Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2000
Contractures in skeletal muscle of malignant hyperthermia susceptible patients after in vitro exposure to sevoflurane.
Sevoflurane, a potent inhalational anaesthetic agent that is structurally similar to halothane, has some favourable characteristics, but may also be able to trigger malignant hyperthermia (MH) in susceptible patients. The diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility relies on the in vitro contracture test on skeletal muscle. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether exposure to sevoflurane of muscles of malignant hyperthermia susceptible (MHS) patients would also cause an abnormal contracture. ⋯ Sevoflurane can trigger an abnormal contracture in human muscle in vitro. This is indicative of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility. Exposure to sevoflurane should be avoided in patients thought to be susceptible to malignant hyperthermia.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2000
Postoperative pain control by epidural analgesia after transabdominal surgery. Efficacy and problems encountered in daily routine.
The efficacy of postoperative epidural pain treatment has been well documented in controlled studies. However, the literature concerning results of daily routine use of this method often only emphasises certain aspects of it. ⋯ Analgesia was insufficient when coughing and moving in an unacceptably large number of the patients. Also the number of epidural catheter related problems was high. In order to make early intervention possible, the patients and epidural catheters should be observed daily and systematically by members of the staff competent to detect possible problems.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison between pentazocine, pethidine and placebo in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering.
We have compared the effects of pethidine, pentazocine and placebo in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering. ⋯ We conclude that pentazocine 7.5 mg was not effective in the treatment of post-anesthetic shivering.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2000
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialCore and thenar skin temperature variation during prolonged abdominal surgery: comparison of two sites of active forced air warming.
This study was designed to compare the efficacy of two different sites of active forced air warming, upper body or lower body, to maintain normothermia; and their respective effect on thenar skin temperature in relation to the accelerographic monitoring of neuromuscular blockade during long-lasting abdominal surgery. ⋯ This study suggests that during long-lasting abdominal surgery, normothermia is maintained after 2-3 h by either upper or lower body active forced air warming. After an initial post-induction mild hypothermia, normothermia was achieved faster with lower body surface warming. Thenar skin temperature trend showed that it remained above 32 degrees C during most of the procedure in both groups.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Mar 2000
High-dose rectal and oral acetaminophen in postoperative patients--serum and saliva concentrations.
The primary purpose of the study was to examine the absorption of acetaminophen by measuring serum and saliva concentrations produced by a standard postoperative acetaminophen dosing regimen and secondary to examine the correlation between saliva and serum concentrations of acetaminophen after rectal and oral dosing. ⋯ The slow and ongoing absorption process resulting in no maximum concentration within 4 h after administration of 2000 mg acetaminophen suppositories makes this rectal regimen therapeutically irrational for treatment of postoperative pain. The significant ratio and linear correlation between saliva and serum concentrations of acetaminophen suggests that saliva could be used instead of blood to monitor acetaminophen administration in patients.