British journal of anaesthesia
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Case Reports
A bifurcated endobronchial tube in the management of laryngotracheo-oesophageal cleft repair.
We describe the management of laryngotracheo-oesophageal cleft Type III using a bifurcated endobronchial tube. When the cleft was opened for repair, we were able to obtain effective control of the airway, which is the main problem in this rare congenital anomaly. Commercial tubes are not available, so we made the tube on the day of surgery, immediately before operation.
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We have performed serial haemodynamic investigations in 20 women undergoing elective Caesarean section under continuous spinal anaesthesia with a 32-gauge catheter with 0.5% heavy bupivacaine. Cardiac output was measured by Doppler and cross-sectional echocardiography at the aortic valve. Doppler flow velocity waveforms were recorded also from the umbilical artery. ⋯ Two subjects developed hypotension, although mean values of arterial pressure and umbilical artery pulsatility index did not change. The median umbilical artery pH was 7.27 (range 6.98-7.32) and there was a significant correlation between pH and the maximum percentage decrease in cardiac output. The results suggest that continuous spinal anaesthesia is associated with greater haemodynamic stability than single bolus spinal injection.
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Comparative Study
Spread of spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section in singleton and twin pregnancies.
We have compared the spread of spinal anaesthesia in parturients with singleton and those with twin pregnancies. Fifty-five unpremedicated patients with uncomplicated pregnancy scheduled for Caesarean section were allocated to two groups: group I = 35 singleton mothers; group II = 20 with twin pregnancy. Both groups received spinal anaesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine 10 mg (2 ml of 0.5%). ⋯ We found a statistically significant difference in onset and maximal cephalad spread of spinal anaesthesia (group I median T5, range T8-T4; group II T3, range T6-T2). The mechanisms of higher cephalad spread of spinal anaesthesia in parturients may be a decrease in cerebrospinal fluid volume secondary to shunting of blood from the obstructed inferior vena cava to the extradural venous plexus and increased nerve sensitivity to local anaesthetics because of increased concentrations of progesterone. The twin pregnancy group had heavier, larger uteri and greater daily production of progesterone.