Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Determination of the optimal programmed intermittent epidural bolus volume of bupivacaine 0.0625% with fentanyl 2 μg.ml-1 at a fixed interval of forty minutes: a biased coin up-and-down sequential allocation trial.
The optimum time interval for 10 ml boluses of bupivacaine 0.0625% + fentanyl 2 μg.ml-1 as part of a programmed intermittent epidural bolus regimen has been found to be 40 min. This regimen was shown to be effective without the use of supplementary patient-controlled epidural analgesia boluses in 90% of women during the first stage of labour, although with a rate of sensory block to ice above T6 in 34% of women. We aimed to determine the optimum programmed intermittent epidural bolus volume at a 40 min interval to provide effective analgesia in 90% of women (EV90 ) during the first stage of labour, without the use of patient-controlled epidural analgesia. ⋯ No women required treatment for hypotension. In conclusion, it is not possible to reduce the programmed intermittent epidural bolus volume from 10 ml, used in our current regimen, without compromising the quality of analgesia. Using this regimen, a high proportion of women will develop a sensory block above T6.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Pilot multi-centre randomised trial of the impact of pre-operative focused cardiac ultrasound on mortality and morbidity in patients having surgery for femoral neck fractures (ECHONOF-2 pilot).
Hip fracture surgery is common, usually occurs in elderly patients who have multiple comorbidities, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Pre-operative focused cardiac ultrasound can alter diagnosis and management, but its impact on outcome remains uncertain. This pilot study assessed feasibility and group separation for a proposed large randomised clinical trial of the impact of pre-operative focused cardiac ultrasound on patient outcome after hip fracture surgery. ⋯ Death, acute kidney injury and cerebrovascular accident were recorded, but no cases of myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or cardiopulmonary arrest ocurred. Focused cardiac ultrasound altered the management of 17 participants, suggesting an effect mechanism. This pilot study demonstrated that enrolment and the protocol are feasible, that the primary composite outcome is appropriate, and that there is a treatment effect favouring focused cardiac ultrasound - and therefore supports a large randomised clinical trial.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomised controlled trial comparing needle movements during combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia with and without ultrasound assistance.
Ultrasound assistance for neuraxial techniques may improve technical performance; however, it is unclear which populations benefit most. Our study aimed to investigate the efficacy of neuraxial ultrasound in women having caesarean section with combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia, and to identify factors associated with improved technical performance. Two-hundred and eighteen women were randomly allocated to ultrasound-assisted or control groups. ⋯ Anaesthetists misidentified the intervertebral level by two or more spaces in 23 (10.7%) women. Sub-group analysis demonstrated a benefit for ultrasound in women with easily palpable spinous processes (adjusted p = 0.027). Regression analysis identified use of ultrasound and easily palpable spinous processes to be associated with first-pass success.