharge after antibody administration. Gabapentin (GBP) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid analog originally synthesized for its anticonvulsant actions. Several open-label clinical studies, as well as a wealth of anecdotal evidence, suggest that GBP may be beneficial for the treatment of neuropathic pain. This study examined the effects of GBP given as a posttreatment after induction of an anti-GD2-associated allodynia. Anti-GD2 (1 mg/kg intravenously [i.v.]) administered to Sprague-Dawley rats reduced the mean withdrawal threshold from 14.71 to 4.95 g (P < 0.001), as measured by using von Frey hairs. This was reversed by GBP in a dose-dependent fashion; the minimal effective dose was between 3 and 30 mg/kg i.v. The maximal percent analgesic effect of GBP was 76% and 93% at doses of 30 and 100 mg/kg, respectively (P < 0.001). With these doses, side effects were minimal and were manifested as slightly decreased spontaneous movement and startle response. No changes were seen in reflex responses to corneal or pinna stimulation, and no motor deficits were observed. These data support the use of GBP as an effective therapy for neuropathic pain. ⋯ After the administration of anti-GD2 antibody, rats display an escape reaction to light touch, increased blood pressure, and aberrant firing in nerve fibers associated with pain transmission. Systemic gabapentin reduced or eliminated the escape response and reversed the hypertension with minimal side effects. This suggests that gabapentin blocked the antibody-associated (neuropathic) pain.