Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effectiveness of intravenous ketamine and lidocaine on peripheral neuropathic pain.
Neuropathic pain is often severe and resistant to pharmacological treatment. The aims of the present study were to assess the analgesic effect of ketamine and lidocaine and to investigate if measurement of different variables of sensibility could be used to identify responders. We also wanted to study if treatment resulted in changes of sensibility. ⋯ Ketamine showed a significant analgesic effect. The clinical usefulness is, however, limited by disturbing side-effects.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of different concentrations of levobupivacaine for post-operative epidural analgesia.
The relative effects of the mass, volume and concentration of local anaesthetic solution used for epidural anaesthesia and analgesia are still under debate. Clinical studies have shown discrepancies, probably because of limited consideration of total dose. ⋯ The same dose of levobupivacaine provides an equal quality of analgesia in low or high volume continuous thoracic epidural infusion with reduced haemodynamic instability and nausea in the low volume/high concentration groups.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialDexamethasone is as effective as ondansetron for the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting remain a common problem following breast surgery. This study assesses whether dexamethasone is as effective as ondansetron in the control of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). ⋯ Ondansetron 4 mg or dexamethasone 4 mg are equally effective in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting following breast surgery. Other factors being similar, the difference in cost between these drugs would favor the use of dexamethasone instead of ondansetron when monotherapy against PONV is used.
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Pneumocephalus is a rare complication of epidural block. We report a case of pneumocephalus complicating an epidural blood patch performed 3 days after unintentional dural puncture. Pneumocephalus may occur during an epidural blood patch procedure, even if the epidural needle tip is within the epidural space.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Aug 2003
Influence of the cortical electrical activity level during general anaesthesia on the severity of immediate postoperative pain in the morbidly obese.
The objective of anaesthesia is to provide hypnosis, analgesia and adequate conditions during surgery. It is difficult to establish the appropriate dose of general anaesthetic drugs in the morbidly obese patient. Moreover, there are conflicting data concerning adequate anaesthesia levels and the severity of postoperative pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the spectral edge frequency (SEF) during general anaesthesia and the severity of immediate postoperative pain following gastric banding surgery in morbidly obese patients. ⋯ Keeping the SEF range between 8 and 12 Hz during anaesthesia for laparoscopic gastric banding for morbid obesity, both the immediate post operative pain intensity and morphine requirement, are significantly reduced.