British journal of anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Entropy of EEG during anaesthetic induction: a comparative study with propofol or nitrous oxide as sole agent.
The search continues for an anaesthetic monitor that can define the level of anaesthesia in an individual patient irrespective of anaesthetic agent(s) used. Studies of available monitors based on bispectral analysis or evoked auditory potentials show the complexity of the problem. We assessed a new monitor, based on the entropy of the EEG, during induction of anaesthesia with either propofol or nitrous oxide. ⋯ The entropy monitor of anaesthetic depth shows a successive decrease with propofol but loss of consciousness with nitrous oxide is not associated with change in entropy indices.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine 0.25% following caudal administration in children under 2 years of age.
Levobupivacaine, the S(-)enantiomer of racemic bupivacaine is less cardiotoxic than racemic bupivacaine and the R(+)enantiomer dexbupivacaine, while retaining similar local anaesthetic properties and potency to racemic bupivacaine. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the two bupivacaine enantiomers differs and that of racemic bupivacaine may be age dependent. We examined the pharmacokinetics of levobupivacaine after its single shot caudal epidural administration in children. ⋯ After the caudal epidural administration of levobupivacaine 2 mg kg(-1) in children less than 2 yr of age, C(max) was within the accepted safe range for racemic bupivacaine. T(max) varied and occurred later in some children, particularly those aged less than 3 months. Sampling in future pharmacokinetic studies in this age group should extend beyond 60 min.
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Although obese patients are thought to be susceptible to postoperative pulmonary complications, there are only limited data on the relationship between obesity and lung volumes after surgery. We studied how surgery and obesity affect lung volumes measured by spirometry. ⋯ Postoperative reduction in spirometric volumes was related to BMI. Obesity had more effect on VC than the site of surgery.