Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 2012
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyDreaming during sevoflurane or propofol short-term sedation: a randomised controlled trial.
Prior reports suggest that dreaming during anaesthesia is dependent on recovery time. Dreaming during sedation may impact patient satisfaction. The current study explores the incidence and content of dreaming during short-term sedation with sevoflurane or propofol and investigates whether dreaming is affected by recovery time. ⋯ Anaesthesia administered had no effect on patient satisfaction. The results suggest that the incidence of dreaming was not affected by recovery time. Patient satisfaction was not influenced by choice of sedative and/or by the occurrence of dreaming during sevoflurane or propofol short-term sedation.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 2012
ReviewCircumcision of neonates and children without appropriate anaesthesia is unacceptable practice.
Circumcision is painful surgery and appropriate intraoperative anaesthesia and postoperative analgesia is required. This is recognised in the policies of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the majority of Australian State Health Departments. Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence exists that neonatal circumcision continues to be performed in Australia with either no anaesthesia or with inadequate anaesthesia. ⋯ The authors conclude that general anaesthesia is arguably the most reliable way of ensuring adequate anaesthesia, although this may mean deferment of the procedure until the child is older. Local or regional anaesthesia for neonatal circumcision ideally requires a separate skilled anaesthetist (other than the proceduralist) to monitor the patient and intervene if the anaesthesia is inadequate. Topical anaesthesia with lignocaine-prilocaine cream is insufficient.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 2012
Clinical TrialAccuracy of ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway intracuff pressure estimation using finger palpation technique - a prospective, observational study.
The incidence of pharyngolaryngeal adverse events associated with laryngeal mask airways can be reduced by the use of manometry to limit the laryngeal mask airway intracuff pressures. We conducted a prospective, observational study in 80 patients undergoing general anaesthesia with the ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airway to determine the accuracy of a finger palpation technique compared to actual readings obtained from a hand-held manometer by different anaesthesia personnel. The strength of association of estimated versus actual intracuff pressures, R, for nurse anaesthesia assistants, junior anaesthetists and senior anaesthetists were 0.21 (weak), 0.35 (moderate) and 0.78 (strong) respectively. ⋯ In all groups, the palpation technique tended to underestimate the actual intracuff pressure by a mean of 10.3 cmH2O. Palpation accuracy decreased when actual intracuff pressures were >80 cmH2O. These findings suggest that cuff pressure manometry should be recommended as standard of care with the use of laryngeal mask airways.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 2012
In vitro thrombotic tendency of reactive thrombocytosis in critically ill patients: a prospective case-control study.
It is uncertain whether reactive thrombocytosis is associated with an increased risk of thrombosis. This prospective case-control study assessed the in vitro thrombotic tendency of patients with reactive thrombocytosis. Forty-eight patients with reactive thrombocytosis, defined by platelet count >500x10(9)/l and 55 similar, randomly selected critically ill patients who did not have reactive thrombocytosis were considered. ⋯ Platelet count had a relatively linear relationship with the maximal amplitude and the alpha angle of the thromboelastograph tracing (Pearson correlation coefficient: 0.53, P=0.001). In the multivariate analysis, only reactive thrombocytosis (odds ratio 5.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-27.8, P=0.025) and activated partial thromboplastin time (odds ratio 0.93 per second increment, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 0.99, P=0.016) were significantly associated with a strong in vitro thrombotic tendency. In summary, reactive thrombocytosis was associated with infection requiring antibiotics and evidence of increased in vitro thrombotic tendency in critically ill patients.
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Anaesth Intensive Care · May 2012
Case ReportsPerineural entrapment of an interscalene stimulating catheter.
A patient undergoing elective total shoulder arthroplasty had an Arrow Stimucath™ (Arrow International Reading, PA, USA) stimulating catheter inserted in the region of the interscalene brachial plexus using an ultrasound-guided in-plane approach. There was subsequent difficulty in removing the catheter and traction was associated with painful paraesthesia in the patient's thumb. Plain X-ray revealed a hook-shaped deformity of the tip and surgical exploration was required to remove the catheter, the tip of which appeared to be trapped within the sheath of the brachial plexus. ⋯ We recommend that removal of peripheral nerve catheters be attempted only after resolution of sensory block so as to enable patients to report pain or paraesthesia. Imaging with ultrasound or X-rays may help ascertain catheter tip location and confirm whether deformity is present. We also recommend a low threshold for proceeding to surgical extraction, particularly if neurological symptoms are present.