Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
-
Operative charts were reviewed in 86 patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a condition characterized by chronic muscular denervation. A total of 161 surgical procedures was performed. ⋯ Succinylcholine and malignant hyperthermia triggering agents were used in 41 (48%) and 77 (90%) patients, respectively, without untoward effects. Contrary to previous reports, this survey supports the safe use of succinylcholine and MH triggering agents in this disease.
-
The alkalinization of certain local anaesthetics with sodium bicarbonate hastens the onset of epidural analgesia. Increases in both the pH and PCO2 of the local anaesthetic are necessary to hasten onset. However, carbon dioxide can diffuse from local anaesthetic solutions following alkalinization with sodium bicarbonate and change both the pH and PCO2 of the mixture. ⋯ The pH and PCO2 of each solution were measured at time 0 and at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min intervals. The solutions were placed in containers as follows: 30 ml in 40 ml containers, 10 ml in 40 ml containers, 10 ml in 13 ml containers, and 10 ml in polypropylene syringes. The pH and PCO2 increased following alkalinization but gradually decreased in all containers except in polypropylene syringes.