Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 1976
Anesthetic management of posterior fossa surgery in the sitting position.
From the surgical aspect, the sitting position gives good surgical access to the operative site, improves venous drainage, gives a better view of facial area for monitoring evoked responses from cranial nerve stimulation and allows for better ventilation. Conversely, the sitting position can present complications such as air emboli, postural hypotension and serious cardiac arrhythmias due to surgical stimulation of cranial nerves and brainstem. This paper presents our clinical experience in 180 neurosurgical procedures on the posterior fossa in the sitting position. ⋯ Surgical stress also accounted for the 13 patients (7%) having frequent premature ventricular extrasystoles. One case of profound hypotension and another case of virtual cardiac standstill were noted during the use of the bipolar electrocautery at or near the fifth nerve exit from brainstem. Additional hemodynamic data, the physiopathology, diagnosis and treatment of air embolism is discussed.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 1976
Oxygen transport and venous admixture in the extremely obese. Influence of anaesthesia and artificial ventilation with and without positive end-expiratory pressure.
Eight extremely obese patients (mean weight 136 kg) were studied when awake and breathing air, and during anaesthesia with controlled ventilation (oxygen fraction in inspirate (FIO2): 0.5). During anaesthesia, the atients were first studied with zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) ventilation. Then two different positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEP) were applied, 10 cmH2O and 15 cmH2O, in order to study the effect of an increase in functional residual capacity (FRC). ⋯ This was due to simultaneous reduction in QS/QT and QT. At a PEEP of 15cmH2O, the P(A-a)O2 was 21.2 +/- 7.1 kPa, oxygen availability 862 +/- 170 ml/min, QS/QT 13 +/- 4 and QT 4.4 +/- 0.6 1. It is concluded that PEEP ventilation significantly reduces QS/QT in extremely obese patients during anaesthesia and should be used in these patients if there is arterial hypoxemia despite a high FIO2.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 1976
Anesthesia for cesarean section IV: placental transfer and neonatal elimination of bupivacaine following epidural analgesia for elective cesarean section.
Epidural analgesia with bupivacaine was used for elective cesarean section, and repeated maternal and neonatal blood samples were collected over 24 h for calculation of drug concentration. A gas-chromatogrphic micro-method was used for the analysis. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the placental transfer and the elimination rate of the drug. ⋯ The fetal-maternal ratio of concentrations at delivery was higher than in previous studies, most probably due to the protein-binding characteristics of bupivacaine and the dosage used. The biological half-life of the rapid phase of elimination (alpha-phase) in the newborn was shorter than in the mother (P less than 0.002), indicating a more rapid distribution process. The half-life of the slow phase of elimination (beta-phase) in the newborn was of the same magnitude as in the mother, indicating that neonatal elimination processes of bupivacaine may be well developed at birth.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 1976
Jet ventilation for fiberoptic bronchoscopy under general anesthesia.
An oxygen jet method ventilating patients during laryngoscopy has been applied to fiberoptic bronchoscopy. A 3.5 mm plastic tube 24.5 cm long was inserted into the trachea through the mouth. An intermittent jet of oxygen at 3.5 atm (50 psi) was applied to this tube using a 1.5 mm ID plastic catheter to ventilate the patient. ⋯ The high PO2 levels were maintained even during suctioning. General anesthesia for fiberoptic bronchoscopy can be performed using an endotracheal tube not smaller than 8 mm internal diameter (ID). The advantages of the oxygen jet technique are that it can be used in smaller patients and that the upper airway can be examined.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Jan 1976
Breathing mechanics, dead space and gas exchange in the extremely obese, breathing spontaneously and during anaesthesia with intermittent positive pressure ventilation.
Breathing mechanics and gas exchange were studied in 10 extremely obese subjects (average weight 138 kg) prior to and during anaesthesia with mechanical ventilation. Breathing mechanics were analysed from measurements of transpulmonary pressure (during anaesthesia, trans-chest wall pressure as well) inspiratory gas flow and tidal volume. Gas exchange was studied by analysing inspired and from the Bohr equation, and the division into anatomical and alveolar dead space was arrived at by capnography. ⋯ A moderate hypoxaemia was recorded during spontaneous breathing, and the alveolar-arterial oxygen tension difference was slightly elevated. During anaesthesia this difference was markedly greater. It is concluded that the most probable reason for the relative hypoxaemia is right-to-left shunting.