Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Comparative Study
Desflurane, compared to halothane, augments phenylephrine-induced contraction in isolated rat aorta smooth muscle.
The mechanism responsible for the mediation of hypertension in response to increased desflurane levels is unclear. This study compared the effect of desflurane and halothane on phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction in rat aorta ring and the effect of desflurane in the presence and absence of nitric oxide (NO) synthase activity. ⋯ Our results suggest that desflurane may have a local vasoconstrictive effect independent of endothelium and NO synthase activity. The mechanism remains to be determined.
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To evaluate the agreement between end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2) and arterial CO2 (PaCO2) in patients with traumatic brain injury and to document the course of the (PaCO2-PETCO2) gradient over time. ⋯ In this selected population of patients with severe traumatic brain injury, measurements of PETCO2 and PaCO2 are not interchangeable. Further the PoCO2-PETCO2 gradient is not stable over time and cannot predict variations of PaCO2. The use of PETCO2 instead of PaCO2 could be deleterious in patients in whom strict control of PaCO2 values is required.