British journal of anaesthesia
-
Single-shot nerve blocks provide excellent postoperative analgesia for a limited period and are increasingly used in day-case units. They allow early patient discharge following painful operative procedures that would otherwise require overnight hospitalization. We investigated the adequacy of analgesia at home after the block had worn off. ⋯ We conclude that analgesia at home is often inadequate after painful day-case surgical procedures if single-shot local anaesthetic blockade is used.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
High plasma ropivacaine concentrations after fascia iliaca compartment block in children.
The pharmacokinetic profile of local anaesthetics is influenced by the mode of administration. We sought to compare the pharmacokinetics of two doses of ropivacaine after fascia iliaca compartment (FIC) block in children. ⋯ The administration of ropivacaine 3.5 mg x kg(-1) can be associated with sustained high plasma concentrations of ropivacaine, outside the tolerable range. In view of these results, we recommend the use of lower ropivacaine dosage during FIC block in children.
-
Multicenter Study
The Patient State Index as an indicator of the level of hypnosis under general anaesthesia.
This retrospective study describes the performance of the Patient State Index (PSI), under standard clinical practice conditions. The PSI is comprised of quantitative features of the EEG (QEEG) that display clear differences between hypnotic states, but consistency across anaesthetic agents within the state. ⋯ The PSI, based upon derived features of brain electrical activity in the anterior/posterior dimension, significantly co-varies with changes in state under general anaesthesia and can significantly predict the level of arousal in varying stages of anaesthetic delivery.
-
Standardized scenarios can be used for performance assessments geared to the level of the learner. The purpose of this study was to validate checklists used for the assessments of medical students' performance using high-fidelity patient simulation. ⋯ Five scenarios developed for this study were shown to be valid when using the faculty criteria for expected performance level.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of three anaesthetic techniques on isometric skeletal muscle strength.
Our aim was to quantify human involuntary isometric skeletal muscle strength during anaesthesia with propofol, sevoflurane, or spinal anaesthesia using bupivacaine. ⋯ At clinically relevant concentrations, propofol and sevoflurane did not influence involuntary isometric skeletal muscle strength in adults, whereas spinal anaesthesia reduced strength by about 20%. Muscle strength assessment using a device such as described here provided reliable results and should be considered for use in other scientific investigations to identify potential effects of anaesthetic agents.