Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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In many institutions postoperative patients may receive morphine for analgesia administered into the epidural space, epidural opioid analgesia (EOA), or through intravenous self-administered patient-controlled analgesia pumps (PCA). Although a number of studies have compared the two approaches with regard to efficacy and side effects, there is less known with regard to patient satisfaction and its sources. In this study, 711 patients using PCA morphine and 205 patients receiving epidural morphine following a variety of gynaecological, urological, orthopaedic, and general surgical procedures rated their satisfaction with the method they used on a 0-10 verbal analogue satisfaction scale (0 = very dissatisfied; 10 = very satisfied). ⋯ Overall satisfaction (mean +/- SD) in the two large groups was 8.6 +/- 1.8 for PCA and 9.0 +/- 1.5 for EOA (P < 0.01). In the subset of 100 patients, there were differences between the EOA and PCA groups with regard to the advantages and disadvantages selected. Patients in the PCA group identified "personal control" and "method worked quickly" as advantages whereas patients receiving EOA selected "clear mind," "effective relief resting," and "effective relief while moving or coughing." The single disadvantage identified more frequently by PCA patients was "pain immediately after surgery before method became effective." Disadvantages identified more frequently by EOA patients were "side effects" and "poor pain relief." We conclude that overall patient satisfaction was high whether patients received PCA or EOA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Shortly after elicitation of a muscle response by supramaximal stimulation of its motor nerve, there exists a period of refractoriness of neuromuscular transmission when a second stimulation elicits only a submaximal response or no response at all. Many anaesthetics and neuromuscular blocking and facilitatory drugs change the refractoriness of neuromuscular transmission. ⋯ Based on an existing technique of digitization and time expansion of the neurally evoked compound electromyogram (ncEMG), we developed a computer programme of waveform subtraction, and determined in nine normal awake volunteers the various interstimulus intervals when neuromuscular transmission was refractory (RP0), 3/4 refractory (RP.25), half refractory (RP.5), 1/4 refractory (RP.75) or non-refractory (RP1). We confirmed our hypotheses that computer-based waveform subtraction of the digitized ncEMG is a feasible and necessary technique for the accurate determination of the RPs of neuromuscular transmission, and report that the normal values in humans are: RP0 = 1.0 +/- 0.1, RP.25 = 1.3 +/- 0.3, RP.5 = 1.9 +/- 0.3, RP.75 = 2.9 +/- 0.5, and RP1 = 6.6 +/- 1.9 ms (mean +/- SD), respectively, in the ulnar nerve-first dorsal interosseous muscle model.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Ketorolac and indomethacin are equally efficacious for the relief of minor postoperative pain.
Injectable ketorolac is an effective analgesic in ambulatory surgery patients. However, no studies have compared ketorolac with other NSAIDs in this setting. The analgesic efficacy of intramuscular ketorolac, rectal indomethacin and placebo was compared in healthy women undergoing gynaecological or breast surgery as outpatients. ⋯ However, no differences were observed between the two NSAIDS. Side effects were similar in all groups. We conclude that im ketorolac and pr indomethacin are equally effective analgesics in this group of patients.