Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effect on outcome of peribulbar anaesthesia in conjunction with general anesthesia for vitreoretinal surgery.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate peri-operative outcome after vitreoretinal surgery when peribulbar anaesthesia is combined with general anaesthesia. Sixty adult patients undergoing elective primary retinal detachment surgery with scleral buckling or an encircling procedure received either peribulbar anaesthesia in conjunction with general anaesthesia or general anaesthesia alone. For peribulbar anaesthesia a single percutaneous injection of 5-7 ml of local anaesthetic solution (0.75% ropivacaine with hyaluronidase 15 iu.ml(-1)) was used. ⋯ In the block group there was a lower incidence of oculocardiac reflex and surgical bleeding intra-operatively. Patients in the block group also had better postoperative analgesia and a lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with the group without a block. The use of peribulbar anaesthesia in conjunction with general anesthesia was superior to general anaesthesia alone for vitreoretinal surgery with scleral buckling.
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Multicenter Study
Anaesthesia for proximal femoral fracture in the UK: first report from the NHS Hip Fracture Anaesthesia Network.
The aim of this audit was to investigate process, personnel and anaesthetic factors in relation to mortality among patients with proximal femoral fractures. A questionnaire was used to record standardised data about 1195 patients with proximal femoral fracture admitted to 22 hospitals contributing to the Hip Fracture Anaesthesia Network over a 2-month winter period. Patients were demographically similar between hospitals (mean age 81 years, 73% female, median ASA grade 3). ⋯ Consultants administered 61% of anaesthetics (17-100%). Wide national variations in current management of patients sustaining proximal femoral fracture reflect a lack of research evidence on which to base best practice guidance. Collaborative audits such as this provide a robust method of collecting such evidence.
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The UK influenza pandemic plan predicts up to 750,000 additional deaths with hospitals prioritising patients against inadequate resources. We investigated three prototype low-cost, gas-efficient, pneumatic ventilators in a test lung model at different compliance and rate settings. Mean (SD) oxygen consumption was 0.913 (0.198) and 1.119 (0.267) l.min(-1) at tidal volumes of 500 ml and 700 ml respectively. ⋯ We also demonstrated that a stable nitric oxide concentration could be delivered by this design following volumetric principles. It is possible to make a gas-efficient ventilator costing less than 200 pounds from industrial components for use where oxygen is available at 2-4 bar, with no pressurised air or electrical requirements. Such a device could be mass-produced for crises characterised by an overwhelming demand for mechanical ventilation and a limited oxygen supply.