Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Entropy Module and Bispectral Index as guidance for propofol-remifentanil anaesthesia in combination with regional anaesthesia compared with a standard clinical practice group.
This study was designed to investigate the impact of the Entropy Module and Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring on drug consumption and recovery times compared with standard anaesthetic practice in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery using a combination of regional and general anaesthesia as performed by an experienced anaesthesiologist. We hypothesised that electroencephalogram monitoring would lead to a lower drug consumption as well as shorter recovery times. With institutional review board approval and written informed consent, 90 adult patients undergoing surgery to the upper or lower extremity received regional anaesthesia for post- and intraoperative pain control and were randomised to receive general anaesthesia by propofol/remifentanil infusion controlled either solely by clinical parameters or by targeting Entropy or BIS values of 50. ⋯ Compared with standard practice, patients with Entropy or BIS monitoring showed a similar propofol consumption (standard practice 101 +/- 22 microg/kg/minute, Entropy 106 +/- 24 microg/kg/minute, BIS 104 +/- 20 microg/kg/minute) and showed similar Aldrete scores (10/10) one minute after extubation: 9.1 +/- 0.3, 9.2 +/- 0.6 and 9.3 +/- 0.5, respectively. Time points of extubation were 7.3 +/- 2.9 minutes, 9.2 +/- 3.9 minutes and 6.8 +/- 2.9 minutes, respectively, demonstrating a significant difference between Entropy and BIS (P = 0.023). Compared with standard practice, targeting an Entropy or BIS value of 50 did not result in a reduction of propofol consumption during general anaesthesia combined with regional anaesthesia as performed by an experienced anaesthesiologist in orthopaedic patients.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2010
Clinical TrialMagnesium sulphate for treatment of tetanus in adults.
There are reports that suggest that magnesium sulphate alone may control muscle spasms thereby avoiding sedation and mechanical ventilation in tetanus, but this has not been confirmed. We examined the efficacy and safety of intravenous magnesium sulphate for control of rigidity and spasms in adults with tetanus. A prospective clinical study of intravenous magnesium sulphate was carried out over a period of two years in a tertiary care teaching hospital. ⋯ The average duration of ventilatory support was 18.3 +/- 16.0 days and the overall mortality was 22.9%. Asymptomatic hypocalcaemia was a universal finding. Magnesium sulphate therapy alone may not be efficacious for the treatment of severe tetanus.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialFentanyl dosage and timing when inserting the laryngeal mask airway.
The study objective was to show that fentanyl given five minutes prior to induction improved insertion conditions for the Classic Laryngeal Mask Airway. Previous work had shown fentanyl at 90 seconds to be unpredictable. A probit analysis design was used in which success/failure rates of different doses of fentanyl were measured and dose-response curves drawn from which the ED50 and ED95 with 95% confidence intervals were determined. ⋯ Commonly used fentanyl doses of 1 to 2 microg x kg(-1) only prevented patients responding to insertion in 70 to 80% of cases. When using propofol 2.5 mg x kg(-1), administering fentanyl five minutes before laryngeal mask insertion does not provide ideal insertion conditions in 95% of cases unless excessively large doses are used. An ideal dose of fentanyl that produces optimum insertion conditions could not be determined.
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There are a number of case reports describing accidental subdural block during the performance of subarachnoid or epidural anaesthesia. However it appears that subdural drug deposition remains a poorly understood complication of neuraxial anaesthesia. The clinical presentation may often be attributed to other causes. ⋯ High suspicion in the presence of predisposing factors and early detection could prevent further complications. This review aims at increasing awareness amongst anaesthetists about inadvertent subdural block. It reviews the relevant anatomy, incidence, predisposing factors, presentation, diagnosis and management of unintentional subdural block during the performance of neuraxial anaesthesia.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jan 2010
Review Case ReportsHyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of post cardiac surgical strokes--a case series and review of the literature.
Strokes remain an uncommon but significant complication of cardiac surgery. Cerebral air embolism is the likely aetiology in the majority of cases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is the recognised treatment for cerebral air embolism associated with compressed air (SCUBA) diving accidents and is therefore also the standard of care for iatrogenic causes of air embolism. ⋯ Despite delays of up to 48 hours following surgery before the institution of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 10 of the 12 patients made a full neurological recovery or were left with mild residual symptoms, with nine returning to their previous level of care. One patient remained hemiplegic and there was one early neurological death. There is a paucity of prospective data in this area, but based on sound pathophysiological principles and clinical experience, we believe that patients suffering a stroke following open cardiac surgery should be considered for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.