Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 1997
Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialThe effect of patient positioning on dynamic lung compliance.
Side-stream spirometry offers a non-invasive method to monitor continuously respiratory mechanics in intubated patients. We studied the effects of different positions on dynamic lung compliance during anaesthesia. ⋯ We found that dynamic lung compliance decreased significantly upon change of posture from supine to lateral or prone position, whereas in the kneeling position no change in compliance was observed. We suggest that the kneeling position might be preferable to the prone position.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialIntravenous phentolamine test--an aid in the evaluation of patients with persistent pain after low-back surgery?
Persistent pain following surgery in the treatment of chronic low-back pain patients is still relatively frequent. Most of these patients with persistent pain have clinical signs of neuropathic pain. The neuropathic pain might be sympathetically maintained pain (SMP) or sympathetically independent pain (SIP). Systemic administration of phentolamine, a competitive alpha-adrenergic antagonist, has been used as a diagnostic tool to identify patients with SMP. ⋯ SMP is either an uncommon cause of persistent pain in this type of failed back surgery patients or the phentolamine test, as we performed it, was unable to identify SMP.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 1997
Case ReportsLarge increase in cardiac output in a patient with ARDS and acute right heart failure during inhalation of nitric oxide.
Inhaled nitric oxide (NO), a selective pulmonary vasodilator, reduces pulmonary artery pressure in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In spite of the reduction of right ventricular afterload, the effect of NO on cardiac output remains unclear. ⋯ Our observations suggest that inhalation of NO is likely to increase cardiac output in ARDS when severe acute right heart failure is present.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 1997
Case ReportsA survey of the ASA physical status classification: significant variation in allocation among Finnish anaesthesiologists.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists' (ASA) Classification of Physical Health is a widely used grading system for preoperative health of the surgical patient. In previous studies conducted in North America and Great Britain, considerable variation in the ASA classification allocation has been reported. We hypothesised that in smaller and culturally more homogeneous countries there might be less variation in the ASA classification. ⋯ In a small and culturally homogeneous country, like Finland, there exists similar wide variation in the ASA classification as has been previously reported from larger and culturally more heterogeneous countries. The significant variation should always be considered when using this classification in clinical or scientific work.
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 1997
GuidelineThe use of central regional anesthesia techniques in Sweden: results of a nation-wide survey. Swedish Association of Anesthesia and Intensive care.
Epidural and subarachnoid anesthesia are well established central regional techniques for surgical anesthesia. Two additional techniques, combined spinal epidural (CSE) block and continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA), have recently become popular. However, data on nation-wide use of central regional blocks are not available. ⋯ Subarachnoid block was preferred for shorter surgical procedures (< 60 min), whereas epidural and CSE blocks were chosen when severe postoperative pain could be anticipated, as continuous epidural analgesia was well established for postoperative pain management. Improved routines for registration of complications to central regional blocks are needed.