British journal of anaesthesia
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A 63-yr-old woman was anaesthetized for sub-total thyroidectomy. The thyroid gland was large, deviating the trachea to the right and causing 30% tracheal narrowing at the level of the suprasternal notch. Mask ventilation was easy but laryngoscopy was Cormack and Lehane grade 3. ⋯ An intubating laryngeal mask was inserted and although the airway was clear and ventilation easy, it was not possible to intubate the trachea either blindly or with the fibreoptic bronchoscope. Tracheal intubation was eventually achieved using a 6.5-mm cuffed oral tracheal tube via a size 4 laryngeal mask under fibreoptic control. We describe the case in detail and discuss the use of the intubating laryngeal mask, its potential limitations and how to optimize its use in similar circumstances.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Continuous epidural infusion of ropivacaine for postoperative analgesia after major abdominal surgery: comparative study with i.v. PCA morphine.
We have compared the quality of three regimens of postoperative analgesia (continuous epidural administration of ropivacaine (Ropi. group), epidural ropivacaine and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with i.v. morphine (Ropi. + PCA group) and PCA morphine alone (PCA group)) during the first postoperative 24 h in a multicentre, randomized, prospective study. Postoperative analgesia was studied in 130 patients after major abdominal surgery performed under general anaesthesia. The ropivacaine groups received 20 ml of epidural bolus ropivacaine 2 mg ml-1 via the epidural route at the end of surgery, followed by continuous infusion of 10 ml h-1 for 24 h. ⋯ Morphine consumption was higher in the PCA group (P < 0.05) than in the two ropivacaine groups. The quality of pain relief was rated as good or excellent in 79-85% of patients in the three groups. The percentage of patients without motor block increased between 4 and 24 h from 61% to 89% in the Ropi. group, and from 51% to 71% in the Ropi. + PCA group.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Epidural pain relief in labour: potencies of levobupivacaine and racemic bupivacaine.
We have compared the minimum local analgesic concentrations (MLAC) of levobupivacaine relative to racemic bupivacaine in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, sequential allocation study. Women in labour were given a 20-ml bolus of epidural levobupivacaine or bupivacaine diluted to a concentration determined by up-down sequential allocation. The initial concentration was 0.07% w/v for both drugs. ⋯ With regard to the commercial preparations, the potency ratio levobupivacaine: bupivacaine was 0.98 (95% CI 0.67-1.41), and this is unlikely to be of clinical relevance. In molar terms, the ratio was 0.87 (95% CI 0.60-1.25). With regard to toxicity, the evidence should be evaluated in the light of a possible 13% potency difference in molar concentration in favour of racemic bupivacaine.
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Biography Historical Article Classical Article
Postoperative analgesia and lung function: a comparison of morphine with extradural block. 1971.
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A specific action against myocardial reperfusion injury of the oxygen paradox type was recently characterized for halothane after anoxic perfusion in isolated rat hearts and isolated cardiomyocytes. In this study, we have characterized the protective effects of the clinically available inhalation anaesthetics during reperfusion after ischaemia. In isolated, isovolumically beating rat hearts perfused at a constant flow (10 ml min-1, PO2 80 kPa) and paced at 350 beat min-1, we determined left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and release of creatine kinase (CKR) as indices of myocardial performance and cellular injury, respectively. ⋯ At 30 min of reperfusion, recovery of LVDP was improved to a similar extent by all anaesthetics (halothane 30 (9)%, enflurane 36 (9)%, isoflurane 33 (5)%, sevoflurane 30 (5)%, desflurane 36 (4)% of baseline values) compared with controls (13 (5)%; each P < 0.05). All inhalation anaesthetics protected against myocardial reperfusion injury, but showed differences in attenuation of cellular injury and functional recovery. These differences may suggest different protective mechanisms.