British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Comparison of i.m. and local infiltration of ketorolac with and without local anaesthetic.
We have studied postoperative analgesia in 32 patients undergoing outpatient repair of inguinal hernia. All patients received a standardized general anaesthetic of thiopentone followed by halothane or isoflurane in 70% nitrous oxide and oxygen delivered by face mask or laryngeal mask with spontaneous ventilation. No patient received premedication, opioids or neuromuscular blockers. ⋯ There were no significant differences in pain scores at any time between the three study groups. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline, 0.25% bupivacaine or ketorolac 30 mg with 0.25% bupivacaine provided equivalent analgesia. Wound infiltration with ketorolac 30 mg in saline provided analgesia superior to that of ketorolac 60 mg i.m.
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Forty consecutive patients who could not be weaned from mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) entered a multidisciplinary progressive care programme (PCP). The mean number of hours per day of ventilatory support was 19.9 at the time of transfer but only 6.7 at discharge. ⋯ Seventy-six percent were alive 1 yr after discharge and 80% of patients were discharged directly from the PCP to their homes. Mental and emotional scores in a quality of life questionnaire (SF 36) were normal, but physical function remained limited.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A prospective, randomized comparison of interpleural and paravertebral analgesia in thoracic surgery.
We have undertaken a prospective, randomized comparison of the superficially similar techniques of interpleural and paravertebral (extrapleural) analgesia in 53 patients undergoing posterolateral thoracotomy. Local anaesthetic placed anterior to the superior costotransverse ligament and posterior to the parietal pleura produces a paravertebral block and instilled between the parietal and visceral pleurae produces an interpleural block. Patients received preoperative and postoperative continuous bupivacaine paravertebral blocks in group 1 and interpleural blocks in group 2. ⋯ PFT were significantly better (P = 0.03-0.0001) in group 1, and PORM was lower and hospital stay approximately 1 day less in this group. Five patients in group 2 became temporarily confused, probably because of bupivacaine toxicity (P = 0.02). We conclude that bupivacaine deposited paravertebrally produced greater preservation of lung function and fewer side effects than bupivacaine administered interpleurally.
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Clinical Trial
Double lung transplantation without cardiopulmonary bypass: arterial to end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure differences.
Bilateral lung transplantation without cardiopulmonary bypass consists of two sequential single lung transplantations. Variations in ventilatory status during the procedure led us to study the (PaCO2-PE'CO2) gradient to see if PE'CO2 might reflect PaCO2. The gradient was studied in 14 patients at six times during operation. (PaCO2-PE'CO2) (kPa) was mean 1.97 (SD 0.7) after induction, 3.2 (1.4) during single lung ventilation, 1.9 (1.1) after clamping of the contralateral pulmonary artery, 2.96 (1.6) after ventilation and vascularization of the first transplant and the remaining native lung, 0.99 (0.8) during single lung ventilation with the first transplant and 1.3 (0.8) during ventilation of both transplants. With ventilation by the allograft lung(s) alone, the small (PaCO2-PE'CO2) value demonstrated improvement in ventilatory status, enabled PaCO2 to be assessed by PE'CO2 and demonstrated efficiency of the grafts.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Onset of neuromuscular block after tourniquet inflation: comparison of suxamethonium with vecuronium.
To determine the influence of circulatory factors on onset of neuromuscular block, we have measured twitch height in an arm with a tourniquet inflated during onset and compared this with data from a control arm in 20 patients under fentanyl-thiopentone-nitrous oxide-isoflurane anaesthesia. Patients were allocated randomly to receive either vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 (n = 10) or suxamethonium 1 mg kg-1 (n = 10). The EMG response of the first dorsal interosseous to single twitch stimulation of the ulnar nerve every 10 s was recorded in both arms. ⋯ Maximum block was only 74 (20)% in the tourniquet arm compared with 97 (5)% in the perfused arm (P < 0.05). The difference in maximum neuromuscular block between arms was 4 (3)% in the vecuronium group and 22 (17)% in the suxamethonium group (P < 0.01). We conclude that during onset, neuromuscular block continued to increase in spite of interruption of blood flow, and this increase was greater with vecuronium than with suxamethonium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)