British journal of anaesthesia
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India ink was injected through extradural catheters placed in the posterior intercostal space in 12 cadavers undergoing autopsy and the subsequent spread of the India ink was assessed under direct vision. The ink spread subpleurally to reach a number of intercostal spaces and medially to reach the paravertebral space. It is concluded that analgesia extending over a number of dermatomes is achieved by subpleural tracking of local anaesthetic to reach intercostal nerves above and below the one injected.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
General anaesthesia for caesarean section in severe pre-eclampsia. Comparison of the renal and hepatic effects of enflurane and halothane.
In a randomized study of patients undergoing Caesarean section, either enflurane (mean 0.24 MAC-h) or halothane (mean 0.23 MAC-h) and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen were administered to women (n = 12) with severe pre-eclampsia-eclampsia and to 16 healthy pregnant patients with normal renal and hepatic function. No evidence of nephrotoxicity was found in any pre-eclamptic or normal patient. ⋯ Postoperative liver function tests showed no important changes from preoperative values, although reductive metabolites of halothane were not measured. In patients with severe pre-eclampsia there appears no contraindication to enflurane or, probably, halothane as volatile supplements during general anaesthesia.