Anaesthesia
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Circulatory effects of labetalol during halothane anaesthesia.
Labetalol is a drug possessing both alpha and beta adrenergic receptor blocking properties. Its possible use in induced hypotension during halothane anaesthesia has been investigated. It causes a satisfactory decrease in arterial pressure unaccompanied by tachycardia. ⋯ This reduction was associated with decreases in Qt of 18% and 12% respectively. In the presence of labetalol, with 3% halothane and spontaneous respiration, the depressant effects of the anaesthetic on the heart became rapidly apparent: Qt was reduced by a further 28%. In patients not receiving labetalol, the depressant effects of 3% halothane were frequently countered by the positive inotropic effects of hypercarbia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Directional spinals in obstetric analgesia.
Directional characteristics of spinal injections delivered via a 22 gauge Whitacre needle were confirmed in twenty-one obstetric patients undergoing elective Caesarean section. Caudad injection was inadequate for elective Caesarean section, while cephalad or lateral injection provided good sensory levels for the duration of the surgery. It is speculated that along with the low incidence of postspinal headache and ease of administering the block with a more rigid 22 gauge needle, low dose caudally directed injections may provide a superior means of administering saddle block analgesia for obstetric patients.
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Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Pain and clinical thrombophlebitis following intravenous diazepam and lorazepam.
Eighty-seven per cent of surgical patients receiving undiluted diazepam experienced pain on injection while 6-16%, depending on the dose, manifested evidence of clinical thrombophlebitis. This was improved when diazepam, 10 mg, was diluted to 20-40 ml with intravenous solution. In contrast, lorazepam appeared to have minimal irritative or injurious effects on veins whether undiluted or diluted. In view of these results and clinical studies reporting a higher patient acceptance of lorazepam than diazepam, lorazepam may be a superior drug for use in anaesthesia.