Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthésie
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Three cases are reported where continuous lumbosacral block was performed using a catheter through an epidural needle technique. Good unilateral lower limb surgical anaesthesia was achieved in all three cases with successful blockade of the lumbar and sacral plexuses. A 17-gauge Tuohy needle was positioned between the transverse processes of L4 and L5 and an epidural catheter inserted into the space between the quadratus lumborum and psoas muscles. ⋯ Experience in a further 12 cases is also reported. There were no side-effects. The technique is successful and is recommended when unilateral lower limb anaesthetic is required and when spinal and epidural anaesthesia are contraindicated.
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To determine the induction and recovery characteristics of the new poly-fluorinated anaesthetic desflurane, 78 fasting and unpremedicated neonates, infants and children up to 12 yr of age were studied. Patients were stratified according to age: full-term neonates less than 28 days of age (n = 12), infants 1-6 mth (n = 12) infants 6-12 mth (n = 15), children 1-3 yr (n = 15), 3-5 yr (n = 12), and 5-12 yr (n = 12). After preoxygenation for two minutes and an awake tracheal intubation, neonates were anaesthetized with stepwise increases in the inspired concentration of desflurane in an air/oxygen mixture. ⋯ At the completion of surgery, all anaesthetics were discontinued and the lungs were ventilated with 100% oxygen. During emergence, the end-tidal concentration of desflurane was recorded until extubation. The incidence of airway reflex responses and the times to eye opening and extubation after the discontinuation of desflurane were recorded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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A clinical incident involving an undetected disconnection occurred during the use of a CPRAM coaxial breathing circuit. The flow resistance of this circuit was evaluated and compared with that of a Bain circuit to determine the factors involved. A differential pressure transducer was used to monitor the pressure drop across each circuit during simulation of controlled ventilation with a fresh gas flow of 6 L.min-1. ⋯ Since the ventilator low pressure alarm was preset to 9.2 cm H2O, the alarm provided a warning with the Bain but not the CPRAM. The elevated flow resistance of the CPRAM circuit was attributed to a restriction in the flow area at the patient end of the circuit. Capnographs or adjustable low-pressure alarms provide more reliable monitoring for breathing circuit disconnects.
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Increasing numbers and varieties of electronic monitors are used in hospital operating rooms. Many of these are equipped with auditory alarms which are loud, insistent, or irritating, and thus are frequently disabled by the anaesthetist. This study was planned to evaluate two components of auditory alarm design which may influence the usefulness of the alarm: the perceived urgency of the auditory signal and its correlation with the urgency of the corresponding clinical situation. ⋯ The subjects were also tested for their ability to identify the alarm sounds correctly. The overall correct identification rate was 33%, and only two monitors were correctly identified by more than 50% of the subjects. The results of this study have implications for design and use of auditory alarms in hospitals and suggest the need for further research.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of the myocardial metabolic and haemodynamic changes produced by propofol-sufentanil and enflurane-sufentanil anaesthesia for patients having coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
The purpose of this study was to compare propofol-sufentanil with enflurane-sufentanil anaesthesia for patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with respect to changes in (1) haemodynamic variables; (2) myocardial blood flow and metabolism; (3) serum cortisol, triglyceride, lipoprotein concentrations and liver function; and (4) recovery characteristics. Forty-seven patients with preserved ventricular function (ejection fraction greater than 40%, left ventricular end diastolic pressure less than or equal to 16 mmHg) were studied. Patients in Group A (n = 24) received sufentanil 0.2 microgram.kg-1 and propofol 1-2 mg.kg-1 for induction of anaesthesia which was maintained with a variable rate propofol (50-200 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) infusion and supplemental sufentanil (maximum total 5 micrograms.kg-1). ⋯ Induction of anaesthesia produced a larger reduction in systolic blood pressure in Group A (156 +/- 22 to 104 +/- 20 mmHg vs 152 +/- 26 to 124 +/- 24 mmHg; P less than 0.05). No statistical differences were detected at any other time or in any other variable including myocardial lactate production (n = 13 events in each group), time to tracheal extubation and time to discharge from the ICU. We concluded that, apart from hypotension on induction of anaesthesia, propofol-sufentanil anaesthesia produced anaesthetic conditions equivalent to enflurane-sufentanil anaesthesia for CABG surgery.