Annales françaises d'anesthèsie et de rèanimation
-
Two cases of spinal subarachnoid haematoma occurring after spinal anaesthesia are reported. In the first case, lumbar puncture was attempted three times in a 81-year-old man; spinal anaesthesia trial was than abandoned, and the patient given a general anaesthetic. He was given prophylactic calcium heparinate soon after surgery. ⋯ The patient died on the following day. Both these cases are similar to those previously reported and point out the role played by anticoagulants. Because early diagnosis of spinal cord compression is difficult, the prognosis is poor, especially in case of paraplegia.
-
Regional anaesthesia has an important place in the management of elderly patients. Its selection depends on the type of surgery, the skills of the anaesthetist as well as the status and the will of the patient. Regional anaesthesia should no longer be considered as a challenger but rather as a complement to general anaesthesia, especially in the elderly.
-
Cardiac arrests (CA) occurring during anaesthesia and recovery can be classified into three groups: CA not related to anaesthesia (NACA), CA related to anaesthesia (ACA), whether partially (PACA) or totally (TACA). In the French survey, NACAs were three times more frequent than ACAs. Nearly 25% of ACAs occurred at induction and consisted mainly in TACAs. ⋯ The anaesthesia machine and controlled ventilation can induce CA by hypoxic ventilation, overdose of anaesthetic vapour, excessive CO2 reinhalation, hypoventilation, disconnection, excessive pressure in airways. Cardiac hypothermia can be a cause of CA as well as a cause of unsuccessful CPR. Massive infusion of unwarmed fluids and IPPV with unheated gases generate a temperature gradient within the heart which may result in severe arrhythmias and CA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jan 1990
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial[Risk of thrombosis in prolonged catheterization of the radial artery: comparison of 2 types of catheters].
The thrombosis rate after long-term cannulation of the radial artery was assessed prospectively in 48 intensive care patients randomly assigned to groupe A (polyethylene Leader-Cath 115-09 catheter; n = 50, aged 55 +/- 20 years, 74% male patients) or groupe B (Teflon Viggo Floswitch 4441 catheter; n = 48, aged 58.6 +/- 16 years, 73% male patients). Bedside angiography was carried out with 10 to 15 ml Hexabrix before removal of the catheter. The two groups were similar with regard to anthropometric parameters, used drugs, pathological events during the stay in ICU, arterial cannulation technique and its duration. ⋯ The duration of arterial cannulation did not influence the rate of thrombosis. However it was higher in males of Group A than in those of Group B (p less than 0.01), when heparin was not given (p less than 0.05); when vaso-active drugs were used (p less than 0.05); and when the time required for cannula insertion was greater than 5 min (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that Teflon catheters are more biocompatible than polyethylene catheters.
-
Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Jan 1990
Review Comparative Study[Hypertonic sodium chloride and hemorrhagic shock].
Numerous experimental studies on the effects of hypertonic saline in haemorrhagic shock have been published and controlled clinical studies are now beginning to be reported. Animals suffering from an otherwise lethal haemorrhagic shock survived when given hypertonic sodium chloride solution (7.5%, 2,400 mosmol.1-1). In most studies, this solution was more efficient than isotonic fluids in treating controlled haemorrhage. ⋯ Indeed, there are as yet not enough data concerning humans. Moreover, during uncontrolled haemorrhage, hypertonic saline increased blood pressure, and therefore bleeding, thus reducing survival rates. Further clinical studies are required before hypertonic saline could be safely recommended for treatment of haemorrhagic shock.