British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Hypoxaemia and pain relief after upper abdominal surgery: comparison of i.m. and patient-controlled analgesia.
Forty patients recovering from upper abdominal surgery were allocated randomly to receive i.m. morphine 0.15 mg kg-1 as required or patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), with i.v. morphine 1 mg and a 5-min lock out time. Arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) was measured continuously the night before and for 24 h immediately after surgery. ⋯ There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative hypoxaemia in the two treatment groups. Severe postoperative hypoxaemia (SpO2 < 85% for more than 6 min h-1) was seen in three patients receiving i.m. analgesia and one patient in the PCA group.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Hypoxaemia and pain relief after lower abdominal surgery: comparison of extradural and patient-controlled analgesia.
We have examined postoperative pain in patients allocated randomly to receive extradural bolus diamorphine 3.6 mg, extradural infusion of 0.15% bupivacaine with 0.01% diamorphine or patient-controlled i.v. administration of diamorphine at a maximum rate of 1 mg per 5 min, after total abdominal hysterectomy. Extradural infusion analgesia produced the smallest pain scores from 12 to 24 h after surgery (P < 0.05). More patients in the extradural infusion group were moderately hypoxaemic (SpO2 < 90% > 12 min h-1) after operation, compared with the two other groups (P < 0.05). The group using patient-controlled analgesia received more diamorphine and suffered a greater incidence of emetic sequelae (P < 0.05).
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Case Reports
General anaesthesia and the hypereosinophilic syndrome: severe postoperative complications in two patients.
Two patients with markedly increased eosinophil counts developed severe postoperative complications after general anaesthesia. One patient suffered life-threatening Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), while the other presented with a coagulopathy and less severe respiratory problems. ⋯ These cases suggest that, in patients with marked eosinophilia requiring general anaesthesia, perioperative steroid cover is advisable. This may reduce or prevent serious lung damage and other complications.
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Neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMB) are involved in most of the anaphylactic reactions occurring during anaesthesia. Patients are evaluated usually 6 weeks after the reaction, by skin testing. In order to obtain an earlier diagnosis, we have measured plasma concentrations of histamine, tryptase and NMB-specific IgE antibodies in 14 patients after an anaphylactoid reaction. ⋯ Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the concentrations of NMB-specific IgE antibodies observed at the time of the reaction and 8 weeks later. Thus anaphylaxis to neuromuscular blocking drugs can be demonstrated at the time of the reaction by measuring plasma concentrations of histamine, tryptase and specific IgE. In the event of the patient's death, such measurements may be useful in identifying the likely cause.