British journal of anaesthesia
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Comparative Study
Comparative potency of pipecuronium bromide and pancuronium bromide.
Cumulative dose-response curves were constructed to determine the comparative potency of pipecuronium and pancuronium. From these, the ED50 and ED95 values were calculated. These were 24.96 micrograms kg-1 and 44.96 micrograms kg-1, respectively, for pipecuronium and 30.42 micrograms kg-1 and 61.12 micrograms kg-1, respectively, for pancuronium.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of fluid preloading on cardiovascular variables after spinal anaesthesia with glucose-free 0.75% bupivacaine.
We studied the effect on systemic arterial pressure of fluid preloading with 1 litre of crystalloid fluid before spinal anaesthesia in 40 patients undergoing minor lower abdominal or lower limb surgery. Fluid was given at a rate of either 1 ml min-1 (no preload group), or 1000 ml in the 15 min (preload group) immediately before induction of spinal anaesthesia with 3 ml of 0.75% glucose-free bupivacaine. There was no difference between the groups in the character of anaesthesia or motor block in the lower limbs. ⋯ The group not given a fluid preload had significantly lower arterial pressures (P less than 0.05) when anaesthesia extended above the T5 dermatome. The mean time before the lowest arterial pressure was recorded was twice as long in the preloaded group as in the non-preloaded group. Glucose-free 0.75% bupivacaine did not give a reliable extent of anaesthesia for lower abdominal surgery.
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Comparative Study
Vascular response of human skin after analgesia with EMLA cream.
We investigated vascular responses after cutaneous application of EMLA cream (a eutectic mixture of lignocaine and prilocaine) by skin reflectance spectroscopy and laser Doppler blood flowmetry. In healthy subjects, EMLA cream produced a biphasic vascular response with an initial vasoconstriction, maximal after 1.5 h of application. ⋯ Vasoconstriction was also observed initially with two non-EMLA creams applied under occlusion, whereas the occlusive plastic film alone did not alter the vascular state. Thus late vasodilatation was unique to EMLA cream.
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A questionnaire was mailed to 182 attendees of four practical workshops on fibreoptic endoscopy. After the workshops, 35% of the attendees were able to introduce fibreoptic intubation into their clinical practice or improve their success rate. This suggests that a new psychomotor skill can be disseminated effectively to clinicians by a practical workshop that utilizes inanimate models, and is based on sound educational principles.