British journal of anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia after Caesarean delivery performed under spinal anaesthesia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
TAP block reduces pain severity, morphine consumption and opioid side effects after caesarean section when intrathecal morphine is not used.
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Meta Analysis
Systemic metoclopramide to prevent postoperative nausea and vomiting: a meta-analysis without Fujii's studies.
Previous evidence suggested that 10 mg systemic metoclopramide is not effective to prevent postoperative nausea and/or vomiting (PONV) in patients receiving general anaesthesia. However, the evidence included data with questioned validity by the author Yoshitaka Fujii. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of a systemic dose of 10 mg metoclopramide to prevent PONV. ⋯ A post hoc analysis examining three studies with questioned validity performed by the author Yoshitaka Fujii that would meet criteria for inclusion in the current study did not demonstrate a significant benefit of metoclopramide compared with control on the incidence of 24 h PONV. Our findings suggest that metoclopramide 10 mg i.v. is effective to prevent PONV in patients having surgical procedures under general anaesthesia. Metoclopramide seems to be a reasonable agent to prevent PONV.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Lidocaine/tetracaine patch (Rapydan) for topical anaesthesia before arterial access: a double-blind, randomized trial.
Arterial catheterization is painful and is associated with patient stress and anxiety. Analgesia is usually provided by subcutaneous injection of local anaesthetic. An alternative is topical anaesthesia, such as Rapydan which is a novel topical anaesthetic patch containing 70 mg each of lidocaine and tetracaine. We therefore tested the hypothesis that Rapydan patch analgesia is non-inferior to subcutaneous local anaesthetic. ⋯ Both the lidocaine/tetracaine patch and subcutaneous injection of lidocaine provided comparable pain control during arterial catheter insertion. Subcutaneous lidocaine caused discomfort during injection, whereas the lidocaine/tetracaine patch required placement 20 min before the procedure. Given adequate time, the patch provided better overall analgesia by obviating the need for subcutaneous infiltration.
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Airway problems continue to occur in intensive care setting. Management strategies, staffing, and availability of equipment can all have an influence. ⋯ There remains room for improvement in airway management strategies and resources in ICUs in the UK.
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Ultrasound (US) guidance reduces complications and increases accuracy during internal jugular vein (IJV) cannulation. The subclavian vein (SCV) is popular but is less amenable to US guidance. The axillary vein (AxV), a direct continuation of the SCV, is an alternative, but to date, experience with US is limited to small case series. ⋯ In this large analysis of US-guided central venous access in a complex patient group, the majority of patients were cannulated successfully and safely. The subset of patients undergoing AxV cannulation demonstrated a low rate of complications. The AxV route of access appears to be a safe and effective alternative to the IJV.