Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of granisetron and granisetron plus dexamethasone for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomies are associated with an appreciably high rate of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of granisetron plus dexamethasone with granisetron alone for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ⋯ The combination (granisetron plus dexamethasone) further increases the chance of complete response than granisetron alone. Therefore, the combination might be considered clinically relevant in a high risk setting.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2003
ReviewNeurologic deficits and arachnoiditis following neuroaxial anesthesia.
Of late, regional anesthesia has enjoyed unprecedented popularity; this increase in cases has brought a higher frequency of instances of neurological deficit and arachnoiditis that may appear as transient nerve root irritation, cauda equina, and conus medullaris syndromes, and later as radiculitis, clumped nerve roots, fibrosis, scarring dural sac deformities, pachymeningitis, pseudomeningocele, and syringomyelia, etc., all associated with arachnoiditis. Arachnoiditis may be caused by infections, myelograms (mostly from oil-based dyes), blood in the intrathecal space, neuroirritant, neurotoxic and/or neurolytic substances, surgical interventions in the spine, intrathecal corticosteroids, and trauma. Regarding regional anesthesia in the neuroaxis, arachnoiditis has resulted from epidural abscesses, traumatic punctures (blood), local anesthetics, detergents, antiseptics or other substances unintentionally injected into the spinal canal. ⋯ Burning severe pain in the lower back and lower extremities, dysesthesia and numbness not following the usual dermatome distribution, along with bladder, bowel and/or sexual dysfunction, are the most common symptoms of direct trauma to the spinal cord. Such patients should be subjected to a neurological examination followed by an MRI of the effected area. Further spinal procedures are best avoided and the prompt administration of IV corticosteroids and NSAIDs need to be considered in the hope of preventing the inflammatory response from evolving into the proliferative phase of arachnoiditis.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2003
Comparative StudyComparison of forced-air warming systems with lower body blankets using a copper manikin of the human body.
Forced-air warming has gained high acceptance as a measure for the prevention of intraoperative hypothermia. However, data on heat transfer with lower body blankets are not yet available. This study was conducted to determine the heat transfer efficacy of six complete lower body warming systems. ⋯ No relevant differences in heat transfer of lower body blankets were found between the different forced-air warming systems tested. Heat transfer was lower than heat transfer by upper body blankets tested in a previous study. However, forced-air warming systems with lower body blankets are still more effective than forced-air warming systems with upper body blankets in the prevention of perioperative hypothermia, because they cover a larger area of the body surface.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of the catheter-technique psoas compartment block and the epidural block for analgesia in partial hip replacement surgery.
The aim of this study was to compare the intra- and postoperative analgesia provided by the catheter-technique psoas compartment block and the epidural block in hip-fractured patients. We also compared hemodynamic stability, motor blockade, ease of performing the technique, and complications. ⋯ The continuous psoas compartment block provides excellent intraoperative and postoperative analgesia with a low incidence of complications for partial hip replacement surgery
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialLow-dose bupivacaine plus fentanyl for spinal anesthesia during ambulatory inguinal herniorrhaphy: a comparison between 6 mg and 7. 5 mg of bupivacaine.
Inguinal herniorrhaphy is commonly performed as an outpatient procedure. Spinal anesthesia offers some advantages over general anesthesia in this setting. ⋯ Spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine 7.5 mg and fentanyl offers an alternative to general or local anesthesia for ambulatory inguinal herniorrhaphy. However, the long discharge times and risk for urinary retention restrict its routine use in all patients.